Sky High

Ah, the flight bag. What, in the air-mail days, was a lowly canvas sack into which was stuffed a bedraggled map, a candy bar and a dime for a phone call if the weather got bad has become a cockpit staple. Though electronic flight gadgets have replaced the manual E6B computers and the pedantic Jeppesen chart binders of yesterday, the flight bag has only grown in popularity and usefulness. Though some forego flight bags altogether, the fact is that pilots today need flight bags just to keep all their gadgets organized! Holding everything from chart readers and portable navigators to laptops and radios, gear bags need to organize and function like never before.

The humble flight bag has always been a symbol of aviation. The great aviation writer Ernest Gann used laying down his flight bag as a metaphor for ending his flying career at the close of his masterpiece, Fate Is the Hunter. Bob Buck, the revered TWA pilot and author, symbolized the beginning of his airline career with a comical photo of him climbing aboard a DC-3 with his suitcase, typewriter and what he called his “brain bag.” And, of course, there’s the iconic scene in Top Gun with Maverick speaking his famous, “I feel the need for speed” line, carrying his sage-green flight bag.

The great thing is that, today, there are hundreds—if not thousands—of pilot bags to choose from, and no two pilots can agree on which is best. As part of my research for this piece, I asked nearly all the pilots I know what flight bag they carry and why. The response was anything from the new, mega-engineered BrightLine bag, to “an old day pack I bought for eight bucks at the swap meet.” Some have even created their own design! Being humans, we pilots like different things, and, like underwear, flight bags become personal for each of us.

Modern flight bags also are marvels of design and engineering. For example, many bags today are made of “ballistic nylon.” DuPont first developed ballistic nylon during World War II to make flak jackets for airmen. That first formulation was an 18-ounce fabric made from 1050 denier, high-tenacity nylon thread (denier refers to the weight of a fabric). Modern formulations are even heavier, and newer variations on that fabric (such as Cordura) are more abrasion-resistant yet softer to the touch.

Some bags on the market today have gone through extensive computer-aided design (CAD) and have been conceived and engineered meticulously and with flying in mind. The arrangement of pockets and compartments utilize every centimeter of space, making efficient use of material, clasps, straps and vertical space. Changes in the way we fly airplanes have influenced much of this.

Headsets, for example, made flight bags different. Suddenly, a student had to have someplace to put that bulky headset and cord. While early bags were just one big canvas pocket, bags became more compartmentalized as time went on. Students wanted to carry their E6B, fuel tester, charts and headset in separate pockets. Anybody who has ever tried looking for a pencil or battery in a single-compartment flight bag in turbulence knows why.

And, speaking of students, remember when you were first learning to fly and couldn’t wait for the new Sporty’s or other pilot gear catalog to come? You’d sit around on a summer day, poring over the latest issue of your favorite aviation magazine, circling all the pilot gadgets in the back pages. As a student pilot, you’d buy everything (“Hey, that ’pattern entry calculator’ wheel is just what I need!”). But do you also remember that, as you matured in your flying, your flight bag had less and less stuff in it, and that soon you had edited your stuff down to only that which was absolutely critical?

Today, we continue to pare the list down, but the number of electronic gizmos has grown. In 2011, a modern pilot probably carries a laptop, portable GPS, handheld com radio, an LED flashlight or two, a headset, electronic chart reader (or smartphone with aviation apps), maybe a paper chart or two, an MP3 player, airplane manual, fuel tester, sunglasses, spare batteries, kneeboard and, finally, a gaggle of personal items—from your favorite gum to a good book.

So, we present the modern flight bag. We have a sea to choose from—in every color and with more functions than a Swiss Army knife. We list here a few of our favorites. Most of these manufacturers have a varied line of flight bags, so if you disagree with our choices, there’s undoubtedly one that fits your flying style better. Whatever your preference, there’s a flight bag out there for you!

Brightline

BrightLine Bags
www.brightlinebags.com
Right off the top, this bag blows our socks off with its 25 pockets and the ability to carry one or two headsets in a 13x10x9-inch footprint. If you want innovation and advanced design, this bag has it and then some. It was designed by a pilot, and was created on the computer and refined countless times before it ever went to production. Versatility and innovation are the hallmarks of this bag.

Each of the bag’s features makes you nod in approval. Here are just a few: The zippers are color-coded so you know which pocket to open. The bag will hold all FAA navigation charts without folding. The BrightLine has dedicated and ergonomically positioned pockets for sunglasses, cell phone, batteries, fuel tester, radio and many more items. It easily unzips into two separate bags with its SwitchSnap handle system. Check out the complete video on the BrightLine website. Price: $129.

Sporty’s

Sporty’s Flight Gear Mission Bag
www.sportys.com
Sporty’s usually does things right, and their new Mission bag is no exception. First off, the exclusive “MyBag” system allows you to customize and expand your flight bag with a variety of snap-on accessories, so you can literally change the size of the bag on the spot. Dedicated pockets for the most-used gadgets like fuel testers, flashlight, charts, etc. are ideally positioned. The Mission bag has a well-constructed, hard-rubber handle for durability, a separate shoulder strap and internal file folders for organizing charts. We like that it’s top-opening so you can easily fit it between seats or on the side of the cockpit, and we love the useful certificate holder and credit card pockets on the front.

Snap-on accessories include a matching headset bag (though a headset fits fine in the main compartment), camera/radio holder, cell phone case, water-bottle holder and others. Sporty’s will embroider the bag with up to three initials. Price: $62 (base bag).

ASA

ASA CRM Flight Bag
www.asa2fly.com
This super-functional bag is designed to be your “copilot in a bag” and keep your cockpit clean and organized. Constructed of 600 denier polyester with PVC backing, the bag is designed to take abuse. An assortment of pockets on the inside and outside allows a place for everything. We like the outside mesh “hideaway” pocket, perfectly sized for a water bottle, and the sleek, silver-on-black bag design. The heavy-duty metal zippers feel rugged to the touch, and the nonslip shoulder strap is a nice touch. ASA’s Tech Bag retains many of the features of the CRM, but adds a wider, padded compartment for electronic EFBs and navigators. The CRM Bag is 14½x12x9 inches; the Tech Bag is 19x8x12½ inches. Both priced at $69.

Pilot Mall

Pilot Mall Soft Leather Small Pilot Bag
www.pilotmall.com
Leather is luxurious. There’s something about the feel and the smell of leather that hearkens back to the golden age of flight. Since not everybody is a fan of nylon and polyester, we thought we would include the Pilot Mall bag in the “classic” category. First, the bag comes in a choice of natural, black or black with light-brown trim leather. This bag, being on the roomier end, accommodates 10 charts, two headsets, binders and a number of extra gadgets in an array of inside and outside pockets. Thoughtful design includes a double-zippered main compartment and separate pockets for everything, from your GPS to your flashlight and much more. We like the exterior pen slots as well as the roominess and feel of the bag. It measures 16x12x11 inches. Price: $149.

Jepessen Captain

Jeppesen Captain Bag
jeppdirect.jeppesen.com
A staple in the Jeppesen flight bag for many years, why mess with a good thing? Jeppesen knows a thing or two about aviation gear, and their Captain bag is a great example. To begin with, the bag is made from DuPont 600 denier Cordura along with a special PVC coating on the outside to make the bag water-resistant. The bag features a detachable headset case on each end, detachable transceiver/GPS bag and a four-way adjustable divider in the main compartment. We like the zippered front compartment sized to hold a laptop and the additional two roomy pockets on the bag’s exterior. The blue color option is a nice touch. The Captain bag measures 12x24x13 inches. Price: $119 (blue color).

Jeppesen Pilot

Jeppesen Pilot Bag
jeppdirect.jeppesen.com
You wouldn’t expect a “serious” company like Jeppesen to come out with something as downright sporty as their new Pilot Backpack, but we think they have a winner here. Some pilots love the backpack-style, “throw it over the shoulder” convenience. Resembling a modern day pack, the Jeppesen Backpack is flexible and efficient. In addition to the large main storage area, the backpack has a padded laptop sleeve, computer accessory storage and an internal file sleeve. There are pockets everywhere, and we love the cool little Jeppesen zipper pulls. There’s a fleece-lined audio pocket with a headset port and a digital-media pocket that can hold various gadgets and phones. The pack is constructed of 600 denier polyester and 400×400 pindot nylon, with fleece-lined inner pockets. It measures 21x14x9½ inches. Price: $79.

Noral

Noral Mach 1 Flight Bag
www.noralenterprises.com
The Mach 1 is Noral’s latest entry in their extensive flight-bag line. Considered a “medium-sized” bag, it holds everything a pilot could want. One of the stronger bags in our list, the Mach 1 is made of 1000 denier DuPont Cordura and is fully padded with 1⁄4-inch foam and is water-resistant. We like the quality of the handle seams and the overall construction of this rugged bag. Outside pockets include headset, GPS/transceiver, pencil holders and two large end pockets, though they’re not removable. The main compartment is double-zippered and opens from the top, making in-flight opening and closing easy and convenient. The padding on the pockets is a nice addition, too. The main compartment doesn’t have dividers but is expansive at 13x7x9.75 inches. Overall, the Mach 1 measures 15x11x101⁄2 inches and comes in several colors. Price: $89.

Sky High Gear Discovery Flight Duffle
www.skyhighgear.com
Sky High Gear was something of an innovator with these bags. Employing patent-pending designs, these flight bags take advantage of space in an innovative way. Their small-sized Freedom VII gear bag is ideal for pilots who carry minimal equipment or are constantly moving from one small cockpit to another. Sky High’s Discovery carries a ton of gear very efficiently. To start with, it’s padded with closed-cell foam. Second, the Discovery is made from ultra-tough 1680 denier, dual-strand ballistic nylon. It features dedicated pockets for GPS, kneeboard, sunglasses and your EFB or smartphone. In addition to a bunch of other organizing pockets, the Discovery sports two spacious headset pockets, and a holder for 14 AA or AAA batteries and seven pens! The features list goes on and on. It’s an impressive bag at 21.5×10.5×9.5 inches. Price: $99.

Zuluworks

Zuluworks Gazelle Flight Bag
www.zuluworks.com
Zuluworks is known for their unique Zuluboard with which many pilots have fallen in love. Zuluworks has ventured into the flight bag arena with a small line of bags, one of which is the Gazelle. The bag gives pilots 3,200 cubic inches of room to store just about anything. Two removable end bags are perfect for headsets, while a main center compartment allows storage of laptops and larger items, using three divider panels. A front organizer pocket features a card slot, pen pockets and zippered interior pocket. There’s also a back pocket dedicated to your fuel tester and navigation charts. The clever end pockets have special compartments for—you guessed it—a Zuluboard (though it can fit other kneeboards). We love that you can remove one or both end pockets and end up with a small bag for quick trips, or use it in expanded form for longer adventures. The padded bag looks cool in blue or green trim. Full bag dimensions are 28×12.5×10.5 inches. Price: $119.

iPad Solutions
If there’s one product that has made a splash in aviation, it’s Apple’s iPad. The unique touch-screen tablet device has become a cockpit must-have for many pilots, thanks to a wide array of aviation applications made just for it. In many cases, the iPad is replacing multiple devices in the flight bag, and pilots are constantly finding new uses for it. With the explosion of the iPad has come a number of innovative gadgets that go with it.
DODOcase www.dodocase.com The DODOcase for the iPad is unusual because it brings an old-world feel to this very modern device. DODOcase is a company whose simple philosophy is to manufacture things locally and help keep the art of bookbinding alive and well by adapting it to the world of e-readers and iPads. Each DODOcase cover has its own unique character as it was handmade in San Francisco using techniques developed hundreds of years ago. What is it, you ask? It’s a case for the iPad that looks like a classic, hardbound book from long ago. It might be reminiscent of a 100-year-old journal, or the notebook of a favorite artist. The case is made with the same materials used by old-world bookbinders, including bamboo wood and faux leather. Resembling a Moleskine (a family of sketchbooks and notebooks made in Milan, Italy, to classic standards), the DODOcase is quite beautiful. Price: $59. MyClip Thigh www.tietco.com A less classic-looking—but just as useful—accessory is the MyClip thigh attachment that allows the iPad to become a kneeboard in the cockpit. Designed by pilots for pilots who don’t want their iPad sliding all over the cockpit and possibly getting damaged, the MyClip secures the iPad to your leg in either portrait or landscape mode, with a faux-suede leg strap. The simple design allows the iPad to become a true kneeboard with one-handed operation. The clips that hold the iPad are coated in TPE—a soft-rubber-like plastic—to prevent marring the iPad. The company that makes the innovative clip, TIET, is in Newbury Park, Calif., and can ship internationally. The MyClip kneeboard is priced at $39.

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Once upon a time in aviation, studying for the written and practical exams was anything but easy or convenient. Most likely, you’d sign up for ground school where, a few nights a week, you’d sit in a classroom and a well-worn instructor would lecture, refer to some oversized props and write on the chalkboard while you took long notes. Okay, maybe it was a whiteboard, but the idea was the same. Then you’d go home and—over many, many nights—study your notes, read the pilot’s manual and, voilà, you’d take (and hopefully pass) your written.

But, folks today have it much easier. For one thing, hardly anybody sits in ground school anymore (at least not for the nonairline stuff), and now we have these whiz-bang, high-energy, graphic, 3D courses that are like miniature
Hollywood productions. Want to see what a stall looks like? Bam, there it is in color and perfectly animated from three different angles! And you can watch it over and over from the comfort of your favorite chair.

Then there’s the matter of the information itself. With aviation becoming more complex each year, it’s not easy to keep up with the changes. If you study from a book that’s even a few years old, you can bet you’re studying outdated information. It not only will be wrong, but could be dangerous in certain situations. Consider the new “line up and wait” ATC instruction, compared to the older “position and hold” version. You’ve got to have the latest information.

Aviation and reading have always gone hand in hand, with just about every pilot familiar with the tomes of Gann or Bach or Saint-Exupéry. There also have been a slew of great “how-to” books in aviation, from Wolfgang Langewiesche’s classic, Stick and Rudder, to Robert Buck’s unforgettable Weather Flying. They all share a common trait, which is the practical ability to convey useful information in an effective—and fun—way. That’s why these books are still studied by student pilots today. If you haven’t read them, pick one up!

But with some of aviation’s classics approaching 60 years old, is there nothing newer that would help both experienced and novice aviators? Are only the older books good? Happily, there are several great manuals, books and study kits that pilots have at their disposal today. With aviation being taught now for over 100 years, and with the ever-expanding knowledge of how we humans read and understand, these new books and study kits are the ultimate in efficient, clear learning.

Just about every pilot I know has a well-stocked library of useful aviation books. It’s all part of the whole “license to learn” thing we’ve been taught from the beginning. So start building your own library—or maybe add some new nuggets to your existing cache of aviator’s books. We focus here on practical books and study kits for today’s pilots, and try to stay away from the more subjective material of aviation novels, though we’ve included some “fun reads,” as well.

King Schools: Private Pilot Kit
If anybody knows how to put together an effective course for pilots, it’s John and Martha King. This particular package course is handpicked by the two of them for what has to be one of general aviation’s best values and most comprehensive study kits around. They call it the “Get It All” kit because you really do. Thirteen DVDs with titles like Taming Stalls & Spins and Takeoffs & Landings Made Easy and everything else a pilot needs to know are included. You also get four CD-ROMs for your PC with the knowledge test course, VFR regulations refresher, risk management and more. The kit contains two FAA books, a plotter and E6B computer, cockpit cards for VFR/IFR and for airspace and communications, a flight-planning pad and a case. It’s everything needed to take a pilot from zero hours to passing the checkride and written. Price: $579. Visit: www.kingschools.com/productdetail.asp?ITEMNO=EPO%20KIT130.

King Schools: Cleared for Flying the Garmin G1000 Course
Like other King Schools titles, this is a DVD course, but it’s much more than a simple video. The Kings call it “computer-based interactive video,” and it includes several components. The course is served up in short snippets with
finger-to-button close-ups (in the Garmin’s case) of the action. These are followed by the very realistic Procedures Trainer, which lets you put what you’ve just learned into practice right away, reinforcing your learning. An interactive menu tracks and displays the results of interim tests so you can watch your progress. The Kings’ newest version of the G1000 course includes Garmin’s latest features, such as Checklists, FliteCharts, ChartView, SafeTaxi, vertical navigation (VNAV) function and XM radio. The Kings’ course will effectively transition you from steam gauges to understanding all 125 of the G1000’s button and knob combinations. Price: $249. Visit: www.kingschools.com/productdetail.asp?ItemNo=OVD%20KSA325.

King Schools: Cessna SkyCatcher Sport/Private Pilot Course
Utilizing the popular Cessna SkyCatcher LSA as its platform, this course was specially designed by the Kings for both private and sport pilot students. The course covers both technically advanced aircraft (TAA) and those with analog gauges. It includes video and full-motion diagrams of the course material, plus an FAA-knowledge exam/review program. The course is available anywhere you have Internet access. It keeps a record of which sessions you’ve completed, and allows you to continue where you left off if interrupted. This course never expires, so you can review concepts and modules anytime. Includes videos, logbook and various course materials. Price: $349. Visit: http://cessnaflighttraining.kingschools.com/course/ppc/privatepilot.aspx.

Sporty’s: Deluxe Instrument Rating Kit
Highly rated by customers, Sporty’s award-winning instrument kit is a full-featured course that includes everything a pilot needs to pass the written, oral and practical exams for the instrument rating. Like the Kings’ courses, this kit is a combination of DVDs, books, plotter, E6B, various guides and manuals, and a pro flight bag. This new Sporty’s course is reedited, digitally remastered and includes new content. The fast-paced course uses high-quality animation and graphics to help get complex ideas across. Sporty’s will even embroider the flight case with three initials. Price: $499. Visit: sportys.com/PilotShop/product/9573.

Sporty’s: All Three Maneuvers Guides
Sporty’s popular maneuvers guides now come in a combination pack. This package includes guides for flight maneuvers for private/recreational pilot, instrument, and commercial. Adapted from Sporty’s Academy Maneuvers and Procedures Handbook, these guides provide step-by-step instructions on performing maneuvers required on each checkride. Includes simplified objectives and standards for each maneuver, followed by an easy-to-follow description. Detailed illustrations accompany most maneuvers to allow you to visualize how each maneuver should be performed. The three-ring binder format is convenient, and fits great in your flight bag. Online options also are available. Price: $39.95. Visit: sportys.com/PilotShop/product/9793.

Sporty’s: The Next Hour By Richard L. Collins
Collins is a well-known and respected pilot. This book—published by Sporty’s—is about the most important hour in your logbook: the next hour. In this new book, Collins conveys the many lessons he has learned during a lifetime of flying. Collins talks about the rewards and challenges of night flying, why certain airplanes have poor safety records, why a pilot’s thought process is more important than experience, and much more. It’s a must-read for any pilot. Price: $24.95. Visit: sportys.com/pilotshop/product/13372.

ASA: FAR/AIM 2011
ASA has built quite a reputation in the aviation industry for quality and accuracy in their published products. The company continues that tradition with their publication of this year’s new 2011 FAR/AIM manual. What should be a staple in any pilot’s library—from student to ATP—this book includes complete information from Titles 14 and 49 of the Federal Regulations regarding General Aviation, Sport Pilots and Flight Instructors. Combined in this convenient 6×9-inch book is the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) including the latest updates. The FAR/AIM includes a free e-mail subscription for updates as soon as they’re released by the FAA. Price: $16.95. Visit: www.asa2fly.com/2011-FARAIM-P1388_product1.aspx.

ASA: 21st Century Flight Training By Sean Lane
This new book from ASA addresses learning to fly in today’s age of technology and glass cockpits. The book introduces new training models, such as Integrated Sensory Flying (ISF)—a visual flight instruction program that reinforces the use of basic attitude instruments. This book covers all primary flight-training maneuvers from the perspective of an examiner, and contains countless checkride tips and insights. Flight-instructor candidates are taught how to develop lesson plans, teach maneuvers, give oral exams and operate as a flight instructor in the 21st century. Price: $29.95. Visit: www.asa2fly.com/21st-Century-Flight-Training-P1317_product1.aspx.

ASA: Say Again, Please: Guide to Radio Communications By Bob Gardner
This is a new edition (fourth) of one of the most popular books for learning aviation communications. The newly updated classic teaches readers what to say, what to expect to hear, and how to interpret and react to clearances and instructions. It also discusses our airspace system and explains how the ATC system works. Softcover, glossary and index, illustrated throughout, 216 pages, including a bound-in, full-color example map. Price: $19.95. Visit: www.asa2fly.com/Say-Again-Please-Guide-to-Radio-Communications-P1343_product1.aspx.

Gleim: Sport Pilot Kit
With the advent of the sport pilot certificate, good instructional materials aren’t always easy to find, especially for new students. With this kit, Gleim offers its usual top quality at an affordable price. This kit includes everything needed to earn the sport pilot certificate except the airplane and an instructor! We like that it includes a copy of this year’s FAR/AIM, several books, a plotter and flight computer, several online courses, a cool flight bag and a whole lot more. Includes test-prep software. Price: $199.95. Visit: www.gleim.com/products/productdetails.php?proSell=SP+KIT+SO.

Gleim: Pilot Handbook 9th Edition
The Pilot Handbook is the basis for a successful private pilot experience. This ninth edition updates a classic with brand-new material including GPS, glass cockpits, terrain and traffic alert systems, digital engine controllers (FADEC) and more. This manual contains 250 color illustrations and is designed to make complex concepts easy to understand. The handbook is useful to all pilots as a general reference book in preparation for instrument proficiency checks or flight reviews. Price: $24.95. Visit: www.gleim.com/products/product.
details.php?proSell=PH.

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A 2008 study by hearing expert Sergei Kochkin found that 35 million Americans have permanent hearing impairment. Based on current trends, that number is expected to grow to 40 million by 2025, representing nearly 12% of the U.S. population. While statistics on hearing loss among pilots aren’t easy to compile (because most pilots try to hide their hearing problems), both the FAA and the U.S. Military have launched their own studies, and the results are both surprising and disturbing: Permanent hearing loss occurs in about 30% of aviators. As a professional musician for many years, hearing is a keen interest of mine, and the effects of long-term exposure to harmful sound is something I’ve examined carefully, especially because I also fly.

Some form of hearing impairment is almost universal among pilots, and is especially evident in those who began flying before the advent of headsets. The subject is serious enough that even NASA has embarked on studies that examine hearing damage among pilots and ways to prevent it. And the issue of pilots flying with impaired hearing is something the Flight Safety Foundation—an independent international group—has focused on in terms of the risk of aviation accidents.

It’s true that some hearing loss is a by-product of aging. But several formal studies—including one conducted by the British Defense Research Agency and another by the U.S. Army—found that aging doesn’t account solely for the increased hearing loss among aviators. In comparison to nonaviators, pilots were found to have a greater decrease in hearing ability in the high-frequency range of 2-6 kHz. While the entire spectrum of the human voice covers from 250 Hz to 3 kHz, sounds like warning announcements and subtle changes in engine sounds or airflow can be missed due to high-frequency hearing loss, and ATC communications become difficult to discern.

How Loud Can Aviation Be?
Our sense of hearing is quite complex, while the mechanics of sound are relatively simple. In essence, sound starts out as a wave of pressure that emanates from the center of a source and radiates outward, like the waves formed when a pebble is tossed into a still pond. The “pressure” is made of air molecules; the louder the sound, the more sound pressure is generated. This pressure—in the form of air—acts upon our eardrum. We perceive a shout as being louder than a whisper because more air molecules strike our eardrum from a shout than a whisper. This pressure is measured in units called “decibels,” noted by the abbreviation “dB.”

Sounds (pressure waves) are “collected” and directed by the outer ear toward the ear canal and cochlea (named for its resemblance to a snail shell). The waves of air pressure move tiny hair-like cells inside the cochlea—much the same way as a gentle breeze blows across a field full of long grass. Those hairs transmit signals to the brain via the auditory nerve. Hearing damage occurs when the sound is loud enough to break the fragile hair-like cells in the cochlea. The length of time we’re exposed to sound and the frequency of the sound determine the extent of damage. Once those tiny cells are broken, there’s no repair.

To give some sense to all this, it’s helpful to know that a human whisper measures about 30 dB, while a normal conversation happens at around 60 dB. A jackhammer pounds the concrete at some 120 dB, and you tool along in your car on the highway at 70 dB. Physical pain begins at about 125 dB, and your eardrum will burst with exposure to 140 dB.

The Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) has established that the maximum level of “safe” exposure to loud sounds is 90 dB for up to eight hours, or 100 dB for up to two hours. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established their own exposure-level standards that are more conservative, with a maximum of 85 dB for up to eight hours and 92 dB for one hour. How does general aviation measure in comparison?

NASA conducted experiments by placing microphones inside a Cessna 182 to measure sound during different phases of flight (run-up, cruise, climb, etc.). NASA found maximum sound levels of between 105 and 109 dB. Another more recent study by OSHA measured noise levels in a Cessna 172S and found an average maximum sound level of just over 101 dB. The main thing to remember here is that any noise over 90 dB means hearing loss unless you wear ear protection. In both studies, the only factor that reduced noise consistently was wearing a headset.

ANR Versus PNR
By now, most pilots understand the difference between passive headsets (PNR—Passive Noise Reduction) and active headsets (ANR—Active Noise Reduction). Aside from the price (active is more expensive), both types offer good hearing protection, though they go about it differently and are for different environments. It’s important to understand the differences.

ANR headsets work by sampling the damaging noise coming into the ear cup with a miniature microphone and then “canceling” that noise by generating a counter-noise through a tiny speaker, also inside the ear cup. The effect is like hitting a pool of water with your hand. The left hand can be the “bad” noise. When you strike your fist onto the water, waves radiate from it. Then, thinking of your right fist as the “good” noise, pounding it on the water with the same force creates another set of waves. As the two waves meet they cancel each other out and dissipate, just like sound. ANR proponents say it’s the best solution for protecting your hearing.

Mostly, ANR attenuates frequencies in the lower spectrum, from about 20 Hz to around 300 Hz, with peak reduction at 70-150 Hz. Studies have shown that peak noise levels generated by the propeller, engine and exhaust all combine around the 100 Hz point—precisely the area that ANR attenuates best. Higher-frequency noise is caused mostly by air flowing over the cockpit and fuselage. Most ANR headsets don’t attenuate high frequencies. Because each airplane’s noise signature is different, a headset that’s right for one aircraft owner isn’t necessarily right for another.

Headset manufacturers aren’t keen on showing you their frequency response charts. They figure most consumers don’t understand them, so they just give an overall attenuation rating of, say, 40 dB. The key is finding out which harmful sound frequency the headset attacks at that rating. For example, the “40 dB” claim may reduce only 100 Hz by that much, while 2000 Hz (in the human voice spectrum) isn’t attenuated at all and is more harmful. Consumers should examine the breadth of the attenuation (span of frequencies reduced) and the depth (by how much). It’s also important to see charts of what the passive attenuation is like if the batteries fail.

Passive headsets block noise by physically stopping it. PNR sets clamp tightly to your head, preventing sound-pressure waves from reaching your ears. Insulation and different materials block sound waves or dissipate them. There’s no magic to PNR; using the fist-in-the-water analogy again, the waves you made with your left hand would simply be blocked by a dam—the PNR headset being that dam. One advantage of PNR sets is they’re great at blocking frequencies in the 1000-Hz-and-up range. They do it using clamping pressure and ear-cup design. That makes them less comfortable than ANR sets, but more effective in scenarios where your enemy is high frequency (like in an open-cockpit aircraft).

Ear Cups
Believe it or not, ear cups—the round things on headsets that go over your ears—make a big difference. In recent years, different materials have been found to be especially effective at blocking unwanted cockpit noise. Some manufacturers are using materials like magnesium, or modifying the ear-cup shape to enhance attenuation and performance. Related to the ear cup is the clamping pressure. While ANR headsets clamp lightly (they rely on the circuitry to reduce noise), PNR sets depend on clamping for noise reduction. So try on a headset for an extended period of time so you can detect any clamping pressure hotspots on your ears or head. Any headset worn in the store for 20 seconds feels good.

Ear Seals
Ear seals (the soft rings that attach to the headset’s ear cups) have been getting a lot of attention lately. Oregon Aero has been offering retrofit kits for various headsets for some time now, and pilots are beginning to appreciate the comfort and noise reduction available from good ear seals. The best ones are breathable to reduce sweat. That means organic materials like cotton and leather work best. Also, thick ear seals that elevate the ear cup away from your ear have been found to increase comfort on long flights.

Microphones
Headset microphones come in two basic flavors: dynamic and electret condenser. In recent years, more manufacturers have switched to electret-condenser microphones for general aviation headsets. An electret-condenser mic generates a powered signal that sounds louder and clearer and with less background noise. Dynamic microphones are nonpowered and still used on older—and especially military—aircraft. They cost less and handle abuse better, but are becoming nonstandard in today’s GA environment. As a general rule, use the same type of headset microphones in all your intercom outlets.

The Latest Thing
Just recently, pilots in noisy environments have discovered what musicians have known for some time: Doubling up on hearing protection is great insurance against hearing loss. That means using multiple forms of noise attenuation that won’t color the sound you’re accustomed to hearing. Several companies make special ear plugs that have a tiny removable sound filter that reduces noise in certain frequencies. Next time, instead of shoving those cheap foam plugs into your ears that block everything and make you feel like you have a monster head cold, use custom plugs. Since they only block harmful frequencies, normal sounds come through loud and clear. Using these custom plugs in addition to your regular headset adds 15 to 20 dB of additional noise reduction. Ask your audiologist for frequency-specific ear plugs or “musician’s ear plugs.” They normally run under $100, including the molds.

The most important fact from all of this is that headsets are a vital part of any pilot’s equipment. Among aviators, hearing loss seems to be a given. Caused by early neglect, improper headsets or infrequent use of them, it’s a loss that doesn’t have to exist. Hearing is a valuable sense considered second only to sight, and especially so for pilots. It makes sense to protect it at any cost. Don’t take hearing loss lightly and don’t think, “It won’t happen to me,” because if you fly long enough, it will.

Headset Highlights

New models, thoughtful enhancements and greater comfort are the hallmarks of this year’s newest headset products.

We take the era we live in for granted. When it comes to headsets, the industry has made advances in recent years that surpass the developments of the previous 100 years combined. For example, ANR was only brought to GA in the mid-1980s. Bluetooth wireless technology didn’t come into its own until the last few years. Advanced materials like composites have only been popular in the recent decade, and the tiny, efficient speaker drivers that make your iPod sound great and allow your home sound system to fit into a shoebox have only been around a short time.

With aviation headsets, we fully expect that whatever model we bought last year will probably be surpassed by a new model this year, with more and better features. While veteran pilots trudged along with their “Realistic-” brand microphone for three decades, we expect to upgrade our headsets every few years. It’s an exciting time in aviation, and the most recent announcements in the headset world are worth taking a look at. What follows is the latest and greatest in aviation headsets.

BeyerDynamic HS600 DANR

BeyerDynamic HS600 DANR
Long a force in the music and broadcast world, German company Beyerdynamic continues to offer their outstanding “Digital Adaptive” Noise Reduction (DANR) system in aviation headsets. Their innovative approach tailors the active noise reduction to specific frequencies based on the frequencies sensed by the ear-cup sensor. The result is excellent attenuation that’s adaptable to different environments. Add connections to MP3 players and cell phones, automatic shut-off, light weight (11.4 ounces) and the generous Beyerdynamic five-year warranty, and you have a professional-level headset. Contact:www.beyerdynamic.com.

Bose A20

Bose A20
Bose has been a leader in ANR aviation headsets for some time. With their new A20 headset, Bose raises the bar once again. The A20 features microphones both inside and outside the ear cup to sense frequencies for attenuation. Bose redesigned the ear cups with more room to prevent hotspots, and they implemented new materials in the ear seals for comfort.

The A20 boasts less clamping as a result of a better torsion spring on the magnesium headband. Bose’s TriPort audio and their active sound equalization give great sound for a lightweight headset. The A20’s auxiliary audio input connects to a variety of devices, including GPS units. Contact: www.bose.com.

David Clark X11

David Clark X11
The newest X11 features new “comfort gel” ear seals with a unique undercut for fit. The nine-volt battery-powered headset will go 25 hours on the battery and features a pilot-selectable automatic shutoff.

The X11 is stereo compatible for use with intercom entertainment systems. At 18 ounces, it’s not the lightest of the bunch, but it carries the David Clark name and is FAA TSO-approved. Contact: www.davidclark.com.

Lightspeed Sierra

Lightspeed Sierra
Lightspeed’s Sierra fits into the “cool-looking and great-performing” category. The headset’s unique bronze look makes it stand out from the fray. It’s a bit heavier than other headsets, weighing in at 16 ounces, but the plastic housing is solid and well-designed. The Sierra is an ANR model with typical attenuation specifications.

The headset’s best features include Bluetooth connectivity to eliminate cables in the cockpit, an integrated music control input, auto music mute to decrease music volume by 80% during radio calls and Lightspeed’s outstanding, innovative design, comfort and fit. Contact: www.lightspeedaviation.com.

Peltor ANR 9500

Peltor ANR 9500
Peltor’s distinctive white ear cups make this model instantly recognizable. The ANR 9500 is a sturdy unit with features typical in the $550 price range, where this headset is positioned. ANR technology and an in-line control unit give the user control over several sound parameters. Pilots can even choose from single-engine, twin or helicopter profiles to fine-tune the noise attenuation to a particular environment. The ANR includes excellent-quality audio cables that feel substantial. Jacks for MP3 players and a cell phone are included in the control unit. The adaptive ANR provides good attenuation at various frequencies typical to the ANR spectrum (namely the lower end). Contact: www.peltor.com.

Pilot USA 1779 Blu

Pilot USA 1779 Blu
Pilot USA quietly puts out some great headsets from their Irvine, Calif., location. Their innovative BluLink device brings Bluetooth wireless capability to any cockpit. BluLink does away with adapter cords and having to tuck your cell phone under your headset to use it. With Pilot USA’s new Bluetooth “dongle” for MP3 players, you can wirelessly adapt any music player to your headset. New this year, Pilot USA takes their popular PA1779 ANR headset and integrates a built-in BluLink unit. Featuring auto on/off circuitry, a 220v battery charger, and Pilot USA’s proprietary twin-layer gel ear seals, the addition of BluLink puts the 1779 in a new league. Contact: www.pilot-usa.com.

Sennheiser HMEC 4660

Sennheiser HMEC 460
Sennheiser is recognized in the most famous music recording studios around the world. Known for world-class sound quality, Sennheiser introduces the HMEC 460 aviation headset. With 16 dB of active noise reduction and 25 dB of passive attenuation, the HMEC 460 has loads of features. An in-line control unit allows you to switch between mono/stereo, and it has dual volume controls, audio in, cell phone in, ANR switch on/off and a boom left/right switch. The unit can be powered off of two AA batteries or an XLR-3 connector. The headset’s unheard-of 10-year warranty puts Sennheiser’s considerable reputation behind the unit. Contact: www.sennheiser-aviation.com.

Telex Ascend

Telex Ascend
If there’s a cool-looking headset, it’s the Telex Ascend. Designed from the ground up, the headset features a bold design and some innovative goodies. For starters, you can change the unit’s connector in minutes with a simple procedure. Select standard aviation connectors, a five-pin XLR (Airbus style) connector, or a 1/8-inch jack (like an MP3 player). The headset is designed to go from the cockpit to the cabin, making it ideal for airline travel. It’s modular so that upgrades can be done in the field. The ear cups pivot 180 degrees, creating a fold-flat design. ANR technology and cutting-edge design highlight this headset. Contact: www.telex.com.

DRE-205 ES Stereo Intercom System
Based on user reviews, DRE seems to be a favorite with many pilots. The U.S. company just announced their new 205 ES portable intercom unit to replace their 201 model. With a ground-up redesign, the new unit has enough features to satisfy most pilots. Designed to fit nicely into the LSA/ultralight market, the 205 ES intercom includes a music-input jack, cell phone interface, an accessory input for cockpit announcements from several sources and the ability to run off aircraft power from 11 to 30 volts. The 205 has individual microphone and squelch circuits and a cool visual and audio “stuck mic” warning. A three-year warranty and a 30-day “try and buy” guarantee allows you to try the unit in your own environment. The unit will be available in November 2010. Contact: www.drecommunications.com.

* Remember that exposure to sounds over 100 dB of more than one minute risks permanent hearing loss.

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Brightline Flex Pilot Bag

I must own seven or eight different flight bags. While it may seem that I have something of a flight-bag obsession, the truth is that I just have changing needs. Flying many different aircraft, one day, I might need a bag with just essentials because nothing else will fit in my biplane, while another day, I might be shooting photographs for the magazine while travelling somewhere in a bigger airplane. In each instance, I have to select a different flight bag because each is configured differently.

It turns out that I’m not the only flight- bag switcher, since many pilots tell me they do the same thing. Even when flying the same aircraft, missions change, and so do the contents of your bag. Brightline Bags—a company based in San Rafael, Calif., and founded by product engineer Ross Bishop—recognized the problem inherent with pilots’ changing needs, and created a bag system that’s unique to aviation. The company had great success with their first bag called, simply enough, the Pilot Flight Bag. It had features like color-coded zippers and pockets galore to allow just about anything to be carried in it while maintaining a compact footprint that would fit in most cockpits. It was a hit because the pockets and their contents were carefully thought out, and access to those pockets was easy.

Pilots could carry the bag flat or standing straight up, and things remained accessible. The hardware was tough and reliable. The handles were functional but felt good in your hand, and the bag was well balanced. It could hold a lot of gear and adapt to many situations. Bishop’s engineering background and his interest in aviation came together to design the initial bag, and pilots bought it in droves.

The problem is that bag remained a one-trick pony. If, for example, a pilot suddenly needed to do an overnighter, or needed to carry camera gear, he or she was out of luck. Pilots still needed multiple bags. The dance was monotonously predictable: empty the contents of the first bag and re-group with additional gear, clothes or whatever, then transfer it all to a different bag. It was a time sucker and, if pilots were anything like me, they’d lose gear in the transfer process. I used to buy expensive, bright LED flashlights because they were so useful in and out of the cockpit. But after losing three or four to the same black hole where socks go, I gave up and just carry the $3 ones. I always lost flashlights when transferring them to another bag. The original Brightline bag could do a lot, but it couldn’t transform itself.

Now, Brightline introduces their Flex bag system, which is a radical re-think of the flight bag itself. The system keeps what made Brightline famous in the first place: pockets that are just the right size, heavy-duty ballistic nylon, resin zippers, color-coded zipper tabs and compartments to spare. Two years of engineering and paying close attention to customers yielded an integrated system that does what the original bag couldn’t: It transforms into bags of various sizes, capabilities and configurations.

The system is made of 11 different modules and pocket components. Each one is made for a different purpose. For example, Brightline’s original Pilot Bag remains the starting point for most configurations, while additional bags can carry 13-inch laptops, iPads, handheld radios, clothing, paperwork and folders, or emergency gear. The biggest component is the 11-inch center bag, which has a large main compartment, and could hold enough clothing or large items for a multi-day trip. In contrast, the Side Pocket Alpha is designed to hold a water bottle or single radio. Each component adds more storage.

The real genius of the Flex system is that all components mate together using a simple-but-innovative zipper system. By connecting the different components much as you would use building blocks, different configurations are possible without buying a new bag. If a pilot suddenly needs to spend the night somewhere, he can zip on the five-inch center section and add an end-cap to the core bag. Alternatively, he can skip the core bag altogether and connect a rear bag to an end cap and get an ultra-light bag for a VFR flight and business meeting. Pilots can choose which components to buy based on their needs.

For those who don’t want to mess with picking “modules,” Brightline offers preconfigured bags that integrate the Flex components. For $220, you can purchase the Contain bag that, when connected, makes for a bag that could comfortably serve a multi-day IFR mission with business tasks thrown in. When a lesser bag is required, just unzip what you don’t need, and you have a bag that adapts to just about any situation. The complete system with all 11 components combines to form a very large bag that seems like it could accommodate an expedition to the Titanic.

The whole Brightline “component” idea has caught the attention of law enforcement, EMT and other emergency organizations, since the Flex system is essentially a tactical bag.

Its patent-pending collection of interchangeable modules and pockets makes particular sense for pilots. I used the bag system on various flights and found it to be fascinating the way an erector set or Lego creation is. I found myself using the core bag (Brightline calls it the “front bag”) quite a bit, and adding just an end cap and side pockets when I needed extra gear.

I did a photo mission and added the rear bag, which has no dividers. Vice President Bryan Smith tells me there are plans to add a camera insert to one of the bags, and that would be most welcome for photographers, since I didn’t like the idea of either making my own dividers or carrying my gear jumbled into a single large compartment.

The bag system is nice, and it’s priced reasonably, with the least expensive component (the side pockets) listing for just $12, and the largest center-section component running $94. Preconfigured bags range from $109 to $265 for the largest—the Carryall. Contact www.brightlinebags.com.

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Who would’ve dreamed even 10 years ago that you could wear a full-featured WAAS GPS navigator on your wrist? Garmin has done just that and a whole lot more with the innovative D2 pilot watch, designed exclusively for aviators. Garmin has been enjoying great success in the sports industry with their Forerunner line of watches, designed to allow runners to track their time, pace, distance and other critical parameters. The company has refined what they’ve learned there to the aviation market, and created something truly unique.

Far more than an aviation-quality GPS unit, the D2 redefines what a watch can do. It includes Garmin’s signature “direct to” and “nearest” navigation functions, as well as a built-in altimeter with adjustable barometer setting (just like your panel-mounted unit), altitude alerting capabilities, display of both local and Zulu/UTC time, accurate compass, HSI, the ability to seamlessly integrate with the Garmin Pilot app, the new Garmin VIRB POV camera and more. Oh, and it’s a watch, too.

Perhaps the D2’s greatest strength is the onboard navigation database that’s as accurate as those on Garmin’s high-end navigator units. Another big plus is the D2’s ability to integrate with the Garmin Pilot app. Pilots can create a multi-waypoint flight plan in the app on their tablet or computer, then wirelessly send it to the D2 watch and fly the plan entirely from the watch. Though it’s a WAAS GPS unit, the D2 isn’t yet certified for IFR. Still, the ability to have a full-featured navigator on your watch is something any pilot would welcome.

“In addition to the ability to provide global navigation solutions right on your wrist, D2’s seamless integration with other Garmin products makes it an essential piece of equipment for every cockpit,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “D2 is as rich in style as it is in features, and with the wealth of information it provides, every pilot will want one.”

Features include a compass, moving map, and “direct to” and “nearest” buttons.

When unboxing the D2, the first feature that stands out is the watch’s size. It’s certainly compact for a navigator, but it’s a bit bulky for a watch. Therein lies the paradox of the unit. In terms of practicality, pilots need to think of the D2 not as a watch, but as a GPS navigator attached to your wrist. While it’s a more-than-capable watch, the time feature seems to be simply a marketing point. Think of it as sort of a Garmin 296 shrunk down so it will fit your wrist. Runners, hikers and athletes around the world have embraced the larger-than-a-watch Garmin wrist units, so I imagine pilots will, too. At ¾-inch thick and two inches in diameter though, it’s not something you’d throw on with a suit to go out to a nice dinner. Then again, the D2 wasn’t designed for that.

For pilots, the D2 fits two critical needs: first, as an emergency navigator unit, and second, as a GPS for tight cockpit environments.

As an emergency unit, the D2 is unbeatable by anything on the market today. The watch is rechargeable, and Garmin says it will run about 50 hours on a full charge, depending on what functions are being used. In practice, using the GPS function and the backlight function (which I used almost full time), I experienced about 30 hours before it needed to be charged. The D2 comes with a proprietary charger, which means you have to bring it along for long flights or multiple-day excursions. Still, you can’t beat having a full-fledged navigation unit at the ready in case your panel-mount or other main unit becomes inoperative.

The D2 is tailor-made for cramped cockpits. I put this feature to the test in my Great Lakes 2T-1A2 biplane. That cockpit was designed in 1929, when people were much smaller. There’s barely enough room for a portable GPS, and you can forget about an iPad. The D2 became a handy little device in that environment. I was particularly pleased with the “direct to” and “nearest” functions. By pressing either of two decent-sized buttons on the right side of the watch, I could call up either function, select my airport, press a button and see the moving map display on the watch’s face. Then, like any GPS, you just follow the line. It was nice knowing Garmin’s accuracy was behind the display. Comparing it to the 296 we’ve mounted on our panel, the accuracy was identical. I could use the D2 as my sole GPS, if necessary.

Pilots can assign customized data fields to display GPS ground speed, GPS track, distance, estimated time en route, bearing, glide ratio and other parameters. The altimeter is a nice backup, and a button allows users to set the current barometric pressure so the altimeter is accurate during the flight. It should be noted that, in a pressurized aircraft, you should switch pressure measurements to GPS for altitude data. Garmin has given the D2 watch vibrating alerts that can be set up to remind users of tasks like switching fuel tanks, altitude alerts and other events necessary during flight. The HSI is a very nice feature and would be handy—again—in an emergency.

Garmin’s VIRB POV camera can be remotely controlled by the D2 watch.

One feature that gets forgotten easily is the D2’s ability to remote-control other Garmin units like the new VIRB point-of-view camera. The VIRB is designed to compete head-to-head with the GoPro, and its image quality is superb. The VIRB seems to take up where the GoPro left off, featuring a crisp, onboard LED screen; an enormous, easy-to-see-and-set “record” button and a different mounting mechanism that locks the camera in tiny increments using a ratchet-type grabbing technique. In all, it’s a great camera, and the D2 is a perfect companion, allowing complete control of the VIRB’s features.

The Garmin D2 seems to be a first step in an exciting direction. This first iteration is innovative and interesting, and will surely find an audience among gadget-head pilots and those wanting a bonafide backup GPS. I found the display to be too dim, even with the backlight, but I imagine Garmin will listen to user feedback and address that. I think they should offer a caddy/mount of some type, so the watch can be placed on the panel if needed, since navigating from your wrist isn’t quite intuitive. But these are small gripes for a device that puts aviation navigation squarely in the realm of what once was only science fiction.

The post Garmin D2 Pilot Watch appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Air Classics Tech

I love flight bags. They’re one of the few things we use as pilots that lend us some flair of individuality. Cyclists have their faux sponsor gear with so many logos they look like they just stepped off the Tour de France. Horse people have their saddles and jodhpurs; dancers have their shoes; chefs have their knives and secret spices. However, between our “Wilco-this” and “Niner-that,” we’re just disembodied voices in the firmament, little specks flying above people’s heads with nothing more than an annoying engine to mark our place. Aside from headsets that nobody sees, what distinguishes each of our aviating “styles?” Only our flight bag accomplishes that.

Flight bags say who we are as pilots. A woman who steps off the wing of her Cirrus with a ballistic-nylon flight bag sporting 73 color-coded pockets and a 600-lumen LED flashlight shows she’s organized, into technology and probably runs a business or two. The pilot hurriedly feeding quarters into the vending machine with a frayed trade show-giveaway backpack sprouting a tangle of headset cords, lots of pens and wrinkled charts conveys something, too. Each bag says a lot about its carrier.

Flight bags are also essential in the cockpit. Anyone who has flown single-pilot IFR in the clag, or any VFR pilot who has tried to locate a pen or chart in turbulence, knows the value of organization. Aviation requires quite a bit of gear, and the flight bag is our tool for organizing it all. Accessibility of items reaches into the area of safety, since being able to reach things like a flashlight or chart can be crucial. Even the ability to carry certain gear (like a backup radio) could one day save our bacon.

Whereas flight bags of old carried a complete set of approach plates, charts and books, an E6B flight computer, a plotter and maybe a POH, today’s flight bag carries all that in electronic form. While the iPad and headset are the main occupants of the modern flight bag, they now free up space for other essential gear we couldn’t carry before. It’s this extra equipment we carry that gives each of us a flying personality.

Today, flight bags are in demand more than ever, and companies have sprung up and have had great success offering nothing more than high-end specialty flight bags. In aviation’s golden era, ex-military pilot bags were the Holy Grail to carry gear in, while airline pilots sported their unmistakable square, legal-style map cases. General aviation pilots made do with one of those basic bags that were available from every pilot shop and mail order catalog on the planet. Ironically, most were too short for a sectional chart, and none had the organizational engineering required to create a really useful carrying tool. They were just big bags with a center space, a side pocket and maybe a pencil loop or two.

With time and experience has come the realization that each of us needs a different type of flight bag to fit our unique cockpit needs. The right flight bag makes such a difference in piloting that it should be treated like finding the right pair of underwear.

We took this idea to heart and set out on a search for what’s available in the flight bag world today. From that vast sea of bags, we selected the most unique and useful for our review. Here (alphabetically) we present the best flight bags of 2015.

ASA
www.asa2fly.com
ASA has been around a long time, and they know what pilots like. Their no-nonsense Air Classics Tech flight bag is a functional 600D polyester bag that’s made to be useful. The rectangular bag features padded interior pockets to protect your electronic gear. You can throw just about anything into it with its 10-inch-deep pockets and full-width outside zipper. Perfect for students or corporate fliers, the ASA Tech bag has just enough pockets to store your gear without being obtrusive.

A large interior pocket provides protection for a laptop, while a smaller padded sleeve makes room for an iPad or other tablet. Detachable cube pockets can store a headset, GPS or several chargers that need to be contained. You can remove one of the cubes and adjust the included Velcro® dividers to further customize the compartment. Inside pockets offer chart and document storage, as well as sleeves for pencils, pens or flashlights. Three zippered pockets on the outside give easy access to keys, wallets, portable drives, PLB or other small gear. A molded carry handle and rubberized, detachable shoulder strap allow for easy conversion from office to cockpit.

Silver embroidered “ASA” wings are a nice touch on this bag. Price: $99.95.

Brightline Bags
www.brightlinebags.com
Brightline started in 2007 with the idea of making a better pilot flight bag. They succeeded wildly with their unique modular line of bags. They created a component design that starts with a “core” and adds pieces to it based on the needs of the user. They call this their Flex System. Think of it as a “Lego-block” approach consisting of endcaps and center sections. By mating different sections, the buyer ends up with a bag that can be configured several different ways depending on their needs.

Brightline’s flagship is the B7 Flight bag. It consists of two center sections and two endcaps, thus allowing four different configurations. What makes Brightline bags different is their design. The result is a bag that has lots of “aha!” features, like color-coded zippers on a vast (and useful) array of pockets, purpose-designed compartments (for flashlights, radios, etc.), attachable “modules,” universally compatible zippers and industrial-strength materials.

With 28 compartments and over 1,500 cubic inches of storage, the B7 lets you carry a full set of gear for cross-country and IFR flight, then lets you downsize to a smaller bag for a quick VFR flight. It will hold one or two full-sized headsets, a full suite of charts, your iPad, a handheld radio, plus all the small stuff you’ll want along for the ride. It also serves as an unbeatable carry-on personal bag when traveling on commercial flights. Price: $199.

Brightline B7

Jeppesen Flight Bag

Jeppesen
jeppdirect.jeppesen.com
Jeppesen‘s Aviator Flight Bag remains one of the industry’s enduring successes. This bag doesn’t pretend to be anything but what it is: a good cockpit flight bag with aviation in mind. With an overall rectangular shape, the Aviator fits neatly into airliner flight decks.

The bag fea­tures one detachable headset bag and one detachable radio/GPS bag. It has a large exterior zippered pocket (91⁄2x14x2 inches) that can hold quite a bit of gear. The Aviator is padded and made from heavy-duty DuPont-brand 1680 Denier ballistic nylon, making it water resistant, abrasion resistant and durable. Size-wise, it fits into the “medium” category, which means it can carry all your flight gear, but may be tight for overnight travel.

Jeppesen sells a lot of these, and the only complaints seem to center on the hardware and seam quality, though buyer reviews are consistently good. It’s an ideal-size bag for carrying all your flying gear. The Aviator looks professional with its gold sewn-on Jeppesen logos and black color. Overall size is 11x12x15 inches. Price: $82.

Lightspeed Aviation
www.lightspeedaviation.com
The headset maker has launched one of the most innovative marketing efforts since Coca-Cola reintroduced “Classic” Coke back in 1985. While competitors trip over themselves trying to out-engineer each other with the most modern hi-tech bag out there, Lightspeed reached backward and launched a collection of antique-inspired, all-leather flight bags with a decidedly retro feel.

If the Gann, the Antoine and the Markham don’t make you drool in your cockpit seat, nothing will. Each of these bags (named for aviation authors Ernest K. Gann, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Beryl Markham) is a throwback to the classic flight bags these pioneer aviators likely carried. Each is handmade from full-grain, oiled South American cow-
hide in espresso brown with contrasting black leather pocket flaps. The uncoated leather will become more supple with age and use while taking on a rich patina. Each hide has its own distinctive grain and markings, making each bag as unique as the pilot who owns it. Those of us who have been around aviation—or life—long enough know a simple truth: nothing feels or wears like real leather.

Lightspeed has updated these bags with wing-friendly PVC bottoms, purpose-made pockets, rollaboard slots, pencil holders and more. Price: $179-$249.

Lightspeed Markham

MyGoFlight PLC Pro

MyGoFlight
www.mygoflight.com
The PLC Pro flight bag is an exercise in brilliant design and ergonomic engineering. High-tech from the top down, the PLC Pro bag is loaded with features that appeal to a modern go-anywhere aesthetic. Its teardrop shape and ample size make it just right for transitioning from cockpit to carry-on. This bag can work for pilots that range from carry-all cross-country IFR pros to VFR hamburger-run aficionados. It accomplishes this through the use of roomy, dedicated pockets and compartments designed in a way that makes items accessible only if they’re needed.

The PLC Pro sports an airplane motif on its front and focuses on the iPad, featuring an airport checkpoint-friendly iPad compartment that allows access without hassle. The front compartment holds pens, document pouch, cell phone/iPod/PDA, keys and more in an open and easy-to-access section with a place for everything. Brilliant details like a dedicated water bottle pocket, handheld radio and antenna holder, plated metal hardware, mesh pockets and phosphorescent side fabric that makes the bag highly visible at night all show a highly engineered bag that has to be experienced and touched to learn all its many features.

One of the PLC Pro’s best features is its ability to convert from a regular bag to a backpack to a shoulder bag, all with included padded straps. It can be done in seconds, making this bag the high-tech flight bag of choice for design-minded pilots. Price: $159.

Noral
www.noralenterprises.com
Noral is a U.S. company that quietly manufactures some amazing bags out of their Imperial Beach, Calif., facility. They spend almost nothing on marketing and rely on word-of-mouth advertising. While many manufacturers outsource their bags to nameless Asian factories, Noral still makes their bags right here. Their Advance Plus bag is but one of many bags in their extensive line.

Like all their pilot bags, the Advance Plus is made from 1680 Denier ballistic nylon—one of the heaviest available. Padded throughout, the bags are made to take a beating while looking good. This bag has two side pouches that hold any size headset. One compartment features a zippered flap pocket to store pens, flashlight, etc. A large main compartment with adjustable dividers has a removable pouch for GPS/handheld radio, while a front zippered pocket can hold large items and a large back zipper allows access to everything.

Noral’s bag features a plastic board on the floor of the bag to reinforce it and to keep it from sagging when fully loaded. A seven-year warranty proves the bag’s durability. Price: $115.

Noral Advance Plus

Pilot Mall
www.pilotmall.com/category/pilotmall-bags
Pilot Mall’s new Soft Leather Pilot Bag line follows the trend toward classier quality flight bags. Made from genuine top-grain leather, these sumptuous bags double as classy carry-ons for commercial flights. Pilot Mall has introduced a whole collection of these bags including a large and medium size, along with four bags made from bison hide that include a soft-sided briefcase or day bag.

Most popular is the large-size bag, which offers a rare combination of design, function and quality. It has abundant storage space (2,400 cubic inches) for all your must-have aeronautical items. Each end features a padded headset pocket, and the zippered back compartment has a cushioned storage area that’s optimized for a tablet computer. The front offers several padded sections designed to hold a handheld transceiver/GPS, an E6B/calculator, pencils/pens/stylus, spare batteries and a lot more. A large central section provides plenty of room for a change of clothes, charts and books or other larger items.

Pilot Mall’s bags come in black, café brown or a lighter natural tan. The Pilot Mall logo is embossed onto the leather, recalling a fine legal satchel from days gone by. The medium-size bags are about right for a headset and a few extra items for pilots who pack light. Price: $119-$499.

Pilot Mall Soft Leather Pilot Bag

Sporty’s
www.sportys.com
Sporty’s Flight Gear Navigator Bag shows that the aviation retail giant knows its pilots well. Truly a “next generation” flight bag, Sporty’s knew its customers wanted a slimmer bag with lots of space for electronic gear and charging cords, not big books and chart binders. The Navigator is void of gimmicky extras and concentrates on key items.

The Navigator’s exterior pockets include a padded headset pocket, padded iPad pocket, iPad accessory organizer for ADS-B receivers and GPS, quick-access file folder pocket and a front cord storage pocket. Sporty’s exclusive “HideAway Headset Pockets” can be opened to store multiple headsets, RAM Mounts or a video camera system. When not in use, they zip closed and stay out of the way. The main compartment can hold larger items like kneeboards, hats, cameras or a change of clothes.

I’ve witnessed firsthand Sporty’s testing of their gear in real-world scenarios by active, everyday pilots, and this bag is no exception. Aside from looking good in two-tone black and blue, it includes lots of pilot-friendly features, and feels tough and durable. You also get the bonus of a six-year warranty and the option of free embroidery to truly make the bag your own. Price: $99.

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When German manufacturer Sennheiser created their Digital Adaptive S1 headset a few years ago, they had a hit on their hands. Lauded for its comfort, the Digital S1 was the first in Sennheiser’s headset line to introduce the “adaptive” concept, whereby pilots could press a button on the headset and “sample” the surrounding environment, adapting the headset’s attenuation to the frequencies present at that moment in that airplane. It was an innovative and useful feature that made the headset unique. The headset was a hit in the aviation community, but with a four-digit price tag, it remained in the flight bags of the well-heeled. Sennheiser just introduced their new S1 “Noisegard” to appeal to a wider audience.

The concept behind the S1 Noisegard was to offer nearly the same noise-attenuation performance as the well-respected S1 Digital, but at a lower price. With most other headset manufacturers pricing their top-end headsets in the $1,000 range and up, many pilots are throwing up their hands and buying more affordable headsets, even if it means giving up some features. The S1 Noisegard aims to keep the customer in Sennheiser quality without the stiff price.

The main difference between the new S1 Noisegard and the flagship S1 Digital is the absence of the sampling button. There are some different comfort and cosmetic features, but the Noisegard model keeps the basic design aesthetic of the Digital S1. In fact, other than missing the ability to sample a noise environment at different phases of flight, the S1 Noisegard sports similar overall performance to the S1 Digital in every other area.

Right out of the gate, it’s surprising that the lower-priced Noisegard has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 18 kHz. The Digital S1 only goes up to 16 KHz. While we can hear up into the 20 kHz range, most of us who are beyond our 20s and have been flying for several years might not be able to distinguish a huge difference. If, however, you’re an audiophile (or have a dog) and love the crispy highs in that upper range, the S1 Noisegard might be better suited to your ears.

In a twist of irony, the frequency response of the microphone is better on the S1 Digital. While the Noisegard reaches up to 8 kHz, the more expensive S1 Digital goes from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. Whether a bump at the higher frequency is worth the additional money remains to be seen, although I doubt most people will discern a major difference. A neat feature of the S1 Noisegard is adjustable microphone sensitivity. Just a twist of a mini- screwdriver on an opening in the boom, and the adjustment is completed.

The main difference between the new S1 Noisegard
and the Flagship S1 Digital is the abscence of
a sampling button.

As noted in past reviews, we’re enjoying something of a “golden era” in aviation headsets, where nearly all ANR (active noise reduction) headsets sound good. The differences in actual sound between Lightspeed, Bose, David Clark, Sennheiser and a few of the other high-end manufacturers is very subjective. It’s not a stretch to say there are no bad-sounding headsets in this tier. What’s different about each one is comfort.

Sennheiser took a different approach with the design of the entire S1 line. They differ significantly from the established “HME” line of headsets in many ways. One of the most notable is the size and shape of the S1’s ear cups. Larger than the competitors’, the S1 features deep and wide oval ear cups. The comfort they offer is obvious the minute you put them on. The larger ear cups also provide a better seal, which is useful if your ANR batteries die and you’re left with passive-only attenuation. In fact, the S1 Noisegard, like most modern headsets, automatically switches to passive mode when the AA batteries wear out (which Sennheiser says is about 40 hours).

The S1 Noisegard is cosmetically similar to others in the S1 line, this time sporting glossy, metallic-gray ear cups instead of black. The cord has the same sturdy feel and connectors as the rest of the S1 line. One of the best features of the S1 family is adjustment of clamping pressure, and the Noisegard model has this, as well. Three intensities of clamping can be selected on each ear cup, which is especially useful on long flights.

Sennheiser is…known in the professional sound community for excellence. their headsets are used in the best recording studios in the world.

Having flown with several of the S1 headsets during long flights over the past few years, one area I’d suggest Sennheiser engineers look at, is the two individual head pads on the headpiece of the headset. While they feel comfortable on initial wearing, after about two hours, the individual pads create pressure points. Although it’s not a showstopper, a one-piece, consistent-pressure head pad would help match the considerable comfort
of the ear cups. The S1 Noisegard has these same head pads, and although it’s a small complaint, it can be significant on long cross-countries.

In aviation, the number-one priority in a headset is protection from noise. Between the engine and exhaust noise, the slipstream and the bleat of the propeller, our ears are pummeled with a good 110 dB (decibels—a measure of sound intensity) of noise, mostly concentrated in the lower frequencies. Studies by the FAA, several universities and industrial firms have determined that exposure to any sound greater than 85 dB will cause permanent hearing damage. Other than being comfortable, our headsets need to protect our ears from the sound intensity and frequencies that cause the most damage. Here, the S1 Noisegard excels.

Sennheiser is already known in the professional sound community for excellence. Their headsets are used in the best recording studios in the world. The S1 Noisegard continues that legacy by offering the same ANR protection as their flagship S1 Digital. However, the Noisegard achieves this with a fixed frequency response instead of the “adaptive” frequency response that reacts to a user’s environment. That’s okay because Sennheiser engineers chose the most common low frequency areas for the most attenuation. What you get is an almost “airy,” quiet response in your headsets.

Sporting considerable comfort, excellent noise reduction, cable connectivity to MP3 players and cell phones, and an appealing, modern design, the S1 Noisegard looks to be another home run for Sennheiser. And with a street price of just less than $800, the S1 Noisegard will appeal to those who want legendary German engineering and quality at a price they can better afford. Visit en-us.sennheiser.com.

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Advanced Flight Systems

Engine analyzers and monitors have changed how we operate our general aviation (GA) aircraft. The technology was originally used on military and airline aircraft, but advances in sensors and microchips have enabled the proliferation of these devices in our GA aircraft for little cost. The situational awareness these devices give you is amazing, giving a detailed and intimate look at what your engine is doing at any time.

Research has proven that many—if not most—engine failures telegraph themselves far in advance of the failure. It’s rare that an engine just fails mechanically for no reason and without warning. In addition to an oil analysis at each oil change, which is cheap insurance when it comes to engine issues, an engine analyzer can catch problems before they become catastrophic. Conditions such as oil starvation (and subsequent heat damage), pre-ignition or destructive detonation can be detected with engine monitors so pilots can take corrective action with their mechanics before heat damage is done.

From a failure point of view, the components in the engine that will most likely fail and cause a serious power loss are: the crankshaft, main bearings, pistons and cylinders, magnetos and connecting rods. Much of the bottom end of the engine is quite robust, and many people don’t realize that even during an overhaul, many of these components (like the crankshaft, for example) aren’t replaced and go on to endure many TBOs. Research tells us that if these components do fail, they usually do so early in their lives—what the industry calls “infant-mortality”—from either defective manufacturing or heat distress.

The top end of the engine (pistons, cylinders, valves, gears, etc.) is much less robust. It’s here that engine analyzers are worth their weight in gold. Problems with these components can be caught early through careful monitoring of engine conditions. An entire article could be written about how to read these indications (and there are entire books devoted to this subject), but the bottom line is that knowing what indications are normal—and knowing when they become abnormal—is the key to preventing engine failures in flight. Like small cavities that eventually require a painful root canal because they were ignored, engine problems should be caught early.

At minimum, engine analyzers should monitor a few crucial parameters. The basic data you need is cylinder head temperature (CHT) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT). While many of the lower-priced models give you that, the problem is they only read that data from one cylinder (usually the “hottest” one near the firewall). A better choice is an analyzer that displays CHT and EGT on all cylinders. If one cylinder begins showing anomalous indications, it can be caught quickly.

Next up is fuel flow (FF). This is useful in diagnosing mixture issues, fuel pump health, dirty fuel nozzles, excessive consumption, etc. Continuing in order of priority, manifold pressure (MAP) and engine speed (RPM) are extremely useful in catching problems with the propeller governor and ensuring that the pilot is operating the throttle, prop and mixture controls properly for a given altitude and performance combination. Especially if that data is logged, it’s highly useful in troubleshooting engine problems.

Finally, electrical voltage (VOLTS) and current (AMPS) are useful in monitoring the health of your electrical system. These are also key to determining battery and alternator condition, especially in multi-bus systems. In some engine analyzers, engine vibration is measured, as well as data like outside air temperature (OAT), true airspeed (TAS), pressure altitude (PA), and other parameters useful in getting a complete and detailed look at your engine’s health. For turbo-charged aircraft, a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) is also essential.

The best analyzers log performance data long-term and allow downloads of that data. Maintenance technicians can put this raw data into reports that are extremely useful to look at and can provide a graphical look at your engine’s condition. These reports are also useful if something goes wrong and an accident occurs. Engine analyzer data helped determine that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 flew for a long period even after it disappeared from radar.

The final thing to consider is how the information is displayed. Is it a standalone analyzer or does it integrate into your other cockpit displays? For those of us with simple engine monitors that don’t archive log data, the choice is simpler. Also, does the unit offer alarms for certain indications like runaway CHT or excessive drops in voltage? With so many models to choose from, here are a few of our favorites.

Advanced Flight Systems
Acquired by Dynon Avionics in 2013, Advanced Flight Systems was an entrepreneurial startup that successfully made engine monitor displays for the light-sport aircraft (LSA) and experimental market. It has an excellent line of electronic flight information system (EFIS) displays including their impressive AF-5000 series touch-screen integrated flight deck.

In addition to a clear and intuitive engine monitor display, the AFS-5000 series includes data logging of oil changes, annual inspections, ELT batteries, filters, brakes, etc. The unit calculates weight and balance, and includes little details like gear warnings and voice alerts. www.advanced-flight-systems.com

Alcor

Alcor
If you prefer round-dial analog gauges for basic engine monitoring, Alcor makes the best. Owners of vintage aircraft sometimes like to use round gauges because it keeps the look of the original aircraft, and owners with very limited panel space can get great benefits from Alcor’s units. They’re available for single- and multi-engine aircraft.

Alcor made its reputation from more than 50 years of being installed in demanding environments. Their units are renowned for their reliability, durability and affordable price. Alcor probes are some of the most robust in the industry and also can power sophisticated glass systems. The blanket supplemental type certificate (STC) held by Alcor allows the installation of their probes in any reciprocating-engine aircraft without additional paperwork. www.alcorinc.com

Avidyne

Avidyne
Avidyne’s Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck is one of the most feature-rich and gorgeous displays in aviation. The large displays and well-designed graphics create an intuitive, useful whole. It’s pretty to look at, but useful and crucial at the same time. The Release 9 flight deck includes the EMax Engine Monitoring system as its integrated engine analyzer, though it’s much more than that. EMax is a dedicated engine page with an avalanche of performance data including a handy graphical fuel totalizer, a lean assist mode, and a percent power display to take the guesswork out of fuel and power management.

EMax monitors fuel flow and computes nautical miles per gallon, fuel remaining, fuel to waypoint and fuel to destination. Temperatures, pressures, RPM, fuel flow, OAT and electrical bus voltages are also monitored and displayed. The integrated fuel totalizer monitors fuel flow and computes nautical miles per gallon, fuel remaining, fuel-to-waypoint and fuel-to-destination. All cylinder head (CHT) and exhaust gas temperatures (EGT), RPM, manifold pressure, oil temperature, oil pressure, fuel flow, outside air temperature (OAT) and electrical bus voltages are monitored and displayed. www.avidyne.com

Dynon

Dynon
EMS-D120 and EMS-D10. Dynon’s engine monitoring systems (EMS) replace and integrate 16 different functions into one highly compact design. The EMS-D120 is a large-screen engine monitoring presentation that blends traditional analog gauges with digital technology. The sunlight-readable color display and soft-key menu system monitors 27 different parameters and displays them on a seven-inch color screen. It’s configurable in several ways including split-screen, allowing pilots to set up their displays how they like them. The unit monitors engine, fuel and other miscellaneous systems and annunciations, covering the entire spectrum of performance analysis.

Pilots with less panel real estate can opt for the EMS-D10 that fits into a standard three- to 18-inch-panel hole and consolidates all engine instruments into one nice compact panel-space-saving device. Much more than a single round display, the EMS-D10 is a full-panel display that includes many of the features of the larger EMS-D120. In addition to its configurable, soft-key menu system, the bright display features a wealth of engine and fuel information on an easy-to-read rectangular screen. One of the unique features of the EMS-D10 is the “Info Bars.” These are designed to afford greater flexibility in accommodating a wide variety of engine types and pilot preferences. Info Bars are represented by colored vertical bars, each with an identifying label, sliding bar and digital value. www.dynonavionics.com

Electronics International

Electronics International
Electronics International manufactures an impressive line of engine analyzers, gauges and engine monitor instruments. Engine monitor instruments are all it does, and it excels in every sense. Its line includes everything from single-hole gauges to its impressive MVP-50P dedicated engine monitor and analyzer panel. It has something for every aircraft and every budget.

The MVP-50P is an impressive unit and certainly one of the best out there today. STC’d and TSO’d, the 5-½-inch panel-mount glass display offers 15 screens of information and more than 50 functions—almost all of them customizable. The MVP-50 allows pilots to accurately monitor dozens of engine and system parameters, create limits and alarms, set up custom inputs, create interactive checklists, record and review pertinent data from every flight, track an engine’s health and more. The digital display provides accurate detection of small trends. The analog display provides field-of-vision, allowing the pilot to determine a function’s position in its operating range.

The company’s newest CGR-30P is an STC’d and TSO’d engine monitor designed to fit into a single 3-1/8-inch instrument hole—usually replacing the tachometer. In exchange, it provides a detailed view of performance in a beautiful and graphical interface, and replaces your tachometer, manifold pressure, fuel flow totalizer, EGT/CHT bar graph analyzer and more. It’s hard to believe something this compact displays all that information so intuitively and clearly. http://buy-ei.com

Garmin G1000

Garmin G3000

Garmin
Garmin has become an industry leader when it comes to performance monitoring. In advance of legislation that will likely require recording and retention of flight data in our little GA aircraft, Garmin offers monitoring of 64 different performance parameters, all built into its nearly ubiquitous G1000 integrated flight deck (as well as the G2000, G3000, G5000, etc.). Most of the performance data is available on the suite’s “System” panel and includes an all-cylinder graphical EGT with a lean assist function, as well as an all-cylinder CHT. Electrical system health (alternator and battery information), along with fuel flow, fuel quantity, oil pressure, oil temperature and manifold pressure are displayed. Fuel totalizers track fuel consumption and remaining fuel.

Garmin’s flight decks offer the capability of recording the data and downloading it later for reporting or tracking use. The data sits on an SD card in the flight deck’s MFD, so it’s easily accessible. For experimental aircraft and LSA, Garmin offers engine monitors in their G3X glass display, as well as their G900X flight deck for noncertified aircraft. Garmin’s selection of integrated flight decks is constantly evolving, and it should be noted that most of its displays integrate engine-monitoring features. www.garmin.com

Insight G1, G2, G3, G4

Insight Avionics
You have to love a company that makes a special engine analyzer just for radial-engine birds. Insight only makes engine analyzers, so it knows a thing or two about them. It recently introduced the new GX-MFT tachometer replacement, which is a whole lot more than that. The big differentiator is that the unit is self-powered through the engine. Insight calls it “energy-harvesting,” and it means the unit will continue to work even after your entire electrical system is gone and the battery is dead. As long as the engine turns, the GX-MFT works!

The GX-MFT displays tachometer (RPM), manifold pressure, fuel flow, battery voltage, alternator amperes and a complete electrical analysis. The unit conforms to any aircraft, with the display changing to match. The GX-MFT is designed to work with Insight’s G4, which is its newest complete engine analyzer and monitor. With the two instruments, all performance bases are covered. Information from every flight is stored on an SD card for tracking, trend analysis and reporting. www.insightavionics.com

JP Instruments

JP Instruments
When it comes to engine analyzers, JP Instruments (or “JPI”) has become something of an industry standard. Based in Huntington Beach, Calif., JP Instruments helped pioneer the digital engine instrument market when founder, Joseph Polizzotto—an engineer for Pratt & Whitney—made his own engine temperature scanner for his Cessna 172. Demand for the instrument was so big that Polizzotto started a company in 1986 to sell them, and JPI was born. The company has a wide array of single- and multi-engine analyzers, with everything from fuel flow-only to full-featured performance displays, so it’s tough to pick just one.

JPI’s most advanced monitor, the EDM-930, is certified as a primary flight instrument. With the 930 on board, you can remove your old engine gauges and open up valuable space in your panel. It does just about everything you can think of, including tracking, recording and storing all engine data (CHT, EGT, FF, MAP, TIT, oil temps and pressures, fuel quantities and range, etc.). The unit includes an interface to popular GPS models, as well as programmable alarms, an accurate Hobbs meter, fuel totalizers and detailed quantity indicators, and a slew of other features. Think of it as your personal flight engineer—a really good one too. www.jpinstruments.com

MGL Avionics
MGL is a California-based company that sources many of its parts and programming expertise in South Africa. It specializes in the LSA and experimental market, and its avionics suite is installed in the impressive and much-lauded Sling LSA, also built in South Africa. In business since 2000, its line of EFIS displays and digital instruments is impressive, and it has shipped tens of thousands of instruments all over the world.

The company’s flagship system is the iEFIS, a comprehensive flight, engine and navigation display designed for experimental and light-sport aircraft. In addition to navigation functions, it contains a comprehensive systems page, all displayed on a custom-developed, pressure-sensitive, sunlight-readable touchscreen that can also be operated using gloves. MGL’s XTreme EFIS display is a dedicated engine monitor that can also be configured as a PFD. It displays engine parameters, fuel, range and electrical system health, as well as maintenance alerts and alarms. www.mglavionics.com

Ultra Electronics
Ultra’s “AuRACLE” line of engine management systems are STC’d as primary instruments. They’re made to be compatible with 95% of all single- and twin-engine general aviation aircraft. In addition to common monitoring parameters like fuel data, EGT and CHT, voltage and ammeter, OAT, manifold pressure, and oil information, the AuRACLE line offers a useful “percent horsepower” (%HP) display.

The company’s CRM 2101 is a single-box unit that provides all the performance monitoring you can imagine and then some. It will log and keep 150 hours of performance data and allows transfer via USB. The unit’s SmartLean intuitive leaning process feature makes correct leaning to LOP or ROP a snap. EGView software (included) allows you to download your archived engine data and examine it using colorful graphs and data displays, and track countless performance parameters. Designed to replace JPI monitors, the CRM 2101 fits into the JPI’s wiring harness without modification. www.ultra-fei.com

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An amphibious seaplane 10 years in the making from napkin-drawing concept to delivered product, the ICON A5 is a story that takes us deep into a different world—a place where design and form triumph over profit margin, and where flying is an emotional experience instead of one measured with graphs and ledgers. It’s a fascinating journey that begins where pure stick-and-rudder flying left off and where the most advanced engineering in aeronautics begins. At its essence, it’s a love story between human, machine and sky.

The ICON story is also one of transformation. It’s a tale of firsts that recalls aviation’s great period—that era of Howard Hughes and Kelly Johnson and Glenn Curtiss, when aircraft were created with passion and a sense of adventure.

Philosophy

Quite a bit has been written about ICON since former Air Force pilot and Stanford graduate Kirk Hawkins formed the company with his friend, entrepreneur and Harvard grad Steen Strand, in 2006. The catalyst for forming an aircraft company was the FAA’s decision to create the light-sport category. Hawkins’ and Strand’s idea was to inject fun back into general aviation through a unique light-sport aircraft. They envisioned an airplane that would appeal to an untapped market of non-aviators with a penchant for adventure. Hawkins asserts, “Many airplane companies design a plane and look for a market for it—we started with a market and designed a plane for it.”

And what a different market it was. On one of my early visits to ICON’s facility in Los Angeles, they displayed a board where they named five target consumer profiles for the A5, along with their characteristics. I remember there was a “Blake.” Blake was a young, successful guy with lots of disposable income and an attraction to technology. He did hip things in cool places with equally cool friends. “Blake” indulged in hard work—probably a young executive or entrepreneur—and craved adventure: fast watercraft, fast motorcycles, fast cars. Blake is one of the key profiles around whom the A5 was created. It’s a potential $30 billion dollar market.

Design

A defining element of ICON is the company’s design philosophy. An almost fanatical devotion to design drove the looks of the A5. Yes, it was drawn roughly in its present form on a napkin, but ICON’s focus on design was paralleled only in the worlds of high-end sports cars and motorcycles, not airplanes.

So meticulous is ICON’s concentration on design that entire meetings can be devoted to seemingly insignificant items like handholds and switch placement. The result is an aircraft that’s based on flowing, dynamic design with functionality worked into it. It’s art in a functional sense. One look at any current GA airplane, and you’ll notice the lack of true design, especially in legacy aircraft. It may be debatable, but the last great soul-stirring GA aircraft designs were made, perhaps, in the 1930s and ’40s.

Hawkins has looked to companies like Apple, BMW and Oakley for their consumer-driven innovation and design philosophies. “Everything about this airplane is measured by its benefit to the user,” Hawkins tells a handful of us pilots. “What drives our design is the total user experience: everything from how you feel when you look at it, touch it, move a switch, get in it, to the flying experience itself.”

An entire book could be written just about ICON’s design focus, but suffice it to say that a close-up look at the A5 will reveal the nuances in design that were led by ICON’s Klaus Tritschler, former BMW Designworks Creative Director and respected motorsport designer. “Usually, when a prototype goes to production, it is a disappointment,” says Tritschler. “I wanted the opposite.” The result is a visible labor of love, and a beautiful marriage of design, function and aerodynamics.

The Airplane

I wanted to dislike the A5. So much rumor has flowed through the industry—and nine years is a long time to deliver a two-place airplane—that I wanted to believe the negative hype and find an airplane that was a dog—underpowered with nothing more than a pretty face. What I found rocked my stick-and-rudder world.

Just as ICON focused one eye on pure design, the other was laser-focused on aerodynamic innovation. What they’ve accomplished with the A5 from an engineering perspective is as interesting as anything the Skunkworks could have conjured up. Volumes could be written about the A5’s Seawings™ and how they keep the airplane from tipping. Or its planing wingtips, removable windows, spin resistance or foldable wings. It’s different from anything that came before it.

If you’re wondering about range, speed and payload, then you already don’t get this airplane. The A5 is purely about fun. It makes no claims otherwise. And, to get the elephant in the room out of the way, it’s an expensive toy—one in the same category as a Ducati motorcycle or top-of-the-line Sea-Doo or sports car. “We’re competing with sports cars, RVs, second homes,” Hawkins explains, “We’re telling the consumer, ‘Flying is accessible to you for fun.’ It’s not just about transportation.” The A5 appeals 98% to vanity and ego, and 2% to utility, and that’s just fine.

Flying The ICON A5

First, the cockpit is completely different from what any pilot is used to. It doesn’t look like an airplane cockpit—especially the panel. In keeping with ICON’s philosophy, the interior was designed in conjunction with sports-car maker Lotus and other top designers. From the seats to the canopy, to everything in between, this isn’t your grandfather’s GA airplane. Other than a stick (which was beautifully designed with a curve that reminds one of the figures in Titian’s best paintings) and rudder pedals, you wouldn’t know you were in an airplane. The most prominent feature is an angle-of-attack indicator, which is the primary instrument.

Everything is ergonomically designed, with the seats reminding me of the Recaros installed in expensive sports cars. The view through the one-piece canopy is breathtaking, with the vast expanse of Lake Berryessa in California’s wine country splayed out before me. The lake is calm and sparkling in its deep-green hues, and the stark white and red of the A5 is impressive against it. It looks like something Batman would fly—both aggressive and graceful.

The A5 wing is thick, with marked differences along its leading edge. It isn’t a plain wing, but includes cuffs, drooping tips, dropped leading edges, air dams and vortex generators along a small section. I note that it looks heavy, and I wonder how the 100 hp Rotax engine will handle the airplane. After startup (which was nothing special), we water-taxi to get a feel for the A5 on the lake.

For the full evaluation, I’ll fly with both Hawkins and Jeremy Brunn, ICON’s Director of Training. Brunn is a former US Navy F/A-18 and military test pilot and is creating an entire training program for the A5 which, like the airplane itself, will stand flight instruction on its head and deliver a completely different experience.

Takeoff, like everything in the A5, is simple. Seaplanes (the A5 is technically a flying boat) are finicky at takeoff. The airplane has to be maneuvered onto “the step,” which is a location on the hull where an ideal pitch angle for takeoff is reached. Then the airplane is coaxed into the air, while the pilot finesses a lot of control inputs. Brunn, however, had me keep my hands completely off the stick and add full power while keeping the airplane straight with rudder. With my hands at my side, the A5 rose onto the step, then gracefully into the air. Not a finger.

The view is spectacular, with the pilot and passenger sitting well ahead of the wing. To my surprise, the A5 climbed easily into the 85-degree day, even loaded with Brunn, myself and plenty of fuel. We were headed to an asphalt strip to experience the A5’s runway handling, and we were climbing at a good 500 fpm and cruising at an honest 85 knots with the side windows out and each of us resting an elbow on the sill. This is seaplane flying at its absolute best.

The A5 handles like silk cloth on polished brass. Control movements are made with your fingers and wrist, not your shoulder. Slight pressure on the controls, and the A5 obediently acquiesces. We did flap and no-flap landings and power-off glides. In each case, it performed like a pilot’s airplane. It should be noted that Chief Test Pilot and Engineering Fellow Jon Karkow has really created something beautiful here. The control harmony is exquisite and sensuous. Kudos to the entire engineering team.

Then came the real fun with Hawkins in the airplane. “Pull the power and ease the stick back all the way,” he instructed. With the nose at 25 degrees above the horizon and the altimeter reading 800 feet AGL, he added, “Now, as you feel it buffet, put in full rudder and hold the stick all the way back.”

I’ve been flying for a long time, and what Hawkins told me to do—especially this low—went against everything in my being. I looked at him and hesitated, while visions of life played like a film reel in my head. “Go ahead,” he pressed. I did as he said, expecting the A5 to roll over to the left—as any airplane would—and begin autorotation in a spin. Instead, it just bucked and protested like an annoyed horse and kept on flying. With full power applied, the stick in my gut and a full leg of left rudder, it even showed a slight climb. All the while the ailerons were fully effective. Crazy.

Landings are so simple a beginner can do them. Normally, seaplane landings can be “an event” with all the possible variables. But using just the AOA indicator as Hawkins suggested, the A5 came down like Sully on the Hudson (I can’t wait till he flies this thing). A perfect coda of spray ended our 90 minutes of flying.

Training

Forty percent of existing orders for the A5 are from non-pilots. Like everything else in ICON’s world, a customized training program is being built for the A5 by Brunn and his team. Training will be mandatory for all buyers regardless of their expertise. The program will use a military-inspired approach (a large part of the staff is ex-military) and will break skills into basic components.
Training for a new pilot will consist of 22 to 27 “events,” with each event being a desired skill, such as water-taxiing, or landings. ICON’s goal is to train a new pilot in 14 days. The program will use advanced training materials and simulations, with a proficiency-based outcome. ICON won’t allow a pilot to operate the A5 without passing specific proficiency milestone—this includes rated and current seaplane pilots. The training philosophy, syllabus and manuals are all being built from the ground up.

What’s Next

Now, ICON’s real work begins. They’re relocating all their facilities to a dedicated campus with two 140,000-square- foot state-of-the-art buildings at Nut Tree Airport (KVCB) near Vacaville, Calif., by Q4 of this year.

ICON plans to complete 60 aircraft by EAA AirVenture 2016 and 560 in 2017. They plan to stabilize at about 500 aircraft per year (industry-wide, only about 1,000 airplanes per year are delivered). The first three years of production are already sold out. In another industry first, ICON created custom tooling that’s generations ahead of most advanced tooling in use today. Cirrus Aircraft is providing the carbon-fiber sub-assemblies. Hawkins says they can assemble an A5 in about nine days once the facility is at full capacity.

What ICON has done here is special. From their focus on design, to their engineering obsession, to their first-of-its kind training program, to their marketing approach and custom AOA display, ICON has done things in a wildly different way. The A5 is an absolute kick in the pants to fly, and even ignoring all the marketing-speak and entrepreneurial hype, it does put the fun and passion back into flying. ICON has created a safe airplane that may foretell a new way to design, market and sell aviation to a largely uninterested public. We may be talking about this moment for a long time.

All About That Angle Of Attack

One of the most-talked-about features of the A5 will be the integrated angle-of-attack (AOA) indicator. ICON created their own (of course) and placed it in a prominent spot on the panel. It’s intuitive, clear and one of the most useful instruments I’ve ever used. If you’ve never flown with an AOA, you need to try it. It’s a transformative experience. The military has been flying AOA (they call it flying the “alpha”) for decades and for good reason: It ignores the effects of weight and temperature. AOA is a direct indication of “lift health,” whereas our current measurement—airspeed—is really only a secondary indicator. Once you fly AOA, you’ll find yourself not looking at airspeed much. It’s a liberating feeling, especially when it’s much safer.

To review, angle of attack is the angle between the wing’s chord line and the relative wind. More simply, it’s the angle between where the airplane is pointing and where it’s actually going. In a pull-up from a steep dive, for example, the airplane could be moving straight down from inertia, even though the nose is almost level with the horizon. In that case, the angle of attack is very high. All aircraft have a critical angle of attack that’s part of their design. It’s the angle at which the wing will no longer produce lift due to a separation of airflow from the wing. Lift is lost, and a stall occurs.

An AOA indicator displays this angle of attack in a visual way. ICON’s AOA displays the familiar side view of an airfoil, just like all the FAA drawings from our private pilot days. That airfoil pivots around a scale (like a speedometer) that’s graduated in green, then yellow, then red. The airfoil depiction pivots as the airplane is maneuvered—just like your real wing—and shows the pilot exactly what the wing is doing in real time. Keep it out of the red, and you won’t stall. Simple as that.

It’s transformative in a number of ways. First, you can land the A5 using just the AOA and nothing else. I did that by covering the entire panel except for the AOA. It’s easier than the most basic video game you can think of. There’s a line depicted on the instrument face where you place your airfoil icon for approach. You simply move your stick until the airfoil is even with that line. Then, you hold that airfoil on that line until you’re 10 feet or so above the water. Then you ease the stick back to the middle of the yellow band, and your A5 kisses the water like a seasoned pro.

Keep in mind this is a VFR-only airplane, so we’re not addressing instrument flight. Still, the AOA functions as your primary instrument. By placing the wing at a specific AOA as depicted on
the instrument, your airspeed takes care of itself.

We all know that a steep angle of bank increases stall speed. How many of you can recite your stall speed in a 50-degree bank? That’s just it, many pilots have no idea. So when they’re in a steep turn down low, they have no idea what the margin above stall is. Now imagine an instrument that tells you that. You can crank the wings over to whatever bank you like, while keeping that indicator well away from the red. You can be heavy or light; it doesn’t matter. The AOA compensates for those variables.

For my part, I’m a strong believer in AOA indicators. Rather than debate it, I suggest all pilots try an AOA-equipped airplane for themselves. It really changes how you fly. ICON’s AOA is particularly intuitive and easy to use.

The post The ICON A5: Art Meets Aviation appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

The big secret in aviation is that just about everybody goes into it because it’s more fun than should be legally allowed, and not because it’s practical.

Oh sure, you can certainly fly a Cirrus with a small family on a vacation trip, laughing at those poor folks crawling along on the interstate below you while you zip by at 170 mph, but in the cold light of day, it’s not the cheapest thing to do, you can’t carry much and weather is a constant, nagging factor.

People fly airplanes because nothing beats the experience of flying yourself somewhere. As pilots, the things we see, the sensations we experience and the rewards we feel going from one runway to another are indescribable. The cost is just something we accept and deal with, like a pebble in our shoe on a long walk, except the shoe won’t come off.

Watching the sun disappear into the Pacific Ocean on a recent evening, I was alone in my airplane, just above a broken deck of the softest cumulous imaginable. I was there for the pure fun of it, without a single purpose or reason.

As the setting sun’s rays charged along the cloud deck, shafts of amber light would appear and disappear, casting brilliant highlights against different parts of the clouds.

Suddenly, one of the rays washed over my face. I felt the warmth from the sun and squinted inreaction to the brightness. I watched as the ray painted my entire airplane, sweeping it in slow motion with changing light.

It was a moment of clarity, as if to tell me, “Don’t forget how fortunate you are.” I became aware that I was thinking of nothing but flying; no problems existed up there.

I lingered until the sun was saying its last goodbye, and then headed back to the airport, which was as silent as I had ever seen. I heard the chirp of my tires meeting the hard asphalt runway. The worries and cares of the day had vanished like wisps of steam.

Flying like that is therapy to me. There’s something about aviating that replaces stress with peace and anxiety with calm. I wished I could bottle the feeling. To me, it’s what flying is really about.

Outsiders would say, “Well, that’s well and good that he can afford that, but we can’t.” But that flight had cost me considerably less than a round of golf. It was cheaper than a massage; a fraction of a doctor’s visit. I own the plane with a small group of pilots.

My flight cost less than a friend’s bar tab from the previous night, and less than my neighbor spends on cigarettes and beer. I’ve found that life is about priorities, and for me, flying is what keeps me sane. To pilots, flying isn’t an expense, it’s a way of living—a way to keep living.

One of the most rewarding things I do as a pilot is to take people for their first airplane ride. Many of them have flown in airliners before but few, if any, have flown in small, general aviation airplanes.

I own a Great Lakes biplane, so the added thrill of an open cockpit leaves my first-time passengers with an experience they won’t likely forget.

I can see the wonder in their bare-toothed smiles as I look over their shoulder from my perch in the rear seat. I often hear, “I can’t believe you get to do this all the time!” through the intercom.

It would be great to tell you that all these people go on to become pilots, but that’s not the case. I’ve had the invigorating experience of taking high-school students for their first rides, and had one of them begin to seriously pursue a pilot career as a result.

It wasn’t my piloting that did it, it was that little strand of DNA that aviators seem to share that was waiting to be energized by the sound of a propeller and the wind flowing over flying wires.

In this student’s case, she was hooked the minute the tires left the runway, as I was the first time I flew.

During a recent conversation with an aviation friend (a marketing manager for a major aviation manufacturer), we were lamenting the fact that fewer kids today want to learn to fly.

We agreed that aviation had lost its romance and allure, at least with the younger generation. Added to that was the cost of flying and, most interestingly, the attitude of many pilots toward newcomers. What came to light though is that there are ways around each barrier.

The sport-pilot certificate is an explosion of opportunity for those who couldn’t afford flying before. With slews of flight schools advertising sport-pilot training for under $4,000, earning that certificate isn’t a far-fetched financial goal anymore.

Related to that, light-sport aircraft (LSA) aircraft are renting in the $100/hour range at flight schools around the country. A decent used aircraft can be bought today for $20,000—the price of a modest car.

AOPA’s recent push for the creation of flying clubs is a big step (I’d call it a giant leap) in the right direction. Flying clubs make flying truly affordable to everybody and have been overlooked since the free-wheeling economic decades of the past. But today, flying clubs and shared ownership are how many of us keep flying.

Browse through the AOPA flying club listing by state (aopa.org/CAPComm/flyingclubs/flyingclubfinder), and you’ll discover scores of real-world aviation deals. Just a cursory search unearthed a flying club in Southern California (considered one of the most expensive states to fly in) offering a complete private pilot certificate (with 60 realistic training hours) for under $5,000! The sport-pilot certificate can be had for even less. The argument that “flying costs too much” is quickly becoming false.

The time commitment is something everybody will have to wrestle with. Flying is serious business, and there are no shortcuts. Once again, the sport-pilot certificate offers lower complexity and much less of a time commitment.

Even the private pilot certificate is within the reach of nearly everybody. Today, there are student pilots in their 70s and older whose favorite saying is, “If I can do it, you can, too!”

Flying is safer than it has ever been, and you’d be in more mortal danger engaging in recreational boating than flying. The media’s infatuation with air crashes should be viewed with suspicion, because their sensationalism brings nothing but higher ratings.

Airplanes don’t just fall out of the sky. The leading causes of general aviation (GA) airplane crashes remain easy to avoid with nothing more than good judgment on the part of the pilot.

People fly airplanes because nothing beats the experience of flying yourself somewhere. As pilots, things we see, the sensations we experience and the rewards we feel going from one runway to another are indescribable. The cost is just something we accept and deal with.

This brings us back to the romance of flying. During my conversation with the marketing manager, we both agreed that if people could experience aviation, they would be affected by it, even if they didn’t immediately want to become pilots.

Not everybody who flies in a GA aircraft is smitten, but the experience will leave them forever changed. Some, like my high-school student, will dive right in and become “one of us,” while others will learn to see aviation in a more favorable light than before, knowing what it means to us.

This “romance” is hard to quantify, but aviators—experienced or not—know it when they feel it. It’s that powerful realization of climbing into an airplane and becoming one with the machine, its stick an extension of your arm.

It’s seeing every runway as a gateway to adventure and the starting point of dreams and wishes. To me, the romance of flight is a leather helmet and fabric wings above a layer of puffy clouds, while to another pilot, it might be a corporate jet and the lure of exotic lands. Aviation is one of the last places where that romance still exists.

Flying is a visceral experience, and you have to do it, not read about it. If the sense of ultimate freedom doesn’t move you, then the sheer wonder of it will.

Aviation writer and pioneer Wolfgang Langewiesche once wrote, “Sometimes, I watch myself fly. For in the history of human flight it is not yet so very late; and a man may still wonder once in a while and ask: How is it that I, poor earth-habituated animal, can fly?”

Sport Pilot Vs. Private Pilot

For people who dream about flying but feel blocked by the many barriers of entry (as the industry calls them), the greatest news in aviation history is undoubtedly the FAA’s introduction of the sport-pilot certificate.

Announced in 2004 after a great deal of hard work by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the sport-pilot certificate was created by the FAA specifically to make it easier for more people to get into aviation.

The barriers to entry in aviation have always been cost and time. Since general aviation’s early days, the private pilot certificate has been the “gateway” certificate (“license” isn’t the proper term) for those who want to fly.

Whether somebody wanted to just fly around in a Piper Cub on weekends, or wanted to fly a 747 across the ocean, the first step has always been the same: earn the private certificate first, and advance from there.

The private certificate requires the student pilot to build 40 hours minimum flight time (composed of various sub-categories such as solo hours, night hours, etc.).

Although that 40-hour requirement still stands today, FAA studies show that most pilots are earning their private certificate in an average of 70-75 hours, nationwide. This is mostly due to today’s more complex airspace, regulations and cockpit technology.

The following list paints a realistic picture of the private certificate cost:
• Aircraft rental @$125/hour (70 hours) = $8,750
• Instructor @$40/hour (about 40 hours dual, the rest, solo) = $1,600
• Ground time with instructor @$40/hour (20 hours pre- and post-lesson instruction) = $800
• Ground school, computerized course or self-study materials = $350
• Books, accessories, charts, headset, other materials = $300
• Written exam fee = $125
• Designated examiner’s fee (for checkride) = $300
TOTAL = $12,225

These are what I call “full-disclosure” numbers, typical in most metropolitan areas. You can save money in more rural areas, or by finding an independent instructor. Some FBOs will try to lure students with a basic, 40-hour flight-time cost only, so as not to discourage them from starting.

But studies show that only about 40% of students who start flight training will continue their training to earn their private certificate. Those who quit frequently cite “running out of money” as the reason. If students knew better what the true costs would be, they could prepare accordingly.

The other factor—time investment—can’t be overlooked. Seventy hours of flight training represents about three times that amount in pre- and post-study time and exam preparation, according to most instructors.

Private pilot students can accordingly expect over 200 hours of hitting the books. That adds up to 300-400 total hours of your life that you’ll need to set aside to devote to earning the private certificate.

Here comes the sport-pilot certificate to the rescue. It requires a total of only 20 hours of flight time. Light-sport aircraft are miserly on fuel due to their smaller engines, so they’re cheaper for flight schools to operate, and thus rent to you.

The knowledge requirements are lower, too, because they’re less complex, so training and study times are reduced by comparison. According to the FAA, national training times average 30 hours for the sport-pilot certificate.

The biggest boon to would-be pilots is the medical requirement; there’s no formal medical certificate required for sport pilots. As long as you have a valid driver’s license and the DMV says you can drive, you can also fly.

In what many people call the sport-pilot “Catch-22,” the driver’s license can be used as proof of medical competence provided the prospective pilot wasn’t rejected for their last airman medical certificate. In other words, if you ever flunk your medical exam for a higher rating, you can’t fly under sport-pilot rules, but otherwise, you’re good to go.

Let’s do the sport-pilot financial picture:
• Aircraft rental @$105/hour (30 hours) = $3,150
• Instructor @$40/hour (about 15 hour = $600
• Ground time with instructor @$40/hour (10 hours pre and post-lesson instruction) = $400
• Ground school, computerized course, or self-study materials = $250
• Books, accessories, charts, headset, other materials = $200
• Written exam fee = $125
• Designated examiner’s fee for checkride = $300
TOTAL = $5,025

These costs are approximations based on major metropolitan areas, and prospective pilots can save money in many ways. For example, rental and instructor rates in rural areas are typically lower than in coastal cities.

Older, more basic aircraft (especially tailwheel trainers like Cubs, Champs, Cessna 140s and others) will rent for a lower rate than newer aircraft.

If you’re frugal and creative, you can save money by buying used gear and instructional materials, training often (four times a week or more), and coming prepared to each lesson, having pre-studied the day’s instruction module.

Doing so will get you closer to the FAA instruction time minimums. As I write this, I’m seeing advertisements for FBOs even offering sport-pilot certificate packages in the $3,000 range.

There are, obviously, differences in the two ratings. A private certificate will give you the foundation for more advanced ratings and airplanes.

The private certificate allows you to carry more than one passenger, fly at night, in complex airspace and in heavier aircraft.

The most compelling reason to earn the sport certificate instead of the private is if you just want to fly for the love of flying and nothing else.

Many people have no desire to get advanced ratings, and studies show that most of the general aviation population consists of pilots flying solo or with a single passenger. For those reasons, the sport-pilot certificate is a great way to join the ranks of aviators at a fraction of the cost.

Pilot Careers: New Ideas For A Coming Shortage
The most common question from prospective pilots is, “Are there still pilot jobs?” The answer is an unequivocal yes! Even though the media portrays a one-sided view of pilot careers (usually only discussing regional airline jobs), the truth is that the outlook for pilots has never been better. In December of 2012, the first wave of pilots reaching the maximum FAA-mandated age of 65 began retiring. That initial trickle is expected to become a downpour of pilots who are forced to leave airline cockpits. Some 2,000 pilots reached mandatory retirement during that first wave, and the pilot population will continue to decrease accordingly each year. AOPA estimates that 20% of ATP pilots are 60 or older, resulting in a big chunk of empty pilot seats. With an ever-decreasing number of people wanting to become pilots, there’s nobody to replace them. Aerospace giant Boeing published its respected Career Market Outlook covering the next 20 years. In it, the company forecast a need for 460,000 new pilots by 2031. For a detailed look at the situation, read “Airline Pilots: Coming up Short,” in the October 2012 issue of Plane & Pilot. What’s important is what the industry is doing to relieve the shortage, and how it will affect job opportunities for pilots. The shortage that the industry is predicting will hit regional cockpits first, since regional captains will be the first ones to apply for—and get —jobs vacated by retiring pilots. That will leave a gaping hole in regional cockpits, which will try to recruit instructors and well-qualified general aviation pilots to fill the gap. That, in turn, will deplete GA resources. It has happened before, but this time, the scale will be much larger. Boeing’s projections suggest a shortage like we’ve never seen. The biggest issue with recruiting new pilots is salary. It’s a well-known fact that regional airline pilots start with a salary somewhere in the low $20,000-per-year range. But, as demand increases, so will salaries. The general public probably doesn’t realize that a new pilot with a major airline starts at an average salary of $43,000 per year, and by their fifth year, that salary averages $102,000. A captain on a carrier like FedEx will retire at nearly $250,000 per year. And those numbers are based on current demand. A shortage can only drive salaries upward. Some companies, like Boeing, have launched innovative programs to address the shortage before it becomes unmanageable. Boeing is working through Jeppesen (now a unit of Boeing Flight Services) to help solve the shortage issue by starting collaborative ab initio (“from the beginning”) training programs with international airlines. Boeing now operates 21 flight-training facilities in six continents. Boeing’s training programs incorporate new technologies and methods of learning that resonate with international student pilots through curriculums developed at flight schools and universities. Jeppesen provides pilot supplies, test preparation materials, e-learning courses, training syllabus guidelines, and their well-respected IFR and VFR charts as part of a customizable training solution. Boeing then adds a Jet Bridge Program and a full-type rating for the aircraft specific to that airline, and delivers a fully-qualified and competent first officer to the airline. In Boeing’s latest program launch, they teamed with Dubai-based Emirates Aviation College, the academic wing of United Arab Emirates Airlines, to offer the first Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)-licensed pilot training program in the UAE. Like Boeing’s ab initio programs in other countries, the 16-month curriculum includes eight months of ground and theory training in Dubai, followed by eight months of practical flight training in Lisbon, Portugal, as the first step toward earning an airline transport pilot certificate (ATP) or a commercial pilot license with single-engine and multi-engine instrument ratings. Successful cadets may also continue and earn their bachelor of science degree. Boeing’s UAE program is mirrored in Africa, Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo and others, and continues to expand as foreign demand for pilots outpaces domestic demand. “Over the next 20 years, there is a global need for hundreds of thousands of new airline pilots,” says Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Flight Services. “Through partnerships like this we’re working to expand the pool of pilots from which airlines can select.” German air carrier Lufthansa has launched a pioneering ab initio training program unlike anything in the United States. Seeing the enormous need for pilots in the next two decades, Lufthansa is reaching out to zero-time, non-aviation students through popular German media outlets. Recruiting 19-29 year olds with bachelor’s degrees and fluency in German and English, the airline subjects applicants to four days of intensive psychological, medical, aptitude and academic screenings. Those who make it begin a two-year flight training program that covers all aspects of aviation, and is geared very specifically to airline flying only. The program is carefully constructed to turn out a highly qualified airline pilot, nothing else. Upon completion, the student will have amassed about 200 flight hours in an aircraft, and twice that in simulator time. Most of the flight time is in Beechcraft Bonanzas and Barons instead of the typical Cessna trainers common here in the U.S. In fact, Lufthansa’s initial training is done at their facility near Phoenix, Ariz. If the student hasn’t failed any test along the way (not even once, there are no second chances in this program), he or she is assigned to an aircrew flying one of Lufthansa’s jets. The big difference with the Lufthansa program is that it is paid for entirely by the airline! However, once employed (and there is no contract), the newly minted airline pilot is expected to pay back 15% of the $100,000 training cost. Meanwhile, the airline gets a candidate trained to their standards, their methods and their corporate philosophy. Instead of recruiting from pilots already in the industry, Lufthansa is going to the grassroots. Here in the U.S., JetBlue has created a partnership with Jacksonville University in Florida, and regional airline, Cape Air. Students take part in JetBlue’s “Gateway” program, which includes the four-year degree at Jacksonville University, a paid internship, work as a flight instructor to build experience and hours, and hands-on flying experience with Cape Air as a regional pilot. The process takes about eight years, but yields a student fully immersed in JetBlue culture and training, much like the Lufthansa model. Once the student completes all facets of the program, they will be fully qualified to interview for a training slot as a JetBlue first officer. With a shortfall of nearly 100,000 pilots by 2031, manufacturers and airlines are scrambling to create ab initio programs unlike any that have come before. For all these reasons, it’s a great time to consider at piloting as a career. For more information about the Lufthansa ab initio program, read lufthansa-flight-training.com/lufthansa-pilot/in (Lufthansa ab Initio program) and boeing.com/commercial/cmo/pilot_technician_outlook.html.   *Editor’s note: A section of this article, written almost ten years ago, has been removed.

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