As new ATC systems and increasingly sophisticated information options are introduced, more and more older airplanes are falling behind. Consequently, many owners whose airframes have a lot of life left in them are looking at the many options for upgrading their old avionics panels. Most of the time that makes more sense than going out […]
Buying avionics: The questions you should ask before you write that check
You’ve finally made the decision to add to, or upgrade, your avionics. You’re excited about the possibilities and you’re ready to get the project underway. The best thing to do at this point? Stop and ask yourself some critical questions. That’s the advice of avionics professionals around the country, who list just a few of […]
All in the family: The third generation of the Middlebrook family takes Penn Yan to new heights
For many pilots, the names Middlebrook and Penn Yan Aero are synonymous with aviation. The Middlebrook family has owned and operated the engine maintenance facility in Penn Yan, New York, for three generations. “It really began with Harold ‘Eagle’ Middlebrook in the 1930s,” says Patricia Middlebrook, who is part of the second generation and mother […]
Alaska governor sponsors bill for avionics upgrade
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is trying to make flying safer by sponsoring a bill to help pilots obtain the latest in satellite-based avionics. The bill establishes a new loan program in the state’s Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development. Under the program, low interest loans will be provided for the purchase and installation of […]
Avionics for the little guy: Dynon Avionics finds its niche in homebuilts and LSA
Selecting the right avionics package for your airplane can be almost as stressful as selecting the aircraft itself. You’ll probably ask your friends what they have and if they recommend it. It is just that kind of word-of-mouth advertising that helped Dynon Avionics expand from the homebuilt market into the realm of Light Sport Aircraft. […]
Avionics 101: Now that you’ve bought it, do you know what to do with it?
What do you do when you can’t find an easy-to-use manual for your GPS? If you have a background in aviation and technical writing, like John Dittmer, you write one of your own. That’s what the instructor pilot did about 11 years ago when his clients had trouble learning to use the Bendix/King KLN90B GPS. […]
Fly the plane! Today’s avionics are great, but pilots still need stick and rudder skills
“Don’t forget to fly the airplane!” How many times have you heard a CFI say that? It sounds like such a simple instruction, yet when faced with a cockpit full of state-of-the-art avionics, a pilot sometimes forgets this important task. Instead, he or she is absorbed in pushing buttons and twisting knobs to program the […]
A successful Quest: The company enters a new phaseas deliveries of its Kodiak begin
“We’ve worked really hard. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know when you are heading into one of these certification programs, and that makes it really hard to predict. Everyone falls into the trap of being maybe a little too irrationally exuberant.” Paul Schaller, president and CEO of Quest Aircraft, made that comment last […]
Maine airport on chopping block: Mayor says B19 used by just five people, so city can’t ‘subsidize’ it
Citizens of Biddeford, Maine, may soon be voting on a referendum to close the local general aviation airport. Biddeford Municipal Airport (B19) was built in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration project. The airport, which sits on 126 acres about two miles from Biddeford, is owned by the city. Over the years, its footprint […]