Avionics

Do you own or use a tablet or electronic flight bag? Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is doing a review of these products and would like to hear from you. Contact the magazine here.Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted from Cessna OwnerMagazine by permission from Cessna Owner Organization — 888-MYCessna. A few years ago I […]

This is an update of an article originally published on AVweb in 1997, and includes information about new technologies and the status of WAAS and LAAS, as well as suggestions about avionics purchases. Most pilots think GPS is the best thing to happen to air navigation since the compass. And why not? Having accurate position […]

“Now I’ve done it,” I muttered into the left-seat microphone of the Cirrus SR22, forgetting that the factory pilot, my bride and my partner could nearly hear me think.”Everything looks OK,” the demo pilot assured me. “Everything is in the green on the engine monitor and we’re clear of the special-use airspace …”No,” my Annie […]

True story.A guy named Chuck flies 757s for a major airline, and builds and flies an RV-8. Flying the RV-8 is quite different from his day job: The 757 has a glass cockpit, side-by-side seating, and trainer wheel up front, and is designed for straight-and-level flight; RV-8 has steam gauges, fore and aft seating, is […]

This article appeared in the January 2002 edition of Aviation Safety and is reprinted here by permission. Aircraft components are tested and retested. Manufacturers are subjected to inspection, airplanes are inspected, mechanics are inspected. The goal: Nothing mechanical should go wrong without plenty of warning.There is one part that bucks that trend. When called on, […]

You’ve seen the news reports: Russian-made jammers may be used against U.S. GPS-based weapon systems in Iraq, and there have been warnings about this technology in the hands of terrorists. U.S. Representative Joseph R. Pitts (R-Penn.), a former Air Force officer, has a page on the topic on his Web site. How serious is the […]

This article appeared in the February 2002 edition of Aviation Safety and is reprinted here by permission. Thunderstorm. That word causes more angst among aviators than just about any other atmospheric phenomenon. The thought of getting tangled up in the violent bowels of a mature thunderstorm – heavy rain, severe turbulence, hail and lightning – […]

You’ve purchased a new-to-you airplanewith a panel-mount IFR GPS — but the placard reads “VFR-only.” AsLarry Anglisano explained recently in AviationConsumer, you can upgrade yourunit to IFR (but you may want to sell it and start from scratch). Here’swhat it’ll take to make it happen. This article appears in the April, 2002 edition of AviationConsumer, […]

Click any photo for a larger image. The FAA recommends an annual inspection for youravionics and we recommend it highly as well. Well give you the gist of it andthen some in the words that follow. Next month, well also give you somelow-buck alternatives for test equipment to perform more detailed avionicssystem checks. By the […]

It is certainly awe-inspiring to witness the cascade of new avionicsthat are unveiled continuously. But what about the future? Whatcan we expect to see in the months and years ahead? Well, theblack box manufacturers are notoriously reticent about revealingwhat’s being cobbled up in their respective skunkworks; for onething, they don’t want to give away their […]