Search Results for: vfr

For nearly a year now, I’ve been hearing rumors of asmaller-sized aviation GPS from Lowrance Avionics to supersede the rather hefty AirMapthat they introduced in 1996. I was concerned that Lowrance might be following the lead ofthe Garmin GPS III Pilot, a unit that I don’t care for one bit. When Lowrance introducedtheir 12-channel AirMap […]

Using mnemonics is an effective way to learn airspaceclassifications, and nothing suits Class B airspace better than the letter B. Class Bairspace surrounds “Big” airports in a shape that looks like a big upside downwedding cake. Class B airspace isn’t reserved only for big airplanes, however. Flying toand from a Class B airport or transitioning […]

If you think of the Flight Standards Service as the lawenforcement arm of the Federal Aviation Administration, then the Flight Standards DistrictOffice (or FSDO, pronounced “FIZZ-doe”) is the FAA’s equivalent of a policestation, and the Airworthiness, Operations, and Safety Inspectors who work at the FSDOsare the FAA’s cops. Most FAA cops…er, Inspectors…are good guys: dedicated, […]

The ICOM IC-A3 and -A22 transceivers are subject ofa separate AVweb review article. When ICOM introduced its new,lower-cost IC-A4 handheld VHF air band transceiver in March 1998, I was anxious to checkit out. ICOM dominates the aviation handheld transceiver market, and deservedly so: theirhandhelds have always been the best on the market in my opinion. […]

(Most photos are thumbnails.  Click them to view larger,higher-resolution images.) WhenDiamond Aircraft’s snazzy little Katana emerged into the flight training scene three yearsago, it seemed an easy setup for a bloody nose or two. “Way too small,” some said. “A plastic airplane? Are you kiddin’? That thing won’t last a month on thetraining line.” “No […]

NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article to view larger, higher-resolution versions. My wife and I have a time-share condo on St. Thomas (Magens PointResort). Our time-share week is always the last week in January. This is perfect for ussince we live in the Washington D.C. metro area and the weather […]

NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article toview larger, higher-resolution versions. Afew summers ago, I flew my 1978 Grumman Yankee (affectionately named The Banana Slug)from Watsonville, California, to an AmericanYankee Association (AYA) national convention in Cable, Wisconsin. I then flew toOshkosh for the EAA fly-in which I had never seenbefore. The […]

NOTE: The Cayman Caravan now has its own web site, which contains all the information andpaperwork you need to sign up for the event. Every June a bunch of small airplanes gather in Key West and fly over Cuba. Cubadoesn’t shoot at them or scramble MiGs. In fact, Cuban controllers actually look forwardto the big […]

Severaldecades ago, my primary flight instructor taught me that being a safe pilot meant stayingon the ground when the weather didn’t look good. When I got my instrument rating a fewyears later, my CFII cautioned me against flying when icing or thunderstorms wereanticipated. Such advice may be okay for pilots who fly for recreation, but […]

Let me state right up front that I’ve been a big fan ofthe Lowrance AirMap since its introduction in 1996. I wouldn’t rate it as the besthandheld aviation GPS on the market…I’d have to award that distinction to the GarminGPSMAP-195. But the AirMap is a very close runner-up to the Garmin and costs a lot […]