Though the flip chart is designed for VFR flight, IFR pilots may find it useful as well. You may order the organizer through Sporty's at a retail price of $9.95. For more information, contact Sporty's at 800/LIFTOFF, or 513/735-9000; or fax 513/735-9200.
Julie K. Boatman
Control Lock For Piper Aircraft
This new aircraft control lock definitely falls under the category of "Why didn't they think of this sooner?" The control lock, available from Airplane Things, is made for Piper airplanes and replaces the traditional seat belt method of securing the yoke. The control lock attaches to the control wheels, linking them and effectively preventing wind damage to the control surfaces. The device holds the ailerons in the neutral position and the stabilizer in the down position, and it installs with the same ease of a Cessna control wheel lock.
The control lock is made from webbed nylon and has been tested in wind gusts to 70 mph at Seattle's Boeing Field. An extra benefit of this lock is that, because it does not lock the rudder, your airplane will not suffer damage if towed with the device installed. The price is $39.95. For more information, visit the company's Web site ( www.airplanethings.com ).
J. Boatman
Razor's Edge Airplan Flight Planning Software
Though your instructor may want you to plan every flight using old-fashioned paper, pencil, and charts, in reality there is a wealth of flight planning software available to make your preflight job easier. Add to the mix the latest version of AirPlan from Razor's Edge Software.
This small Idaho-based company has produced an easy-to-use flight planning program that delivers the basics on CD-ROM. Standard features include a full-color map depicting user-selected features such as terrain, airspace, navaids, and airways. The database is worldwide and can be downloaded into a handheld GPS for VFR use. You can customize aircraft or select from several examples given. Probably the biggest advantage of AirPlan is the fact it doesn't take up a lot of space on your hard drive, compared to some larger programs: The worldwide database takes about 50 MB of disk space-nice if you plan to install it on a laptop with limited memory. System requirements are a Pentium 133MHz processor, 32MB of RAM, 12 MB of free disk space, VGA with a color mode greater than 256 colors (lower color modes will work), and Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0 with more recent versions.
Razor's Edge also prides itself on staying in contact with its users and incorporating their suggestions in future versions. The company plans to add a fully featured DUATS interface for Web access to both GTE and DTC services, a pilot logbook function, and a moving-map function (both north-up and track-up modes) in the upcoming months. For $59, you get the latest version, plus a year of updates. For more information, contact Razor's Edge Software at Post Office Box 170055, Boise, Idaho 83717; or visit the Web site ( www.razorsedgesoft.com ).
J. Boatman
Book Celebrates World Of Aviation Lore
Imagine inviting 44 of aviation's celebrities and experts to the ultimate hangar flying session. Then record all the stories in print. And throw in more than 200 photos. Voila, Speaking of Flying.
The new book represents one of aviation's greatest traditions, talking about flying. Brig. Gen. Stephen Ritchie tells about watching a fellow pilot being shot down over Vietnam. Bill Rheams recounts how Gen. Jimmy Doolittle (then retired) took the copilot's seat of his Douglas C-54 and humorously handled a gruff, overzealous Air Force instructor in another airplane. And Dick Rutan talks about how he used the sonic boom in a North American F-100 to get a little too much attention.
Other storytellers include Scott Crossfield, Julie Clark, Cliff Robertson, Burt Rutan, and AOPA's own Rod Machado, Barry Schiff, and Ralph Hood. The stories were gathered over more than seven years by Diane Titterington, who heads The Aviation Speakers Bureau and is the book's publisher.
The hardcover book sells for $22.95 including shipping and is available by calling 800/437-7080, or on the Web ( www.aviationspeakers.com ).
Nathan A. Ferguson
Sporty's Air Facts Series Tackles Autopilots
Of all the boxes in the panel, the autopilot typically gets the least amount of attention during flight training. While not often discussed in checkride situations, the autopilot is the solo IFR pilot's best friend and needs to be well-understood in order to be used properly. The latest in the series of Air Facts videos on IFR flight, Autopilots, featuring noted aviation expert Richard L. Collins, explores the various kinds of autopilots available in small general aviation aircraft.
Autopilots, like other videos in the series, uses a lot of in-flight footage both in Collins' airplane and in new Cessnas. For pilots working on an instrument rating, simply seeing use of the autopilot in actual IFR conditions makes the program worthwhile. Collins gives a very thorough discussion of the differences between types of autopilots, as well as the practical use of each kind during IFR en-route and approach situations. Flight instructors may also find that they learn from Collins' treatment of roll and roll-and-pitch installations and automatic disconnect nuances. The video is 29 minutes in length, and retail price is $24.95. For more information, contact Sporty's at 800/LIFTOFF, or 513/735-9000; or fax 513/735-9200.
J. Boatman
Keep Track Of Your Time Online With Planelog.Com
Most of us like to keep a paper record of the time we've logged in the sky-as a student, you need those signatures in ink to prove yourself on a checkride. But what about having an electronic backup, one that's also protected from crashing hard drives and misplaced floppy disks?
Check into planelog.com, which offers both pilot and aircraft logbook databases. When using the Pilot Log feature, after filling in your ratings and personal information, the logbook automatically keeps track of your recent flight experience and puts up a red flag if you're not current to log PIC according to class of aircraft and time of day. You can also determine hours flown in the past 30, 60, or 90 days, and sort your time into make/model classifications.
If you own an aircraft, Plane Log helps you to keep current on ADs and service bulletins, maintains an up-to-date ownership history, and has other record-keeping features. Pilot Log Private Pilot System costs $99.95 for the first year and $29.95 for each subsequent year. Call for pricing on Plane Log. For more information, call 87-PLANELOG; or visit the Web site ( www.planelog.com ).
J. Boatman
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