Pilot Products

Sporty's has brought back a perennial favorite for pilots who are just learning about weather and those who are trying to refresh their memories. The Weather Computer is a "whiz wheel" design that includes information about different types of weather systems, thunderstorms, and icing.

Originally designed for training Air Force pilots to renew their instrument currency, the easy-to-use training aid also includes keys for decoding a variety of weather reports. The diagrams and other information are easy to understand and at eight inches in diameter, the Weather Computer is an easy tool for instructors or students to carry with them. The Weather Computer is available for $8.95. For more information or to order, contact Sporty's, Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio 45103-9747; telephone 800/LIFTOFF.

Dry Highlighter Makes Marking Charts Easy

The Mono Dry Highlighter from Tombow is the newest in a growing array of products that can make marking routes on charts easier. The dry highlighter applies a thin film of bright yellow to any kind of paper, including extra-thin or glossy pages. Because the line goes on dry, there is no need to wait before folding or stacking the paper, and you won't end up with stains on your hands or clothes. Better still, the line can be removed easily with an ordinary pencil eraser. This is a special bonus to pilots who may want to use one chart to fly several different routes. These highlighters are available in most office supply and stationery stores and sell for about $2.98. For more information, visit the Tombow Web site (www.tombowusa.com ) or telephone 800/835-3232.

New Books on Stearman, Travel Air Type R

Airplane history buffs can get their fill of Stearmans and Travel Air Type R racing airplanes in two new books available from Historic Aviation. Wings of Stearman, by Peter M. Bowers, includes a brief overview of the aircraft company's history before delving into details about all of the aircraft that it produced. The book features black and white photos of every Stearman model from the C-1 through the Cloudboy and Kaydet. The book also includes portions of the Stearman Operator's Manual as well as a dozen appendices with a variety of reference figures. The 200-page hardbound book boasts a total of 285 photographs and is available for $39.95.

Mystery Ship, by Edward H. Phillips, traces the history of each of the five Travel Air Type R racing airplanes. The book includes information about the design process as well as biographical data about the men involved. In its 96 pages, Mystery Ship includes more than 135 photographs and three-view drawings. The softcover book is available for $29.95.

For more information or to order either book, contact Historic Aviation, Post Office Box 2245, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota 55076; telephone 800/225-5575. Or visit the Web site (www.historicaviation.com ).

VFR Communications Kit Helps Ease Com Confusion

Learning effective aviation communication skills is no easy task. And many newly certificated pilots find themselves launching into unfamiliar situations that require precise communication protocols.

To ease the learning curve and help VFR pilots get organized, the H.C. Ward Co. has introduced the VFR Communications Kit.

The book includes 31 different templates for handling every situation, including operations at both towered and nontowered airports, activating and closing flight plans, transiting restricted or military operations areas, and emergencies. The book includes directions on how to use each template as well as samples of how to fill out the templates and plenty of blank copies for pilots to use in their own flight planning. The blank templates are designed to be easily torn from the book and have prepunched holes that enable them to be easily attached to most kneeboards. The back of each template includes space for making notes or calculations.

Pilots can prepare the templates during the flight planning process and arrange them in the order in which they'll be needed so even new pilots can sound like old pros on the radio.

The VFR Communications Kit is available for $14.95 plus $2.95 shipping and handling from H.C. Ward Co., 2170 Lauren Lane, DeLand, Florida 32720; telephone 904/738-3412; e-mail [email protected].

New Software For Palm Computers Handles Weight And Balance

Users of the popular Palm Pilot and Handspring Visor hardware can now get software to simplify making weight-and-balance calculations. Two versions of the software are designed to help charter pilots as well as recreational pilots.

In addition to weight and balance, the EFB-91 software, intended for use by just about any general aviation pilot, performs a variety of calculations, including density altitude, crosswind component, climb gradient, and more. It also contains an airspace reference guide which summarizes the regulations for cloud separation, communication, and airspeed.

The EFB-135 software is designed for use by charter pilots. In addition to the standard calculations, it allows the user to set up charter rates by the mile or by the hour for each aircraft in the fleet. Using a modifiable database of some 7,000 airports, the user can quote trip prices from the Palm Pilot. Quotes made with the software account for winds, arrival and departure delays, landing fees, and even catering fees. Also, users can compare the cost of the trip in another aircraft or on a different rate basis with the click of a button.

The EFB-91 software sells for $24.95 while the EFB-135 software is available for $79.95. Each comes with an electronic manual. For more information or to order, contact CAVU Companies, 1001 Broad Street, Utica, New York 13501; telephone 800/464-3375. Or visit the Web site ( www.CAVUcompanies.com ).