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In Flight USA Articles
Goodies and Gadgets - March 2013
Positive Data Continue to Accumulate for Tamarack’s Active Winglets
Preliminary flight tests are revealing significant fuel savings with Active Winglets installed on the Citation Jet.Tamarack Aerospace Group (TAG) continues to show significant performance and efficiency gains on a CitationJet equipped with Active Winglets according to flight test data. In a number of flights starting at gross weight (10,400 pounds), the Tamarack test CJ has beaten the published times for climbing to 41,000-feet by significant margins.
The most recent flight from Dallas to Jackson Hole (a distance of 1,100 nm) used 2,400 pounds of fuel. Starting at gross weight, an unmodified CJ would have burned 2,700 pounds of fuel. Practically speaking, the flight would have required one re-fueling stop, taken an extra hour to reach the destination, and burned close to 3,200 pounds of fuel. The ability to make the flight non-stop saved close to 800 pounds of fuel under realistic operating conditions that included 50-knot headwinds.
TAG has observed similar savings on several other flights, validating the potential for significant fuel savings with Active Winglets. These are preliminary results with a prototype aircraft on which the Active Winglets are still being optimized.
Active Winglet kits are expected to be available for the Cirrus SR22 this spring and for the CitationJet in 2014. For more information, visit www.Tamarack Aero.com.
Goodies and Gadgets - February 2013
Aeroleds Releases New Microsun Taxi/Recognition Light
In their continuing effort to keep the designs “new” and “fresh”, AeroLEDs has increased its light output of their popular MicroSun light from 5,000 candela to 8,000. Originally designed as a direct replacement for recognition lights in the wingtip of Cirrus aircraft, the MicroSun has proven very popular with Experimental, LSA and Special-Use applications. While the MicroSun draws only a fraction of the power required for a comparable halogen light it has a life expectancy of 50,000 hours, outlasting halogen and HID lights.
Each MicroSun has built in pulse and wig wag features, weighs only 3.5 ounces and can withstand temperatures of -55°C to +70°C.
The MicroSun is protected against overheating with a built-in protection circuit and can be installed in 12Vdc or 24Vdc electrical systems. It is also sheltered against lightning, voltage spikes, reverse voltage and under voltage conditions. MicroSun sells for $350.
For more information visit www.AeroLEDs.com or call 208/850-3294.
Goodies and Gadgets - January 2013
New Aviator Light Pen Sheds Light Where You Need It
When you need to write, and there is no light available, or when you don’t want to lose all your night vision, or when you don’t want to disturb those around you, the old solutions used to involve writing blind (and trying to decipher it later) or holding a flashlight in your “spare hand,” or even in your mouth. Technology presents a better solution, and Wicks Aircraft Supply has it: a pen with a lighted tip.
This good-looking ballpoint pen, with the Wicks phone number always handy on its barrel, writes with standard black ink, right where its own light is shining, allowing you to see and write in otherwise pitch-darkness. It is also possible to use this pen without turning on the light, to save the long-life batteries for when you need them. It is also useful as a micro-flashlight.
Scott Wick, President of Wicks Aircraft, says, “This new pen has a LED light which shines from the tip directly to the surface you are writing on. It is perfect for the pilot who flies at night and needs to write down a clearance or needs to see or make a mark on their map. Now you don’t have to hold a flashlight in one hand and write with the other. Nor do you need to move your map under a cockpit light to be able to see it. I wish I had one of these years ago.”
The wait is over. The Wicks part number is WF14101B, and the Aviator Light
Pen is available immediately, priced at $9.99. Visit www.wicksaircraft.com to order.
Goodies and Gadgets - December 2012
Ideas for the Future Pilots on Your List
Tailwinds: Adventures of a Young Aviator
Free Ebook
What if your parents introduced you to flying at a very young age? What if you began in the 1930s when the few aviation regulations were rarely enforced? Think of the adventures you might have experienced.
Dan Poynter’s book, titled Tailwinds: Adventures of a Young Aviator, takes place in the late 30s and early 40s and is illustrated with black-and-white photos that were taken at that time and maps depicting all the places the young hero visits. Fascinating videos provide back up material and almost all were from that early era.
The book reveals the ‘story behind the story’ of many events between 1939 and 1942. The places described in the book are real as are most of the events and people. The dialogue is presumed and the main character is fictional – but he could have been real.
Until recently, ebooks were simply digital versions of the (non-illustrated) printed book. Now, authors and publishers are discovering that ebooks have more capability than books of the past. Enhanced (illustrated) ebooks can tell a story in a way that a print book never could. Read this novel on an ereader connected to the Internet to take full advantage of this enhanced ebook’s capabilities.
Goodies and Gadgets - November 2012
Holiday Ideas for the Pilot on Your List
Watches For The Adventurous Woman
The Abingdon Co. is a specialty watch company that was created with one goal in mind: to provide adventurous women with stylish, practical and high-quality aviation and travelling watches.
Founded in 2006 by a young woman pilot, Abingdon Welch, The Abingdon Co. offers three models – the “Jackie,” the “Amelia” and the “Elise.” The watches feature multiple times zones, flight calculations and conversion capabilities (foreign exchange, imperial to metric units), date function, chronograph timer and luminous hands and markers. The assemblies in each watch come from all over the world, including the US, Switzerland, Japan, and Hong Kong. They are crafted using top quality materials and techniques: quartz movement, surgical grade stainless steel or ionized 18k gold plating, genuine mother-of-pearl dial, sapphire crystal glass and interchangeable leather or stainless steel bands.
The Abingdon Company’s complete line of aviation watches are available at http://theabingdonco.com/
Goodies and Gadgets - September 2012
Photograph Your Best Flying with the Fat Gecko(r)
Co-Pilot Camera Mount
Capture your flight hands free. The Fat Gecko(r) Co-Pilot makes it easy to mount any camera inside your airplane for an unobstructed view of your cockpit and the open airspace ahead. The retractable telescoping bar fits a variety of cockpit widths ranging from 36” - 49.5” and creates a stable suspended base for your camera between any two opposing windows. Two industrial locking suction cups secure each end to the window’s surface for a trustworthy hold, even in turbulence, pressure changes and cold temperatures. Attach any camera to the built in standard tripod thread in the center of the bar and lock in your angle to capture the open air or instrument panel, the pilots actions for in-flight training sequences, or the thrilled look on your passengers’ faces behind you. Once attached, the camera can be adjusted to shoot up or down, turned sideways or even reversed by loosening the two adjustment knobs on the mount.
Goodies and Gadgets - July 2012
Savvy Launches Free-of-Charge Web-Based Next-Generation Engine Monitor Data Analysis Platform: SavvyAnalysis.com
Designed by professional analysts to be fast, powerful, easy to use, and packed with features for serious analysis. Available to the public free of charge beginning July 1st, 2012.
SavvyAnalysis.com, a new web-based next-generation digital engine monitor data analysis platform, will become available July 1st, 2012, totally free of charge.
Mike Busch“We were frustrated with the existing tools available to graph and analyze piston engine monitor data, so we decided to develop our own platform from the ground up, and equip it with all sorts of advanced capabilities from our growing wish-we-had-this list” stated Mike Busch A&P/IA, CEO of Savvy Aircraft Maintenance Management, Inc. Busch is a recognized authority on piston aircraft engines, and was honored by the FAA in 2008 as National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year.
“As the world’s largest manager of owner-flown piston-powered airplanes, we have long found that engine monitor data analysis is the most powerful tool available for troubleshooting engine problems,” Busch added. “I suspect we’ve probably done more of this kind of analysis than all other organizations combined, so we know what it takes to do it right.”
Goodies and Gadgets - June 2012
AeroLEDs Sunspot Landing Light Lasts 50,000 Hours
The Sunspot 36HX has received PMA approval from the FAA and can be installed on any certificated aircraft.The FAA had granted PMA Certification to AeroLEDs Sunspot 36HX landing light. Powered by new LED technology, the Sunspot will last 50,000 hours, allowing pilots to fly with the light on at all times for enhanced visibility. The light also comes with “wig-wag” or pulsing capability and is so bright that it can be seen at great distances in daylight when the aircraft is not visible.
Goodies and Gadgets - May 2012
BrightLine Bags New Modular “Flex System” Flight Bags
BrightLine Bags, Inc. has announced an entirely new modular flight bag system to replace its current market-leading flight bag design. The new product line, called “The FLEX System,” starts with the basic modular design concept that made the current BrightLine Bags flight bag so popular and then takes that same innovation and thoughtful engineering to a whole new level by creating an entire system that now contains five different-sized interchangeable modules, a front and rear end cap, and a collection of four interchangeable external pockets. The result is that for the first time, every individual pilot can create a customized bag that is the exact size and has the exact functionality he or she wants, according to the needs of their next flight.
Goodies and Gadgets - April 2012
Grime-Off General Aviation Cleaning Products
Check out this new line of 100% biodegradable cleaning products which are ideal for general aviation aircraft. Certified to Boeing Standard D-6 for commercial aircraft, Grime Off Aviation products are mean, green, and made to clean. The product line includes Exterior Wash, Surface Cleaning Spray & Wipes, Windshield Cleaning Spray & Wipes, Grime Off Heavy Duty Degreaser, LubFix lubricant, Shield it rust and corrosion protection, Simply Soy cleaner/lubricant, Green Carpet carpet and upholstery cleaner, Bolt Off rust and corrosion remover, Brake Cleaner, and Gas Off wipes for removing fuel smells from hands and clothing. Made in the USA, the Grime Off family of 100 percent green products are perfect for keeping all types and sizes of aircraft looking like new.
Grimo-Off products are available at Aircraft Spruce. Call 1-877-4SPRUCE or (951)372-9555 or visit the website at www.aircraftspruce.com.
Goodies and Gadgets - March 2012
The Third Rail Portable Charging System
The Third Rail System is the world’s thinnest battery-enabled protective case that allows you to add extra power when you need it, and remove it when you don’t. The extra Smart Batteries can also be used to charge 100s devices.
Initially for the iPhone 4/4S, the Third Rail System is comprised of a protective case (Slim Case) and a universal, removable battery (Smart Battery). The Smart Battery can be connected to the Slim Case when power is needed, and removed when it isn’t. It can also serve as a stand-alone universal charger for other devices.
Functioning as a protective case, a power case, a portable external charger and a power hub for charging multiple devices at one time, this universal power system replaces all existing charging accessories.
Available at Airport Wireless, Techshowcase, select Inmotion store, www.ThirdRailMobility.com and 855/3RD-RAIL.
Goodies and Gadgets - March 2012
Goodies and Gadgets - February 2012
Something New for the Flying Community
Aviation Supplies at the Palo Alto Airport will donate $2.25 from every Aviator’s Pilot Tote sold to help feed the hungry. Buy one today at the store or online at www.bobsaviationsupplies.com. (Photo courtesy Aviation Supplies)Aviation Supplies, operating out of the City of Palo Alto, Calif., Airport is owned and operated by Bob Walls who has thought of a system whereby he, along with his customers, and aviators throughout this great nation can be of help in feeding malnourished people. Bob has invested in having made what he has called the “Aviator’s Pilot Tote.” It’s made of an extremely versatile vegetable fiber known for its strength and durability. Jute fiber is 100 percent bio-degradable, reusable, renewable, safe to dispose in landfill, recyclable and thus environmentally friendly.
On the other hand, the plastic totes that are given to us by the food industry are made of petroleum-based material and do not decompose. We find them flying around on our freeways, clinging to fences along America’s roadways and floating in our beautiful rivers and oceans. Jute is the answer in helping to clean our home – planet Earth!
The Aviator’s Pilot Tote measures 17-inches wide by 18-inches high, has twin handles and is printed on both sides (in green) with the words “Aviator’s Pilot Tote.” It can handle a 28-pound load.
Fly in or drive in to Aviation Supplies, or visit www.bobsaviationsupplies.com to purchase an Aviator’s Pilot Tote for $4.95 and Aviation Supplies will donate $2.25 of the purchase toward feeding malnourished people.
Aviator's Pilot Tote Helps Feed the Hungry
Goodies and Gadgets - December 2011
Goodies and Gadgets - October 2011
Goodies and Gadgets - August 2011
Goodies and Gadgets - June 2011
Goodies and Gadgets - May 2011
Goodies and Gadgets - April 2011
New Interlocking Drip Pan Design from DripPansUSA Protects Floors Better Than Ever
There’s nothing quite like oil, fuel or other drips to ruin a shop floor or worse yet, cause a safety hazard. Minneapolis-based DripPansUSA offers their new, interlocking drip pans for $29.95.
Whether used for truck fleets, busses, in public works buildings or aircraft hangars, the interlocking design allows users to join multiple drip pans along their edges, protecting floors in an infinite arrangement of shapes and sizes. The sturdy, yet lightweight drip pans are easy to set up and clean up.
The drip pans are made of black polyethylene and are available in two sizes. 18” x 48” and 24” x 30” sizes. Each is approximately .125” high and they are light and durable.
“By far, DripPansUSA are the best drip pans. I’ve owned an aircraft hangar for years and haven’t found anything that protects my hangar floor quite like our drip pans,” said Greg Herrick, pilot, inventor and owner of DripPansUSA.
DripPansUSA guarantees customer satisfaction or they will refund the purchase price. They are made in the U.S.A. and available at www.DripPansUSA.com or by calling 800-461-0294.