September 27, 2017
Plane & Pilot Survey: Recreational Drone Hazards
How much of a hazard do recreational drones pose to light GA aircraft? Take our survey and let us know what you think
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.
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
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 »
July 26, 2017
Incredible Pix: Oshkosh AirVenture Dreams Take Flight
Legendary aviation photographer Jim Koepnick’s AirVenture photos will blow you away.
Even though we’re less than halfway through it, this year’s Oshkosh AirVenture has been one for the ages. There are some incredible airplanes…see them here…for sure, but even more than that, this year’s show has been characterized by an enthusiasm for personal flying, from ultralights to single-pilot jets, that defies easy understanding. Despite challenges for more »
July 24, 2017
Amazing Photos: Oshkosh Off To Rip Roaring Start
Master photographer Jim Koepnick captures the magic of the world’s biggest and coolest air show.
The 2017 edition of Oshkosh AirVenture is off to a great start, and we’ve got the numbers to prove it. EAA president Jack Pelton said that general aviation camping…and the rest of the airplane camping areas at OSH, had filled to the brim by early Sunday, the earliest he’d ever seen those areas fill up. more »
July 18, 2017
Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet
An epic flight in the first truly personal jet
Up where we were, it was smooth, cruising along at Flight Level 270, Utah’s Painted Desert, swaths of reds, browns and golds panning behind us as we flew. Just like the light, we were, as they say, golden, with pilots in other planes at altitudes both below us and above squawking nonstop about the rough more »
July 18, 2017
2017 Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Specifications
The Cirrus SFR50 Vision Jet we flew for this report was a nicely equipped 2016 factory demonstrator outfitted with TCAS, TAWS, Vertical Situation Display, Garmin color weather radar, Iridium satellite communications, envelope protection, and much more. Price: $1.96 million Main Construction: Composite Engine: Williams International FJ33-5A, 1,800 lbs. thrust Avionics: Cirrus Perspective Touch by Garmin more »
July 11, 2017
Mods: A Used Plane Reborn
Our ’64 182 needed new belts. How we did it and how much it cost.
This article is the first in a series about bringing a good used airplane up to more modern standards. Our test subject is a 1964 Cessna 182G with a beautiful airframe, passable but old interior, avionics in dire need of updating and the original engine that has good compression and relatively low time since an more »
July 6, 2017
2018 Turbodiesel Cessna 172 JT-A
Specifications
The plane we flew for this report was the first factory production model and was outfitted with the standard Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite. Optional equipment included the Garmin FlightStream connected cockpit solution and SurfaceWatch and factory air conditioning. Base Price: $438,000 Price as tested: approx. $465,000 Main Construction: Metal Engine: Continental CD-155 Horsepower: 155 more »
July 6, 2017
2017 Piper Archer DX
Specifications
Base Price: $412,645 Main Construction: Metal Engine/HP: Continental CD-155/155 hp Propeller: MT, 3-blade, composite, constant speed, 71” diameter Avionics: Garmin G1000 Top Cruise Speed: 123 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 49 kts Max Range: 848 nm (45-minute reserve) Max Takeoff Weight: 2,550 lbs. Payload (full fuel): 488 lbs. Useful Load: 794 lbs. Takeoff/Landing Distance: 1,673 ft./1,400 more »
June 28, 2017
Step-By-Step ADS-B Rebate Guide With Photos
It’s not too late. Here’s how you do it
The FAA approved a program last September to encourage private aircraft owners to install ADS-B Out equipment as soon as possible by providing a monetary incentive. Unfortunately, the program is only authorized to last for one year, and the last date to register for a rebate is September 18, 2017. This program will send you more »
June 27, 2017
Owner-Assisted Annuals
This airplane owner wanted to help with his plane’s annual. Here’s how he did it.
Two words that will strike fear into any general aviation aircraft owner are “annual inspection.” Face it, most of us fly airplanes from the golden age of general aviation, so your airplane is probably at least 30 years old. My airplane is getting ready to celebrate 47 candles. Since it comes around every year, and more »
June 20, 2017
Beechcraft Bonanza G36
Evolved and refined, the 2017 Bonanza has Garmin’s latest panel and so much more
Six seats. Big doors. Club seating. Retractable gear. Substantial feel. Metal construction. Those are the bullet points for the Beech G36 Bonanza, but if you stopped there, you’d be missing the point entirely. People who fly one of Beechcraft’s planes, from Bonanza to King Air, know this already. This is the 70th anniversary of the more »