General Aviation Aircraft

Explore the world of general aviation aircraft with our reviews. Written from a pilot’s perspective, these reviews provide fantastic insight into what these general aviation planes are really like.

January 3, 2018

2018 Vulcanair V1.0
Specifications
Vulcanair V1.0

Main Construction: Metal Engine/HP: Lycoming IO-360-M1A/180 hp Propeller: Hartzell, 2-blade, metal, constant speed, 74” diameter Avionics: Garmin G500 Top Cruise Speed: 130 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 51 kts Max Range: 591 nm Max Takeoff Weight: 2,546 lbs. Payload (full fuel): 619 lbs. Useful Load: 919 lbs. Takeoff/Landing Distance: 1,608 ft./1,575 ft. (50 ft. Obstacle)
December 14, 2017

Mooney Ovation Ultra
Why the fastest normally aspirated piston single in the skies is also the best non-turbo Mooney ever

We were getting a leisurely start to our Wednesday, as I trimmed up the plane and settled back in my seat, watching the surf-sandy central California coastline slide by to our right and the Channel Islands, hazy blue in the morning Pacific haze, 20 miles out across the sound, drift behind us on the left. more »
November 15, 2017

Quiz: Look-Alike Planes
Do you know the manufacturers of these aviation doppelgängers?

Can you identify the manufacturer of each unusual plane below? Be careful! Many of them often get mistaken for different aircraft. Looking for more ways to test your aviation knowledge? Check out our Quiz Archives!
November 10, 2017

Vintage Flying Art: North American P-51
Beautiful Mustangs from some of the world’s greatest air-to-air photographers

If you were to ask a representative sample of American pilots to name a handful of beautiful airplanes, the North American P-51 Mustang would be on almost everyone’s short list. I know because I’ve been asking that question for years now. What makes an airplane beautiful—for that matter, what makes anything or anyone beautiful—is largely more »
November 2, 2017

Can You Afford NOT To Install A New Autopilot In Your Used Plane?
A roundup of the new autopilots that are changing the retrofit game

Over the past couple of decades, we’ve come a long way in understanding the nature of the risk we face when flying, especially when flying in instrument conditions, and the role that automation can play in that overall risk picture. We’ve also realized the importance of recognizing where a pilot’s performance might fall short and more »
October 31, 2017

Replacing Your Battery Cables
This potentially do-it-yourself job can make starting your engine so much easier

You know the sound. You get in your vehicle, put the key in the ignition, turn the key, and hear the starter turn over in a slow, ow, ow, ow growl…until it dies. You have a dead battery, and you need a jump to get going. So you jump it. Once you have it started, more »
October 14, 2017

2017 Mooney Ovation Ultra Specifications
Mooney Ovation Ultra

The Mooney Ovation Ultra we flew for this report is the 2017 certification model. It features the Garmin G1000 NXi with integral keypad, GFC700 digital autopilot, dual solid-state attitude and air data sensors, traffic and terrain awareness utilities, Garmin ESP envelope protection, Garmin ADS-B In and Out, Sirius XM weather and entertainment, and more. Price more »
October 6, 2017

2017 Planes Of The Year
Our inaugural recognition of the best new planes of the last 12 months

Here are the winners of the 2017 Plane & Pilot Plane of the Year, but before announcing the winners, a few words about what this is and how it happened. Once upon a time, it was easier to assemble of field of contenders, what with the slow rate of new airplane introduction we’ve seen these more »
October 4, 2017

And The Winner Is: Your Vote For The 10th Prettiest GA Plane
The results are in!

We recently asked you, our readers, for some help filling the last spot on our list of the ten most beautiful general aviation airplanes around. The response was amazing, but left us with a bit of a problem—tallies for the top four most-voted-for planes—the Piper Aerostar, Rockwell Commander, Piper Comanche and Spartan Executive—were too close more »
September 1, 2017

Vote: Last Spot In Our 10 Prettiest GA Planes
Vote now!

We recently published our list of the nine most beautiful planes in GA history, leaving it one short of a Top Ten so you, our readers, could nominate the final plane in the list. The response to our call for your nominations was phenomenal. And after tallying the hundreds of votes we received by email more »
August 28, 2017

ADS-B In An Older Plane?
We go through the process step by step and look at five popular options for owners on a budget and for those with a budget

Sometimes getting around to doing something isn’t as much a matter of planning or decisiveness as it is pure circumstance. Such was the case for me when I got the message that it was time to do some transponder work on my vintage Cherokee. Like many VFR pilots, I request flight following whenever I fly more »
August 18, 2017

Shock & Awe
Taking LSA performance to a crazy new level

When CubCrafters of Yakima, Washington, built a Light-Sport Aircraft version of the classic Cub design and installed the industry’s most powerful engine, it resulted in the company selling a lot of planes. It’s still selling a lot of planes. It’s not the only LSA maker selling what are often referred to as Cub clones. There more »
August 18, 2017

2017 Zlin Outback Shock Specifications
Outback Shock in flight

The airplane flown for this report was the first production model in the United States. It was outfitted with all equipment as seen in the accompanying photos with commonly ordered avionics (a wide variety is available and can be installed in the USA). Exterior paint and interior finish are standard for the Outback Shock, though more »
August 14, 2017

Custom Wiring Harnesses For Homebuilts
For builders of Experimental airplanes, building a wiring harness can be a daunting task. Good news—professional help is available

For those of you who have actually finished an amateur-built plane, you get the old saying that the last 20 percent of any big job takes half the time. When it comes to homebuilding, that last 20 percent of the job is typically associated with installing the engine, applying paint and, yes, installing avionics. That more »
August 9, 2017

10 Thoughts On 80 Years Of The Cub
The Cub is such an icon of light aviation that it’s easy to forget some important things about the actual airplane

The Piper Cub is coming up on 80 years young. Expect to see lots of them, plus a number of Cub-related special events, at this year’s Oshkosh AirVenture. As you know if you’ve been reading my views on things for very long, I’m not a big fan of anniversaries, but if there’s a purpose to more »
July 31, 2017

The 9 Most Beautiful GA Airplanes
There are a lot of amazing-looking airplanes in the general aviation universe. We pick the nine most beautiful ones. You get to pick the tenth.

It’s no secret that we pilots love airplanes, though the reasons why we do are, well, not so much mysterious as wide ranging and, at times, hard to pin down precisely. We love airplanes for what they are, where they can take us, and for reasons that are more related to aesthetics than utility. We more »

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