Aero & Marine offers California use tax service
Even nonresidents can be hit with a use tax for using, storing, or registering an aircraft in California, Aero & Marine Tax Professionals’ Tom Alston warned at AOPA Aviation Summit. However, many pilots who use their aircraft for business can use a commercial interstate flight hours test to avoid the tax legally, Alston said. The specialty firm offers a service to walk clients through the process of obtaining an exemption.
Dog is my CoPilot shuttles animals west of Rockies
Jackson Hole, Wyo.-based nonprofit Dog is my CoPilot flies regular routes between cities in the West to save them from euthanasia. Unlike Pilots N Paws, an organization that provides a forum for pilots to arrange individual flights carrying a few animals, Dog is my CoPilot flies the same routes multiple times a week, and boards as many animals on a flight as can comfortably fit. “Typically we fly big loads, and we have regular animal rescue organizations we work with,” said Judy Feuer Zimet, the group’s vice president. The group regularly flies between California, Idaho, Washington, and Montana. On Oct. 14, Dr. Peter E. Rork, the group’s president who donates his time and Cessna 206, will fly 25 Chihuahuas from Merced, Calif., to Missoula, Mont.
Portable oxygen for light GA aircraft
Mountain High Equipment & Supply Co. announced Oct. 12 its two-person portable MH EDS O2D2 Pulse Demand full authority digital oxygen control (FADOC) Oxygen Delivery System. The system will work on Cessna, Mooney, Piper, Cirrus, and Bonanza aircraft. The system starts at $1,100 plus the in-line regulator, if required.
Windscreen helps reduce UV rays entering cockpit
LP Aero Plastics Inc. Vice President and General Manager George Mesiarik announced Spartech Polycast’s new SC series of acrylic windscreens and windows that reduce heat and UV rays entering the cockpit. The product reduces UV exposure to pilots, aircraft air conditioning costs, damage to interiors, and interior temperatures by more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit in certain conditions, Mesiarik said. While a clear acrylic will let 92 percent of light and 85 percent of solar energy into the cockpit, the company’s clear SC equivalent, called the 83SC, will let 83 percent of visible light through but only 50 percent of the solar energy. The company also offers the SC line in green, gray, and bronze, with varying degrees of solar energy protection.
ADS-B: Plenty of time to equip? Maybe not
The deadline for automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) out equipage isn’t as far off as one might think: Mechanics nationwide will have to install the transmitter in about 150 aircraft a day starting Jan. 1, 2013, working five days a week, to meet the 2020 deadline, FreeFlight Systems explained in a media briefing Oct. 11. The company urged pilots to equip early and reap the benefits of subscription-free weather and traffic; pilots can see the datalink display in action at Booth #1415 in the exhibit hall at AOPA Aviation Summit. Director of Sales and Marketing Jessica Power said FreeFlight expects to obtain a supplemental type certificate in November to install its rule-compliant ADS-B transmitter in Cessna 150, 170, and 180 series aircraft, among other announcements at the show.
MyGoFlight offers new products at AOPA Aviation Summit
MyGoFlight has rolled out a series of new products now on display at Booth #1625 at the AOPA Aviation Summit. The new PLC Pro flight bag is built for the iPad and everything else. It includes a protective pouch to hold an iPad, laptop computer, or other electronic flight bag devices, along with pockets to hold headsets, radios, overnight clothing, and other gear. iPad Jet Mounts allow pilots to mount their iPads in the tight cockpits of jets including Gulfstream, Boeing, LearJet, Beech Jet, TBM, and Pilatus. An iPad can be rotated easily into portrait or landscape without removing it from its case. The leather Kneeboard Folio is held by a form-fitting rotating cradle that an iPad can clip into. Ports and controls remain accessible so an iPad can be charged, synced, and controlled while still in its case.
PS Engineering offers free installation
PS Engineering said it is offering free installation as part of a promotion tied to this year’s AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs.
As in the past, a customer who buys a new PMA8000-series audio panel as a replacement for a Garmin GMA340 will receive free installation at a participating dealer. The units range in price from $1,895 for the PMA8000B to $2,195 for the PMA8000C with Bluetooth. The promotion runs from November 1 to February 28, 2013.
DeLorme to exhibit inReach at Summit
DeLorme will be exhibiting its unique and sophisticated communications device called inReach at AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs, Calif. inReach allows pilots to text, message, and send emergency signals in the air and on the ground, all outside cellphone range. These and a host of other features will be on display at booth number 624.
Flying Musicians Land on the Lawn at Summit: Palm Spring, CA, USA
Members of the Flying Musicians Association (FMA) will perform at their own tent on the lawn of the Palm Springs Convention Center during AOPA Aviation Summit 2012. Attendees are encouraged to visit FMA, where they can play an instrument, get more information about the organization, and sign up to win prizes, including free online aviation accounting courses from Gleim. FMA’s appearance is sponsored by Sennheiser Aviation. FMA has launched an outreach effort to grow the pilot community while ensuring the music continues to play. “We are in the midst of establishing chapters at colleges and universities around the country,” said co-founder John Zapp.
Air Journey Touts New Adventures At Summit
Jupiter, Fla.-based aviation adventure company Air Journey will attend the AOAP Aviation Summit to discuss its newest travel destination – Australia.
Since 1998, the company has been showing pilots how to fly their own planes in small groups to destinations such as the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Canada, Central America, Europe and South America . Visit with them at Booth #1704.
AvMap Unveils New Features on EKP V GPS
Falmouth, Mass.-based AvMap will offer accessories for its EKP V portable GPS that transforms the unit into a cockpit-installed, multi-functional display at the AOPA Aviation Summit. At Booth 1722, AvMap will offer two accessories with two different integration options. The EKP V cockpit cradle kit works with the GPS to connect the external USB antenna. The EKP V cockpit docking station allows the GPS to interface with multiple external devices at the same time as part of the hub of an integrated avionics system.
EKP V can also be enriched with new digital and georeferenced FAA charts for VFR navigation in the United States, available on www.avmap.us
Catalina Island Waives Landing Fees for Pilots Attending Summit
The Catalina Island Conservancy is waiving its usual $25 landing fee at its Airport In The Sky for AOPA members attending AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs, Calif., Oct. 11-13. The airport, located on a 1,602-foot-tall mountaintop at the center of Catalina Island, is famous for the DC3 Gifts & Grill restaurant.
“We hope our AOPA friends will return time and time again,” said Airport Director Jorge O’Leary. “We have extended our offer to give everyone a chance to stop in for one of our famous buffalo burgers and killer cookies.”
Tanis engine heater now available on Skycatcher
Representatives from Tanis Engine Aircraft Products said the company’s engine preheater has been approved by Cessna for installation in the Skycatcher. The company said the heater can be applied to other aircraft in the LSA market, assuming proper approvals are sought. To learn more, visit the company’s website.
Get in the Wind Aviation Apparel a first-time Summit exhibitor
It’s nearly impossible to attend an aviation event without coming home with some pilot swag. A new exhibitor at this year’s AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs, Calif., will be on hand to help fill your bags going home. Get in the Wind Aviation Apparel is a small aviation fashion company based in California. Flight Instructor Brian Lawrence started the company to show off his love of vintage aviation. Shirts and hats featuring Stearmans, DC-3s, and other iconic designs will be at the show. For more information, check out the company’s Facebook page.
Big sale on Auracle engine analyzer
If you’re in the market for an engine analyzer and you’re headed to AOPA Aviation Summit, check out Ultra Electronics’ Auracle. The Auracle is a color, redundant, two-screen engine analyzer that’s certified for replacement on 95 percent of all single- and twin-engine piston general aviation airplanes. The company is offering $2,000 off the twin-engine CRM2120 version, and $1,000 off a single-engine CRM2100 version. They’ll be exhibiting at booth number 1210.
Conklin and de Decker offers Summit discounts
Aviation consulting firm Conklin and de Decker is offering AOPA Aviation Summit attendees 15 percent off its range of products. The company specializes in helping those in the market for a new aircraft, or aircraft owners looking for professional tax advice. Exhibiting for the first time, Conklin and de Decker will be showcasing six basic services and products at booth number 1508. These include the Aircraft Cost Evaluator, life cycle cost tool, Aircraft Performance Comparator, the State Tax Guide, a range of consulting services, and information on upcoming seminars. The company’s thirteenth annual aircraft acquisition seminar will be held Dec. 5 and 6 at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Arizona. According to the company, the seminar covers all portions of the life cycle of acquiring an aircraft, including selection, purchase process, and management.
