You can purchase the 35-minute video for $29 (plus $3.95 shipping and handling). For more information, contact King Schools Inc., 3840 Calle Fortunada, San Diego, California 92123; telephone 800/854-1001; or visit the Web site ( www.kingschools.com ).
Understanding Flight Reveals Aerodynamics
Among student pilots, there are varying degrees of enthusiasm for the science of aerodynamics. Some prefer knowing the equations behind the principles, but many are content to learn just enough to keep the airplane sunny-side up. Instructors find a quandary here: They don't want to bury an uninterested student in complexities, so they may gloss over important principles in order to keep things brief. In doing so, they risk introducing misconceptions. In fact, depending on their own training, they may not possess the depth of knowledge to explore these concepts with students who are intrigued by the math describing the motion.
Both parties can be satisfied with a new book, Understanding Flight, by David F. Anderson and Scott Eberhardt. Anderson, a scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and Eberhardt, an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the University of Washington, are both private pilots. After laying the groundwork by introducing a few simple concepts - the right ones - they go on to develop a different, more intuitive way of thinking about how airplanes fly. Later chapters delve into high-speed flight and aerodynamic testing.
The math is basic enough for any high school graduate to understand, and examples pepper the book. One comment: Side notes are used throughout to highlight unique facts about aviation and key points from the text. To clarify things for the reader, the publisher might look into making one kind of note a different color than the other.
Understanding Flight retails for $34.95 and is published by McGraw-Hill. The book is available in bookstores nationwide. For more information, visit the Web site ( www.books.mcgraw-hill.com ).
Aviation Communication Debuts Ac-200 Headset
Training costs aren't getting any lower, so if you're a student on a budget, you probably want to maximize the return on every dollar you spend flying. When you can get dependable service from a piece of equipment - and you aren't sufficiently attracted to the bells and whistles of the top-of-the-line models to justify their cost-that's really all you need to see you through. Enter Aviation Communications' (AvComm) AC-200 headset.
The AC-200 is your basic headset, banded in stainless steel with an adjustable wire boom, rubber head pad, and steel gray ear cups to match others in the company's product line. Weighing in at 14.4 ounces (according to AvComm; the unit given to us for testing weighs 17.6 ounces), the headset comes with a three-year warranty. I wore the AC-200 through multiple flights in aircraft ranging from a Beech A36 Bonanza to a Cessna 150 and found it per- formed similarly to my well-used personal headset (an elderly David Clark), so that the fact I was wearing a different headset slipped my attention.
The unit is light enough, comfortable enough, and works well enough to make it a sound purchase for students and for and flight instructors who want to keep another headset around. The AC-200 also makes a good extra headset for aircraft owners to have on hand for their passengers. Standard AvComm features include gold-plated plugs, volume control, and an electret noise-canceling microphone.
The AC-200 retails for $99.95, although dealer prices may vary. For more information, contact Aviation Communications at 800/845-7541, 626/ 967-4183 outside the United States; fax 626/332-7563; or visit the Web site ( www.avcomm-inc.com ).
Pilot Supplies On Tap At Sporty's, ASA
In the grand tradition of modifying one great idea to create another, Sporty's has introduced ATIS Notes. Instead of leaving you to write scattered bits of information on a standard 3M Post-it note pad, ATIS Notes lays out all the crucial pieces for you on a familiar yellow square of paper. The notes are neat and convenient, and they simplify things, especially in a VFR cockpit where you may not want to use a full kneeboard.
The ATIS Notes sell for $1.95 per pad, or $1.25 each for three or more. For more information, contact Sporty's Pilot Shop, Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio 45103; telephone 800/543-8633, 513/735-9100 outside the United States; fax 513/735-9200; or visit the Web site ( www.sportys.com ).
The E6-B Slide, from Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA), picks up where traditional metal and cardboard flight computers leave off, allowing pilots to perform calculations for the high-speed realm of flight (220 to 700 knots). The slide replaces the one in the standard flight computer you already own and is compatible with the circular computer on most E6-Bs.
The slide includes a compressibility correction chart, ICAO standard atmosphere reference table, a worldwide time conversion chart, speed limits for the United States, and frequently used weight and balance formulas. For budding professional pilots - or those who wish their Cessna 172 could go Mach 1 - the slide allows the humble E6-B to go one step further.
The E6-B slide retails for $9.95. For more information, contact ASA, 7005 132nd Place Southeast, Newcastle, Washington 98059; telephone 800/426-8338, 425/235-1500 outside the United States; fax 425/235-0128; or visit the Web site ( www.asa2fly.com ).
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