Gear

(April 2011) WHILE APPLICATIONS FOR handheld devices have been an intriguing development for some time, the introduction of the iPad has absolutely changed the competitive marketplace in aviation. Dozens of apps, including capable suites from ForeFlight and X-Wing, have made the 10-inch portable from Apple into a must-have pilot pal. Sporty’s Pilot Shop, which helped […]

Safety product manufacturer AmSafe has introduced a next-generation seatbelt airbag that is lighter and has a longer service life than the company’s current airbag restraint, which has been in production for 10 years and is installed in more than 7,000 general aviation aircraft. The new AmSafe seatbelt is narrower and features an optional lightweight buckle, […]

Lightspeed Aviation announced a new, next-generation version of its Zulu headset with several patent pending innovations. Lightspeed claims the Zulu’s new Microport Vent technology provides greater ANR consistency and an improvement in ANR by two to 12 decibels in the low frequency range, Lightcomfort design reduces the clamping force by 15 percent, and Dual Aperture […]

Fresh on the heels of its tour de force announcement at the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) show in Reno last week of the GTN 750 and GTN 650 panel-mount touch-screen navigators, Garmin released details at the show of its G2000 flat-panel touch-controlled avionics suite. The package will be installed at the factory in new airplanes. […]

Last night at the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Reno, Nevada, Garmin shook up the avionics world with the introduction of two new panel-mount navigators, the huge Garmin 750 and the smaller but similarly capable Garmin 650. The two navigators are touch screen devices that do everything the GNS 430 and 530 do and more […]

“Select Com One,” I said into the mic, and waited half a second only to see the active light on the audio panel swap over to com one, as I’d requested. It’s a cool feature, but only a small part of why the new GMA 350 has set a new standard in GA audio panels. […]

Bell Helicopter’s introduction of the Model 407GX on Sunday at Heli-Expo in Orlando marked the debut of Garmin’s G1000 avionics system in a helicopter. Called G1000H, the two-display cockpit includes many of the advanced features fixed-wing pilots have grown to appreciate, as well as a number of technologies specific to rotorcraft operation. The system’s HSVT […]

Avidyne has achieved TSO and STC certification for its DFC100 digital flight control system designed for use with the Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck system available in Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. This new integration may give the popular Garmin Perspective a run for its money. In addition to the flight director, altitude hold, […]

Piqua, Ohio-based Hartzell Propeller has announced the development of a new two-blade Top Prop conversion kit for Piper PA-23-250 Aztec twins. The scimitar-shape, 77-inch propeller blades incorporate blade-mounted counterweights, offering greater redundancy for pitch control and feathering, compared with the original-equipment propellers that relied on air pressure. The shape of the blades is more efficient, […]

When heading to the Caribbean and Bahamas by private airplane, there’s lots to know. Luckily there’s a one-stop guide, the 2011 Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot’s Guide, to getting the skinny on where to go and how to get there. This 400-page spiral bound treasure trove of information and photography features airport and immigration and customs […]