Our prayers and thoughts are with those who died in the crash of the Q400 along with their families. Airplane crashes often cause a large number of casualties and are true tragedies because most of them are avoidable.
Please, do not pass judgement too soon - it will take the NTSB awhile to determine the final cause.
Clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Portable GPS’s
Why Portable
One of the problems of owning an airplane is that everything you install in it permanently must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On the surface this sounds like a good idea, and for many applications it is the “right” thing to do. However, because the costs of certification are high (think $50,000 for a certified incandescent light bulb) and the number of customers is relatively small, the cost of this requirement is quite obvious. Another problem is that the government moves glacially, while the electronics industry moves at Mach 3. So, the equipment that is installed in older planes cannot be upgraded cheaply to the “latest and greatest”. But, the FAA does allow for non-approved devices to be used for “situational awareness” as long as they are not permanently affixed to your aircraft – aha a useful loophole!
Difference between Portable and Installed
The major difference between the two is that a portable GPS cannot be certified for IFR use. You can get an older, cheaper certified GPS installed few a few thousand dollars to navigate in the system, fly approaches and generally satisfy the government. Then, you can add a portable GPS that has all the bells and whistles – such as weather, approach plates, etc. for less than a third of the cost of a certified system. Portable GPS’s can have their power hard wired to the plane and they can have mounts that are permanently attached to the plane without changing their “portable” status, making them just as useful and available as their certified counterparts.
The next installment will cover the different types and models.
Clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
One of the problems of owning an airplane is that everything you install in it permanently must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On the surface this sounds like a good idea, and for many applications it is the “right” thing to do. However, because the costs of certification are high (think $50,000 for a certified incandescent light bulb) and the number of customers is relatively small, the cost of this requirement is quite obvious. Another problem is that the government moves glacially, while the electronics industry moves at Mach 3. So, the equipment that is installed in older planes cannot be upgraded cheaply to the “latest and greatest”. But, the FAA does allow for non-approved devices to be used for “situational awareness” as long as they are not permanently affixed to your aircraft – aha a useful loophole!
Difference between Portable and Installed
The major difference between the two is that a portable GPS cannot be certified for IFR use. You can get an older, cheaper certified GPS installed few a few thousand dollars to navigate in the system, fly approaches and generally satisfy the government. Then, you can add a portable GPS that has all the bells and whistles – such as weather, approach plates, etc. for less than a third of the cost of a certified system. Portable GPS’s can have their power hard wired to the plane and they can have mounts that are permanently attached to the plane without changing their “portable” status, making them just as useful and available as their certified counterparts.
The next installment will cover the different types and models.
Clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Day the Music Died
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper), along with their pilot died when the Beech Bonanza they were flying in crashed in bad weather. There's an excellent write up on the AOPA Website.
Reviewing accidents is not some morose exercise, but a good way to learn from the mistakes of others.
Clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
Reviewing accidents is not some morose exercise, but a good way to learn from the mistakes of others.
Clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Busy Week
It’s been a busy week around here as I prepare for my company’s first trade show. We’ll be at the Dallas Market Hall on February 27 & 28 for the Small Business Expo. I hope to meet lots of business people and get them excited about what private aviation can do for their businesses!
Of course, because of all the prep I have not had time to write a review this week. However, I have thought about what to cover on future installments. So you can look forward to:
See you next week – clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
Of course, because of all the prep I have not had time to write a review this week. However, I have thought about what to cover on future installments. So you can look forward to:
- New versus Used Airplanes
- Personal ownership versus Company ownership
- Portable GPS comparisons
- Aviation Gadgets
- Giving back to the community
See you next week – clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike
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