Levi’s Men’s Faux Leather Aviator Bomber Jacket: It’s warm and features multiple pockets with snap closures, upper zipper pockets, welt pockets, and a hidden interior pocket.

Oakley SI Jupiter Squared Aviator Sunglasses for Men: The lenses provide optical clarity and razor-sharp vision as well as clarity and protection against impact and UV light.

SOJOS Retro Aviator Sunglasses for Women: The lenses filter out sunlight reflected glare and protect eyes from long term damage by blocking UVA and UVB rays.

Four-Channel Remote Control Airplane for Beginners: This classic airplane has a simple operation mode that only needs to press the switch and pull the stick to easily control the aircraft’s aerobatics. (Only good on 7/16)

MiiKARE Airplane Travel Essentials Phone Holder: This essential travel phone holder is designed to free up your hands and enhance your travel experience. It features multi-directional and 360-degree rotation.

Protective Hard Shell for MacBook Air: This shell from SoonJet fits snugly like a second skin, allows easy access to all ports and ensures smooth opening and closing. (only good on 7/16)

Small Portable Charger with Built-in Cables: Sethruki boasts that this is the slimmest and the smallest of portable chargers with cables, weighing only 122 grams and shaped like a credit card. (only good on 7/16)

Editor’s note: This article is not intended as an endorsement of the products listed, but rather as a list of options that may be of interest.

The post Top 7 Prime Day 2024 Deals for Pilots appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The eyewear consists of eight devices, known as the “Block 3 Family,” and also includes separate day and night spectacles, ballistics spectacles, and visors  designed to integrate with night vision goggles. The upgrades include night eyewear that increases visibility through lenses that allow more natural light, and a first offering of a combined laser and ballistic protection option, the service said.

The Air Force said it will distribute more than 42,000 of the eyewear devices to units by 2027.

• READ MORE: Air Force Pilots Report Surge in Laser Strikes

In October, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) said service pilots have reported a surge in laser strike incidents, which often involve shining the beams from laser pointers into a cockpit. “Since 2010, a total of 244 injuries have been reported, underscoring the escalating and pervasive threat,” OSI said. 

Eye health is vital for Air Force pilots, said Captain Pete Coats, lead manager for the Human System Division’s Aircrew Laser Eye Protection Program (ALEP).

“The consequences of getting lasered without having proper protection could not only prevent the pilot from flying and landing an aircraft safely, but it could also cost them their career,” Coats said. “So, our goal is to ensure the right eyewear is available to everyone.”

• READ MORE: What to Do if You’re Hit with a Laser Strike

The type of upgraded eye gear pilots receive will be mission dependent and be made available for most all aircrews. U-2 and F-35 Lightning II aircraft pilots will not receive the devices.

“If flying low and slow or hovering like a helicopter or CV-22 Osprey, aircrew would prefer to have ballistic protection as well as laser protection,” said Mark Beer, ALEP deputy manager. “However, if you’re in a fighter aircraft or flying in a bomber at high altitude, the chances of you needing ballistic protection are not nearly as high.”

The post Air Force to Upgrade Pilot Eyewear with Laser, Ballistic Protection appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In the past, The Aviator Store was the pilot supply store at KBFI, and National Aviation, located across the way, mostly carried hardware for aircraft, but they did have some sectionals and cockpit supplies for aviators in training. I wasn’t sure if they would have the paper I wanted because digital is so prevalent these days. The new National did not disappoint–the checklist had to be ordered. It is now in my possession, added to my checklist collection organized by make and model. I supposed I could go digital for this too, but I prefer a hard copy as a teaching tool. Digital is wonderful—I use ForeFlight too—but I don’t feel I am doing my job as a CFI if I don’t teach my learners how to use both paper and electronic. 

One of the first lessons a pilot learns is how to use the checklist. It is one of the items the applicant is tested on during their check ride. Show me a pilot carrying a checklist as they preflight their aircraft, and I will show you someone who had good training.

Yet a colleague told me how a family member became concerned watching him as he used a checklist during the preflight inspection. He was taking his folks up for a scenic flight. The colleague had been flying for several years and his father mentioned he thought he really should have this process memorized by now—especially since he was now flying for a regional airline.

Upon hearing this the colleague pulled out his metaphorical instructor cap and explained that checklists are always used—it doesn’t matter if you have 1 hour or 1,000. Develop these habits now, he said, because when you reach that job in corporate or commercial aviation you will nary make a move without consulting the checklist. (Full disclosure: As I helped turn him into an instructor, when I heard this story, I positively beamed with pride.)

• READ MORE: Why Do Pilots Use Checklists?

The savvy instructors teach their learners that the checklist is not a crutch, but a means to ensure that items are checked systematically, and provide the pilot with the metrics for acceptable operation, for example the acceptable level of a power drop when testing magnetos. If you are interrupted during the flow of the checklist, back up three items, then resume.

If you rent aircraft, you probably have learned that checklists grow legs. People put them in their kneeboard or flight bag and accidentally walk off with them. The smart flight schools have extra aircraft-specific checklists available, and often have them for purchase. Buy one of your own and put your name on it in large letters.

In addition to the procedures set forth by the manufacturer (which are often photocopied directly out of the pilot’s operating handbook or aircraft flight manual), on these FBO checklists you’ll likely find a page or two of procedures specifically required at the FBO such as “rotate propeller to vertical position after flight to indicate the need for fuel.”

The FBO-centric instructions can vary, and as the law of primacy is strong, it’s not uncommon to take those procedures with you when you change schools. This can create challenges. For example, one school may have a rule that empty oil bottles need to be placed in the back of the aircraft because the line staff collects them at the end of the week and uses them to determine how much oil the fleet is using, while at another FBO this practice is construed as leaving trash in an airplane. Always ask about the quirky rules and procedures so you don’t become ‘that guy.’

If you are flying at a school with many aircraft, be wary of ‘musical checklists’ where, like the game musical chairs, the checklists can go missing from one airplane and the renter or even the CFI takes one from another to complete the flight. This practice is usually frowned upon greatly.

Some FBOs add the checklist to the checklist. At the end of each flight, the pilot is to walk around the aircraft to make sure it is tied down securely, then pause by the tail and verify the Hobbs and tach numbers are properly recorded in the dispatch binder and the checklist is clipped in the dispatch binder.

Making Your Own Checklist

Some pilots make their own checklists. In many cases it can be very beneficial as you can tailor the checklist to your specific aircraft, needs, and the way you process information.

Begin by referring to the POH or AFM, and use the information there as a template.

Take special note of supplemental information that is aircraft and avionics specific and adjust accordingly. Note power settings, mixture settings, temperatures, fuel flow, and airspeeds for different procedures such for approaches. Include notes on setting up the cockpit before each flight, such as how to load a flight plan and operate the avionics, if appropriate.

• READ MORE: Looking Beyond a Pre-Purchase Checklist

You may want to add additional dialog as part of the passenger briefing for those times when the person sitting next to you is a passenger with a pilot rating. In addition to the briefing you give your non-flying passengers, (sterile cockpit, don’t touch the controls, seatbelts, egress, etc.) let the person know if you want a division of tasks, for example, having them work the radios while you fly.

You may want to include a page of local frequencies so you don’t have to fumble for them during the flight, or even add notes on the VFR approaches into the local airports if they are geographic specific, such as “maintain 1,400 until crossing over shoreline.”

If you create the checklist on the computer, it’s easy to go back into the file and make adjustments as desired or needed. An office supply store will have the means of trimming and laminating the checklist if you so desire. Pro tip: Run the checklist through the laminator twice to make sure it stays laminated.

Making your own checklist is often a good exercise for pilots in training, as it requires them to study the POH, and it shows the instructor how the applicant processes information. This can lead to better instruction, as the CFI can adjust their delivery method, if need be.

Where Checklists Came From

It was an aviation accident that led to the adoption of the preflight checklist. On October 30, 1935 a Boeing 299, the prototype of the B-17, took off on a test flight from Wright Airfield in Ohio. The aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 300 feet, then stalled and crashed. Two of the five men on board were killed. The post-accident investigation determined that the pilot forgot to release a new control lock on the aircraft’s elevator. It was suggested that the pilot was overwhelmed by the airplane’s complicated instrument panel full of dials and switches. There was just too much to keep track of in this modern airplane.

Boeing fixed the issue by creating a checklist with specific action items for engine start taxi, takeoff, and landing. 

The post Make the Most of the Checklist appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Many pilots carry a handheld radio with them in their aircraft as a backup in the event the primary installed com radio fails in flight. 

When the pilot is using an automatic noise reduction headset, this often means fumbling for an adapter so the headset can be plugged directly into the handheld. Sporty’s Pilot Shop changes all that with the introduction of the L6, the only handheld aviation radio that can be connected to a LEMO headset—the kind with the Bose-style connector that allows you to plug directly into a panel.

“The L6 is made exclusively for pilots—there are no menus, no wires, and no adapters,” said Doug Ranly, Sporty’s director of aviation products and marketing. “Dedicated volume and squelch knobs are easy to adjust, even in turbulence, and the high contrast, extra-large screen, and backlit keypad make a big difference during an emergency.”

To use the L6, simply turn it on, type in a frequency, plug it into your headset, and you’re in business.

The handheld radio can store up to 20 channels, which are easy to recall using the L6’s large backlit screen. The L6 is also equipped with a last frequency button to make it easier to quickly switch back and forth between tower and ground, or approach and CTAF.

The L6 can be used outside the aircraft as the device has a built-in 3.5 mm jack to accommodate wired earbuds or computer style headsets, making it a good choice for walking around air shows, monitoring the CTAF while mowing the infield, or simply strolling on the ramp. The transmit power is 6 watts at peak to maximize range.

The L6 uses six AA batteries, so you don’t have to worry about specialty rechargeable batteries or cords. The device also features a USB-C port on the side as an option to power it.

“We believe regular AA batteries are the best choice for backup use, but the ability to power the L6 with a USB-C cable is a convenient option,” Ranly said. “From Sentry ADS-B receivers to iPad Pros, this cable is increasingly common in aircraft.”

The L6 com radio sells for $279 and comes with an alkaline battery pack, antenna, 100-240 volt wall plug, a USB-A to USB-C adapter cable, belt clip, and pilot’s guide.

The post Sporty’s L6 Handheld Radio Hits the Market appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

And then there is the cost.

While paying for instruction, aircraft rentals and fuel will strain the budgets of many students, it is the price of gear that tends to surprise learners the most. There is a long list of things student pilots need all at once when getting started, from headsets and tools to manuals, charts, kneeboards, and flashlights. It all adds up.

• READ MORE: FLYING Launches Learn to Fly Kit

“That’s aviation,” some people will say, claiming everything related to airplanes is expensive. However, as seasoned pilots know, there are always opportunities to save money. You simply have to know where to look.

I divide the acquisition of pilot gear into three categories. These include items available through retail channels at significant discounts, equipment easily found on the used market, typically online, and the things you can find by word of mouth, often through your instructor and other members of your airport community.

Basic retail items, such as flashlights, protractors, multitools, and tablet cases, come in a range of prices, so you can shop around for the gear that fits your budget. Doing without brand names and special features can add up to big savings.

Things get interesting when you start perusing the classifieds. Whether you are searching on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or regional and local sites, you might be surprised by how much of the stuff you need is available on the used market. I found a Bendix KX-99 handheld comm radio going for $50 on my local Craigslist.

Years ago, friends in Maine turned me on to a marketplace site called Uncle Henry’s, which, they said, was for people who think Craigslist has gotten too fancy. I found a range of aviation equipment there, including winter covers for aircraft and skis, which are popular up north. A student might pass on these items for now, but two “lightly used” David Clark H10 headsets with an asking price of $300 are worth a look.     

• READ MORE: When Is the Best Time To Take the Test?

Many pilots will tell you the aviation headset gave them their worst case of sticker shock as new students. When I took my first flying lessons in 1988, right after college, I did not have a headset and simply used the Cessna 152’s built-in speaker and microphone—money saved and hearing acuity lost, I suspect.

These days, I consider the headset a necessity. A good one with active noise reduction will cost more than you think it should, but they last a long time and boost a pilot’s quality of life. You can also get a good deal on a used set. In my case, I paid my instructor a couple hundred bucks for an older Lightspeed model with noise reduction. I remember thinking the price was too high but soon learned it was a great value. Today, 10 years later, the set still works fine and remains in use, though mostly as a spare for passengers.

I like to think I saved the best option for last. Airport communities can be wonderful resources for all sorts of supplies, and pilots generally love to recycle. They are also good sources of advice regarding what to buy and where. Over the years, I have received and given lots of airplane necessities, from spare nuts, bolts, and screws to quarts of engine oil, tools, and electronics.

Often fellow pilots will give you what you need for a fraction of the retail cost. More often they will say, “Oh, just take it.”

The post Where To Find Pilot Gear on a Budget appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you choose to wear a watch when you fly, the type of watch you select is very much like choosing an airplane—you must evaluate the mission, the functions provided by the timepiece, the aesthetic options of the device, and the price. And they don’t have to take up your entire wrist to work well. 

Garmin D2 Mach 1 

The name Garmin is synonymous with aviation—it’s hard to find an aircraft that doesn’t have a piece of Garmin tech on the flight deck. Garmin introduced smartwatches to the aviation world in 2013 with the D2 Pilot Watch. It stepped up its game in March 2022 with the introduction of the Garmin D2 Mach 1. 

According to Garmin spokesperson Carly Hysell, “The D2 Mach 1—and Garmin’s full D2 smartwatch line—are definitely targeted to aviators and aviation enthusiasts, but the series also attracts non-pilots/enthusiasts who want a smartwatch with aviator styling.” 

I was given the opportunity to test-fly the Garmin D2 Mach 1 model shortly after its release. I first encountered the Mach 1 model at the Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention and Trade Show. 

Full disclosure: I have bad luck with watches. The Mickey Mouse watch I got for my eighth birthday didn’t make it with me to 8 and a half. The sports watches I had in high school (three in all) didn’t make it to college. For the amount of money I have spent on watches over the past 20 years, I could easily finance a cruise down the Rhine. I was wary about wearing the D2 Mach 1—which has a price tag of $1,199 for a leather watch band, and $1,299 if you opt for titanium. 

I shared this information with Hysell, who quickly showed me the Garmin smartwatch she wore on her wrist and called her coworkers over to show off their D2 Mach 1 watches and extol their virtues—one of which is that it is rechargeable. This is important since one of my special talents is running down watch batteries before their time—and then the watch usually self-destructs from the inside. 

The Mach 1 is basically a multi-function computer that’s small enough to fit on your wrist. The face is larger than the women’s pilot watch I have been wearing since 2013 (the Amelia, produced by the Abingdon Watch Co.—more on them later—the watch earned the designation “Meg Proof” in December 2021). The size of the Mach 1 concerned me as I have worn other pilot watches that felt like boat anchors. The Mach 1, however, is surprisingly light and has a plethora of apps. Because it is a Garmin product and Garmin is synonymous with digital flight deck tools, expect to find a watch that includes apps for weather, health assessment, and navigation. 

Mach 1 Design—and Learning Curve 

The Mach 1 has a round dial that has both digital and analog numerical presentations that, with one touch, can pull up multiple functions ranging from the ability to receive automatic alerts for changing weather conditions, METARs, and—when paired with the Garmin Pilot app—navigation. The health apps on the watch include a Pulse Ox3 sensor to monitor your blood oxygen levels and a barometric altimeter for altitude alerts. According to Garmin, using the Health Snapshot feature, the wearer can monitor their sleep, track respiration, monitor energy, track hydration and all-day stress, and monitor their heart rate 24/7. It appeared the Mach 1 could replace my analog pilot watch, smartphone, Garmin GPS, and Fitbit in one fell swoop. 

Like other Garmin products, there are video tutorials online to help you get the most out of the device. You can set it up for the apps you want the most. I spent part of the test with the watch configured to deliver email, but then canceled that because it made it difficult to disengage from work. Instead, I focused on the best apps for the cockpit.

I wore the Mach 1 on several flights. As the aircraft I was flying had only one radio, I found it most useful as a device for checking weather along the route. While my client was busy flying and talking to ATC, I was pulling up the METARs and TAFs on my wrist. It was a scattered-clouds day, and we flew in and out of direct sunlight, yet I was still able to read the face of the watch. If you have had to do an advanced yoga pose to see the face of your tablet clearly in a sun-filled cockpit, you will appreciate this. 

While my learner focused on flying in VFR conditions, I monitored our progress on the Mach 1 moving map. The device also has a horizontal situation indicator utilizing the worldwide database. I am not sure I’d be able to shoot an approach off my wrist, but it would be most useful for situational awareness if the instruments in the panel and the iPad tanked during IFR flight. 

One of the best apps provides weather alerts—it was nice to get a heads up about approaching thunderstorms—they were moving a lot faster than the morning weather briefing suggested they would be. 

Another bonus, the watch has an electronic version of the chart supplement, providing information about runway orientation, lengths, wind components, and airport frequencies. 

For efficiency, the Garmin Mach 1 can be connected to the Garmin Pilot app to transfer flight plans to the watch, and it has the ability to log your flights directly on the watch. 

By the end of the test, I also pronounced the watch “Meg Proof.”

Tactical Watches by Abingdon 

Putting on my CFI hat: One of the benefits of the analog timepiece is that it helps teach the learner where to look for traffic, as ATC issues its notifications using an analog clock in reference to the aircraft. Over the last 10 years, I have noticed a decrease in the number of people who can tell time with an analog timepiece—I learned of this paradigm shift during a morning flight when ATC warned us of traffic at 3 o’clock and the learner asked why the controller was warning us about traffic in the future? Just as the ability to read and write cursive has become a lost art, the ability to tell time with an analog device is becoming generational. The terms “big hand” and “little hand” are being lost to the ages. 

Sometimes your vocation determines what kind of watch you wear. People who work in security-sensitive industries, such as law enforcement or the military, are often prohibited from using any smart devices while on the job because most apps are geographically trackable. You’ve probably seen this function before—which is why all those geographically appropriate advertisements start popping up on your social feeds after you search for a place, service, or thing. 

The need for a non-trackable yet sturdy timepiece was behind the development of the Jane Tactical Watch by the Abingdon Watch Company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company was established in 2007 by Chelsea Abingdon Welch (now Mullin), an aspiring pilot at the time who sought to create a pilot’s watch for women—that evolved into designing and creating watches for “women who do more,” as the website states. There is a line of watches designed for pilots, sportswomen, divers, motorsports enthusiasts—and now women involved in so-called tactical professions. 

“Women in the military are a large share of the Abingdon Watch Co. audience,” Mullin explains. “The ‘Jane’ Tactical Watch was designed with them in mind. Some of the watches, such as the ‘Jackie,’ with its faux diamonds, and the ‘Marina,’ with mother-of-pearl face, can be a bit too blingy for women in uniform. They were looking for something they could wear with fatigues.” 

A consortium of women made up of different branches of the military, competitive shooters, livestock farmers, and law enforcers spent eight months creating the Jane Tactical Watch. 

“These women didn’t know each other, but they all wanted a watch for them. Women like this are very often an afterthought when it comes to watch design,” Mullin says. 

Abingdon’s Jane Design 

The face of the watch is about the size of a U.S. 50-cent piece. There is a ruler etched on the caseback and strap, and the watch is water resistant to a depth of approximately 200 meters. The watch features a stainless steel case, a bi-directional compass inner bezel, a unidirectional diver’s outer bezel, and two screw-locked double-gasket crowns. 

The watch features Ameriquartz caliber 7122 movement with day and date functions. American movement was key, notes Mullin, adding, “It is our number one selling watch right now, and this is the first watch to have all American movement in more than 50 years. The watch was designed to be both useful and elegant.” 

The Jane Tactical Watch comes in a variety of colors and watch band combinations. The Jane Tactical Watch Outlaw (the gold face) and the Jane Tactical Watch Mission (red face) both sport an interior face compass, luminous hands and hour markings for night vision, along with a diver’s bezel for quick timing. 

I opted to test-fly the Mission model. I chose the rubber watchband for durability and comfort—other options include leather, lizard-skin, and metal. One of the first things I did after setting the watch to the correct time was to head outside and use the position of the sun and the analog watch face to determine north. It’s basic, but I learned it in the Girl Scouts and practice it on a semi-regular basis. Then, I tested the timing features along the diver’s bezel. The watch has a good weight to it—it feels sturdy without being overbearing— and for someone who is looking for a rugged timepiece that is straightforward and durable, this watch should work well. 

Abingdon watches can be purchased online at Abingdonco.com and pilot supply shops—and also at Macy’s department stores through a recent marketing deal made with the historic retailer. The price for the Jane is around $629. 

The Wristwatch Comes to America

The wristwatch became part of a pilot’s equipment thanks in part to its use on the battlefield during World War I. A watch was a necessary tool to be used for timing artillery shells; and before attacks, the soldiers would synchronize their watches. British soldiers had wristwatches, sometimes called “bracelet watches” by Americans who were still using pocket watches. Some American soldiers brought the wristwatches home from the war, having found them much easier to use than pocket watches, which were a bit cumbersome on the battlefield. 

During the so-called “golden age” of aviation that followed the war, deduced reckoning, a time-dependent form of navigation, called for the use of a timepiece—and wristwatches gained popularity. In addition, the U.S. military issued basic windup watches, and one of the techniques taught to avoid the hazardous attitude of impulsivity was to wind the watch three times before acting.

Finding North Using an Analog Watch

The watch must be operational and the time accurate for this to work. 

1) Lay the watch flat horizontally in your palm, with the watch face up. 

2) Position the watch so the hour hand is pointing directly at the sun. 

3) Note the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock mark. The center of the angle marks the north-south line, with south on the side closest to the sun. 

Please remember that this information is in standard time. Daylight Savings Time is a government construct that the universe does not follow; ergo, when the watch is set to DST, substitute 1 o’clock for 12 o’clock. 

The post Choosing a Pilot Watch appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

That last scenario had been on my mind over the past couple of months. As I became familiar with my airplane, I’d gradually identified several annoyances to address, and topping the list was the lack of places to put things. Pens, iPad, water bottle, notepad, phone…it had all been sliding around on the passenger seat and getting in the way. Cockpit organization was lacking, and to prevent something from dropping into some random crevasse and creating problems, the issue had to be addressed.

It’s not an idle concern. In 2006, a Super Cub pilot performed a go-around and discovered he lacked sufficient nose-down authority to prevent a stall. Fighting it all the way down, he mushed into the trees in a semi-controlled descent. The culprit? A digital camera had fallen in front of the aft control stick and jammed the elevator control. The pilot and his passenger were fortunate to walk away. 

Another time, a Cessna 120 pilot neglected to properly stow a small hand crank. It dropped onto the floor, slid forward, and became lodged in the rudder pedals. This caused the pilot to land “almost sideways,” and resulted in a thankfully non-fatal ground loop. Had that item been secured, the airplane would have been saved.

Ominous Pile of Goodies

As I examined my pile of goodies that each make flying more enjoyable in their own way, they began to look increasingly ominous. From a small pen to a bottle of water, I began to envision how each could serve as the first link in a chain of very bad events. As is so often the case, I turned to my type club’s online forum for tips and solutions.
As it turns out, my 170 isn’t the only one that lacks pockets on the cabin walls alongside the front seats and before long, I found some great suggestions. One owner purchased a handy organizer from Sporty’s Pilot Shop called the “Pilot Pouch.” It uses two self-adhesive Velcro strips to fasten to the side walls next to the knees of each front-seat occupant, and for $20, it seemed like cheap insurance.

I ordered a couple of them that night and installed them later that week. As promised, they provide a convenient spot to stash pens, notebooks, an iPad, etc. They even have special pockets for stowing Bose headset controllers. It was one of the quickest and easiest modifications I’ve made to the airplane, and I appreciate these pockets every time I fly.

Phone and iPad Mounts

The next challenge was to find a place to mount my phone and iPad. While only one would be needed at any given time to handle navigation duties, the old-school paper chart pilot in me feels a heck of a lot better with a backup. I decided, therefore, to find a good way to mount each of them on the panel simultaneously.

I began to plan for this back before my recent annual inspection. Anticipating I’d want to power multiple devices, I ordered a Garmin dual USB-C charging port. It wasn’t cheap at $400, but I liked the quicker-charging type-C outlets for high-drain devices, and I felt confident in Garmin’s build quality. Having once experienced smoke in the cockpit after the failure of an electrical component, I have no tolerance for cheap electronics in the air.

Mounting the phone and iPad took some creativity. I initially tried a kneeboard. I picked up a really nice one at AirVenture 2021 from a company called MOA Gear. Designed like tactical gear, it was fully customizable and I loved it. Unfortunately, my yokes don’t provide much thigh clearance…or perhaps more accurately, my thighs don’t provide much yoke clearance. When turning the yoke to the right, I found that any kneeboard would interfere and create a distraction. Back to the drawing board I went.

Having had great luck with Ram mounts during my days of long-distance motorcycle adventuring, I once again turned to them for a solution. The Ram system utilizes 1-inch, rubber-coated metal balls that mount to dashboards and devices, and corresponding arms of various lengths to connect them. To adjust the position of a device, one simply loosens a large wing nut slightly, repositions things, and then re-tightens the nut.

I mounted a Ram ball down in the left corner of the panel, beneath an altimeter, and attached it to a Ram X-Grip phone holder I had previously used on my BMW R1150GS Adventure. Within a few minutes, I had my phone nestled deep into the corner where the panel meets the side wall. It worked beautifully, making the phone visible and accessible without impeding the yoke’s range of motion and without blocking a single instrument.

When it came to mounting the iPad, I had a different plan. The upper center portion of my panel is dominated by two items—a big blank spot utilized by nothing, and the second altimeter. Nobody knows why the airplane has two, but regardless, altimeter redundancy isn’t something I care much about. The extraneous altimeter could, therefore, be fully obstructed without a problem.

Harnessing the pitiful fabrication skills I had developed decades ago in high school technology class, I grabbed a hacksaw and modified another Ram ball mount so it could be attached to some existing bolts in the panel. With some experimentation, I was able to position my iPad in such a way that it was front and center without visually obstructing anything of importance. After using my phone as the primary navigation device for a few flights, the comparatively massive iPad Mini felt like immersive synthetic vision.

Dealing With Heat

Taking another lesson from my motorcycle days, I recalled that iPhones and iPads both do poorly in heat and direct sunlight. Too much of either will cause them to first dim their screens—a horrible issue in bright conditions—and ultimately, shut down entirely. This issue was an annoyance on the motorcycle, but it would be completely unacceptable in the air.

To solve the problem proactively, I turned to X-naut and ordered one of their cooling cases. The case uses a series of small fans to direct air over the rear surface of the iPad, eliminating any overheating issues. One nice feature is the option to run the fans on AA batteries or via the power outlet. This enables you to keep an outlet available for other devices and use the batteries if/when the iPad begins to overheat. 

I opted to stick with battery power for the cooling case and dedicated the second USB outlet to the Stratus ADS-B box I’m borrowing from a friend. This way, I’ll have dedicated power for ADS-B traffic as well as for my iPad. I’ll keep a very short cord zip-tied to the phone mount so that, should the iPad fail, I’ll be able to quickly and easily plug my phone into the charging port as a backup.

Overall, I’m very happy with my newly-organized cockpit. Just about everything has its place, and the things that don’t, sit in a small flight bag I keep strapped into position on the front passenger seat. I’ll no longer have to juggle random items while I fly, and there’s far less likelihood that anything will fall to the floor and cause problems.

Best of all, information is front and center, and distractions are minimized. So whether I’m contending with light crosswinds, angry zombie hordes, or anything in between, I feel safer and more prepared for a relatively small investment of time and money. I chalk that up as a win.

The post GA Flight Deck Organizing Tips and Tricks appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

And that would just be, well, wrong, because it may mean you’re missing functions that could not only make your planning easier, but maybe even make your entire flight run more smoothly—or more safely.

At EAA AirVenture 2022, ForeFlight is hosting a series of forums that go over new and popular features alike—and we have a round-up of those key elements here. So, whether you’re a newb or a “power user,” you may find something to like with ForeFlight that you didn’t know before.

Per Leg Altitude Planning

While it may seem like a simple thing, ForeFlight now gives pilots the ability to select multiple altitudes over a given flight, based on the leg. You know you rarely fly the single altitude you entered in your initial plan—you may need to duck around the weather, navigate airspace, or avoid terrain along the way. Now the app lets you reflect this in your planning stages.

Hazard Advisor Enhancements

One of the best parts of ForeFlight is its ability to help you foresee hazards and plan to mitigate them, via Hazard Advisor. New functions enhance this capability, including:

• Altitude preview, to manually control Hazard Advisor’s altitude before a flight, and
• Auto Hazard Advisor, which transitions HA into auto mode after you take off, following your current altitude for a view of the surrounding terrain

Global Graphical NOTAMs

Once only available in Europe, graphical notices to air missions (NOTAMs) can now be shown on the app around the world. The new NOTAMs map layer color-codes the advisories in red, yellow, or gray depending on whether they are active, and their type and severity.

Toggle Airways, Waypoints, and Navaids

A feature driven directly by user input? You can now customize your ForeFlight map display by toggling between airways, navaids, and waypoints, quickly decluttering the screen—these were formerly included in a single toggle.

Enhanced, Integrated Weight and Balance

The weight and balance planning feature in ForeFlight was once an isolated portion of the app—and now it is built into the Flights function, automatically incorporating fuel quantities and cargo loads, and instantly responding to changes.

• READ MORE: FLYING‘s Complete Coverage of EAA AirVenture ’22

New features such as Saved Loads and Standard Weights streamline the weight and balance planning process overall.

Influencers and Experts at OSH22

If you make it to AirVenture this week, ForeFlight offers a host of forums and opportunities to talk with its roster of experts and popular pilots you may follow on social media channels, such as Steve Thorne, aka “Flight Chops,” and Emily Norman, from “Between Two Wings.” Catch the full schedule here.

The post Did You Know ForeFlight Did This? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

For others, it’s all about the swag.

Getting There 

How are you getting to EAA AirVenture? If you’re flying yourself, you might want to look before your launch—a number of FBOs and airports across the country may have a bargain for you on fuel if you do your research. 

No time for that? Globalair has done some of the legwork for you, with deals on fuel and other FBO specials across the country for pilots flying to Oshkosh.

Shopping on Site

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty gives a long list of deals at the show, including free shipping (in case your purchase would throw off your weight and balance headed home) and a free T-shirt, so you have one more day before you need to do laundry.

Avionics deals abound too: Spruce offers an instant $500 off the purchase of an Aspen Avionics ES and rebates on engine monitoring packages from Electronics International.

Speaking of avionics, Sarasota Avionics offers a similar rebate on Aspen purchases, and a list of other specials for the show if you are looking to upgrade your panel. 

Go straight to the source: Garmin has a slew of new products—and the ever-popular database update service returns.

Something a Little Bigger…

Thinking of building an airplane? Van’s Aircraft will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a number of presentations and events at Oshkosh—though tickets to its big banquet have already sold out.

• READ MORE: FLYING‘s Complete Coverage of EAA AirVenture 2022

Thinking of buying an airplane? While we haven’t heard of any specific discounts offered by manufacturers on site, there’s no better place in the world to start shopping for a new-to-you (read: used) aircraft of practically any make and model. If an owner has theirs for sale, you may know it—by the flags waving from the prop and struts—or you may only find out if you strike up a conversation.

You Don’t Even Have To Go…

Finally, Sporty’s Pilot Shop has a long list of deals promoted on its website, but you don’t have to be at the show to take advantage of them. Whether you are looking for a new Bose headset, a new flight bag from Flight Outfitters, a Stratus ADS-B receiver—or the 2020 FLYING Editors’ Choice Award-winning PJ2 handheld comm radio—you can probably find some reason to spend your cash without leaving your comfy chair.

But we’re all hoping to see you at #OSH22!

The post Oshkosh Show Specials: Have They Got a Deal for You! appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

How it Began

The concept of the flight jacket traces back to 1910 when members of the Royal Flying Corps in Belgium and France took to the air in unheated open-cockpit biplanes, balloons, and airships. Leather was more windproof than cloth—therefore warmer—so it became the fabric of choice for an aviator’s outerwear. The first garments covered the pilot from neck to ankle. 

By the 1920s, waist-length jackets started to appear. The U.S. Army adopted the Type A-1 flying jacket in 1927. This first leather jacket had knit cuffs and buttons as fasteners. Several different manufacturers were tasked to produce them for the Army, and as such the details, like the collar shape, varied from manufacturer to manufacturer. 

In 1931, the A-2 appeared. Predominantly made of horsehide or goatskin dyed seal brown, the jacket featured a heavy-duty metal zipper made of steel or brass instead of buttons. The jackets featured a shirt-style collar with hidden snap points and a hook-and-eye throat latch—the latter proved to be a great place to attach the rescue whistle issued to military aviators.

The A-2 had knitted cuffs and waistband, snap-flap patch pockets on either side, and an interior map pocket. The back of the jacket was designed from a single piece of leather for strength. The interior of the jacket was insulated with cotton lining,  and there was a strap of leather on the interior of the collar for ease of hanging, and below the hanging strap, the military spec tag that showed the manufacturer, place of manufacture, year, and the jacket lot number. These details are important because they help determine the age of the jacket—a critical piece of information for the collector.

The 1940s era jackets range in size from a men’s 32 to 54, and by today’s standards, those sizes tend to run small, especially through the shoulders. 

Flight Jackets as Collectibles

Flight jackets are prized by collectors, and you can expect to pay for that prize.

“A basic A-2 in good condition with original liner, specification label, and cuffs/waistband that are present even if a bit worn (that is expected) will sell for $700 to $1,000,” says Jeff Shrader, the owner of  Advance Guard Militaria. Shrader has been collecting and appraising flight jackets for about 20 years. You may have seen him on the PBS series “Antiques Roadshow” practicing his craft. 

The jackets with original insignia and artwork fetch the most.

“Most good A-2s are in the $2,000 to $4,000 range,” he says. “A super jacket with truly excellent art and biographical provenance establishing authenticity can achieve $7,000 to $8,000 without much trouble, and there are jackets that have sold in excess of $10,000.”

The jackets often come from veterans and their families or can be acquired from dealers at collectible shows. Face-to-face acquisition is often best, says Shrader, because it gives the potential buyer a chance to examine the jacket, noting the interior details as listed above. 

Shrader advises collectors to “purchase only from trusted sellers who know their material and will offer a money-back guarantee of authenticity.”

It is not uncommon, he notes, to find so-called tribute jackets from the 1970s and 1980s that bear the same markings as A-2s from WWII, but were obviously created much later. 

The tribute jackets now have decades of age on them, so it can be a challenge to distinguish those made in WWII from later production. (Remember the details: cotton lining, not Rayon or nylon, check the label, etc.)

Shrader owns 10 collectible jackets—the first one was acquired from a man named Mike Barbara, a former B-17 radio operator.

It was the 1990s. Barbara had been offered $200 for his jacket, and he was hesitating on closing the sale when a friend suggested he call Shrader who was known for his expertise in military collectibles.

Shrader drove from his home in Tennessee to Wichita, Kansas, to meet Barbara and evaluate his jacket.

“It was the nicest A-2 I had ever seen,” Shrader recalls. “He asked if I would match the $200 offer, and I told him that I could not. He then asked me what I would be willing to give, and I handed over everything in my pocket, about $1,600. He just grinned, and gave me back $50, [saying] ‘Don’t forget, you’ll need gas to get home!’ We spent several hours together visiting, and he was kind enough to let me tape record an interview. Though I did not collect A-2s at the time, that experience was so special to me that I held on to the jacket.”

Caring for Your Jacket

To Shrader, these original jackets are artifacts. For best results, they should be stored flat in acid-free storage boxes, and stuffed with tissue to prevent the leather from creasing. Hangers should be avoided because they put too much stress on the jackets.

Shrader cringes at the idea of restoring a jacket because, he says, it takes a piece of history and turns it into a fashion item.

“Restoration is a great way to take an historic artifact that is worth thousands and turn it into a fashion item worth a few hundred,” he explains.

Jackets to Wear

It was the search for a historic A-2 to wear that led Morten Andreasen from Denmark to create AVI Leather (short for Aviation Leather) in 2016. The company manufactures wearable reproductions of vintage flight jackets. Andreasen notes the WWII era jackets that he found for sale were too fragile to wear and too expensive to buy—and he knew he wasn’t the only person who wanted one.

• READ MORE: Disney Animation Brought Color to World War II

The term ‘flight jacket’ is important, says Andreasen, because that means the jacket is closer to the original design.

“The term ‘bomber jacket’ originated from civilian makers after the war, and generally refers to more modern interpretations, loosely based on original designs,” he explains. “For some it’s the fur-collared jackets like the G-1 of Top Gun fame, or the sheepskin B-3. To others, it’s any jacket that remotely resembles the classic flight jacket design, with knitted cuffs.”

AVI Leather makes reproductions of A-1, A-2, G-1, and B-3 jackets. 

The company strives to make the jackets as close to the original designs as possible, he says. “We try to use the same materials and methods that were used originally. For example, we use the same type of zipper from Talon that was used during WWII. The knits used for the waistband and cuffs are created in the same weaving as the originals.”

Andreasen says many of their customers are seeking a jacket to turn into a replica of a family heirloom. They often share stories about the family member who wore the original jacket way back when.

 “Often the jacket is in too poor of a condition to wear or it is the wrong size,” says Andreasen. He warns customers that the flight jackets were designed for young men in good shape, so it’s often a wise idea to go a size up when ordering a jacket. 

 He also helps the customers find an artist who can provide the decoration for the jackets.

The Jackets Tell a Story

The artwork on the back of the WWII-era flight jackets wasn’t exactly sanctioned by the military, but given the fact all the men were volunteers and had a high mortality rate, the commanding officers took a tolerant attitude, realizing that the artwork promoted morale and esprit de corps. 

The designs on the jackets usually matched the nose art on the airplanes and included notation of how many missions the wearer had completed.

The artwork tells a story—a story that would be lost to time were it not for photographers like John Slemp from Atlanta, Georgia, who is taking the time to photograph jackets and the people who wore them. Slemp plans to put the interviews and photographs into a book called Bomber Boys: WWII Flight Jacket Art.

According to Slemp, a long-time professional photographer and aviation enthusiast, the project began when he took photographs of a jacket that had belonged to a friend’s uncle.

“After shooting the first jacket, I sent an email with a few images to Dorothy Cochran, the curator at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, whom I had met through one of my clients, Women in Aviation International. Fifty-eight minutes later, I received a separate note from their curator of the Aviation Clothing collection.”

The note read: “We have 15 jackets that will work for your project…when can you be here?” 

The project was off and running, says Slemp, adding that he shot 13 jackets a few months later. 

Soon Slemp was traveling around the country, using a portable studio to shoot photos of jackets in museums as well as those belonging to private individuals. He took photos of 32 jackets at the 390th Memorial Museum in Arizona, and then there was a trip to California for photo shoots at March Field Museum in Riverside,  the 475th Fighter Group at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, the San Diego Air & Space Museum, and the Allen Airways Museum in El Cajon.

He has also photographed jackets that reside in the Indiana Military Museum, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Lowndes County Historical Society, the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, the National Naval Aviation Museum, and the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  

“To date, 12 different institutions have allowed access to their collections, and along with the privately owned jackets, 149 in total have been photographed,” said Slemp, adding “It could probably be successfully argued that it is now the most comprehensive photographic collection of A-2 jackets ever produced.”

Sometimes the owners of the jackets travel from several states away to bring the jacket to Slemp personally, which, he says, is a testament as to how important these jackets are to the families.

Where to Get a Jacket

If you want a jacket to wear, not to collect, you can go the direct route by visiting a pilot supply store, either brick-and-mortar or online. There are several jacket manufacturers to choose from.

Check the reviews of online dealers before you purchase—and be wary of online purchases that seem underpriced. Some sellers flood social media with pictures of the more expensive jackets, such as a RAF sheepskin jacket, at what is a too-good-to-be-true price. What the customer often gets is not a leather flight jacket but something that looks like a cross between a Muppet and a naugahyde sofa.

Flight jacket safari, that is hunting for a jacket to wear, is almost as enjoyable as wearing the jacket.

Start with thrift stores—occasionally leather jackets or the classic MA-1, the fabric replacement for the A-2, find their way there. 

Thrift stores are where you will find the child-sized MA-1 and faux leather jackets, perfect for the little aviators in your family who are still growing.

Garage sales, estate sales, military surplus, and antique stores are also options. 

If you are ready to part with a jacket, put the word out at the local airport. There is probably someone in the market.

If someone gifts you such a jacket, remember: There is something very special about wearing a jacket that has been kept in the family, either blood or chosen, to be worn by the next generation.

The post Flight Jackets—More Than a Fashion Statement, They’re a Rite of Passage appeared first on FLYING Magazine.