Aviation Specialties' GATS jar
Did you know that some state laws (including Florida's) prohibit dumping on the ground any fuel sumped from aircraft tanks? When you take a sample of fuel, you typically drain six to 12 ounces (cumulative) into the fuel tester from the drain points on a given aircraft. This amounts to roughly 3 million gallons of fuel poured — and wasted — onto airport property each year, according to Aviation Specialties, manufacturer of the GATS (gasoline analysis test separator) jar. (See " Pilotage: Sumping and Dumping," February Pilot.)
So what do you do with the sumped fuel if you don't dump it? Few pilots want to risk contaminating the fuel still in the tank by pouring the sample back in, and as yet few airports offer suitable fuel waste receptacles. The GATS jar solves this dilemma by allowing for the separation of contaminants (including water) from fuel before dumping it back into an aircraft tank.
The 12-ounce GATS jar is roughly the size and shape of a tall soda can. It works like this: The fuel sample drains into the clear reservoir for viewing. A separator screen over the top of the reservoir is made of a material that, when coated with petroleum-based fuels, creates a barrier that blocks water but still allows fuel to flow through it. The screen must be impregnated with fuel — the tester works with either jet fuel or avgas — in order to work properly; you can accomplish this by pouring some avgas through the screen prior to using the jar before each preflight. Any water or condensation that gets in the screen can be removed with a dry tissue or cloth. In our testing, it was clear that any water had to be cleared from the screen in order for the screen to keep the water in the jar as fuel was dumped back into a tank. For argument's sake, we tried pouring out a sumped sample with water into a clear glass, without impregnating the screen beforehand, and again with some water in the screen. Both times, the screen only kept about one-third of the water in the jar — the rest would have been returned to the tank. When we tried to clean the screen with a cotton cloth, it wasn't absorbent enough. We suggest using a facial tissue or super-absorbent shop towel to ensure that all of the water is removed from within the screen. When the screen was cleared of the tiniest water droplet, and premoistened with fuel, the jar worked as advertised. If you collect a sample that is mostly water, it's probably best to just dump the entire thing, carefully, rather than trying to salvage a small amount of fuel. When in doubt, dump it out — or hope for a fuel waste can on your airport ramp.
In drier parts of the country especially, and with aircraft that are hangared, many samples come through with little or no water, and the screen adds an extra line of defense for pouring the sample back in the tank. And if sediment is a concern, the jar works impeccably. Another nice feature is that you can collect an entire preflight's worth of samples without having to dump each one (except, perhaps, in the case of the newer Cessna 172 models with more than a dozen sumping points — for these and large aircraft, Aviation Specialties created a 16-ounce jar).
If you're interested in saving the environment — or if you live or fly in Florida — it's worth checking out.
Price: $16.50 for a 12- or 16-ounce jar
Contact: 800/543-8633; www.sportys.com
Sigtronics SPA-400N and -600N
The company that pioneered the voice-activated intercom market in 1974 recently announced it had received FAA TSO (technical standard order) approval for its SPA-400N and -600N intercoms. These intercoms, designed for high-noise environments, now feature simplified installation paperwork (for certified aircraft) because of the TSO. The -400N allows up to four pairs of headset jacks to work with the intercom, and the -600N offers room for six. Both were developed specifically for use in especially noisy aircraft cabins, such as those in experimental, ultralight, and warbird aircraft. Each offers either push-to-talk or voice-activated circuitry, and mounts in a 2.5-inch-wide by 1-inch-high by 4-inch- deep panel space. The unit weighs about 4.5 ounces. Installation hardware is included, and the faceplate is reversible for either vertical or horizontal mounting. Sigtronics distributes its intercoms through a nationwide network of dealers.
Price: $329 list price for the -400N; $399 for the -600N
Contact: 909/305-9399; www.sigtronics.com
Rescue Reflectors signal mirror
Pilots who survive aircraft accidents in remote locations perish every year because rescuers could not locate them in time. A signaling device is an important part of every pilot's survival kit. You don't carry one? Well, consider that a relatively small, low-tech piece of equipment could save your life. Malcolm Murray, a member of the Civil Air Patrol, created Rescue Reflectors signaling mirrors when he lived in Aruba and participated in air searches with the Aruba Flying Club.
Rescue Reflectors produces two types of signal mirrors, glass and plastic, in sizes ranging from 2 inches by 3 inches to 4 inches by 5 inches. Glass provides the highest signal quality, resulting in sending the reflection the longest distance for a given mirror size. The glass mirrors weigh more, are easily broken if dropped, and sometimes corrode.
In contrast, Rescue Reflectors also sells mirrors made of plastic, which are break-resistant, lightweight, and buoyant when in their resealable plastic pouch. However, the plastic scratches more easily than glass and can warp if exposed to excessive heat. The plastic mirrors have a hard coating that resists scratching, and typically even the plastic mirrors can be seen from as far away as 20 miles, according to the company. Plastic mirrors do not spark, as glass mirrors can — important if the mirror is being used when fuel fumes are a hazard.
Although the mirrors are less effective on cloudy days, and rendered nearly useless in low IFR conditions, they offer serious options for pilot survival.
Price: $14 to $34, including case
Contact: 281/427-5923; www.malcolmmurray.com
QUICK HITS
Micro AeroDynamics has added the 260- and 300-horsepower Piper Cherokee Six and Lance to its growing list of single-engine aircraft that can be retrofitted with vortex generators — tiny devices on the wings and tail that reduce stall speed by 10 percent and enhance controllability. The company says the vortex generators do not affect high-speed performance.
Price: $1,450 for the kit
Contact: 800/677-2370; www.microaero.com
WSI Corporation has installed its first WSI InFlight AV-100 weather service. The system delivers current and forecast weather, including national Doppler weather radar imagery, to electronic flight bags and laptop computers via continuous broadcast signals from geosynchronous satellites.
Price: $3,495 system, with a monthly data subscription fee of $49.95
Contact: 978/670-5000; www.wsi.com/solutions/aviation/
The PTT-400, a new push-to-talk switch from Warren Gregoire and Associates, mounts on the top of the vertical portion of the yoke and is smaller than other portable PTT switches. The button is rated by the manufacturer through 50,000 operations and comes with a 5-ft coiled cable and standard aircraft plugs.
Price: $27.95
Contact: 800/634-0094; www.warrengregoire.com
The MD Systems CardioGrip, a device that helps to lower blood pressure through isometric exercise, now comes in three models. The CardioGrip SE is designed for use by one person, and the CardioGrip2 SEL has additional programming options.
Price: $350 for the CardioGrip SE; $499 for the original CardioGrip SEL; $550 for the CardioGrip2 SEL
Contact: 888/429-4747; www.cardiogrip.com
Barbara Cushman Rowell's memoir, Flying South: A Pilot's Inner Journey, published by Ten-Speed Press, recounts her flight in a Cessna 206 around South America from November 1990 to February 1991. The journey explores questions of decision making, pilot judgment, and pursuing dreams, as well as highlighting her and husband Galen Rowell's stunning photography of the route she flew. The Rowells died as passengers in an aircraft accident in August 2002.
Price: $24.95
Contact: 800/841-2665; www.tenspeed.com
Skyline Aviation offers its Nose-Dragger aircraft tug that promises no metal-to-metal contact and capability up to 12,500 pounds. Units are available with cordless, 12-volt electric motors as well as three-speed transmission gas engines. The company offers a version for tailwheel aircraft.
Price: $116 (for manual tailwheel model) to $834 (for 12-volt electric nosewheel model)
Contact: 800/535-8640; www.dragger.com
Montague's Hummer H2 off-road bicycle is a rugged option for pilots who want portable transportation through creeks and up mountains at a fly-in destination. Created for U.S. Marine paratroopers, the bike folds to a 3-foot-by-3-foot size for stowing in an aircraft baggage compartment or rear seats.
Price: $795
Contact: 800/736-5348; www.montagueco.com
Unless otherwise stated, products listed herein have not been evaluated by AOPA Pilot editors. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. However, members unable to get satisfaction regarding products listed should advise AOPA. To submit products for evaluation, contact: New Products Editor, AOPA Pilot , 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701; telephone 301/695-2350. Links to all Web sites referenced in this issue can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links.shtml).
Related Articles
