Gear

Flying in remote areas where cell phone reception is weak or nonexistent can become frustrating, but more importantly these areas reduce your chances of survival in case of an emergency landing. Throw DeLorme’s inReach satellite communicator in your flight bag and you’ll be able to keep in touch beyond the areas with cell phone coverage, […]

At Sun ‘n Fun Aspen Avionics was showing off its CG100 Connected Panel product in its Cirrus SR22. The device, which goes behind the panel and links to an iPad or other devices via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB, goes for around $2,500. Aspen expects it to be certified soon. Connected Panel allows the pilot to […]

Garmin this week unveiled its latest app, Garmin Pilot, which is available immediately in the Apple App Store. The app brings dozens of enhancements, an all new flight planning interface, a remarkably handy little bulls-eye waypoint inspector and a menu system based on the one on its touchscreen GTN navigators and G5000 panel-mount systems. Our […]

Vertical Power took the wraps off an intriguing backup EFIS at Sun ‘n Fun that the company claims can fly your airplane safely all the way to the threshold of the best appropriate runway in an emergency. Press one button, and the unit will calculate the best airport you can safely glide to, taking into […]

On the first day of Sun ‘n Fun, Avidyne President and CEO Dan Schwinn announced that his company was pursuing a number of certifications for its DFC90 digital autopilot. In addition to the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, for which Avidyne earned STC approval last year, the company will pursue certification for the Cessna 182, Beech […]

Hands down, the most buzz-worthy new product introduced on the opening day of Sun ‘n Fun was Sporty’s Stratus wireless weather receiver for the iPad. Designed to overlay color weather graphics and more on the ForeFlight Mobile app, the $799 receiver combines ADS-B and GPS receivers into a single unit that wirelessly streams Nexrad radar […]

GlobalNavSource, a Florida company that does certification and testing of the iPad for aviation use, has reported that the latest iteration of the tablet computer, which Apple is just calling the iPad, has passed rapid decompression testing to 51,000 feet. The test is necessary, says the company, in order to confirm that the pilots have […]

If one-stop shopping for your database updates sounds too good to be true, well, you’re still mostly right. But for some owners, the time has arrived, thanks to a program from Jeppesen and Garmin called PilotPak that lets select owners pay for one database subscription and install it on all of their panel-mount units. PilotPak […]

With Sun ‘n Fun just a few weeks away, Sporty’s Pilot Shop has released its official 2012 app for Florida’s biggest air show. In addition to the basics, like show hours and ticket information, the app hosts a variety of other features, ranging from fly-in information for pilots to show maps to custom favorite lists […]

For those operators who have several pilots flying for them, or even a changing cast of characters, the use of electronic charts, principally iPad charts, has offered great savings over the past couple of years. Now ForeFlight, which has developed the best selling charting app, ForeFlight Mobile (the winner of a 2011 Flying Editors’ Choice […]