The HSI and RMI use lesson is new to this CD-ROM from previous editions. The program retails for $99 and makes a great addition to your bag of tricks while preparing for the checkride or brushing up on radio navigation after a hiatus from flying. For more information, contact Aviation Tutorials at 245 Gillick Street, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068; telephone at 847/823-5417; fax at 847/823-5421; or visit the Web site ( www.avtutorials.com ).
Garmin GNS 530 For Beginners
Who hasn't had his head down in the cockpit, trying to figure out how to do a certain task on an unfamiliar GPS? The antidote for this midair-collision-waiting-to-happen is to study important procedures on the ground. Though manufacturers provide training materials for their units, they're of varying depth and usefulness, and they may not give you as many examples as you need to truly understand the method to the machine. To this end, ZD Publishing has introduced Garmin GNS 530 for Beginners.
The manual is organized in a task-oriented format that takes you through many common operations, including basic navigation tasks, direct-to operations, flight plans, GPS approaches, and emergency procedures. A description of each screen or page accessed during these operations is provided. The introduction lists several pages of terms as well as some general GPS terminology and some specific to the GNS 530, providing a valuable reference for students.
Garmin GNS 530 for Beginners comes as a 52-page, spiral-bound booklet that is well-suited to cockpit use. The company also offers three other booklets, covering the Garmin GNS 430, the King KLN 90B, and the King KLN 900. Garmin GNS 530 for Beginners retails for $39.95, plus $6 shipping and handling anywhere within the continental United States. For more information, contact ZD Publishing at Post Office Box 3487, Wichita, Kansas 67201; by telephone at 888/310-3134; or visit the company's Web site ( www.zdpublishing.com ).
Mountain Meteorology Detailed In New Book
Though people often think that only certain areas of the United States are truly mountainous, a new textbook reveals just how these regions affect much of the weather across the country. An understanding of mountain climatology and weather can help you to predict conditions in the area where you fly, whether you live by the Rockies or out on the Great Plains.
Mountain Meteorology: Fundamentals and Applications, by C. David Whiteman, is a full-color, 355-page book that covers just about all you need to know about this fascinating topic. The book begins with a discussion of meteorology basics and how they apply to mountainous regions. From there, it delves into detailed coverage of the boundary layer, fronts, clouds, precipitation, mountain winds, and then selected applications of meteorology such as pollution, fire weather, and aerial spraying. The graphics are clear and the prose is intelligent without being too dry. The book is available through Amazon.com for $39.95 ( www.amazon.com ).
Cloud-Jockey IFR Training Hood
In the quest to find a comfortable IFR training hood, you might have tried just about everything. Maybe you've used one of those plastic hoods - the kind with which you could accidentally knock out your CFI. Perhaps you've tried modified glasses whose temples dig in under your headset. Some folks give up entirely and resort to sticking a folded-up sectional chart under their headset bands. Or you could try the latest gizmo from Sky-Jockey Products: the Cloud-Jockey cap.
The Cloud-Jockey looks like a baseball cap - sort of. The brim is extended and curved to form a view-limiting shield along the lines of those plastic hoods. The cap retains the soft cotton feel of more traditional caps, and the brim can be shaped to fit the panel of the airplane in which you train. Though the cap initially requires some adjustment, it should stay comfortable through long hours of IFR instruction and practice.
The Cloud-Jockey retails for $22.95, plus $4 shipping and handling in the United States. For more information or to order, contact Sky-Jockey Products at 140 South Almont Drive, Beverly Hills, California 90211; telephone 310/276-6638. You can also get information from the Sky-Jockey Web site ( www.stickjockey.com ).
