You are here

Blog/Podcast

My Pre-game Planning for the Super Bowl of Aviation!

Football fans have the Super Bowl. “Nerds” have Comic-Con. NASCAR has the Daytona 500.Us airplane geeks have Oshkosh AirVenture. And geeked-up is just what I am about my annual visit to Oshkosh. Every year I get to attend all the major aviation events, but by far Oshkosh is my favorite. And it’s probably yours too.

Read more »

It’s Summer Time and the Weather is Fine ... for Flying

If you’re a pilot, no doubt summertime is your favorite time of the year. Between flying off to attend air shows, or visiting family and friends, or taking off on some great airborne vacation adventure, or taking your kids off to college, or earning a new rating, or whatever – there are more reasons to fly this summer than there are days left until the autumnal equinox.

Read more »

Hobbits and Helicopters

I confess: I’m a big fan of the Lord of the Rings movies. While J.R. Tolkien’s story is great, the scenery around New Zealand is truly breathtaking. But, you’re asking yourself what does this have to do with avionics?

Read more »

Non-TSO’d avionics in certified airplanes: Have we taken the first step down a slippery slope?

While I’m usually really happy to see any avionics development getting industry headlines, one recent headline has me a lot more concerned than excited: Namely, it’s the announcement by the EAA that they have “partnered” with Dynon and the FAA to earn an STC to use a non-TSO’d Dynon PFD as the primary attitude indicator in “specific” Cessna and Piper aircraft.  

Read more »

36, 35 and 37...

So what do the numbers 36, 35 and 37 have to do with each other? Frankly, until I was talking to Scott Howard, Genesys Aerosystems’, lead technical representative and resident autopilot historian, I had no clue.

Read more »

What to Look for in an Avionics Shop

With the approach of the ADS-B mandate continuing to accelerate, I’m getting an increasing number of calls and emails asking the same question: How do I find a good avionics shop?

Read more »

Getting to know George...

We hear the same thing at aviation tradeshows, airshows and fly-ins all the time: Time and again VFR pilots tell us they never use their autopilots. That’s too bad.

Read more »

Genesys Aerosystems: Over 1,500 STCs and counting…

Here’s a little fact that may win you a free lunch: Since its founding in 1978, S-TEC Corporation, (the autopilot arm of Genesys Aerosystems), has shipped over 40,000 autopilot systems. When you think of it, that’s an amazing number. Hey, autopilots aren’t something the typical aircraft owner installs every few years.

Read more »

The Real Difference Between Attitude- and Rate-based Autopilots

We get calls all the time from pilots who want to remove the vacuum system from their airplanes and want to know the difference between analog and digital autopilots. But what they should be asking about is the difference between an attitude- and a rate-based autopilot. (Seems that somehow they’re getting attitude confused with analog…)  

Read more »

Reach Out and Touch(screen) Someone

It seems like ever since the iPhone was introduced, touchscreens are everywhere. From the aforementioned smartphones, to tablets, to TV remotes, to toasters – if it doesn’t have a touchscreen, it’s not “new.”

Read more »

Pages