Gear

The introduction of Garmin’s new GTN touch-screen navigators, the GTN 650 and the large GTN 750, is remarkable in itself, but the fact that we’ve almost come to expect such works of seeming magic in our cockpits made me think back to the original precursor of the GTN products, the GNS 430, which I met […]

iPad app developer ForeFlight has added coverage of Canada to its all-in-one iPad app, making it only the second electronic chart provider we know of to include international coverage in its offerings. The other, of course, is Jeppesen, which offers worldwide coverage. ForeFlight’s achievement should not be underestimated. ForeFlight co-founder Tyson Weihs told me the […]

The FAA says that a draft advisory circular that seemed to imply that rank-and-file Part 91 aviators would be held to the same standards as charter providers and the airlines when using EFBs (like the Class 1 Apple iPad) was never intended to change the regulatory lay of the land. The FAA’s Steve Morrison, who […]

(August 2011) When Garmin purchased Pilot My-Cast and its developer, Digital Cyclone, a few years ago, it did so because the handwriting was on the wall: Apps were a part of the future of aviation information. As originally conceived, Pilot My-Cast was an app for mobile devices, mostly phones, that would allow a pilot to […]

Until recently, Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) were typically thought of as large computer devices mounted in the cockpits of high-end jets and airliners. They usually relied on a permanent mounting fixture, and needed to be hard-wired into the aircraft’s electrical system. Once installed, these EFBs provided electronic charts, moving map displays and weather in the […]

Lancair introduced an integrated, all-glass panel for its single-engine turboprop Evolution at AirVenture called EFC900X (Evolution Flight Control 900X), including Garmin’s GFC 7X autopilot. The GFC 7X is the first Garmin autopilot to be installed in an experimental airplane and is currently exclusive to the Evolution. “This is a huge vote of confidence from Garmin,” […]

Wouldn’t it be great if you could create a flight plan using your iPad and then automatically load it into the avionics in your airplane? Aspen Avionics has created a Wi-Fi-based technology called Connected Panel that will let pilots do just that — and a whole lot more. The first software app designed for the […]

If you’re headed to Oshkosh later this month, be sure to download Sporty’s free show app. The official EAA AirVenture 2011 Fly-In App is available for Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch) and Android phones and tablets. It includes everything show-goers need, from maps to guides to schedules, and can even help you get to […]

VoiceFlight has received an STC for its VFS101 voice-recognition system for Garmin’s GNS 430W and 530W GPS/navcoms. The VFS101 enables the pilot to verbally enter flight-plan waypoints using the phonetic alphabet, which takes a fraction of the time of twisting the knobs on the 430W and 530W units. In addition to loading a flight plan, […]

Extra Aircraft has received approval form the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the Avidyne Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck in the German-built Extra EA-500 single-engine turboprop. The certification allows IFR day and night operations in EA-500s fitted with the Entegra Release 9 upgrade. The EA-500 is a turboprop version of the Extra 400 […]