The Smart Aviator

Even before the Air Canada CRJ 900 and a fire truck collided at New York's LaGuardia Airport killing two pilots this past March, the FAA has been committed to equipping airport vehicles with ADS-B transmitters. For starters, the agency is investing $16.5 million to equip its tech ops and other vehicles with ADS-B hardware, primarily uAvionix VTU-20 (20 watts) UAT units. Designed for an easy installation on nearly anything that drives on the airport surface, the VTU-20 shares tech that's also built into the company's budget-friendly skyBeacon and tailBeacon ADS-B Out systems for small GA airplanes. AvBrief's Larry Anglisano talked with Cyriel Kronenburg at uAvionix to learn about the interface.

Answering the overwhelming reader demand for new content focused on IFR training, technique and proficiency, AvBrief is delivering The Instrument Aviator. The premium fresh content (not reheated material found elsewhere) written by familiar authors/educators is dedicated entirely to instrument flying and caters to a wide variety of instrument pilots—from seasoned pros to students. As Instrument Aviator regular contributor and CFI-I Elaine Kauh and AvBrief's Larry Anglisano discuss in this episode of the Smart Aviator podcast, the timing is right to get serious with deep-diving, hard-hitting scenario-based IFR articles and AvBrief is bringing it strong.

The full-featured, well-respected ForeFlight Mobile iPad app has been in the spotlight lately with some loyal users pondering other options—of which there are plenty. But switching apps (and taking the plunge to an EFB if you've never used a tablet app in flight) can be a major, difficult decision. As Smart Aviator on AvBrief ventures on an in-depth aviation tablet app review, we sat down with John Zimmerman at Sporty's for some guidance on how you might go about the decision.

Cockpit smoke emergencies in air carrier and commercial jet ops are more common than you might think. So common that a company called VisionSafe developed the EVAS—for Emergency Vision Assurance System. Its deployment has been responsible for lots of safe landings in everything from airliners to corporate jets to freighters.

Flight1's advanced sims offer G1000 NXi realism for Cirrus and Piper pilots—ideal tools for avionics mastery outside the cockpit.

In a hardened insurance market that's causing grief for pilots of complex and tailwheel models, Maryland-based SkyWatch Aviation Insurance has been gaining attention for its modern approach to assessing risk. Using AI models to better match a pilot to a policy, the company has a website utility where pilots enter their information and the program shops for coverage with a variety of underwriters, and buyers can often score coverage on the spot. SkyWatch is credited for working with AOPA to create a senior pilot insurance program to help aging pilots get liability insurance in hopes of stretching their flying careers. To learn more about the company and for an update on the current market (and for tips on aircraft upgrade decisions with insurance in mind), we talked with SkyWatch's senior underwriting manager, Alon Admi.

While not exactly turbochargers, superchargers are air compressors directly driven by the engine via a belt, gears or the crankshaft. Forced Aeromotive, with its bolt-on belt-driven supercharger mod, took an interesting approach in boosting engine power for increased performance. These systems work, and ones we’ve flown boost cruise speeds by up to 20 knots over a normally aspirated models. But the real appeal is that climb rate goes up as much as 500 FPM. But with the passing of Forced Aeromotive founder Rod Sage last year, owners are reporting a halt in parts supply and engineering support. That means abandoning an otherwise good-performing system at a sizable cost in performance and investment.In this video, supercharged-modded Cirrus SR22 owner Alexander Wolf shows us around the modded Continental engine on his Cirrus and explains the situation he faces with an AOG airplane that needs replacement parts.

You've spent years building your experimental kit aircraft and it's finally time for its first flight. Of all the milestones in a build project it's the most serious and carries the most risk. But with the right approach and mindset, you can reduce at least some of those risks. In episode three of the Smart Aviator podcast, Larry Anglisano sat down with Paul Dye—a highly experienced experimental aircraft builder, EAA Technical Counselor, FAA Designated Airworthiness Inspector, and the former and longest-serving NASA Flight Director for the Human Space Flight program—for tips on surviving the first flights of a newly built plane.

There are plenty of good reasons to make informed decisions when investing big in a pair of eyeglasses for flying. Think of protection in case of a birdstrike and crash, optical clarity for using glass displays and tablet computers, and in the case of correcting vision and the inevitable aging eyes—your prescription. In the Smart Aviator Podcast Episode 1, host Larry Anglisano talks it through with Flying Eyes founder Dean Siracusa, plus they talk about the rare and interesting Meyers 200-series airplanes.