October 2010

Volume XL
Number 10

The
consumer
resource for
pilots and
aircraft
owners

Cessna 172
Affordable, practical top
used aircraft buy … page 24

Garmin GPS shootout … page 4 LED lamps … page 11 Breathe easy forever … page 18

4 GPS: 696 vs aera 11 led landing lights 18 unlimited o2

No clear winner here, but Lots of improved products That’s the idea behind
aera series is hard to beat make them good picks Inogen’s oxygen generator

8 trainer bargains 15 new ads-b 22 any avgas progress?

Top values are in four-place The boxes are affordable but Not really. It’s now up to ASTM
machines do they have legs? to move the ball
 F IR S T WORD
Editor
Paul Bertorelli Upgrades, Outmodes and open-source flying
MANAGING EDITOR Owners of older Garmin GPS devices who live near our nation’s capital got a
Jeff Van West bit of a surprise recently: The ADIZ boundaries disappeared from their mov-
ing maps. While that’s not exactly an aerial emergency (the D.C. ADIZ doesn’t
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Jeb Burnside
move around) it would come as a bit of a shock to someone who just launched
Jonathan Doolittle on a VFR flight expecting to use the map to stay out of the F-16 zone.
Rick Durden What’s more disturbing, though, is the “why” behind the disappearance. It
Larry Anglisano seems the FAA, and subsequently Jeppesen, changed the way the ADIZ was
coded in their master database. Many popular portables and all non-WAAS
Garmin GNS 400/500-series navigators don’t understand the new coding. Of
subscription department course, a WAAS upgrade will fix the problem. (Will that be check or charge
P.O. Box 420235
card?) The situation conjures an eerie feeling that our cockpit avionics are
Palm Coast, FL 34142-0235
moving the way of our personal computers. You don’t have to upgrade your
800-829-9081
www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
hardware or software every couple years, unless you want to remain compat-
ible with the rest of the world. Call it a forced choice.
For canada Be it hardware or software, this stuff isn’t cheap. We get regular complaints
Subscription Services about the monopoly on data held by either Jeppesen or Garmin for this or that
Box 7820 STN Main cockpit device. It’s usually a shock to owners upgrading to a glass cockpit that
London, ON 5W1 he must add a fat column to his cost spreadsheet titled “subscriptions.”
Canada Into this fray we now have a handful of tiny companies all vying for a
fraction of that subscription budget by offering cockpit information on an
Back Issues, Used Aircraft Guides
203-857-3100
open platform: the iPad. We have to hand it to these folks. Given their re-
sources—these are two- and three-person companies—they are off to a great
Reprints: Aviation Consumer can start. The biggest hurdles are that the iPad was never meant to be a cockpit
provide you or your organization GPS with moving map, and that they don’t have a fraction of the R&D money
with reprints. Minimum order is 1000
copies. Contac t Jennifer Jimolka, that a multinational company has in making a cockpit device. These folks are
203-857-3144 dedicated and highly responsive to their customers, however, and sell their
data and updates at the lowest price they can afford. They have to be all that
AVIATION CONSUMER because it’s so easy to shop around.
(ISSN #0147-9911) is pub- At Oshkosh this summer, Seattle Avionics made an announcement that
lished monthly by Belvoir tossed some more fuel on this fire. They supply data for Aspen PFD/MFDs,
Aviation Group LLC, an Bendix-King portables and several of the iPad companies. Seattle Avionics
affiliate of Belvoir Media bundled the data subscriptions so that if you have it for the Aspen, it’s half-
Group, 800 Connecti-
price for the portable. Buy the data for one iPad aviation app that uses their
cut Avenue, Norwalk, CT
data and you just bought it for all the apps that use their data.
06854-1631. Robert Englander, Chairman
I dream that this is the beginning of open-source data for the cockpit, a
and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, Executive
concept that’s only about 10 years overdue. Now couple this with the (finally)
Vice President, Editorial Director; Philip
widening availability of free FIS-B weather. How long before there’s an add-in
L. Penny, Chief Operating Officer; Greg
for the Aspen system that puts the free weather on the MFD? I don’t know, but
I’ll wager it’s already in the works. I know people are working on this for the
King, Executive Vice President, Marketing
iPad. Unless Garmin has some contractual restriction with XM, I’ll bet they’re
Director; Ron Goldberg, Chief Financial
working on a GPS with a built-in FIS-B receiver. (And if there is contractual
Officer; Tom Canfield, Vice President,
barrier, they’re scheming to get out of it.)
Circulation.
There’s no hope this will work backwards to that 430 in your panel. Existing
sole-source monopolies on data aren’t going away. But backlash on subscrip-
Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT,
tion costs is growing and small vendors wielding iPads are not only offering
and at additional mailing offices. Rev-
some relief, they might be modeling a new way of making this system work.
enue Canada GST Account #128044658.
At least, we can dream that’s what might happen. —Jeff Van West
Subscriptions: $84 annually; single cop-
ies, $10.00. Bulk rate subscriptions for
organizations are available. Copyright ©
2010 Belvoir Aviation Group LLC. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part is prohibited. Printed in the USA.

Postmaster: Send address corrections to

AVIATION CONSUMER, Box 420234, Palm
Coast, Fl 32142. In Canada, P.O. Box 39
Norwich, ON NOJ1PO, Canada. Publishing
Agreement Number #40016479

2 • The Aviation Consumer w

2 w w.av
• w iwatw.
i oav
n co
i atnisounm
coenr.sco
umme r. co m October 2010
 LETTER S

Electrical vs. Mechanical FADEC and the iPad demonstrate them come out with the same policy?
Two articles, plus several letters, in that electrical can indeed trump me- To think that many folks are going to
the August issue might be summa- chanical. I am hopeful that the same pay big bucks to have their engines
rized as “electrical vs. mechanical.” will hold true for powerplants and downrated in order to use 94UL is
The description of the Lycoming IE2 that ultimately we fly behind battery just idiotic.
system again raises the question of power.
why most of us are still flying behind Vince Massimini
antiquated mixture, ignition and en- Daniel Spitzer Kentmorr Airpark, Maryland
gine control systems, when even the Via iPad
most economical compact car sports Lock and Key Retort
electronic ignition, fuel injection and Avgas This letter is intended to voice my
variable spark advance. Nice article in the August edition on concern and/or rebut a recent com-
Clearly, the avia- 100LL. I think you bought out some ment posted in the August 2010 issue
tion industry, of the lesser-known problems of The Aviation Consumer. The article
at least at the with 94UL. on the Lock and Key Navajo was a
level of Remember way fantastic article that gave great insight
GA, has back when we all on my program and was very well
been left had hair, written.
behind. and it was The comment I am concerned with
Could dark colors is on page 22, located in the checklist
an ap- instead of a portion of the page. In the third bul-
preciation thin grey? The let of the checklist you state, “Invest-
of this fact two-seat T-Bird ment required is high and some own-
be one of and the Lee Ia- ers may want to shop turbines before
the reasons that cocca Mustang a bit committing.”
it’s so difficult to later? Back in those I do not disagree that the invest-
convince a young student days, Amoco sold unleaded ment is high, but I do disagree that
pilot to step into an airplane little 100-octane car gas. owners should shop turbines before
different from what his father, and I worked at an Amoco refinery committing. My reasoning is this:
probably grandfather, would have when I was in college and I remem- Our current target market is towards
found familiar? ber that the base stock for the 100 the newer model Barons and Senecas.
I have had the good fortune to unleaded was “Ultraformate,” which If you want to make a comparison
spend the past four years flying the was, of course, made in an ultrafor- to a turbine (early model King Airs)
Continental FADEC system, an IOF- mer. I was a mechanical engineer then you are dealing with apples and
240B. After over 500 hours behind and fixed pumps and valves, so I oranges when you take into consider-
a modern injected engine, with vari- don’t know what was blended with ation our renovation process.
able ignition timing, individually ad- what to make the 100 unleaded.
justed mixture for each cylinder and Now I realize that there are octane continued on page 14
even a second spark plug, I would ratings and there are octane ratings,
never fly much less purchase, a car- but Amoco used to blend 100-oc- co n tac t u s
bureted, magneto-equipped aircraft. tane unleaded gas for cars. It sold
Similarly, it is absurd to maintain as premium gas in the station, but Editorial Office
that if we restrict ourselves to paper was available and not dramatically 941-929-1693
charts, thick approach-plate books more expensive than regular, which E-mail: avconsumer@comcast.net
and NDBs, we’ll be better pilots. had lead at the time. They didn’t
Subscription Department
Progress in aviation is measured in use corn or switchgrass, either. So it P.O. Box 420235
technological leaps and the move to seems that blending 100-octane fuel Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235
electronic flight bags and universal without lead should not be rocket 800-829-9081
GPS would benefit the entire indus- science. (Besides, the rocket guys just
try. use kerosene.) Any info on the old Online Customer Service:
My iPad has a superb built-in GPS, Amoco unleaded 100 octane? www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
for backup use to complement the Per several blogs and notes (yours
installed Garmin. Coupled to Fore- included from Oshkosh), none of Back Issues,
Flight and with charts and approach this is going to go anywhere unless Used Aircraft Guides:
plates updated monthly, I carry in my there is a real threat to remove lead. It 203-857-3100
E-mail: customer_service@
lap far more data that’s far more read- looks like this latest threat is going to
belvoir.com
ily accessed than ever before. (Just peter out, which is what will happen
don’t let the iPad sit in the direct sun to the current effort. For weekly aviation news
on a hot day, lest it overheat and shut Lastly, can we lock Lycoming and updates, see www.avweb.com
down temporarily!) Continental in a dark closet and have
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 3
GPSMap 696 vs. aera: for IFR, that’s exactly what it is. We’ve
heard from a number of pilots and
commercial operators with 696s

No Slam Dunk Winner

semi-permanently mounted as navi-
gators and/or flight libraries. Other
GPS products have this feature, too,
including Bendix/King’s AV8OR and
Anywhere Map’s ATC. At the expense
That’s because the choice depends on how you use of larger size and weight, the 696
allows full view of the chart and,
portable GPS. The 696 is for the serious IFR pilot; the more recently, geo-referencing of the
aera is an all-purpose Swiss Army knife navigator. aircraft position on the plate.
We just said the size and weight
were a disadvantage, but is that fair?
by Paul Bertorelli In a large cockpit, where the 696 is

A
permanently mounted, the weight
lthough there’s plenty of iPad can step in for either one of the won’t matter and the size will be a
portable GPS out there, the Garmins. We’ve been asked this, so plus. In a tight cockpit like a Dia-
market isn’t as competitive we’re examining in it in this article. mond DA20 or an older Mooney, the
as it once was, with Garmin domi- The quick answer is the iPad isn’t a 696’s 5.7 by 7.7 inch overall size is
nating…well, the world. Two of the replacement for the 696, but, as with yoke mountable, but some will find it
hottest the aera, it does a push to do that. At 2.2 pounds, it’s
h e a d - t o - h e a d r e v i e w
products some things— a heavy lump on controls you want to
are both from Garmin, the GPSmap a lot of things—that expensive GPS be able to move without restriction.
696 and the aera series, Garmin’s can’t. The payoff is a large, bright screen
first aviation touchscreen. that’s 6.1 by 3.75 inches and 480
These represent a conundrum for Size is the Thing by 800 pixels. The screen is a back-
buyers in that they have nearly the With an intro price of $3295 (now lit LCD and about as sharp as any
same capability, but at different price discounted to below $3000 at the portables, although the iPad bests
points. And “nearly” isn’t the same as major outlets), the 696 was (and is) it. It runs warm and can be a power
“exactly.” The 696 has some features Garmin’s most expensive portable. hog, thus the 696 is best run on ship’s
the aera doesn’t and vice versa. One If it had in mind an EFB-wannabe, power. At reduced brightness, it will
outlier in this equation is whether the 696 has evolved into that niche, operate for up to eight hours on the
Apple’s large-screen even though it doesn’t do third-party internal battery, so there’s no worry
computing, as some EFBs do. about the 696 coming up short as a
All of Garmin’s recent por- backup. With the XM receiver plugged
tables have included named in, battery life is under three hours.
approach fixes, but the 696 (The GPSMap 695—sold without
was the first to include an XM—retails for $2895 or $2395
actual chart library, using discounted. It’s a good choice if you
the FAA’s AeroNav plates. already have a weather source.)
The 696 also displays jet
and low-altitude airways. If aera
that’s beginning to sound Since it owns the GPS portable
like the 696 is optimized market, Garmin surprised us by

4 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010

following the 696 with a new line of FUNCTION GPSMAP 696 AERA 500 AERA 510 AERA 550 AERA 560
products—the aera. There are four
models in the line ranging from the STREET PRICE $2999 $799 $1299 $1499 $1999
$875 500 to the $1649 550. (See the
chart for discounted prices.) This SIZE OVERALL/ 5.7 x 7.7 x 2.0 5.3 x 3.3x.9 5.3 x 3.3x.9 5.3 x 3.3x.9 5.3 x 3.3x.9
complicates both the basic choice DISPLAY SIZE 3.6 x 6.0 3.8 x 2.25 3.8 x 2.25 3.8 x 2.25 3.8 x 2.25
and the comparison against the 696
WEIGHT 2.18 LBS 9.5 OZ 9.5 OZ 9.5 OZ 9.5 OZ
because the price variation is more
than $2000 from lowest to highest. VOLTAGE RANGE 11-40 VOLTS 11-35 VOLTS 11-35 VOLTS 11-35 VOLTS 11-35 VOLTS
Just to keep things simple, all the
aera models have the same hardware, REMOVABLE REMOVABLE REMOVABLE REMOVABLE REMOVABLE
same basemaps and same naviga- BATTERY TYPE METAL LITHIUM ION LITHIUM ION LITHIUM ION LITHIUM ION
HYDRIDE
tion database. The two lower mod-
els don’t have the detailed high res CLAIMED
8 HOURS MAX 5 HOURS MAX 5 HOURS MAX 5 HOURS MAX 5 HOURS MAX
terrain, AOPA’s airport directory or BATTERY LIFE
the SafeTaxi ground tracking feature. Yoke mount, Yoke mount, Yoke mount, Yoke mount, Yoke mount,
None have Garmin’s FliteCharts, a XM antenna, vehicle fric- XM antenna, power cable, XM antenna,
significant disadvantage for some power cable, tion mount, power cable, AC power power cable,
pilots. Two aeras—the 510 and 560— cover, AC power cable, , AC power adapter, carry AC power
STUFF IN BOX
have XM weather capability, the other power adapt- one free data adapter, one case, one adapter, carry
er, one free upate. free data year free data case, one
two don’t. All of the aeras are shipped
data upate. upate. upate. year free data
with ground nav capability for the upate.
U.S. and Canada, but only the two
top models are FM ground-traffic XM WEATHER
capable. The 696, by the way, doesn’t
come with the road maps and it won’t
TRAFFIC
do FM traffic.
PLUG-IN
Next to price, the next major point
of departure is size. Overall, the aeras APPROACH
are 5.3 by 3.3 by .9 inches—about PLATES
60 percent smaller than the 696. The
display measures 3.8 by 2.2 at 480 APPROACH
by 272 pixels. Plan on smudging that FIXES
crisp display with your greasy fingers AIRWAY
because the aeras are touchscreen DEPICTION
controlled, compared to the 696’s
keys, rockers and a joystick. GROUND
NAVIGATION
Function to Function
In our view, the right way to look VOICE PROMPTS
(GROUND)
at this analysis is to compare func-
tion first, then price. You can decide YOKE
what’s important, then dicker with MOUNTABLE
yourself on how much you’re willing
to pay. (You can dicker on ebay, too, OPERATING
as these products occasionally show LOGIC EASE
up used.)
TERRAIN
Both have essentially the same DATABASE
WAAS-capable GPS engine to deliver
nav data to a functional display. HI-RES
Beyond that, the similarities are less TERRAIN
intertwined. The 696 has a larger and
more flexible moving map, although TERRAIN
ALERTING
it’s not necessarily more detailed.
It can be highly customized to
show just the map or the map com- SAFETAXI
bined with Garmin’s flight panel
page that shows aircraft attitude and HSI/PANEL PAGE
performance through GPS-derived
data or various combinations. Data
SUNLIGHT
fields can also be customized. The READABILITY
696’s joystick/cursor knob scrolls
through the map, waypoint, terrain
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 5
The same, but different
aera 696





The 696 and aera do similar functions, but you get at

them differently. Step through the choices with aera’s
home key () to make selections on the home page
(). On the 696, use the joystick ( ) to scroll the 
choices () listed on the bottom of the page.

and XM choices. Scale selection is via It’s just simpler

a range rocker.By comparison, the aera logic than the 696. The touchscreen navigator in that you string together
has similar maps, but to step through itself works well, but can be dodgy at a bunch of waypoints in the active
them requires an excursion through times, requiring two or three stabs to plan, then fly it or save it for later.
the home key. The choices are map, get the command. (The iPad is just Waypoints can be scrolled in or
terrain and the HSI panel. As with the the reverse—it accepts unintended selected off the map by slewing to
696, you can customize data fields commands.) For waypoints and other them with the joystick. Approaches
and detail level, but you can’t split data input, the aeras have a gener- are complete with all named fixes.
the screen, with the panel page on ous virtual keyboard that makes data Both the aeras and 696 access the
top, say, and the map on the bottom. input less tedious than with the 696’s flightplan function through a dedicat-
It’s just not large enough. Two in/out knob/joystick, but the joystick yields ed key, but the aeras handle waypoint
virtual keys do the scaling. fewer errors, in our experience. insertion a little differently, requiring
The 696 sports 12 keys, seven a menu step if the navigator already
Control Input/Logic dedicated and five soft keys whose has an active flightplan or waypoint.
The aeras aren’t just the previous functions differ with the display Waypoints have to be typed in, you
navigators with touchscreens instead mode selected. We hadn’t used the can’t insert them by scrolling the
of knobs. They work differently, hav- 696 in over a year and were pleasantly map. But you can insert a named
ing more in common with computers surprised at how much quicker it is approach, with the option of entering
and smartphones than panel or even to navigate some functions than the at an initial approach fix or vectors to
previous portables. aeras are. There’s no need to double final. Both units store flightplans in a
The aera map page has only four or triple tickle a stubborn key and you bin listing them by name, where they
virtual keys: the two scale keys, a don’t have to step back through the can be edited or reversed.
menu key and the home key. The home key for function changes.
menu key is for customization IFR Ops
and settings, the home key to step Flightplans/Approaches On this count, the 696 excels, thanks
through a dozen options of various Here, the two have similar capabil- to its preloaded Garmin FliteCharts,
kinds. These are logical and easy to ity—to a point. The 696’s flightplan
master even without the manual. logic is like the 430/530 panel continued on page 32

6 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010

CONTENDER or PRETENDER? FUNCTION GPSMAP 696 iPAD

iPAD vs gpsmap696 STREET PRICE $2999 $629-$829

For this analysis, we rejiggered our sively capable. We’ll review it in detail SIZE OVERALL/ 5.7 x 7.7 x 2.0 7.25 x 8.25 x.5
DISPLAY SIZE 3.6 x 6.0 5.8 x 7.7
chart to put the iPad on a level field later, but it offers a high-res moving
with the GPSmap 696, which is anoth- map and a display that can be tiled WEIGHT 2.18 LBS 1.5 LBS
er way of saying we’re caving to the to show the map in one section, an
VOLTAGE RANGE 11-40 VOLTS 5 VOLTS
whining shrieks of the Mac fanboys. approach plate in another and airport
Having gotten that off our chests, data in another. REMOVABLE
SEALED
we can honestly say the iPad makes It’s configured by flight segment BATTERY TYPE METAL
BATTERY
a credible run against the more ex- so in the takeoff phase, you see the HYDRIDE
pensive 696, but because of a couple map on one tile, airport and approach CLAIMED
8 HOURS MAX 10 HOURS
of key weaknesses, it doesn’t match freqs on another. In cruise phase, you BATTERY LIFE
it. Yet. First, the iPad’s strengths. It’s can devote the entire map to the dis-
XM WEATHER
a killer plate reader. The super sharp play. It will store and fly flight plans,
screen renders plates in crisp detail but approaches aren’t listed by name,
TRAFFIC
and there are several chart vendors as on the 696. Not bad, but not up to PLUG-IN
for AeroNav products, plus Jeppesen 696 standards, either. (At a third the
is out with its Mobile TC reader. We’ll price, you get what you pay for.) APPROACH
review these later, but the iPad blows The iPad’s GPS function, isn’t as PLATES
everything away in this category. robust as the 696’s. During our tests APPROACH
For pre-flight planning, several last spring, it lost lock several times FIXES
apps are strong players, including and on a long trip to Oshkosh in July,
AIRWAY
ForeFlight and WingX. As we report- its positioning proved too iffy to
DEPICTION
ed in the July 2010 issue, the iPad is inspire confidence. Although there
competent for text weather getting are terrain display apps for the iPad— GROUND
and so-so for imagery. It can do this SkyRadar is one—they don’t offer NAVIGATION
from the comfort of your hotel room the sophisticated warning functions
VOICE PROMPTS
or the FBO lounge, which the 696 that the Garmin navigators do. These (GROUND)
can’t do easily. IPad: plus one. apps may get there, but they aren’t
On the other hand, the 696 can there yet. SkyRadar also has a traffic YOKE
MOUNTABLE
suck in near real-time NEXRAD data app that relies on a portable ADS-B
via XM Radio and the iPad can’t. OPERATING
That’s a major weakness, in our view. continued on page 32 LOGIC EASE
Using its 3G celluar connection, the
TERRAIN
iPad can pull in weather data on the
DATABASE
fly, but we found it hit or miss.
Even when it is tracking 3G, the HI-RES
data isn’t as good as XM’s. It’s TERRAIN
workable, not exceptional. But TERRAIN
when you want inflight weather, ALERTING
you usually want it badly. That’s
no time for a system that isn’t reli- SAFETAXI
able, which XM—despite warts—
generally is.
HSI/PANEL PAGE
As for an inflight moving
map, WingX released its Pro7
SUNLIGHT
app just after our July review READABILITY
and we would call it impres-
WX BRIEFING/
FLIGHT PLAN
*Dogs Playing Poker is FILING
meant merely as an ana-
log to show the iPad’s vast MUSIC/VIDEO
range of apps and thus its
profound cultural influence. DOGS
PLAYING POKER*

October 2010 w w w.aviat i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 7

 m a rk e t Sc a n Since our staff can’t agree, we leave it
to you and the instructor you must

Trainer Bargains:
convince to fly with you which sub-
$15,000 trainer is best.
Interestingly, the Tomahawk is

Go For Four-Seaters
the only contender we turned up
where accident history came up as a
decisive factor.

For Five Thousand More

While the cheapest deals are the classic two-seat Push the envelope into the $15K-
$25K range and there are some
trainers, the best values are in older four-seaters, excellent deals. Now you can get a
especially Piper Cherokees and Grumman cats. late-model Cessna 150 for around
$18,000. Not as flashy or quite as fast
as the 152, there are some excellent
by Jeff Van West 150s that have been upgraded with

O
modern avionics and interiors. These
nce a upon a time in aviation, into travel or an instrument rating if obviously cost more than average,
trainers were always two-seat you want. but we see a clear price advantage to
aircraft that wedged instruc- a late-model 150 versus an early 152.
tor and student into near-intimate Under a Buck and a Half The Beech Skipper is often con-
proximity. But things have changed You can buy decent, two-seat train- fused with the Tomahawk, but the
and it’s not uncommon for student ing machine for under $15,000. The Skipper is a different design and
pilots to pony up over $300,000 for two leading contenders are an older handles well. Not many were made,
four-seat cruisers they plan to use for Cessna 150 and a Piper Tomahawk, so they are hard to find and may be
private and instrument training. and the staff here is split on which hard to sell. The Skipper has some
That’s nice for the well-heeled; is a better choice. On paper, it’s a oddities of landing and Beech parts
those of us who missed the last eco- no-brainer: The Tomahawk is newer, can be pricey, yet it could make for a
nomic bubble but not the pop that faster, cheaper and it blows away the good buy.
followed need another plan. It can Cessna in interior comfort and vis- Another sleeper in this class is the
still make sense to purchase an air- ibility. Obviously there’s a catch: The American General AA-1B. It’s fast,
craft you plan to train in. We looked Piper might kill you. comfortable and carries more weight
at purchase and operation with an The Tomahawk has a bad reputa- than the others in this class. It’s also
eye toward owning the machine for tion as getting into unrecoverable the sportiest in handling. With the
a while, or having a good chance at stalls and spins during training— right instructor, the AA-1B will teach
selling it for less than a catastrophic which is exactly what you’re buying good habits for speed and aircraft
loss. the airplane for. The hard numbers control that might be just the ticket
To that end, we’ve simplified and on accidents don’t completely sup- for someone whose long-range goals
eliminated taildraggers and some port this. There were issues, but are a high-performance single. It’s
real rarities like the Ercoupe. Don’t most seem to have been resolved by critical you get a pre-purchase in-
start whining. We’re all for training changes imposed by AD. Nonethe- spection by someone expert in these
in a Champ, but insurance can be less, it’s not the best stall/spin design airframes, however. Prices have been
expensive and it can’t be leveraged ever made and the stigma remains. steady of the AA-1B for some time,
so its resale value should be good.
While there are inexpensive 172s
in this price block, they are the old-
est ones, usually sparsely appointed
and VFR only.

The Low 20s

As the target price crosses $20,000,
older, four-seat aircraft become a
possibility. The increased space and
versatility that affords may make
them a smarter purchase for some
buyers. There’s no guarantee you’ll
be able to turn over your airplane

In several price brackets, the Piper

Cherokee variants lead the pack in
total value for the dollar.
8 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
The market for trainers at multiple price points
As one pilot’s bargain is another pilot’s pipe dream, we’ve deal—so long as it won’t keep plummeting. That seems gen-
broken down our findings by price category. The items are erally to be the case. For example, the price of a 1984 Cessna
best bets, in our opinion. 172 dropped 39 percent, but that was almost entirely be-
We’ve also included the five-year price trend. This is a bit tween 2005 and 2008. Some aircraft, such as the AA-1A and
of a double-edged sword. A big drop could mean a good the Cheetah have held nearly level despite the downturn.

Under $15,000 Current price 5-year trend Comments

1981 Piper Tomahawk $13,500 -16% The Piper is newer, faster, more comfortable
and cheaper than the same-priced Cessna, but
1969 Cessna 150 $14,750 -12%
has a reputation for stall/spin problem. In both
cases, watch out for run-out engines as the
overhaul could exceed the value of the aircraft.

$15,000-$20,000 Current price 5-year trend Comments

1980 Beech Skipper $17,000 -26% A solid Cessna 150 is hard to beat
and you can sell it with ease when
1975 Cessna 150 $17,250 -8%
you trade up. The AA-1B is sporty
1959 Cessna 172 $19,000 -25% for a trainer, but that’s a plus if
your vision is something like a
1976 American Gen. AA-1B Trainer $19,500 0% Cirrus SR22. Prices have been
good, yet steady, so resale is
1969 Beech Musketeer Sport $19,500 -12% promising.
1959 Piper Tri-Pacer $19,750 +4%

$20,000-$25,000 Current price 5-year trend Comments

1980 Cessna 152 II $22,000 -15% You can’t go wrong on
a nice, late-model 152.
1963 Cessna 172 $23,000 -18%
The Cherokee, however,
1970 Piper Cherokee 140 $24,000 -16% offers more space and
better performance for
1968 Beech Musketeer Super III $25,000 -19% essentially the same price.

$25,000-$35,000 Current price 5-year trend Comments

1968 Cessna 172 $28,000 -16% All four of these aircraft are
really winners, but for different
1978 Piper Warrior II $31,000 -28%
reasons. We think you’re likely
1996 Diamond Katana A1 $32,000 -22% to get the best deal overall—
condition, avionics, times—on
1977 American Gen. AA-5A Cheetah $35,000 -5% Piper in this price range.

$35,000-$45,000 Current price 5-year trend Comments

1987 Socata Tobago $37,000 -43% With later models, the value
delta between Pipers and
1979 Cessna 172 $39,000 -30%
Cessnas seems to even out,
1986 Piper Warrior II $39,000 -32% perhaps even favoring the
Cessna due to sheer numbers
1984 Cessna 172 $44,000 -39% of aircraft available.

October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 9

 “Bargain” and “glass-cockpit” still
don’t go together. LSA or certified,
prices are north of $100K and data
subscriptions add an additional
operating expense.

Depending how much past

$35,000 you’re planning to go, the
American General Tiger becomes an
option as well as the Piper Archer.
The Archer can be a terrific buy as
we’ve seen several that had top-
drawer avionics lavished upon them.
Cessna 182s are a possibility, but
we’re not sure their handling and
fuel burn make them a desirable
primary trainer. They make a good
instrument platform, of course.
There is one two-seater you’ll find
several of in the high $50K range.
quickly when you feel the need to visibility and excellent handling. That’s the Diamond Katana C1 with
move up to four seats or want to toss The Katana A1 has an anemic climb, the Continental IO-240. It’s a terrific
camping gear in the back. however. There are some Katana performer and trainer with an hon-
A late-model Cessna 152 or a 100s out there, which were upgraded est 125-knot cruise speed if you want
mid-60s 172 can be had for the to 100 HP. With so many LSAs using to travel. The downside is that it’s
same price and often comparably the Rotax, getting maintenance for it not legal for IMC flight, so practical
equipped. That said, a pre-1968 is not nearly the task it once was. travel (and IFR training) is limited.
172s have a six-cylinder Continen- We think the best overall values While the LSA movement was sup-
tal O-300 that’s more to operate or at this price are the Piper Warrior posed to be about budget flying, the
repair than the bulletproof Lycom- IIs. Dollar for dollar, they tend to be dollar signs are still too high for this
ing in the 152. If we were certain the the better equipped, in better shape roundup. The cheapest of the used
craft was for just training or one-per- or a decade newer than same-priced LSA makes that we have gotten good
son travel purposes, we’d favor the Cessna 172s. The 172s in this range reports on are used Allegros in the
152. It’ll also be a much easier resale are the Lycoming-powered ones, so $50K-$65K range.
if you trade up. the maintenance and operating cost
The best deal, however, may be delta is less than in cheaper Piper- Buy the Best You Can
the Piper Cherokee 140. It’s a bit Cessna match-ups. Good IFR plat- Sound advice in most big-purchase
faster than either Cessna (and obvi- forms, some with older GPS, can be decisions of any kind is to buy the
ously more roomy than the 152). found with patience. best you can afford with what’s a rea-
Our scan of what’s on the market Again we see the American Gen- sonable price range for you. The air-
also showed the Cherokee 140s often eral line as a sleeper worth consider- craft market is still molasses slow, so
having better avionics, paint and ing. The average price for a AA5A a patient buyer can score an excellent
interiors than 172s of the same price. Cheetah falls just inside this catego- deal given enough time and effort.
You’re also much more likely to find ry. While you might get more plane Looking across the board, though,
a low-time Piper 140 than any com- for the buck in a Piper, the Cheetah, we think the Piper Cherokee 140
parable Cessna. While technically a will be faster and, some might say, or less-expensive Warriors are the
four-seat aircraft, it’s best suited for just cooler. If your trainer will turn best trainer deals out there. Hot on
two people and some cargo. A 140 into a traveling machine, don’t over- their heels are the AA-1A and AA-5A.
with a Garmin 430 GPS and autopi- look the Cheetah. Given that once you buy the bird,
lot isn’t unheard of, although those you may have it for a while, the ver-
are priced in the next category up. $35K and Beyond satility of extra space makes sense.
The field starts to get quite wide Here’s one last tip: Try to find an
Best Deals in the 30s when you cross $35,000, and we’re aircraft that already has the avion-
The sweet spot of our research seems beginning to get beyond many ics you want. For older airframes, an
to be in the $25,000-$35,000 range. people’s idea of “budget.” The value interior teardown might be needed
The only two-seater up here is the advantage the Piper Cherokee line for rewiring just to get one new GPS/
Rotax-powered Diamond Katana. dwindles to non-existence at this COM to work right. In choosing be-
It’s a bit of an oddball, but worth price. There are also more 172s to tween a newer bird with older radios
considering, if you can find one. The choose from. The Socata Tobago is versus a clean, but tired, airframe
chief advantages are excellent fuel also priced here. It’s not fast, but it’s sporting a new audio panel and late-
economy of 110 knots on 4.5 GPH solid, comfortable and worth a look model GPS, the latter would be the
(automotive gas if you want), terrific if you like being a bit different. walk-away choice.
10 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 a i r c r a f t u pg r a d e s c h e ck l i s t

Overall, the lamps have

LED Landing Lights: improved noticeably

since we tried them last.

Worth the Expense It’s better to think of

them as recognition
lights that double as
landing light rather than
as expensive bulbs.
These products have multiplied and improved since
For owners who don’t fly
we last examined them.Top picks are AeroLED’s much, we would say skip
SunSpot and Whelan Parmetheus. the expense of LEDs.

by Paul Bertorelli

I
n case you haven’t noticed, the plication. However, even at those aluminized reflector and the 36 is
compact fluorescent bulb—once prices, a LED landing light might actually the lamp diameter ex-
the darling of the green energy make sense for some owners. pressed in increments of 1/8 inch,
set—is dead meat. It’s soon to be thus the PAR 36 is 4.5 inches in
displaced by cheaper, brighter and LED Tech diameter.)
more efficient light emitting diode Recent breakthroughs in LED manu- Five of the lights we tried were
technology. The same has happened facturing have brought prices down, PAR 36 equivalents, more or less.
in automotive lighting and many new improved efficiency and output and It’s more or less because although
light sport aircraft have LED nav and also increased the range of colors the diameters are the same as the
landing lights. Legacy certified air- the lamps can output. Unfortu- 4509, the depth may not be, due
craft would probably have more LED nately, the industry standard GE to the LED heat sink on the back
technology too, if the FAA hadn’t 4509 PAR 36 that the vast majority that keeps the diodes from frying.
worked so hard to chill the market by of airplanes have as landing lights This is a sensitive point that Whel-
raising expensive certification hoops. is neither the most reliable nor best an’s Jeff Argersinger says must be
Nonetheless, a few hardy com- bulb going. (PAR refers to parabolic explained and it’s the reason that
panies have created LED prod- brightness measurements alone
ucts—landing and taxi lights and don’t tell the full story about LEDs.
nav lights—for the aftermarket. One characteristic of LEDs is
The market has actually expanded that they can be driven harder to
slightly since we last examined produce more light and some de-
these products a year-and-a-half signs do exactly that. To keep the
ago. Moreover, we expect to see LEDs from burning up, a larger,
more products for the certified mar- more efficient—that may mean
ket during the next couple of years, deeper—heat sink is used on
mirroring the emerging trend in all the back of the lamp.
segments of the lighting market. That means it may or
For this report, we tried seven may not fit the same
LED products, all but one being mount that housed
pitched as landing or taxi the original 4509. The
lights. Our impression is selection of lamps we
that companies have im- tested were all of vary-
proved the performance ing depths and all but
of LEDs to the extent two were deeper than a
that they’re no longer 4509. The exceptions—
just curiosities. Howev- Whelan’s 12 LED
er, they remain expen- Parmetheus product,
sive—as much as which is actually
20 times more ½ inch shallower
than an incandes- than a 4509 and the
cent bulb intended AeroLED SunSpot.
for the same ap- The Laminar Flow

October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 11

 All LEDs have rear-mounted heat sinks to protect the diodes from overheat-
ing. The trick is make them shallow enough so that a replacement lamp is
no deeper than the 4509 it replaces. Whelen managed this in the Parme-
thus, above. All but one of the LEDs are polarized, but Teledyne’s Alpha-
beam, mi ddle photo, is not. AeroLEDs SunSpot, lower, sports five leads,
allowing installation as a flasher or wig-wag.

applications have been directly AeroLED told us some of its

tested and, if there’s any doubt that products have been installed under
yours is among them, ask about Form 337 approval but also noted
return policies. We doubt if any that some FSDOs have refused to
companies would refuse returns on approve this. For its Alphabeam,
lamps that don’t fit. Teledyne is pursuing a PMA, even
though the 4509 it replaces doesn’t
Approvals have one.
This is a sticky point for LED re- Frankly, since there’s no clear
placements, although it shouldn’t guidance prohibiting it, we would
be. The FARs are utterly open-ended be inclined to simply install the
about lighting requirements for light bulb as though it were a 4509 and
aircraft. Here’s the entire spiel from let the cards fall where they may.
FAR 23.1383: Each taxi and landing Here’s a summary of the products
light must be designed and installed we examined.
so that: (a) No dangerous glare is
visible to the pilots. (b) The pilot Teledyne Alphabeam
is not seriously affected by hala- Teledyne’s Light and Display Prod-
tion. (c) It provides enough light ucts specializes in advanced LED
for night operations. (d) It does lighting systems for various indus-
not cause a fire hazard in any tries. It got into the landing light
configuration. (Halation is the game the same way other compa-
undesirable spreading of the light nies have launched aviation prod-
beam.) ucts—someone on staff was a pilot
Seems simple enough, but all and saw an opportunity.
the LED manufacturers told us Teledyne engineer George Pana-
that various regional FAA Aircraft gotacos is a pilot and operator
Certification Offices have nonethe- of an aircraft maintenance shop
vproduct, less dreamed up additional testing with his brother and saw a way to
depending on how it’s mounted, requirements and at least one has leverage the company’s expertise
might also be shallower than a both refused to provide an approval in LEDs into the aviation business.
4509. path while also declining to provide The divisions launch product is the
In our estimation, the LED lamps suggestions for a test program that Alphabeam, a highly engineered
in this group are likely to fit most would yield such a path. direct, drop-in replacement for the
applications, especially if the space Moreover, landing light bulbs are GE 4509.
behind the existing conventional not TSO’d—although strobes are— Panagotacos told us that the
lamps is open and unobstructed by and it’s not clear that a PMA of any Alphabeam’s light pattern is almost
the mount hardware. kind is required to replace a bulb. identical to the 4509 but more sym-
Before buying any of these prod- Whelan is, nonetheless, planning an metrical and slightly broader. We
ucts, we would advise asking the STC approval process for its Par- see this as a good thing, because at
manufacturer about what specific metheus bulb. 6 degrees of width horizontally, the
12 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 light intensity (lux)
q4509 (10)
4509 is considered somewhat over- Spruce is $325 and it should be
laminar flow (3.6)
focused—it’s like looking at the dark available later this year.
whelan taxi (3.2)
world through a toilet paper tube. 300 feet
The Alphabeam—and other LEDs— Whelan Parmetheus aeroled (1.3)
address that, at the slight expense of Whelan has been in the aircraft whelan
parmethus(1.06)
not having the distance punch. lighting game since 1952 and teledyne alpha-
beam (.7)
A principle challenge in designing its rotating beacons are all but
electronic (NIL)
effective LED landing lights is focus- the industry standard. Whelan
ing the light output and balancing has a rapidly expanding line of 0 10 15 20 25 30

beam width against distance focus. LED products and not just in light intensity (lux)
The Alphabeam does this through aviation. q4509 (93)
technology called total internal It has its own version of TIR 100 feet
laminar flow (29)
reflection, or TIR. This method in a new product called the whelan taxi (23
surrounds each LED emitter with Parmetheus which, like the
aeroled (14.4)
a sophisticated reflector system Alphabeam, is intended as a
whelan
that aims emissions from four-LED direct 4509 replacement. It’s parmethus(11.2)
groups into a cogent whole. available in both landing light teledyne alpha-
beam (7.6)
Temperature control is also a version with a 10-degree beam electronic .3)
critical issue with LEDs and relates and a spreader taxi version with
0 50 100 150
directly to light output. The Alpha- a 40-degree beam.
beam has a robust heat sink, mak- What’s most noticeable light intensity (lux)
ing it ¼ inch deeper than a typical about this lamp is its size—it’s q4509 (272)

4509. (4509s actually vary a little, only 1.75 inches deep, so it’s laminar flow (66)

depending on manufacturer.) The more compact than the 4509 it aeroled (57)
device has a peak draw of 45 watts replaces. That means it ought whelan taxi (48)
at any voltage between about 10 and to fit any mount, with no whelan
40, but typically runs at about 35 interference. Whelan projects a parmethus(40)

watts. 10,000-hour operating life for teledyne alpha-

beam (40)
50 feet
As its temperature rises, the bulb’s the Parmetheus and it carries a electronic 1.5)
thermal protection circuitry folds three-year warranty, meaning 0 100 200 300 400 150
the power output back to protect the it’s essentially a lifetime bulb.
light intensity (lux)
LED junctions, although it’s unclear It’s available from Spruce in
q4509 (490)
if this make a visible difference 14- or 28-volt versions for $239
laminar flow (223)
in light output. Teledyne says the to $268.
projected lifetime of the lamp is a aeroled (208)

minimum of 5000 hours. (During AeroLEDs whelan

parmethus(130)
25 feet
our tests, the Alphabeam’s heat sink When we last examined LEDs, teledyne alpha-
beam (115)
got too hot to handle, as did most of we complained about an over
whelan taxi (59)
the lamps.) wide beam width that spread
electronic (7.2)
It’s non-polarized, so you can’t fry the light too much to make out
it by incorrect polarity. Retail price distant detail. So AeroLEDs 0 200 400 600 800

of the Alphabeam through Aircraft sent us a new product, with a

BENCH TRIAL
Pictures hardly do justice to the difference between the Q4509, left, and SUMMARY
Whelan’s taxi light, right. The 4509 is brighter and has longer reach, but To gain a sense
its narrow beam misses the fringes. Tle LED is a cooler blue, with fewer of how light out-
put among the
harsh shadows and a wider,more balanced beam. LEDs varied, we
set up reflective
targets at 25, 50,
100 and 300 feet. With the lamps
shining downrange, we measured
light levels with a lumens meter.
The values represent the bright-
est parts of the beams, which
we found by sampling on the
observed centerline and five feet
either side of it. From these data,
we picked the highest values. Al-
though measured output varied
substantially, perceived illumina-
tion of targets was more even.

October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 13

 Of the three other products we diminutive Electronic Landing Light
ContactS tried, only one is intended as a 4509 appears hobbled by its small size
replacement. That’s the 12-LED lamp and, in any case, it’s suitable only for
Aircraft Spruce and Speciality from Laminar Flow Systems. We experimental aircraft.
www.aircraftspruce.com don’t have a price on this yet, but it
877-477-7823 also includes a flashing function and, Conclusion
uniquely, a cooling fan to force air We like these products and even
AeroLEDs through the heat sink. though they’re expensive, we think
www.aeroleds.com Also from Spruce is a $529 product they deliver value through their
208-850-3294 called the Electronic Landing Light, longevity, flexible beam width and
a German-made unit intended for favorable color temperature. Because
Laminar Flow Systems the experimental or LSA market. At 3 they’re so much more expensive than
www.laminarflowsystems.com inches in diameter, it’s too small for conventional incandescents, we think
888-327-8140 the 4509 mount but might be useful the right way to look at them is as
elsewhere. It has a blinding, attention- always-on recognition systems that
Malibu Aerospace getting red flasher that will leave you double as landing lights, not the re-
www.malibuaerospace.com seeing spots. verse. Even if you fly only in daylight,
877-662-5428 Last, we took a look at a new LED these products deliver benefits. If you
wingtip taxi light package from Mali- fly under 50 hours a year, justifying
Whelen Engineering Co. Inc. bu Aerospace. This is a developmental the expense might be a reach.
www.whelen.com product intended solely for Piper’s PA- Our top price-is-no-object pick is
860-526-9501 46 line. It’s priced at about $1700. the AeroLED SunSpot, since it’s bright
and includes a flasher. If we’re going
Field Trials to have LEDs, we want the flasher
narrower beam and it reports it will The graphic on page 13 shows how we option. The Laminar Flow is a good
soon introduce new products that are set up our test range. While brightness pick, too, but it isn’t in production
brighter still. is not the final arbiter of LED effec- yet. The best value option without a
The product we tried—the 16-LED tiveness, it’s not irrelevant, either. And flasher? Hands down, it’s Whelan’s
SunSpot—is intended as a combina- bluntly, measured against a Q4509, Parmetheus. It’s a good performer at
tion landing/taxi/recognition light, the LEDs hardly hold a candle , so to a reasonable price and its small size
which qualifies it as the most fea- speak. But the 4509’s brighter beam is means it will fit any mount.
ture packed of all the products. (At also hot yellow and narrowly focused,
$469.50 from Spruce, it ought to be.)
Where the other lamps have two or
so it misses illuminating things you’d
want to see­—perhaps a deer darting
Letters
three leads, the SunSpot sports five. It across the runway or the protruding (continued from page 3)
can be configured as a landing light, a tail of an airplane.
single flashing recognition light or, if LEDs are typically in the 6500
used with another SunSpot, a wig-wag Kelvin range—much bluer—than the If you renovated an early model
setup. At 1.25 inches deep, it’s the 2500 Kelvin of incandescent bulbs. King Air, for example, and went
shallowest of the lamps we tried and This produces an effect closer to through the same renovation pro-
ought to fit about any mount. daylight and although objects may cesses as I do in our Lock and Key
not stand out more, they’re easier to program, then you could compare
Other Options resolve, in our view. Viewed from the the investment apples to apples. In
business end, they stand out better this case, the same King Air would be
AC TV in sunlight as a recognition light and approximately $2 million dollars vs.
especially conspicuous when flashing. our $795,000 base price.
Moreover, the 4509’s sharp-edged You would also need to take into
spotlight misses things outside its il- consideration the vast differences in
lumination cone, making it a terrible operating cost. I truly believe that
taxi light. All the LEDs we tried had a the comparison to a turbine is inac-
broader beam and illuminated things curate simply due to the apples to or-
the 4509 missed at a slight expense of anges comparison. If you took each
distance illumination. aircraft (or any twin-engine turbine
Ranked in brightness, the Laminar for that matter) and put them on the
For a dramatic video comparison Flow led the group, with the Whelan same playing field (avionics, paint,
of the landing lights tested in this Products and AeroLEDs in the middle interior, engine times, prop times,
article, log on to our sister publica- and the Alphabeam and Electronic systems renovations, gear overhauls)
Landing Light trailing. But perceived then one could easily discern the dif-
tion, www.avweb.com and click the
brightness, well, that’s a different ferences in investment.
video button in the upper right of story. You can see a barely noticeable
the home page. Scroll down to the difference between the brightest and Mike Jones
LED landing light video. dimmest bulbs, but we can’t honestly President/Owner
say it’s much of a distinction. The Mike Jones Aircraft Sales
14 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 A v i o n i cs r e v i e w c h e ck l i s t

More ADS-B solutions

points to market compe-
tition for price lowering.

You can benefit from

ADS-B now with available
products.

Some products won’t

meet the mandate.

Mixing non-certified
products with panel-
mount gear is a regula-
tory unknown.

Low-Cost ADS-B:
go the uncertain ADS-B distance.
FreeFlight openly admitted that
low-end and non-certified products
spawned from this process will be

Trig Avionics, NavWorx useful, but temporary solutions.

They have a first-hand look at what it
takes to meet the ADS-B TSO.
The FreeFlight product line con-
sists of the RANGR 978MHz-series
New ADS-B products are appearing on the market, of datalink systems. The RANGR line
offers several reasonably low-cost,
showing hope for affordable solutions. But will today’s lightweight solutions for becom-
low-cost options meet tomorrow’s requirements? ing ADS-B compliant and adding
datalink traffic and weather to the
cockpit. FreeFlight told us their
by Larry Anglisano RANGR 978MHz solution will be

I
fully ADS-B compliant, will meet the
n all the years we’ve been cover- view. The company provide high-end requirements of the mandate, can be
ing avionics, no piece of technol- GPS products to numerous markets installed easily with an STC provided
ogy has been more confusing, (including aviation) and has ADS-B by FreeFlight Systems and offers both
uncertain and changeable as ADS-B. products expected to be TSO’d by datalink and traffic benefits with the
While NextGen may be the epitome year’s end. The products are UAT- transceiver models. Further, they
of force-fed government technology, based, which is 978 MHz in and out offer an “E” version of the RANGR
you’ll eventually need to comply for weather and traffic. product for the experimental market
with an ADS-B mandate. When we spoke with FreeFlight’s designed for upgrade to a fully-TSO’d
The equipage mandate is still on Jamie Luster, we sensed
schedule for the year 2020. That’s a a dedication to bring to
Trig Avionics leads for the moment on low-cost,
long time given the rapidly changing market products that
nature of avionics. Buying equip- meet the FAA’s stringent space-saving solutions that at least comply with
ment now is risky, yet the race for af- specifications while ADS-B out­—the part required by 2020. Sev-
fordable ADS-B solutions has begun. ensuring the consumer eral systems can display on portables or panel-
Some are even introducing low-cost buys a product that will mounts, such as the NavWorx System on the
portable ADS-B products, an idea SkyVision Xtreme,
that’s putting consumers at ease.
Which low-cost products will shown above.
withstand the scrutiny of the
FAA and the test of time?
We don’t know. But here are
some contenders.

FreeFlight Systems
Texas-based FreeFlight shows
the most promise for a certified and
compliant ADS-B solution, in our
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 15
 MANUFACTURER PRICE MODE COMMENTS with remote receivers
through ARINC and
NAVWORX
Serial data. The units
ADS600 $1495 UAT Receiver only, ARINC interface $200 extra are diversity-capable
ADS600-B $2495 UAT Receiver/Transmitter, ARINC interface $200 extra for connecting with top
PADS-600 $1495 UAT Portable for experimental applications, Bluetooth and bottom L-Band
FreeFlight Systems
antennas.
Prices vary across the
RANGR TRANSCEIVER W/GPS $6995 UAT ADS-B in and out, Full up system
line, so reference the
RANGR TRANSCEIVER ONLY $4995 UAT ADS-B in and out, Requires GPS chart on page 17. Also
RANGR TRANSMITTER W/GPS $6295 UAT ADS-B out w/integral GPS note that UAT products
RANGR TRANSMITTER ONLY $3795 UAT ADS-B out only are only for aircraft that
fly below 18,000 feet—
RANGR-E TRANSCEIVER W/GPS $3495 UAT Experimental version in/out, Upgradeable, Integral GPS
at least for ADS-B out
RANGR-E TRANSMITTER ONLY $1995 UAT Experimental version ADS-B out only compliance.
RANGR-E TRANSMITTER W/GPS $2995 UAT Experimental version ADS-B out only, Integral GPS
RANGR-E TRANSCEIVER $2495 UAT Experimental version ADS-B in and out TRIG Avionics
TRIG Avionics
Scotland-based Trig
Avionics (with prod-
TT31 $3126 1090ES Flat-pack, rack mount transponder; KT76A replaceable ucts sold through an
TT21 $2095 1090ES Remote transponder with panel-mount control head established U.S. dealer
TT22 $2595 1090ES High-performance version of TT21 network) is focused on
TA62 $1800 1090ES A1 ADS-B receiver for VFR applications (dual ant. $2700) low-cost 1090ES tran-
sponder solutions as
TA63 $2400 1090ES A1 ADS-B receiver for IFR applications (dual ant. $3600)
well as ADS-B transceiv-
TA64 $6300 1090ES ADS-B for turbine and higher-end applications ers. These products are
aimed toward LSA, ex-
version. While the experimental it comes to operating in the NextGen perimentals and aircraft with limited
market has always enjoyed a certain environment. electrical systems, but are certified to
freedom to do what they please with The proposed RANGR product is TSO C166B standards.
their own aircraft, it’s doubtful the available with or without an integral For ADS-B output transponders,
FAA will treat them differently when WAAS GPS and can be saddled up the TA60 family consists of three

Dissecting the ADS-B mandate and realities

Let’s dismiss any rumors, predictions and hopeful body Eng- the installation. No AML-STCs point at a hard-nosed FAA tone
lish about where the ADS-B compliance mandate is headed: guarding the tight ADS-B regulatory spec. The specifics of
After January 1, 2020, aircraft must be equipped with ADS-B installing ADS-B gear are covered in FAA AC 20-165.
out equipment when operating in Class A, B and C airspace; Mandate aside, subscription-free cockpit weather and traf-
in Class E airspace within the 48 contiguous states and the fic is appealing. Massachusetts-based WSI is the weather pro-
District of Columbia at and above 10,000 feet MSL, excluding vider to FIS-B (weather) broadcast with an impressive suite of
the airspace at and below 2500 feet above the surface; Class E weather products. A catch here is that FIS-B only works with a
airspace at and above 3000 feet MSL over the Gulf of Mexico UAT system and the broadcast isn’t widely available yet.
from the coastline of the United States out to 12 miles. An Enhanced traffic surveillance without expensive active traf-
1090ES transponder will do basic compliance. You won’t fic systems also appeals, but to reliably see traffic you’ll need
get free weather or traffic, but you’ll be in compliance. Piper a full-up ADS-B system with input and output. There are also
Cubs, stark biplanes and other aircraft originally certificated bound to be dual systems like Garmin’s GTS800 series that
without an electrical system, including balloons and gliders, relies on an 1090ES Extended Squitter for output and its own
are off the hook for now. ADS-B traffic receiver for input, along with an active interro-
ADS-B gear falls under two TSOs: C-154C for UAT (Universal gation system (that pings other aircraft transponders).
Access Transceiver) operating on the efficient 978 MHz spec- Complying with the mandate with a single 1090ES tran-
trum and C-166B for 1090ES (Extended Squitter.) Some of the sponder looks like the easiest solution. In today’s money, you
new low-cost products don’t meet either TSO. For those that can get there for around five grand by installing one of these
plan to, we’ve heard from some manufacturers told us prod- transponders and coupling it to a TSO-C145/C146 WAAS GPS.
uct certification is more stringent than they ever anticipated. But, as noted above, to see traffic on your cockpit display,
On the shop level, there’s no AML-STC (Approved Model you’ll need to add an ADS-B in solution. For weather, you’ll
List, Supplemental Type Certificate) for ADS-B. With an AML- need some kind of UAT solution. So a combo of UAT in for all
STC, the shop follows the installation manual and signs off data and 1090ES for ADS-B out might be a popular choice.

16 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010

Portable solutions work fine for
weather, but you won’t get reliable
traffic data unless you also have an
ADS-B out system.

models with liberal traffic duties

being the primary focus: the TA62,
intended for basic VFR operations;
the TA63, which should meet the
needs of most GA airplanes; and the
TA64, intended for jet operations.
The TA60 series can display traffic
on a wide range of cockpit displays,
including Aspen, Avidyne, Garmin
and most other ARINC 735 com-
patible displays. Traffic can also be
displayed on compatible handheld
displays (such as Garmin 496 and
696 series). Remember that these mount displays for displaying TIS-B transponder upgrades now, invest-
units use the ES ADS-B solution that traffic and FIS-B weather data. An ing in a 1090ES model could offer a
can’t offer FIS-B weather. optional ARINC429 interface allows baby step to NextGen. Trig’s offer-
Trig has a new line of transpon- the 600 to play on Garmin 430 and ings do just that. Of course, there’s
ders that offer a fresh alternative to 530 navigators. The ADS-600 is also the ADS-B out-enabled Garmin
the same old boxes we’ve seen on the strictly a receiver so you’ll need ADS- GTX330ES, for $5995.
market for years. The TT21 and the B output, or step up to the $2495 We think NavWorx offers the least
TT22 are perhaps the smallest mode ADS-600B which is a Non-TSO expensive path to a full-up system
S transponders on the market with transmitter and receiver. that can display on a variety of
1090ES ADS-B output. These models The PADS-600 is the portable cockpit screens. Shops will need to
use two pieces: a control head that’s unit with integral GPS and it has a proceed with caution when mixing
installed in the panel and a remote Bluetooth interface for communicat- non-certified and portable equip-
transceiver. An altitude encoder is ing with PDAs and tablets. It also ment with fully certified panel-
built in to the controller—a bold and has Serial output for talking with a mounted gear.
welcome move. The controller uses variety of portable GPS navigators When it comes to the full-up certi-
an LCD screen and squawk code, from Garmin. The PADS-600 is de- fied solution, we think FreeFlight
and Flight ID input duties uses a con- signed to Velcro on top of the aircraft is the company to watch as they
ventional rotary knob. We eyed these glareshield and has an antenna that’s aggressively push for full certifica-
transponders and found them built mounted to the side of the unit. tion and TSO compliance. For those
to rugged standards. The controllers NavWorx has an impressively who fly in Class A airspace and want
are even splash-proof for water ops liberal display compatibility in- FIS-B weather, there’s no good single
and open cockpits. cluding interfaces with the G1000, solution yet, but a portable FIS-B and
The TT31 is a conventional rack- G500/600, GNS430 and 530, a panel-mount TIS-B solution could
mounted Mode S transponder that’s GMX200, GPS396/496/596 por- be the ticket.
plug and rack compatible with the tables, Aspen PFD/MFD, as well as As we see how these options play
popular Bendix/King KT76A. The a variety of experimental-based sys- out in the real world, we’ll report
TT31 is electrically efficient, using tems. We think coupling a UAT ADS- back.
as little as half the bus power of B in solution like NavWorx with a
most modern Mode S units despite transponder-based ADS-B out system
a fully backlit display and transmit- will be a popular (and cost-effective) ContactS
ting at 240 watts. A software upgrade choice in the long haul.
(expected by the end of the year) and FreeFlight Systems
a connection to an appropriate GPS Conclusion www.freeflightsystems.com
will make the TT31 ADS-B out com- If you’re anxious to play in the ADS- 800-487-4662
pliant. Pricing is still being finalized. B environment, any of these low cost
solutions can get you there, with NavWorx, Inc.
NavWorx, Inc. limitations from model to model.
www.navworx.com
There are three ADS-B products in As for dealing with the mandate,
the NavWorx Product line, including we’re still not budging in our advice 888-628-9679
a portable system. While not TSO- to sit tight. A lot can happen both
certified, the units offer a low cost technologically and regulatory in 10 Trig Avionics
option right now. years. What you buy today might not www.trigavionics.com
The $1495 ADS-600 is a remote be what you need tomorrow. +44(0)131 449 8810
UAT that interfaces with panel- For avionics retrofits that need
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 17
 c o ckp i t a cc e ss o r i e s Aviator kicks out a bolus of oxygen.
The duration and volume of the

Inogen O2 Generator:
bolus depend on which of the five
flow-rate settings you have selected.
Setting five is maximum output, and

Unlimited Supply
each lower setting represents a 20
percent reduction in effective flow
rate. On the lower three settings, the
bolus is hardly noticeable. In fact, you
need to look at the little pinwheel
But it comes at a high price. If you use a lot of oxygen flow marker in the cannula line to
know it’s working. On setting four of
or you’d use it more if running out weren’t a worry, five, the bolus can be detected, and
this gadget is worth a look. it’s relatively aggressive on the fifth
level—although you gradually be-
come unaware of it after a half hour
by Marc Cook or so.

C
On two long trips, including one
ost-conscious pilots (is there suming 7.5-pound white box called from California to Oshkosh, I tested
any other kind?) will tend to the Inogen Aviator. What, exactly, one of the first Inogen Aviators re-
use resources with care. These is this thing? The Inogen Aviator is a leased. To measure the efficacy of the
days we don’t run around as much at device that comes out of the medical system, I used a pulse-oximeter, and
full power, guzzling fuel, and by the industry and is generally known as bear in mind that this was a test using
same token, those of us who routinely an oxygen concentrator. That’s not one human body over the course of a
carry an oxygen system for high-alti- to say it’s a simple compressor. If you little more than a month. My baseline
tude flight often reserve its use for the think in terms of a block diagram, the oxygen saturation (or “sats”) at home
times we feel it’s absolutely necessary. Inogen takes ambient air, increases near sea level is consistently 98 per-
After all, getting a bottle refilled on its pressure and forces it through a cent according to the oximeter used
a long trip can be a real (and expen- zeolite filter. The zeolite separates the for the test.
sive) pain in the, er, cannula. pressurized ambient air into oxygen Let’s take the stuff to altitude.
Shift the paradigm—say, make and nitrogen; the nitrogen is ported One set of flights at 13,000 feet
the oxygen available to the pilot es- off and the oxygen is captured. MSL, which thanks to summertime
sentially unlimited—and the usage There is nothing to refill, and in temperatures gave a density altitude
model changes significantly. Now you the case of the Inogen, tests have of 15,800 feet, provided some insight.
don’t think twice about putting on cleared the mechanism to a life of My sats after an hour at altitude with
the tube for higher-altitude flights and 10,000 hours. (Company spokesmen no oxygen was 85 percent. For this
you can finally consider adhering to say that, actually, the life is probably test, I tried each of the five settings
the recommendation to suck oxygen quite a bit longer, but that’s where and compared them to my current
above 5000 feet MSL at night. testing stopped.) All the device asks oxygen system, which uses a simple
The engine of this shift for is 12-volt power—nominally conserving cannula and a needle-
is an unas- around 5 amps, but up to 15 valve rate adjustment—the results are
amps during maximum oxygen in the accompanying table.
flow rate while the internal
battery is also charging. Two
types of battery pack are avail- c h e ck l i s t
able, good for 3 or 6 hours of
independent use. Overall size With nothing but 5 to 15
is 10.7 x 3.9 x 9.5 inches, plus amps of ship’s power,
a small power-converter brick you can have unlimited
with a cigarette lighter plug to oxygen.
connect to ship’s power.
The unit is small and
Ah, Feels Good light, with five output
With an inexhaustible supply of settings.
oxygen, the Inogen Aviator can
meter O2 to the pilot in varying Passengers should bring
levels. Like the best electronic oxy- their own. It’s a one-
gen conserving systems, the Aviator person system.
has a sensitive pressure sensor on
the machine side of the lightweight At $2999, it’s not exactly
cannula. When you inhale, a slight an impulse buy. Bottle
negative pressure is generated in the systems are cheaper.
line. Sensing this pressure drop, the
18 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 CONDITION O2 SAT @15,800 FT. DA O2 SAT @17,200 FT. DA 26 man-hours duration. It costs
around $25 to refill locally, so call it
No Supplemental O2 85 NOT TESTED $1/hour for O2. (The electronic sys-
Inogen setting 1 88 86
tems have greater endurance, but you
have to buy the equipment first.) So
Inogen setting 2 90 88 the economic break-even point might
Inogen setting 3 93 91
be reasonably close or many years of
flying down the road.
Inogen setting 4 96 95 For pilots who don’t need or want
to fly high, or who do so infrequent-
Inogen setting 5 97 96
ly, the Inogen Aviator probably isn’t
Standard O2 system 93 90 worth the money. But for those
who embrace convenience and who
understand the literal feel good value
What are we shooting for? It’s run out and have to fly above 12,500 of inflight oxygen, the Aviator is a
generally accepted that you want to feet to clear terrain or weather and tempting morsel. For more informa-
keep your inflight sats at 92 to 93 risk, at best, feeling lousy when you tion, call 805-448-5289 or visit www.
percent. Clearly, supplemental oxygen land. At worst, you could be impaired windblade.com. Find a direct link at
was indicated on my first test flight for the instrument approach at the www.kitplanes.com.
at 13,000 feet. It’s also recommended end of the flight.
that when you’re flying at night or Let’s not discount the comfort
under stressful conditions—say, factor. After both long trips, I landed Marc Cook edits Aviation Consumer’s
an IFR flight with an approach to after as much as 4.5 hours at altitude sister publication, KITPLANES.
minimums—your sats should be 94 without a hint of headache. I know
to 95 percent. Studies have shown from experience this is uncommon,
an increase in procedural errors at particularly on the first day of a literal
reduced sats. cross-country.
As you can see from the table, the Having an essentially inexhaustible
Inogen was able to keep me within supply of O2 on board changes your
a percentage point or two of normal thinking. Flying at 10,000 feet,
at altitude, and above the high stress you don’t hesitate to use it.
threshold at the tested altitudes. And Cruising above 5000 feet at
while it’s hard to know without more night? You won’t give O2 use
testing—and an airplane capable it a second thought.
of flying quickly at altitudes where Which brings us around to
mine is wheezing—it sure looks like the bottom line. The Inogen
the Aviator could go to 17,500 feet Aviator sells direct from the dis-
pressure altitude and keep a healthy, tributor for $2999, and remem-
average-size pilot in the happy zone. ber that in the current guise, it’s
(That’s the real happy zone, not that a single-person device; it’s not
little bit of delirium from hypoxia.) possible to share the output. A
standard portable system with
More to the Story a single regulator can be
So that’s the math, but leaving the had for as little as $400,
story there does the Aviator a dis- although the high-end
service. I’m probably like a lot of units with electronic
pilots who carry an oxygen bottle on metering system start at
board in that I tend to think pretty around $1000. The cost
critically about when I’m going to use of refilling is another
the stuff, reserving it for those times issue.
when I think I must have it. In the I have a 22-cubic-foot
back of my mind is the concern about bottle good for a claimed
running out during a long trip—and
paying an FBO a huge sum to refill
the bottle, assuming that it even can. Two battery packs are
So you treat oxygen as a nonre- offered, a 12-cell and
newable resource—at least during a 24-cell system, upper
long, away-from-home trip—and use photo. Control head
it sparingly. The problem is that you
displays settings and
might not use it to feel better or think
more sharply on a long trip, or to im- other useful data while
prove your night vision when flying the pinwheel confirms
above 5000 feet. Or worse, you might oxygen flow.
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 19
 a i r c r af t r e v i e w

X-Air LS
A No-Frills LSA c h e ck l i s t

If you can forgo sweeping composite curves and accept A 30-year-old design
that’s proven easy-to-fly
Cub-like performance, the X-Air LS will reward you and cheap to operate.
with a simple, reliable aircraft. But it’s still not cheap. At $60,000, it’s about as
inexpensive as you can
by Jeff Van West get for a new airplane ...

... but that’s still twice as

I
much as a legacy LSA
t’s almost a law in aircraft sales behind light sport the creation of op- with similar performance.
that for each level—light sport, tions for inexpensive flying?
piston singles, biz jets—the ma-
jority of buyers want the top of that Really Light Sport
class. LSAs are no different and every X-Air’s General Manager, Matt Verdi-
manufacturer we talked to over the eck, feels that’s where his company’s ICOM radio and a two-seat intercom.
years has found the same: deluxe LS model comes in. “We’ve done Optional brakes on the copilot side
models with all the trimmings out- everything we can to keep the air- and an AirGizmos GPS dock in the
sell the budget offerings. craft fun and affordable.” Affordable panel will cost you $495 and $150,
That’s why we see $150,000 LSAs is still a relative term, but a fly-away respectively. A GTX 327 transponder
out there with Italian leather seats price of $59,995 for a new aircraft is another $2695, but we’d probably
and cockpit avionics rivaling new is about as cheap as one could hope look at an ADS-B compliant option
airliners. No problem for a pilot who for these days. That price gets you instead. That’s it for the options list.
managed to sell his Bonanza and has basic VFR instruments, a Dynon X-Air kept the price low by using
the cash, but wasn’t the whole point D-10 engine monitor, a panel-mount its proven kit design. The fuselage is
aluminum tubing covered with Da-
cron sailcloth. This makes for some
AC unusual systems. The 15-gallon fu-
To ride along on an X-Air LS demo flight, selage fuel tank is behind a zippered
flap on the fuselage, and the baggage
log on to www.avweb.com and select
area is behind a similar zippered flap
the video index. Or, go directly to http:// behind the seats. The cloth also has
tinyurl.com/xairlsa. Recorded at Oshkosh a tendency to wrinkle in places. This
2010, this video shows several details of doesn’t cause any problems, but it’s
the aircraft as well as its performance in not the sweeping lines we’re used to
flight. on most new LSAs. The wings can
fold for storage.
20 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
The LS (opposite) looks like an back in takeoff, climb and landing
closed-cabin ultralight, right down performance. Sea level ground roll ContactS
to the wrinkled sailcloth skin. for takeoff and landing is under 300
feet. It’s about twice that to clear a X-Air LLC
50-foot obstacle. Climb rates are www.x-airlsa.com
The interior surprised us with around 800 FPM at sea level on a 859-250-5240
its comfort and ease of ingress and standard day.
egress. It’s 43 inches wide (that’s one The only flight oddities were that
inch narrower than a Cessna 182) takeoff requires a bit of an over rota- While we harbor our doubts that
and the seats are quite comfortable. tion followed by some forward stick the market for a new, yet budget,
Four-point harnesses are standard. to get the right climb pitch. Land- LSA is big enough to support a busi-
The panel is attractively molded and ings are straightforward but the great ness plan, we think the X-Air LS’s
laid out, rather than utilitarian and forward visibility might mean a few simple and tried design makes that
the sticks, throttles, trim and flap tries to get the sight picture right. We a partially moot point. Parts should
controls are all finished in wood. also thought at first that the system be readily available or simple enough
Systems are simple; both flaps and had quite a bit of backlash. This to get made. The light sport rules
trim are manually actuated via over- turned out to be a loose fitting on can make this simpler than with
head levers. Unlike some high-end the removable stick on the copilot’s legacy certified aircraft that meet LSA
LSAs we’ve flown, there was enough side. criteria.
trim authority for hands-off flight at Ground handling is good. The That brings up the issue whether
any cruising airspeed. We found the nosegear is steerable, if a bit stiff in it’s worth spending $60,000 for a
copilot throttle between the seats our view. The craft weighs so little new aircraft that gets you the per-
awkward to use in flight, however. that one person can easily move it formance of a 1940s design costing
We think the LS hits it just right around the ramp. half that much. We think there’s a
on the mix of digital and analog Verdieck says the performance is legitimate gain in safety and comfort
instruments: Simple instruments for similar to a Piper Cub. That’s about (particularly for larger individuals)
airspeed and altitude, a spot for a right, albeit one with side-by-side in an X-Air versus something like
portable GPS, and engine data and seating and tricycle gear. an Aeronca Chief or Luscombe 8.
readouts are collected in one neat How much of a gain and what that’s
digital display. Can a Budget LSA Fly? worth is not a no-brainer. But for
The gross weight is only 1234 One benefit to manufacturers of the the individual who’s looking for fun
pounds, which is unusual in the customer preference of buying deluxe flying in a new aircraft and doesn’t
LSA world where most designs use is that the margins are usually higher mind a few wrinkles in his Dacron,
all 1320 pounds the regs allow. But on these models. This may be of par- the X-Air could be the ticket.
the empty weight is low enough that ticular importance in the light sport
a typical useful load is about 550 market where margins are
pounds. Fill the fuel tank and you low to begin with. That begs
still have 460 pounds of payload. the question as to whether a
Inside the cabin, the LS feels rather refined,
budget LSA like the X-Air LS with four-point belts, comfortable seats, a
Flight test is a viable endeavor over the sculpted panel and wood trim on the con-
The X-Air LS flies like most LSAs, long haul. trols. The cabin is also 43 inches wide.
which is to say it flies more like an
airplane than an ultralight. It’s re-
sponsive to small inputs and is light
in pitch, although the controls are
heavier overall and with a slower roll
rate than in many new-design LSAs.
Rudder use is a must.
It’s stable in all axes and is utterly
forgiving in slow flight and stalls.
Visibility is excellent with the doors
on, but you can remove them for the
wind-in-your-hair experience.
Power comes from the 80-HP
Jabiru 2200. While less popular than
the ubiquitous Rotax 912, we’ve been
impressed so far with the perfor-
mance and maintenance costs of
the Jabiru engines, and think it’s a
smart choice for the LS. The result is
an aircraft that cruises comfortably
at 90 MPH while burning 4 GPH.
What it lacks in cruise speed it gives
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 21
 a i r c r a f t o w n e r s h i p i ss u e s

Avgas Update:
The Approval Grind
GAMI’s G100UL and Swift’s UL102 are before
ASTM International for review. Both face a long
haul that may not yield progress until next year.
by Paul Bertorelli

W
here to now with avgas? Fol- fore the FAA a request to approve its general use. It’s at this point that
lowing a flurry of activity at G100UL via STC. From what we’re things gets complicated, muddied
EAA AirVenture—briefings able to surmise, this effort is stalled, by flyspeck technical considerations
and meetings, mainly—has the flag but GAMI says it’s still pursuing it. that may or may not matter and by
inched forward toward a replacement Both Swift and GAMI have applied politics. We’re told that three poten-
for 100LL? In short, it’s hard to tell. If for ASTM International approval of tial test fuels may go before the ASTM
there’s substantive progress, it’s occur- their fuels, which the FAA insists fuels committee in December: Swift’s
ring behind closed doors, although upon before certifying any fuel for blend, GAMI’s G100 and a proposed
the venue has changed. new fuel called 100ULL
By early September, the FAA SPECIFICATION 100LL D910 SWIFT UL102 GAMI G100UL
(ULL for ultra low lead).
revealed a gen- The ultra low lead idea
MOTOR OCTANE 99.6 MIN 102.2 98.5
erally positive percolated up from the
test result on a PERFORMANCE GA industry and doesn’t
130 MIN 139.6 130
150-hour NUMBER have a named sponsor yet.
test cell LEAD 0.53 MAX <0.01 N/A Depending on how the
run with FREEZING POINT -58 C MAX -64.5 C -58 C fuel is formulated, it could
Swift’s contain as little as half
NET HEAT 43.5 MIN 41.9 41.75
UL102 the tetraethyl lead used in
fuel, a VAPOR PRESSURE 38-49 KpA 48.5 49 MAX 100LL. The hope is that
variant DISTILLATION END POINTS such a fuel might provide
tof several 10% 75 MAX 48.5 80
at least an interim step to
blends it satisfy proposed EPA rules
40% 75 MIN 161.0 75
has de- for reduced emissions,
veloped. 50% 105 MAX 161.0 132 which is what’s driving
Mean- 90% 135 MAX 161.5 165 the coming extinction
while, END POINT 170 MAX 175.0 180 of 100LL. But there are
General two big unknowns with
WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN
Aviation 100ULL. Will it provide the
Aviation fuels are traditionally measured in motor octane values
Modifica- using a single-cylinder test engine. Performance number refers to
necessary knock resistance
tions Inc. octane values above 100. Lead content is given as milliliters per liter and will EPA go along with
still has maximum. For 100LL, it’s about 2 grams per gallon. an interim lead reduction
be- Net heat is energy density per unit weight, given in megajoules until it can be eliminated?
per kilogram. Both G100 and Swift UL102 depart from the spec (red With no direct sponsor, it’s
values), having slightly less energy per weight than 100LL. But they also unclear how 100ULL
have more energy per unit volume. would be tested.
Remaining points of departure with D910 are distillation end In late July in a letter
points, which refer to how much the fuel’s various fractions boil off to AOPA at the associa-
at what temperatures. Both Swift and G100UL are off spec here, but
tion’s request, EPA’s Margo
it’s unclear if this translates to any operational differences. Thus far,
other than slow cold starting for Swift, it appears not to.
Tsirigotis Oge said the EPA
currently had no timeline
22 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
for lead regulation and that its ad- swift fuel test cell findings
vanced notice of proposed rulemak- The FAA ‘s 150-hour test cell run on something that Continental has
ing doesn’t propose to ban leaded fu-
Swift’s UL102 revealed no particular said is a major worry. Oil dilution
els. Nor, she said, does the EPA have
the statutory authority to ban lead surprises, which was itself no sur- is also a potential problem with a
in fuels. The next day at AirVenture, prise. The fuel continues to demon- high aromatic fuel with different
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt strate excellent knock resistance. combustion properties than avgas.
said exactly the opposite in carefully The Lycoming IO-540-K was On the plus side, there are no lead
parsed words that said that only EPA monitored during the 150-hour run byproducts to foul the oil or build
had the statutory authority to regulate and sparkplugs were removed to deposits on pistons and valves.
lead emissions. (In this context, fuel check for deposits. The engine was No substantial valve recession
is merely the vector for the lead.) also allowed to cool overnight and was observed in the FAA tests, nor
Optimists might read this as EPA was restarted the following morn- did major components such as valve
backing off from its threat to extinct ing. It proved to be a bit slow in guides, bearings or piston surfaces
avgas by lowering lead emission
cold starting, but had no problems exhibit unusual wear. The valves did
standards, but the agency still has
before it two agenda items that sug- when warm. (Cold is relative. The show light deposit buildup and so
gest otherwise. The Friends of the engine was at ambient tempera- did the sparkplugs.
Earth/Bluewater Network suit to force ture, not chilled to Minneapolis in Continental told us its brief test-
EPA to ban lead or conduct lead-limit February.) ing of Swift fuel revealed similar
monitoring is still active. Further, the Several concerns have been trends. The fuel pump diaphragm
agency’s own agenda calls for sharply raised with unleaded fuel and a big showed some wrinkling, but Lycom-
reduced lead emissions under its Na- one is valve recession and wear, ing believes it’s not a serious issue.
tional Ambient Air Quality Standard
and it has pushed the states into air
monitoring programs. Into this miasma come Swift and that evaporates at certain tempera-
It’s unclear if these statements from GAMI. tures. Because it’s composed of a
EPA have stayed the execution or just The formula constituents in Swift high-boiling point aromatic (mesity-
moved it off. We haven’t been able to and GAMI vary substantially from lene), Swift fuel’s limited fractions
get a clear answer because we think avgas. Swift is a so-called binary evaporate at higher temperatures
no one knows for sure, given the un- composed of 85 percent mesitylene than avgas does. G100UL has similar
certainty surrounding what EPA’s lead (trimethylbenzene) and 15 percent departures, but they’re not as great.
monitoring may reveal. isopentane. G100UL is composed The over arching question: Does
primarily of conventional aviation it matter operationally? Our guess
Avgas Tech alkylate gasoline, blended with a is that it probably doesn’t, given the
On the ASTM’s plate is how to de- proprietary aromatic package. amount of flight testing both Swift
velop a standard to approve these new Swift easily meets D910’s mini- and GAMI have done thus far. The
fuels. The consistent barrier in rapid mum 99.6-octane requirement. The FAA’s 150-hour test cell run on Swift
fuels develop has been the industry’s FAA’s recent tests pegged it at 102.2 revealed no issues that relate to
insistence that any new fuel meet MON, which closely matches what distillation points, but then the test
a specification called ASTM D910. typical FBO avgas really is. wasn’t designed to do that.
This is sometimes viewed as recipe Depending on the blend, G100UL Beyond these technical issues, the
for how to make unleaded avgas, is a little over 98 MON. But GAMI’s larger issue before ASTM is bureau-
but that’s a misnomer. It’s really a testing has revealed that there are cratic and political. Even though it’s
specification for purchasing agents scale-up effects for some fuels, composed of industry representatives
buying fuel on contract and although meaning that 98 MON certified in a used to making rapid-fire business
it has limits on some components— single-cylinder octane test engine can decisions, ASTM has a reputation for
such as lead, sulfur and dye, it’s not provide knock resistance equivalent moving at a glacial pace. The com-
a compositional recipe, but rather to more than 100 octane in a full- mittees meet only periodically and
a description of fuel performance scale engine. Shell has done research their members must fit the work into
characteristics. If that makes it sound indicating the same thing, suggesting their day jobs. Further, the commit-
like Shell’s avgas could be different that one way to address this issue is tee is composed heavily of oil com-
from Exxon’s formula, that is exactly to use a different means of specifying pany representatives who may resist
the case. But the two will perform octane for aviation fuels. This is one the idea of a patented, composition-
the same with regard to octane, heat of the issues the ASTM committee ally specified fuel, which both Swift
content and aging. will need to address and resolve. and G100UL are.
D910 came about not as a blue The FAA’s technical report found We were told by two sources
sky spec for the perfect avgas but that Swift fuel meets or is close to involved with the committee that it
as a real-world description of what D910 on all but two points. Its heat understands the urgency of accelerat-
was known to work. Unfortunately, content is lower by 3.7 percent and ing the fuels approval process. Still,
because of blind adherence to D910, its distillation end points are quite the next formal meeting isn’t until
no proposed new fuel—and dozens a bit higher. Distillation end points December, so progress may not be
have been tested—has passed muster. refer to the percentage of material visible until 2011, if then.
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 23
u s ed a i r c r a f t g u i d e

photo by Thierry Deutsch

Cessna 172 Skyhawk design compared to flashy composite

speedsters that dominate the market
says that buyers resonate with the
Cessna’s practical entry-level four-placer has earned Skyhawk’s many strong points.
The performance and economics
buyer trust and there are literally thousands to pick are compelling. The airplane chugs
from across the price spectrum. along at an honest 115 knots, burn-
ing under 10 gallons per hour while

I
carrying a reasonable load. Just
f there’s an airplane that still status. It might not be the fastest, the don’t be in too much of a hurry to
makes even the slightest eco- most aerodynamic or poshest ride get where you’re going in a Skyhawk
nomic sense to own and fly, it’s around, but one thing is certain: The —it’s no speed demon. On the other
probably the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Skyhawk delivers enormous practi- hand, you’ll need to work at getting
While it’s a cal value for its hurt in a 172­—it’s an easy airplane
dated airframe highly afford- to fly by most standards. It has a low
that won’t turn able purchase fatal accident incidence.
heads on any It may not be the fastest pony price. Most owners are enthusiastic
ramp, the Sky- For this about their rides. Nearly all boast
hawk delivers in the stable, but the Hawk is reason, you of an easy-to-afford set of wings that
enough for the won’t need to can easily haul family, friends and
money to earn the most affordable. look far on gear. Many fly hard IFR and brag of
its keep. On any ramp or a stable instrument platform. As one
the used mar- used airplane owner put it, “It’s tempting to step
ket, there are oodles of models from ad to find a Skyhawk. During its up to something with more speed
many vintages to pick from. original 31-year production run, a and creature comforts, but my Hawk
Even if you bottom feed and end total of 35,773 Skyhawks were built is predictable in every aspect of
up with a project airplane that begs and well over 20,000 of those are ownership.”
for mechanical and cosmetic atten- still flying in the U. S. The fact that
tion, chances are it will take only a Cessna could reintroduce and con- MODEL HISTORY
modest sum to bring it to airworthy tinue to build and sell such a stale The 172 legacy started in 1956. Ac-
24 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 us e d a i rc r a ft g u i d e

Cessna 172

Drawings courtesy
www.schemedesigners.com

select model history

Model Year Engine TBO Overhaul Fuel Useful load Cruise Typical Retail
1956-1959 172 Cont. 145-hp o-300-D 1800 $21,000 40 940 LBS 108 KTS ±$17,500
1960-1961 172b Cont. 145-hp o-300-D 1800 $21,000 40 875 LBS 114 KTS ±$21,000
1962 172c Cont. 145-hp o-300-D 1800 $21,000 40 920 LBS 114 KTS ±$22,000
1964 172E Cont. 145-hp o-300-D 1800 $21,000 40 970 LBS 114 KTS ±$24,000
1968 172i Lyc. 150-HP O-320-E2D 2000 $20,000 40 1000 LBS 115 KTS ±$28,000
1969 172K Lyc. 150-HP O-320-E2D 2000 $19,000 40 (50) 970 LBS 115 KTS ±$29,000
1973-1976 172M Lyc. 150-HP O-320-E2D 2000 $19,000 40 (50) 970 LBS 115 KTS ±$34,000
1976-1980 172N Lyc. 160-HP O-320-H2AD 2000 $13,600 40 (50) 850 LBS 120 KTS ±$39,000
1981-1986 172P Lyc. 160-hp o-320-d2J 2000 $13,000 40 (64) 950 LBS 120 kts ±$44,000
1997+ 172R Lyc. 160-HP iO-360-l2a 2000 $17,000 50 860 lbs 122 KTS $70,000 - $269,500
1999+ 172S Lyc. 180-HP iO-360-l2a 2000 $17,000 50 890 lbs 124 KTS $72,000 - $301,500

RESALE VALUES select recent ads

1981 Cessna 172P 2000 Cessna 172S ad 08-26-10 Alternate static selector valve
180K DATA: AIRCRAFT BLUEBOOK PRICE DIGEST ad 08-02-18 Pick-up collar support and screws
– $160,900 new
180K
– AD 04-19-01 shoulder harness adjusters
–
– – ad 99-27-02 Fuel selector valves
80K – $93,000 Q2 2010 80K – ad 97-01-13 Fuel, oil and hydraulic hoses
– –
60K – 60K – ad 08-05-09 Crew seats (172r/s only)
– – AD 08-03-02 fuel return assembly (172r/S only)
40K – $45,000 Q3 1993 $41,000 Q2 2010 40K –
– –
ad 07-08-03 Flexible fuel hoses (172r/S only)
20K – 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20K – ad 07-05-10 crew seats Steel lock rod (172r/S)

select Model comparisons

PAYLOAD/FULL FUEL CRUISE SPEEDS PRICE COMPARISONS
‘81 Cessna 172P ‘81 Cessna 172P ‘81 Cessna 172p ($41,000)
‘81 Piper Warrior ‘81 Piper Warrior ‘81 Piper Warrior ($34,000)
‘79 AG Cheetah ‘79 AG Cheetah ‘79 AG cheetah ($39,000)
‘81 Beech Sundowner ‘81 Beech Sundowner ‘81 beech Sundowner ($37,000)
‘00 Cessna 172S ‘00 Cessna 172S ‘00 Cessna 172S ($93,000)
500 600 700 800 100 110 120 130 30K 40K 50K 60K

October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 25

u s ed a i r c r a f t g u i d e

ing the prop strike problem. Further,

the firewall had to carry both the
engine’s weight and the nosegear
attach point, which Cessna engineers
knew would take a terrific beating at
the hands of ham-fisted pilots. Other
questions related to centering the
nosewheel in flight and figuring out
how to keep the wheel from shim-
mying like crazy on landing and
takeoff. This was uncharted territory
for Cessna and non-issues for famil-
iar tail-dragging designs.

MODERN GEAR
The 172 main and nosegear that
emerged from these deliberations
formed the foundation for what
became Cessna’s standard fixed-
gear design. The gear was made
fairly short to lower the center of
so much easier to gravity and minimize porpoising
land and taxi, which and ground upset. A total of 2318
is what budding landings were made during the test
pilots wanted. Then program by a number of pilots with
as now, mastering widely varied experience.
a conventional gear This resulted in what Cessna mar-
airplane without an keting mavens called the “Land-O-
excursion into run- Matic” gear and Cessna’s promotion
way edge ditches was soon reflected its new devotion to tri-
a difficult challenge. cycle gear design. The ads touted that
The tricycle gear you “drive it into the sky and drive
promised to simplify it into the ground.” Unfortunately,
training and it was the latter part of that phrase came
thought to be the to have a double meaning. In truth,
design of the future. getting the landing gear right was
Avionics upgrades make an already But not everyone saw it that way, not quite so simple and it took some
good IFR airplane even better. least of all the established movers effort to improve the 172’s crosswind
Top, Steve Mayotte’s M-model and shakers at Cessna. Nonetheless, and ground handling habits.
some at Cessna saw that there was a The 172 as introduced in 1956 was
Skyhawk sports a GNS530W and place for a tri-gear airplane and they powered by a Continental O-300-D
new replacement plastic overlays began to develop one, albeit without six-cylinder engine rated at 145
presenting a clean yet original look. the official blessing of the company’s HP turning a fixed-pitch propeller.
Bottom: Newer Hawks won’t need management. In fact, if the behind- Gross weight was 2200 pounds. The
much upgrade with G1000 glass. closed-doors tri-design wasn’t original 172s had an upright vertical
stashed away for future use, the 172 stabilizer and a straight-backed fuse-
as we know it today may never have lage which, to the modern eye, looks
come to market. dated. But that wasn’t so in 1956 and
tually, it was the tail-dragging model The R&D effort that became the Cessna moved 1100 172s that year.
170A that planted the 172 seed back 172 was conducted at an isolated Then began what would become a
in 1949. The 170A was a fabric-wing farm strip well away from Cessna’s proliferation of model changes and
machine that suffered from poor main operations in Wichita. The pro- improvements, including the long
roll response since its ailerons were totype’s first flight occurred in June hibernation between the mid-1980s
carried over from the smaller Cessna of 1955 and although it was success- and 1997 which brought the ‘tech-
140. ful, a list of concerns surfaced: nically advanced’ Skyhawk still in
The 172, of course, is a true There were worries about con- production today. More on that in
tricycle gear airplane, but one that trollability versus stability, ground a bit.
almost didn’t come to pass. Met-Co- handling concerns plus fear of The 172A, with the vertical tail
Aire of Fullerton, California, had propeller strikes, yaw or directional swept, was introduced in 1960. The
already developed a tri-gear modi- stability and the need to ensure new empennage was heavier; rudder
fication for the Cessna 170. Piper’s enough elevator power to overcome power was reduced, and directional
Tri-Pacer, the first trike to sell in seri- the high thrust line, which tended to stability was degraded somewhat all
ous volume, was a hit because it was press down the nose gear, aggravat- in favor of marketing. The fastback
26 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 us e d a i rc r a ft g u i d e

Arguably a dated design, the 2010

172S sports many improvements
and a $225,000 price tag. With
the reintroduction of the line in
1997, Cessna upped its game with
vastly improved interiors, lower
photo.

fuselage blended with the swept tail

looked cool.
The 172B was developed for the
1961 model year. The landing gear
was shortened by three inches to im-
prove crosswind and taxi handling,
while the motor mounts were raised
by the same amount to retain propel-
ler ground clearance.
A baggage door was incorporated Of course many—including
for the first time and the “Skyhawk” the folks at Cessna­—believed
name was introduced. Most pilots that the 172 had seen its day
use 172 and Skyhawk interchange- and would soon be displaced
ably and in later models the two did by the newly emerging 177
become one. But early on, just like in Cardinal. So Cessna ordered
the car market, there was a distinct 4000 engines from Lycom-
difference in trim and equipment ing for the Cardinal. But the
levels. 150-HP Cardinal proved a dog
In 1963, the “Omni-Vision” so the Skyhawk inherited the
rear-window 172D version was engine. It included the trouble-
introduced. To help overcome the some dual Bendix magneto
squirrelly handling, the span of which still draws the ire of
the horizontal tail was increased owners and mechanics alike.
by eight inches. The center strip in The 172K of 1971 dropped
the windshield was eliminated and the famed—and successful—
along came the one-piece wind- Wittman spring steel main
shield, which improved the view out gear in favor of tapered steel
the front. An optional child’s seat for tubes that provided more fore
the baggage bay was introduced and and aft flexing to supposedly
gross weight was increased another improve ground handling on
50 pounds to 2300 pounds. rough surfaces.
Skyhawk models 172 E through H The landing light was
(1964 -1967) featured improvements moved from the leading edge
such as a shorter nose gear stroke of the left wing to the nose-
lessened by three inches and the F- bowl of the cowl, which im-
model came with electrically operat- proved airflow over the wing
ed flaps. Many lamented the passing at the expense of more com- the cowling. This turned out to be a
of the manually operated versions plicated cowl removal and sharply greater improvement than many of
because these were more precise, less reduced bulb life, probably due to the other changes. At 8000 feet, 75
distracting and easier to maintain. engine vibration. percent cruise increased from 113
The competition from the other side In 1972, the 172L emerged with to 120 knots, although owners say
—the Piper Cherokee—maintained an extended dorsal fin to improve the lower number is more realistic
the simplistic manual flaps. longitudinal stability, making it and most plan for even less, around
more difficult to enter a spin. But 100 to 105 knots. This suggests that
POWERPLANTS closer to the ground, 172 pilots typi- if Cessna had paid more attention
A significant change occurred with cally approached and landed too fast to aerodynamics than to perceived
the 172I in 1968: The Continental and the accident record bears out market movements, the 172 would
six-cylinder engine was dropped that observation to this day; runway have performed better than it does,
in favor of the Lycoming 150-HP prangs due to off-speed landings are at least with regard to cruise. Envi-
O-320-E2D, one of the most prolific a common accident scenario. ronmental awareness soon caught up
engines ever made. In addition to a In 1974, cruise performance was with GA as the Skyhawk continued
new cowling and motor mounts, the improved through an effort to reduce to evolve.
new engine package got an oil cooler. drag and improve airflow through With the mandated change to
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 27
u s ed a i r c r a f t g u i d e

proved to be doggy. While modern

for its time, this gear was plagued
with problems and it’s not uncom-
mon to find an airplane that has a
radio stack replaced multiple times.
Although produced under the
same type certificate, the airplane
has a long list of improvements,
including a metal panel, refined
seats, better seatbelts, better ventila-
tion and improved anti-corrosion
treatment. The mid-2000s model
line brought the 172S with Garmin’s
G1000 integrated avionics suite
and eventually the hugely capable
GFC700 autopilot. While it had its
growing pains, the G1000 was a vast
improvement over the Bendix/King
gear and brought the 172 into the
world of glass.
The biggest change was the fuel-
injected Lycoming IO-360-L2A in
place of the carbureted variant used
in the last production Hawks. This
change reduces the likelihood of
Older Skyhawks look a little staid tion goes, but it took a long time to carb ice, but some owners complain
when compared to modern plastic understand the nature and cause of that these engines can be bitchy to
airframes but Cessna learned long the problem and to devise ways to start.
alleviate it. More than 5000 of these Cessna shot itself in the foot on
ago that staid is a perennial seller. engine/airframe combinations were quality control. Owners of these
built. newer aircraft were peppered with
There are three major ADs on the ADs and service bulletins total-
low-lead fuel, engines designed to H2AD engine and resale value of the ing no fewer than nine for the
operate with 80-octane fuel showed airplane is dependent on compli- 172, ranging from exhaust system
various signs of distress. Lead fouling ance. AD 77-20-7 calls for replace- problems, firewall problems due to
of plugs and valves rose to epidemic ment of the tappets, AD 78-12-8 shoddy assembly work, engine oil
proportions. Deposits caused hot calls for replacement of the oil pump pressure switches, missing rivets
spots that led to premature failure impeller and AD 78-12-9 (the big and bad bolts in control yokes.
of engine components. Fuel system one) mandates replacement of the Cessna has stood behind these fixes,
elements deteriorated because of crankshaft. but all things considered, owners
new and incompatible aromatics and It’s critical that these ADs be would prefer better quality in a new
other additives. checked. We think it’s unlikely that airplane.
any 172s are still out there sporting
ENGINE DISASTER unmodified H2ADs, but the logs performance
The Cessna and Lycoming solution ought to be reviewed, nonetheless. Folks who buy Cessna 172s tend
turned out to be ill-starred at best, a In 1981, the troubled H engine was to be honest about the airplane’s
disaster at worst. In 1977, the 172N replaced in the 172P with another attributes and limitations. Most con-
was fitted with the now-infamous model, the O-320-D2J engine that sider the 172 a two- to three-place
O-320-H2AD. It had 10 additional yielded relatively good service. This airplane with room for baggage and
horsepower which yielded a higher is the last of the original Skyhawks with acceptable although not excep-
service ceiling and a knot or two and the line was history in 1986. tional performance and range. Most
of added cruise speed, but these owners say 8 GPH is about right for
improvements came at horrendous THE MODERN SKYHAWK fuel burn, with a little more for the
cost. The engine was a maintenance Cessna Chairman Russ Meyer stood newer 172s, especially the SP. One
nightmare. Because of poor lubrica- by his promise to restart piston hundred knots is about right for IFR
tion in the valve train, cold starts single-engine production if Congress planning speeds.
in cold weather caused tremendous passed liability reform. Turns out he’s Loading a 172 requires some
damage to cams and tappets. The a man of his word. The Skyhawk was attention from the pilot, but it’s
spalled metal tended to quickly trash reintroduced in 1997 as the 172R relatively generous in CG range
bearings, oil pumps and other criti- and sold for about $135,000 with av- and regardless of loading, there are
cal components. erage equipment including the new few complaints about the handling
Cessna and Lycoming supported Silver-Crown Plus line of avionics—a qualities. Pitch forces are the high-
owners to a generous degree, as avia- launch product for Bendix/King that est of the three axes, but good speed
28 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 us e d a i rc r a ft g u i d e

READER SERVICES
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E-MAIL ADDRESS, RENEW YOUR
control minimizes this. Properly Introduced in 1997, the 172R SUBSCRIPTION OR TO
flown, the 172 can handle stiff eliminated the issue of carb-icing CHECK PAYMENT STATUS,
crosswinds. Improperly handled, it with the fuel-injected Lycoming VISIT OUR
suffers a high level of landing ac- ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE:
IO-360.
cidents. Log on at:
Despite NTSB reports littered
with loss of directional control, Rigging and condition of control www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
prop strike, and nose gear failures, cables, pulleys, fairleads and fittings To change your address by mail,
the 172 has few vices. It has proven should also be carefully checked. attach your present mailing label to
this form (or a copy of this form) enter
itself as a forgiving airplane that has Many 172s have been poorly or your new address below and mail it to:
enabled many people to be pilots improperly rigged over the years.
who otherwise wouldn’t have made Corrosion has been found between
the cut. cable strands and this isn’t always THE AVIATION CONSUMER
One of the great strengths of the visible. Things like this tend to be P.O. Box 420235
172 is its comfort. While its dimen- disguised by a new paint job rather PALM COAST, FL 32142
sions aren’t generous, for all but the than fixed. The design is notorious
longest or widest of pilots and pas- for poor nosegear shimmy damping. Name_ _____________________________
sengers, it’s comfortable. For sight-
seers, the backseat of a Skyhawk is MODS, OWNER SUPPORT Company_ __________________________
one of the best places to be. Seats Fifty years ago, the general avia- Address_____________________________
in earlier (and unmodified) models tion industry was busy putting the Address 2_ __________________________
are somewhat skimpy and uncom- tailwheel in front. Now, there are
City_ _______________________________
fortable after a couple of hours. In modifiers to put the nosewheel in
later models, both the comfort and the tail. Things have come full circle State_ ___________ Zip:_______________
adjustability of the seats are quite so you can now undo Cessna’s work E-mail_ _____________________________
good. and turn the 172 into a 170. There
Most owners, particularly those are countless other mods, too. To order or renew a subscription,
enter your name and address above and
who’ve had their Skyhawks for a Some owners feel flap and aileron check the subscription term you prefer:
few years, report low annual costs. gap seals pay off both in low-speed [ ] 1 year (12 issues) $69
Compared to other brands, Cessna handling and improved cruise. Oth- [ ] 6 months (6 issues) $34.50
parts are reasonably inexpensive ers say there isn’t any difference. [ ] Check enclosed [ ] AMEX
and used parts are normally avail- Others swear by 180-HP engine [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa
able in abundance, if needed. upgrades to up the ante in climb
For a design as old and with performance. Card #______________________________
so many airplanes operating, the Some of the more popular mods Expiration Date_ _____________________
number of SDRs and airworthiness included STOL kits (www.springavi- Signature______________________
directives is surprisingly small, even ation.com), (www.hortonstackdoor.
considering Cessna’s problems with com), (www.sijet.com), engine YOUR RENEWAL
late-90s production quality. Sky- upgrades from Penn Yan Aero IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!
hawks are notorious leakers of rain, (www.pennyanaero.com), Air Plains www.aviationconsumer.com
especially around the windshield. Services(www.airplains.com), and
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 29
u s ed a i r c r a f t g u i d e

that you’ll likely need to upgrade

Accident scan: botched landings the avionics—a big expense that can
make an already excellent aircraft
When we sifted through a even better.
sample of 100 Cessna 172 accident summary
crashes from the year 2000 to R-LOC (49)
Reader Feedback
2010, one thing was blatantly I have a 47-year-old 1963 Cessna
VFR/IMC (10) 172D.   With respect to the Skyhawk,
clear: Students tend to lose
FUEL EXHAUSTION (9) what’s not to like? I think this is
control of these airplanes on
CFIT (8) the perfect airplane for me. I have
takeoff and landing.
STALL RELATED (8) put nearly 320 hours on mine since
The accident reports are purchasing N2618U in 1997.   Mine is
ENGINE FAILURE (7)
littered with cross-wind land- powered by the Continental O-300,
ings gone bad, prop strikes MID-AIR (3)
which is mated to a climb prop.
and bent firewalls, plus a OTHER (6)
While I don’t go forward very fast, I
smorgasbord of botched go- can climb like a bat out of hell (when
arounds. This is all typical fare compared to other Skyhawks). I am
for all of the Cessna 100 series a VFR pilot and the Skyhawk is per-
airplanes. sudden-stoppage after a tired fect for flying VFR.  
It’s not that the Hawk is hard Continental swallowed a valve. I am relatively short and the 1963
to land but rather it’s exposed to We also found a couple of classic 172 is well suited to a short pilot. I
don’t have vortex generators, yet my
students and neophyte pilots try- augers, the result of glassy-eyed,
stall speed is a very sedate 41 MPH,
ing to learn how to land, thus its under-the-influence pilots. with the airplane very controllable
tendency toward runway prangs. By chance, we ran across a even at the slow speed. When I am
On the other hand, master the suicide, too–the well-reported at the top of my game, I can come in
Skyhawk in a crosswind and you teen in Tampa who flew a 172R quite slow and be stopped just past
can fly about any other tricycle into the office building. This was the numbers. Most Skyhawks I have
gear airplane with ease. no fault of the airplane, but made flown climb at 500 to 700 FPM.   On
Thrown into the accident mix the model famous on national a cold day, I can climb out for the
was a healthy dose of spatial television. Still, we couldn’t find first 1000 feet at 1500 FPM. My
disorientations due to continued any accident pattern that points airplane is stone simple to operate,
VFR into IMC by non-instrument to problems with the Cessna 172 with a bulletproof engine, Johnson
bar flaps and, in some cases, the typi-
rated pilots, fuel exhaustion, as it relates to safety reliability
cal World War II surplus instruments
more mid-airs than we’d like to or bad habits. Instead, it’s the common in Cessnas of this vintage.  
read about, some of the inevita- 172 pilots who hold the smoking I budget $1500 per year for annu-
ble engine failures including one guns in the NTSB records. als and rarely go past that amount,
though I am quite anal on my
maintenance and always replace
Isham Aircraft (www.ishams.com). with the straight tail and “fastback” with brand new when my mechanic
Auxiliary fuel tanks are available fuselage is the best handling, say recommends replacing parts. Insur-
from O&N (www.onaircraft.com) those who know the breed. The O- ance is quite inexpensive at approxi-
and Flint Aero (www.flintaero.com). 300D is unquestionably one of the mately $760 per year. I hangar my
PowerFlow exhaust modifications are most successful and comparatively plane in an expensive hangar, but
also available (www.powerflowsys- trouble-free engines ever to come consider that money well spent due
tems.com). from Continental. to the wear and tear my airplane has
Cessna Pilot’s Association (www. Self-proclaimed Cessna experts not suffered to the elements. Bottom
cessna.org) which has an insurance might say it’s easy to pick the worst line: Everything in the airplane is
program, monthly magazine and fly- 172: the notorious O-320-H2AD- simple and reliable.
ins is an excellent tool for all kinds engined 172N. However, thanks to I like how the older airplanes
of support. The association runs a mods, overhauls and information fly, and I think they fly better than
variety of type-specific maintenance about the engine, this model’s hor- the newer ones. My seats are cloth-
and operational clinics, including rors have receded into the past. covered originals, so on a long cross
sessions on owner-performed main- If price isn’t the major concern, a country, the ergonomics leave a lot
tenance. used S-model G1000 ride is desir- to be desired compared to newer
able. For less, the 172P could be the Cessnas. My airplane averages 7.1
Which Model? ultimate model to pick, in our view. gallons per hour, so she’s a cheap
Mods or not, if you’re not consider- It has a proven and reliable power- date. I don’t fly as often as I want, so
ing a newer 172, which of the many plant and represents good value for the Skyhawk is a wonderful com-
model variants is best? For basic day the money. But check the logs for an panion that tends to make me look
VFR flying, we think an earlier 172 airplane that’s been beat up in flight better than I am. I have noticed that
is a good buy. The original Skyhawk school operations. Understand, too, a Skyhawk seems to be as big a plane
30 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010
 us e d a i rc r a ft g u i d e

that people fly just for fun. Ninety

five percent of my flying is for fun,
with the remaining 5 percent takes
me somewhere.   My favorite flights
have been long cross-country flights
that have spanned half the continent.
I flight plan for 90 knots, which is
quite accurate. I carry 39 gallons
of fuel, with 36 useable, giving me
a solid 5:30 theoretical, although I
usually plan for approximately three-
hour legs. Most people consider my
airplane too slow to be a good cross-
country aircraft, but I disagree and
have the experience of several voy-
ages over 1000 miles to back that up
I like having the extra room in a
four-seater, although in 13 years I
have only filled the seats once. With
a max of two people, I know I can
safely carry pretty much anything we added: Horton STOL , Powerflow ex- Passengers won’t find biz-jet
need.   The Skyhawk won’t awe any- haust system , Paul David STC wheel comfort in a Skyhawk, but even in
one with blistering performance, but fairings, gap seals, Mountain High older Hawks, custom interiors can
it is a great airplane to own. It won’t oxygen system, Aero-Trim aileron do wonders. This work was done by
send you to the poor house, has trim and a Hoskins fuel computer.
no bad habits and when one hasn’t The engine was field overhauled at Dennis Wolter’s Air Mod shop.
flown much of late, it doesn’t bite as 2400 hours, and was the final engine
you get back in the groove. to be done by Sacramento Sky Ranch
Only thing to learn with a genera- before they discontinued their ma- flight, replacing the worn-out original
tor-equipped plane like mine is that chine shop. Assembly and installa- Prestolite starter with a lightweight
you can’t activate all the electronics tion was done by IA Dave Hillerman Sky-Tec unit, and twice having the
and lights at the same time and idle at Turlock, California, and it just alternator wiring chafe through in
the engine.   I, like others, have want- could not have turned out any nicer. flight, plus a new battery about every
ed to get into glass, but when push All propeller work has been excellent, three years. Not too bad for 26 years
comes to shove, the old airplanes fly accomplished by Johnson & Sons, of loyal, dependable service. This has
just as well or better than the newer now at Shafter Airport in California. been a good all-around work and
ones, without one having to trade the The AVCON conversion makes family airplane. It is at home on
house on an airplane. I can’t think of the airplane what it is, basically a pavement or rough dirt strips, has
a better all-around airplane to own less-roomy 182 at 172 expense. Fully an 860-pound useful load and is fast
and fly. Someday, I will probably get loaded sea-level rate of climb is great- enough for long cross-country flying.
glass, but it is very likely to be carried er than 1000 FPM and it will still be Handling is typical 172, namely,
aloft in a Skyhawk. Cessna’s 43,000- climbing at 200 FPM at 18,000 feet. solid and unchallenging (perfect for
plus airplanes sold proves that a lot The weak point is that the legal gross less-than-stellar pilots, like me). It is
of people agree with me! weight remains at 2300 pounds, since noisy, so good headsets are a must.
AVCON never increased it as some The long range fuel is necessary for
Hesham D. Oubari other 180 HP kits have done…at the the larger engine, allowing for regular
Suffolk, Virginia loss of 10 degrees of usable flaps. 600-plus-mile trips with generous
The constant speed prop more than reserves.
My Cessna 172 is not your usual makes up for this with better climb, Insurance through AVEMCO runs
Skyhawk. I purchased my 1975 higher service ceiling and is at least as about $1200/year, hangar rent runs
172M in 1984, equipped with fac- fast as the fixed-pitch kits. High ter- $540/year, and owner-assisted an-
tory long-range 52-gallon tanks and rain and density altitudes here in the nuals help keep expenses down. I
it had already been modified with a intermountain west really demand change oil (Aeroshell 15W50 plus
180-HP AVCON conversion. Cruise the extra 30 HP. AvBlend) and a spin-on filter every
is 144 MPH at 10 GPH at 8000 feet. Maintenance over 2300 hours of 30 hours, adding one quart during
I have flown the airplane a total of use has included one major overhaul, the interval.
2300 hours, including four trips to two prop overhauls (because of ADs), This is the best airplane available
Alaska and many trips to the Mid- one prop governor overhaul, replac- and affordable for my needs and is
west and East Coast. The airplane ing the junk ARC radio and tran- likely the only one I will ever own.
will fly anything off the ground you sponder, one repainting, one interior Or need.
can sensibly, though not necessarily replacement, replacement of all glass
legally, load into it. with upgraded thicker Plexiglas, Stewart Vaughn
Worthwhile modifications I have replacing one Slick mag that failed in Via-email
October 2010 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 31
 f e e d back wa n t e d

cirrus sr22

For the January 2011 issue of Avia-

tion Consumer, our Used Aircraft
Guide will be on the Cirrus SR22,
the big success story for the new
696 vs aera there, but not nearly so easy to read century. We want to know what
as on the 696. Terrain is similarly it’s like to own these singles, how
(continued from page 6) handled. Both navigators allow set- much they cost to operate, main-
ting up terrain alerts based on look-
tain and insure and what they’re
ahead time, desired buffer and alert
which cover the entire FAA AeroNav sensitivity. The 696 and the two upper like to fly. If you’d like your air-
library for the U.S. At full scale, the tier aeras have high terrain resolution plane to appear in the magazine,
696’s screen is too small to show the while the other models have standard send us any photographs you’d
plates in detail, but they’re readable. resolution. Either will keep you out of care to share. We accept digital
You can scale up and scroll the plates the rocks if you’re paying attention. photos e-mailed to the address
to see the finest detail. Garmin just below. We welcome information
added standard geo-referencing of Bottom Line on mods, support organizations or
aircraft position on the plate and this What to do here? A clear-cut yay or any other comments. Please send
is available as an upgrade for older nay is difficult because the decision correspondence on the SR22 by
696s. If you prefer Jepp charts, the is driven by how and what you fly. November 1, 2010, to:
696 will also run ChartView. The 696 occupies plenty of upper
No such features are found in the tier cockpits where it’s valued as an
aera, which nicely displays approach EFB—we’re thinking high-dollar Aviation Consumer
fixes, but no approach plates. Howev- singles, twins and turbines whose e-mail to:
er, both the 696 and the aeras display budgets allow for add-on gimcracks avconsumer@comcast.net
low and high-altitude airways and that aren’t necessarily primary equip-
fixes, but neither allows naming air- ment.
ways in a flightplan. That remains the If that doesn’t describe you and
province of panel-mount navigators. you’ve got a good IFR panel mount,
the 696 can serve as backup nav, plus 696 vs iPad
Hazard Avoidance a chart library. If you want just the
All contemporary Garmin products charts, the iPad with ForeFlight or (continued from page 7)
since the GPSmap 396 have excelled WingX (or any of several chart read-
`vreceiver. That’s a nice idea, but there
at hazard warning and avoidance. ers) will be cheaper and easier to keep
The 696 and aera continue this current. isn’t enough ADS-B out there to make
capability. The 696 and aera 510 and As you can see from the forego- the investment worthwhile, in our view.
560 accept XM WX Satellite Weather ing, the 696 is optimized as a serious Even the 696’s TIS input won’t show
through a remote receiver; the lesser IFR tool. If that’s not what you do, all the traffic, but it will display more
models don’t. it will be overkill, considering the than an ADS-B-based system will.
Again, there are differences in high price. Otherwise, either the aera SkyRadar will also grab weather through
display. The 696 has a fully dedicated 510 or 550 get our top recommenda- ADS-B and while that holds promise, we
page for the weather, which is handy tion. Both are XM weather capable can’t really judge it until the network
for looking at detailed NEXRAD im- and have all the basic navigation is built out. We’ll take another look in a
agery; it’s just much easier to see the features—plus the hazard warnings— few months. (The ADS-B weather is free,
details. Punch the cursor knob and that anyone could want.
by the way.)
you can scroll through full pages of By dint of size and standard on-
satellite mosaics, METARs, winds and board map databases, the aeras are Conclusion: The iPad won’t yet cut
so forth. also good street navigators, so you it as a portable GPS navigator that’s as
To do the same on the aera, step can find your hotel in the rental car. reliable or capable as the GPSmap 696.
through the home key to the weather At that task, the 696 falls short. In It does lots related to navigation and
key, then select the same products a future issue, we’ll compare these aviation, but other than plate reading, it
for a more detailed view. The detail is products to other market options. doesn’t do many of them really well.
32 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m October 2010