The book is divided into sections in chronological order that outline phases of Brown's aviation life, from his days as a college student flying to see his fianc�e (and later wife, Jean, also a pilot) around the Midwest to his current forays across the Southwest to see his sons off into their adult lives. Maps depict the routes and highlights of each trip. The accounts are personal, because for most pilots, at least some aspect of flying is personal. Brown imparts that dramatic moments in flight aren't necessarily overcome by heroic skill, but by preparation, logical thought, and the willingness to learn from past lessons. But the adventure never suffers as a result.
Brown has a talent for describing aviation terms in words that the layperson can understand without dumbing them down in a way that is annoying to seasoned pilots. The 256-page book, published by Iowa State Press, also contains many photos to illustrate the journeys that Brown has taken.
Price: $29.99. For more information: 800/862-6657; www.iowastatepress.com.
AOPA wallet with ramp-pass insert
In order to make carrying that photo identification - now required by FAR 61.3 - easier, AOPA and Sporty's Pilot Shop have cooperated to create a new wallet. The leather wallet, available in brown or black, features the AOPA wings logo in gold on the inside, eight credit card slots, and a divided bill compartment. A special ramp-pass insert is included, and the insert also may be ordered separately from Sporty's. The three-pocket insert is easily removable to show to security personnel upon request.
Price: $79.95 for wallet and insert; $24.95 for insert only. For more information: 800/543-8633; www.sportys.com/shoppilot.
Datalink weather update
As you've sat watching The Weather Channel in anticipation of a challenging solo cross-country flight, haven't you dreamed of taking that radar picture with you in the cockpit? And if you could only add to that a listing of the current METARs and TAFs - that would be an awesome thing. While inflight weather tools, such as airborne weather radar and lightning detection equipment, have been around for some time, they each have strengths and weaknesses - not to mention weight, panel space, and additional cost. They're rarely found in training aircraft. A new and more affordable weapon in the pilot's inflight information arsenal is datalink weather.
Datalink weather systems send Nexrad radar images - typically one to five minutes old - to multifunction displays, GPS receivers, and/or portable devices in the cockpit, along with textual data such as METARs and TAFs. Datalink information is sent using either satellite delivery or ground-to-air communication. Several companies are currently producing answers to the datalink question, and others are close to market. Though it may take a while for datalink to land in a cockpit near you, here's what each company has in store.
Echo Flight is the senior member of the club, having supplied inflight datalink weather for several years. Its offerings have undergone major upgrades, and now, with the Flight Level 270 and 240, provide mature solutions in portable datalink. Echo Flight delivers its information via Orbcomm's network of geosynchronous satellites. Data available include Nexrad radar, graphical ceilings and visibilities, wind vectors, and temperature/dew point spreads. Echo Flight also offers in-flight e-mail and position-reporting service.
Price: Several plans available (yearly unlimited service for $599.90); Flight Level 270 complete hardware/software package $5,995. For more information: 888/948-9657; www.echoflight.com.
The Bendix/King KDR 510 datalink receiver provides continuously transmitted weather information through a ground-based proprietary system using Bendix/King's own network of broadcast stations. The system, which uses a VHF delivery system called VDL Mode 2, transmits METARs, TAFs, and Nexrad radar images for display on the company's multifunction displays, the KMD 250, 550, and 850 units. How well the system works depends on your altitude (you typically need to be above 5,000 feet agl to get service) and location of the 200-plus system antennas' coverage from the Rockies eastward is fairly good, and most of California is served at this writing.
Price: $5,495 for the KDR 510; textual weather is free for one year; Nexrad packages start at $49.95 monthly. For more information: 877/712-2386; www.bendixking.com.
Garmin's GDL 49 datalink receiver displays weather information on its 400- and 500-series panel-mounted GPS receivers. Garmin users subscribe to Echo Flight's datalink service and download textual weather and Nexrad radar images via the Orbcomm satellite network. Users have the same service options as Echo Flight subscribers, with the ability to "pay as you go" with a base fee and per-item costs. The receiver has been shipping since December.
Price: $3,495 for the hardware; service plans as with Echo Flight. For more information: 913/397-8200; www.garmin.com.
Another option for pilots who like portability (and personal digital assistants) - particularly appealing to pilots who rent the airplanes they fly - is Control Vision's AnywhereWx, an option for its AnywhereMap moving map software for PDAs. AnywhereWx uses either an AirCell inflight telephone or an antenna linking it to Orbcomm's GlobalStar satellite network. The system delivers textual weather, Nexrad images, and a new service introduced in February that offers cloud-cover imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-8 satellite.
Price: $2,695 (includes Compaq iPaq 3950, software, and hardware); datalink service begins at $24.95 monthly plus 99 cents a minute. For more information: 620/231-6647; www.controlvision.com.
WSI Inflight AV100, available now, downloads weather information to portable displays such as the Northstar CT-1000 electronic flight bag, Fujitsu tablet PC, and laptop personal computers. WSI has been providing weather information for preflight decision making to pilots for many years - 800 fixed-base operators use its weather briefing systems, according to the company. The AV100 delivers a continuous stream of its own textual information and Nexrad radar images via satellite. WSI expects a panel-mount version to be available later this year.
Price: $3,495 for hardware and software; $49.95 monthly fee. For more information: 800/872-2359; www.wsi.com.
Avidyne chose a different approach with its datalink offering. Rather than delivering weather for user-requested airports, Avidyne's "narrowcasting" receiver requests information from a radius (50 to 400 nm) along the current route, at a time interval also set by the pilot (every six to 60 minutes). The system uses Orbcomm's satellite network as well. The datalink feature will be integrated into the company's EX500 multifunction display, which is undergoing certification, according to a company spokesman.
Price: $8,995 for EX500; datalink service begins at $99 for registration, then 9 cents per message unit, or $1,500 for 5,000 message units with registration included. For more information: 800/284-3963; www.avidyne.com.
