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Must have aviation apps for the iPad/iPhone

If you are both a pilot and a technology geek, John Ewing has written a lengthy post for his Aviation Mentor blog detailing must have aviation related apps for the iPad/iPhone. Some of the aviation iPad/iPhone apps that John wrote about at length included the following:

Note Taking. Rather than use a pen and a piece of paper, John is now using Penultimate on his iPad which allows a user to take notes using a fingertip as a pen. He also uses a web-based service called EverNote to organize his notes.

Logging Time. John wrote that LogTen for the iPhone can also run on the iPad and that soon there will be an iPad version of the program. He also pointed out that Logbook Pro now has an iPhone app that could be just the ticket for PC users, though I’ve not used it and cannot make any hard and fast claims.

Training. For student pilots or those who do not fly regularly, John noted the iPad’s ability to display videos as well as Keynote lectures. In addition, he pointed out that the Numbers app is useful for tracking a pilot’s training progress.

Scheduling. John wrote that the iPad’s built-in Safari web browser is particularly useful for accessing web-based aircraft scheduling sites such as AircraftClubs.com. Moreover and in addition to being an electronic flight bag, he noted that the iPad itself is practically a portable electronic office.

At the end of his post, John pointed out that the iPad still has its share of rough edges – such as reports of ones overheating in high temperatures. Nevertheless and with an iPad or an iPhone increasingly looking like must have devices in the cockpit, John’s entire post is a must read for all iPad/iPhone users who fly.

A 1930s aerial adventure to Alaska

On an interesting historical aviation note, Dennis Parks, the Curator Emeritus of Seattle’s Museum of Flight, has recently written an article for General Aviation News relating the fascinating and little known story of two adventurous young pilots who in 1930, embarked on a month-long, 12,000-mile journey to Alaska in a small two-seat biplane with open cockpits and just a 90-hp, four-cylinder engine. The pilots, Laurence Lombard and Frederick Blodgett, were on their summer vacation and wanted to see if their de Havilland Gipsy Moth named “Flit” could fly from Boston to Alaska for some bear hunting and then return to the lower 48 states.

However and what’s fascinating about the story, besides the fact that it took place only a decade after the Army’s pioneering flight expedition to Alaska, was the fact that pilot Laurence Lombard, an attorney at a Boston law firm, had logged only 150 hours before takeoff while co-pilot Frederick Blodgett, who worked for a bank, had only five hours in the air. Moreover and unlike the army expedition, the pair were on their own with no support in the form of pre-planned fuel sources, maintenance or additional supplies.

In the article, Dennis told how the pair faced their first emergency over Idaho, switched from wheels to floats for the journey to Alaska and ultimately reached as far north as Juneau. After doing some filming and some bear hunting, the pair flew back to Seattle to change their floats back to wheels and then they took the long route back to Boston – via the Pacific coast and San Diego.

The little known story about the pair of adventurers is well worth reading – especially by anyone interested in both aviation history and aviation related adventures.

How to be a “minimalist pilot”

With all of the new tech gadgets out there, its tempting for a pilot to become a real “pack-rat” while up in the air. However, a recent post by John Ewing for his Aviation Mentor blog is well worth reading as he mentioned a few ways that pilots can go “minimalist” and lighten their flight bag by only carrying a few essentials. The essentials mentioned by John included the following items:

New iPad Kneeboard. Although John had come up with his own kneeboard solution using an aftermarket iPad case, he noted the new iPro Aviator kneeboard which is both more cost effective and has some great new features. It goes on sale on November 1, 2010 for US$79.95 but you can also pre-order one for US$59.95 until October 15, 2010.

Mini-Bag. John pointed out that after a long search for an inexpensive and minimalist iPad flight bag, he found the Timbuktu Freestyle Notebook Messenger to hold his headset, iPad, Xaon traffic detector plus enough room for other essentials.

Flashlight. John mentioned that he carries a Petzl e+LITE LED headlamp which weights just 28 grams and takes up even less space than a set of car keys. Moreover, the e+LITE can run for about 45 hours on two Lithium CR2032 batteries.

Glasses. John noted that like many pilots who reach a certain age, he has vision problems. Hence and rather than carry multiple sets of glasses, he has started using TruFocals. TruFocals are made with two layers of lenses with the outer lenses made to your prescription while the inner lenses are silcone-filled lens that have the ability to change focus when a small slider located on the bridge is changed.

However, the main point of John’s post was that pilots should figure out what works best for them as well as take into consideration what other pilots are doing. Hence, we want to ask you our readers for your opinions: Are you a “minimalist pilot” or more of a “pack-rat”? What are the essential pieces of gear that you never leave the ground without having?

Why you need a good emergency locator transmitter (ELT)

Craig Medred has written a great post for the Alaska Dispatch’s Bush Pilot blog about a recent incident in Alaska that showed the importance of having a good emergency locator transmitter (ELT) whenever and wherever you fly. The incident involved the crash of a single-engine Cessna 185 airplane in the Alphabet Hills north of remote Glennallen in Southcentral Alaska when Wayne Humbert, one of the four onboard the aircraft, reached into his pocket for a four year old “yellow, six-ounce, palm-size” satellite messaging device known as “Spot.” On it were four buttons and he pressed the one that said “Help.”

After pushing the button, a signal went to a satellite and then back to Globalstar’s headquarters in Louisiana. There, a computer identified Humbert as the owner of the device and a call was made to his wife in Anchorage – who was not home. A second call was then made to his mother in Arizona who was not sure what to do and hence, another call was made to his wife. This time they reached her and she called the Alaska Wildlife Troopers who were soon in the air and on their way to the crash scene to pick up a bruised Humbert along with his three friends.

Craig then noted that Federal Aviation Administration-required ELTs have become a regular topic of discussion among Alaska’s small-plane pilots and Bush fliers due to their expense as the latest 406 MHz ELT device costs US$995 while the Spot device cost around US$150. He further quoted Gary Bennett from Northern Avionics in Anchorage as saying that cost is a major factor that keeps many pilots from switching to the newer device. Moreover:

“AOPA opposes any attempt to mandate or otherwise require the replacement of existing 121.5/243-MHz ELTs with 406-MHz units. AOPA recognizes the benefits that can be derived from the advanced ELTs available today. However, the benefits of advanced ELTs must be balanced against cost and the needs of the individual aircraft owner,” the organization says on its website. “AOPA supports the installation of these more advanced ELTs on a voluntary basis. General aviation is an industry already struggling under the weight of increased regulation and mandated equipage, and the decisions to replace an existing ELT should be left to the discretion of the aircraft owner.”

Luckily for Humbert, both the new 406 MHz ELT device on the aircraft plus his “Spot” device worked and he and his friends were quickly rescued.

Craig’s post then went on to discuss other various emergency locator transmitter options and hence, its well worth reading by pilots everywhere – especially those who fly in remote areas.

More useful aviation acronyms or abbreviations

These useful aviation acronyms or abbreviations come courtesy of Captain Smithy who recently posted them on PPRuNe (Professional Pilots Rumour Network):

SNAFU – Situation Normal, All F’ked Up (Usually referencing mainly to EASA matters)
TAUFU – Totally And Utterly F’ked Up (As above)
FUBAR – F’ked Up Beyond Any Recognition (Referencing the subject of an in-depth AAIB report, or perhaps the aftermath of a person/animal’s rather messy encounter with a moving propeller , etc.)
BOHICA – Bend Over, Here It Comes Again (Metaphorically speaking, what happens to pilots if something bad happens on a regular occurrence, e.g retribution from the CAA for busting CAS, EASA making more silly rules, landing fees/AVGAS increasing in price again, receiving a bollocking from the CFI after a bad incident, a bollocking from the girlfriend/wife for spending more time/money on flying than with her , etc.)
SUSFU – Situation Unchanged, Still F’ked Up (Again, usually applies to EASA matters)

Student flies human-powered "wing-flapping" plane

On both a green aviation and an innovation note, Yahoo! Green has recently reported that a Canadian university student has done what Leonardo da Vinci dreamed of: He piloted a human-powered “wing-flapping” plane called an ornithopter. The machine was actually sketched by da Vinci back in 1485 but it was never actually built.

The ornithopter, nicknamed the Snowbird, was flown by Todd Reichert, an engineering student at the University of Toronto, for 19.3 seconds and covered 475.72 feet. The 92.59 pound machine is made from carbon fiber, balsa wood and foam and it maintained an average speed of 15.91 miles per hour.

The historic flight occurred on August 2, 2010 and apparently its the first officially confirmed flight in an ornithopter. Moreover, Todd and around 30 other students had worked on the aircraft for 4 years and Yahoo! Green noted that:

Todd endured a year-long exercise program in which he lost 18 lbs. to prep for the flight. Because the plane has a wingspan of 104 feet — which is comparable to that of a Boeing 737 — the pilot had to pedal with his legs all while pulling on the wings to flap at the same time. And he had to do it fast enough to fly!

Sadly though, the aircraft will probably never be flown again.

HPO Flight from U of T Engineering on Vimeo.

Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts