Lightspeed Delta Zulu Review

The new Lightspeed Delta Zulu headset not only helps prevent hearing loss, but it also provides pilots with a custom sound profile…to compensate for hearing loss you already have. But probably the best feature is that the headset has a built-in carbon monoxide monitor that is always on when the headset is on. I love that because now I don’t have to remember to pull out and turn on my standalone CO monitor when I fly.

Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Review

Last month I spoke on the AviationNewsTalk.com podcast about Cirrus Aircraft receiving a Production Certificate from the FAA to build their new SF50 Vision Jet. So a week ago, I flew to Knoxville, Tennessee to tour the new Cirrus Customer Experience Vision Center, and to spend some time in the first Cirrus Vision Jet delivered to … Read more

Finally! An Accurate G1000 simulator

Finally there’s a device that so closely mirrors the real Garmin G1000 that I don’t need to make excuses for it. It’s the new GT Glass Trainer from Precision Flight Controls (PFC). Technically, most devices found in flight schools are not flight simulators. The FAA reserves that term for the million dollar devices used to train pilots in turboprops and jets. Most systems found in flight schools are AATDs, or Advanced Aviation Training Devices. The GT Glass Trainer is an AATD.

Enter the GT Glass Trainer. It is low cost compared to other G1000 AATDs, about $25,000, and I estimate it replicates the G1000 with 99.8% accuracy, vastly better than other devices I’ve seen. I’ll discuss why it’s so accurate in a moment.

FlightLink – Lightspeed’s Cockpit Voice Recorder App

One of the best surprises I found at AirVenture 2012 in Oshkosh this summer was FlightLink, an iPhone/iPad app for the Lightspeed Zulu.2 ANR headset. I was surprised, as I couldn’t imagine what kind of app one might create for a headset. Fortunately the people at Lightspeed were more imaginative than I and they created FlightLink, an app for recording cockpit audio on your iPhone or iPad.

BrightLine – Flight Bags for Pilots

The BrightLine flight bag for pilots is clearly the most well thought out design for a flight bag. It absolutely reeks with creativity and innovation. The bag has seemingly dozens of zipper pockets, all of them with color-coded zipper pulls so you can instantly open the right pocket, assuming of course that you remember the colors. It has room for two headsets, but if you only want to carry one, half of the bag can be unzipped and left at home. So you could conceivable divide up the two half bags into one for IFR and one for VFR, or one for the stuff you need when flying at night versus in the day.

There are separate pockets for your sunglasses, a cell phone, a VFR radio, flashlights, a Leatherman tool, charts and more. Coincidentally, the charts pocket is the perfect size for my Apple iPad, which I generally carry instead of paper charts.

Facebook Places Adds Geo-location Service

Facebook Places is a major new geo-location product from Facebook that, starting tomorrow, lets U.S. iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users “check in” to a business location so that friends can see where they are. Further, users can tag friends with them when they check in, which cross posts the location to the friend’s Facebook account. Users can also see a list of people who’ve checked into the same location, even if they’re not a friend.