Recently added articles from The Aviation Consumer:
Cessna and Columbia.(FIRST WORD)
Nov 01, 2007; Bertorelli, Paul ... Cessna's announcement in September that it was seeking to buy Columbia had a bit of the sneaky Pete to it. Whether intended or not, the buyout offer got the harder play in breaking news stories, not the fact that Columbia was declaring bankruptcy. Stories in the aviation press seemed to ...
EFIS feedback.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Nov 01, 2007; Woodward, Ben ... I think your comments about EFIS in the September 2007 issue (First Word, page 2) miss the point. The current EFIS design as replicated across many vendors' products provides a consistent human/computer/ airplane interface in much the same way that a six pack of steam gauges provided a ...
CamGuard culprit?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Nov 01, 2007; Simon, Roger K. ... A while back, I read your report on CamGuard and decided to try it in my 1951 170 Cessna with a 300-hour engine. I added the prescribed amount of CamGuard to a fresh oil change (AeroShell) and subsequently have done so another three times. Two Sundays ago while taking a trip to ...
Traffic nags.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Nov 01, 2007; Paul, Rod ... I'd like to comment on your evaluation of traffic systems. I'v had TIS since it became available and found it reliable in presenting targets--good with altitude, but only ballpark accurate with azimuth. I switched to an Avidyne 600, which is, in my estimation, far more precise in every ...
Panel mount traffic: Avidyne's TAS prevails: although there are performance differences, they aren't substantial. The TAS-600 offers the lowest cost of entry, but watch antenna installation costs.(Product/service evaluation)
Nov 01, 2007; Anglisano, Larry ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fear of a mid-air collision ranks high on the demon list for many owners--high enough that there's a lively market in panel-mounted traffic systems that cost the better part of $20,000 or more to install. There's also intense competition in the field, ...
Pilatus PC-12: tops in range, payload: Pilatus has no VLJ (yet), but its big single offers something none of the little jets do: two tons of useful load and nearly cross-continent range.(AIRCRAFT FLIGHT TEST)(Product/service evaluation)
Nov 01, 2007; Durden, Rick ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When contemplating a Pilatus PC-12, you can't help but think of someone who went out to buy an all-terrain vehicle and came home with a luxury, all-wheel-drive motorhome that could go off-road. You have to look past the BMW-designed interior to discover ...
LSA insurance: planes yes, pilots maybe: the industry isn't exactly taking the LSA groundswell in stride. Insurance is available, but underwriters will like you better if you keep your medical.(KEEP ME COVERED)(light sport airplanes)(Buyers guide)
Nov 01, 2007; Doolittle, Jon ... For aviation insurers, it's the best of times and the worst of times. In many traditional parts of the aircraft insurance market, an overabundance of capital and new insurers is forcing premiums--especially those for corporate airplanes--down to new lows. At the same time, buyers are ...
Large format monitors: promising technology: dancing orange bars are over; we've moved on to color and large screens. EI and Xerion look intriguing, but there may be too few in the field to judge them.(COCKPIT UPGRADES)(Product/service evaluation)
Nov 01, 2007; Burnside, Joseph E. "Jeb" ... If your older airplane is like ours, its powerplant and electrical system gauges resemble what was left behind on the factory floor when GM built its last 1937 Buick. Until recently, though, if we wanted to upgrade our factory instrumentation from what Beech or Cessna decided was adequate, ...
Tails from the crypt: making sense of salvage: the harsh reality is that parts are becoming scarce, so knowing your way around the boneyard business can save a lot of money and keep an older airplane flying.(AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE)
Nov 01, 2007; Cavanagh, Jim ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let's say you need a part for your airplane--not a maintenance item like a Brackett foam filter or a spin-on oil filter, but something more exotic, say an elevator trim tab or a new wingtip. The immediate impulse is to order it new through your shop or FBO ...
Piper Saratoga and Lance: it's the first airplane most owners consider when thinking about six seats. The models remain among the most affordable heavy haulers.(USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE)(Product/service evaluation)
Nov 01, 2007 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] All airplanes are compromises. Since most of us lack an unlimited budget, we're often forced to choose between going fast in a relatively small cockpit or dragging around a larger cabin more slowly. It's simple, really: The "go-fast" airplane will get us ...