Equipment Reviews The Joy of Flying is about the mental and physical mastery of dynamic forces, about discipline and beauty, and about the stuff!Pilots love technical stuff.Why do you think you get all those catalogs full of cool things? I started reviewing radio products for “73 Magazine” in 1970 and spent 25 years (well, okay, maybe more) writing and editing product reviews for PC Magazine and other publications.I’m happy to use that experience to provide you with reviews of aviation products I’ve personally tested.I’m carrying over the principles of objective observation to this site and I assure you that the reviews are as vendor-neutral as I can make them. These reviews are in pdf format, so if you’ll probably want to use Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them.
Your feedback is always welcome!
No Cold Feet in the Cockpit
There you are, flying along at 6500 or 7500 feet on a bright clear Florida Winter day. OAT is 55 degrees and the sun has the temperature at the top of your head at about 85. However, your feet are cold! That's Florida winter Flying.
The Greatest Shoes for Flying
If you have an airplane heater that blows hot air on your feet, then go read a different review.But, if you can have an 80 degree head and fifty degree feet in your airplane, then you need to read this.
During the summer in Florida I wear my good old boat shoes to fly.They’re comfortable and flexible.But, during the winter they’re cold! You need better shoes for winter flying
Here they are.After long scientific research I stumbled across the Timberland family of Power Lounger Shoes.I say “family” because you can get similar shoes as men’s mid-ankle lace-ups, women’s low quarters, and several combinations in between.They are so soft and so nice that they feel like bedroom slippers on the inside.But, there is a sole that is substantial and slip-free without being so big that it hampers the fancy dancing on the rudder pedals that you do so well. The interior lining keeps your feet both dry and warm.Since these are marketed as “Apres Ski”, they have good water resistance (depending on the amount of “freeboard” in the style you choose) so you won’t care if you have to step out of the airplane into the middle of a winter water puddle.Believe me, this is a comfortable bargain that will keep you away from the misery of wet and cold feet!
If you are flying over Florida, you are always close to water. If you have to ditch, the hard-earned wisdom is that you only get out with what you have on your body. Even with a great GPS-beacon (stowed in the pocket of your great Columbia Sportswear shirt) you will need to float around for a while. You need a comfortable, wearable, personal flotation device (PFD). BUT, YOU DO NOT WANT ONE THAT FIRES AUTOMATICALLY! You must have a manual-only PFD so you can exit the airplane. MOST are automatic. This one is not. And it's a good price. Click the link all the way to the right!
Headsets
I've flown the LightSpeed Aviation 30 3G for two years and I've had several interesting experiences with it. Read my review here.
I also fly with the Pilot DNC2. It provides ANR, has great battery life, and is very light on the head. It's a good value. The review is here.
I've researched emergency beacons and this is the one pilots should have. I know, it isn't cheap. But, that's because it does a whole bunch of things. The GPS is built in (Beware! Some other units with GPS in their name only have an intereface!) and there is a 121.5 beacon for homing. Waterproof. Reliable. Great insurance for pilots, boaters, hikers, and even teen age kids!
A Great Plane Cover
Need a cover for your plane? I have learned quite a few things about plane covers and I'm very happy with the work of the folks at Ground Tech. See my review.
