Review – Takeoff Junkie

Flying the Delta Flight Museum 737-200 Simulator

March 13, 2019March 17, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

Full motion flight simulators are massively expensive pieces of equipment, but for an airline it’s the most cost effective way to train new flight crews before they ever touch the controls of a real aircraft. These simulators use the same controls and instruments as the actual aircraft and are supported on hydraulic actuators that allow the simulator to move and make you feel like you’re actually flying an airplane. It’s probably as close to flying one of these beasts as the average aviation nerd will get, and there’s only one place that rents one by the hour to the general public: the Delta Flight Museum.

Review: MyGoFlight Flex Glare Shield Mount

February 13, 2019February 24, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

An iPad or other tablet is pretty much a requirement for modern pilots. The amount of information it provides is indispensable whether you’re doing some work in the pattern or blasting off on a cross country flight. But how do you keep your tablet visible and useful in the cockpit? MyGoFlight offers a variety of mounting options for their tablet mounting system, one of which is their glare shield mount.

Review: SUREWO Aluminum Ball Joint GoPro Mount

February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

I love the GoPro line of cameras. I’ve had at least one in my camera bag ever since the very first Hero video camera was released. I’ve strapped them to everything from firearms to flying machines and used more mounts than I can shake a stick at, but I’ve never had an easy to use mount that would allow me to pivot the camera easily from all angles. Until now.

Review: Benchmade Triage 915

February 8, 2019February 9, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

There are few things as useful in this world as a good sharp knife. Humanity’s second oldest tool behind a large rock used as a hammer I never leave the house without one. For pilots who might find themselves needing to escape from a downed aircraft or just cut some new tie-downs for their aircraft the Benchmade Triage 915 (or the current equivalent) might be a good choice.

Review: Smith & Wesson SWPEN3BK Tactical Pen and Touchscreen Stylus

February 5, 2019February 9, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

I’ve found that pilots appreciate well designed and specialized tools. Heck, some pilots still lug around their E6B flight computer because it works and it works well, even though the same thing can be done with an app on their phone. I was looking for a similar solution to my writing needs, a single tool able to draw on my tablet touchscreen and still write on the actual paper paperwork for each flight without breaking after a handful of uses. Enter the Smith & Wesson SWPEN3BK.

Review: David Clark H10-13.4 Aviation Headset

January 28, 2019January 30, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

There are some products that are so pervasive and ubiquitous within a community that you almost can’t picture a situation without them. Graphic designers and Macbooks. Hipsters and rolled up sleeves on a buttoned down shirt. Pilots and David Clark headsets. But just because something is common doesn’t mean that it’s the best idea.

Garmin Pilot Android versus iPad

January 23, 2019January 30, 2019 Nick Leghorn 1 Comment

There used to be a question about whether Android or Apple iOS based devices were the best to buy when looking for an Electronic Flight Bag or EFB. For the moment that debate seems to have been settled with the iPad clearly winning, but Android tablets are still a less expensive and attractive alternative to the increasingly expensive Apple devices. So the question then: if you go Android, are you missing anything?

Flight Review: Main Cabin Extra Row 20 on American’s 777-300ER

January 21, 2019January 30, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

For my 30th birthday my amazing wife bought me an afternoon in the Concorde flight simulator at the Brooklands museum just outside London. Being based in Austin, Texas however meant that we needed to book a trip to London. My wife already had enough miles to meet her status goals for the year on American, and after doing the math we figured that a round trip in economy would be enough to get me to crack that dollar spend requirement as well.

What’s In My Flight Bag: 2019 Edition

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

One of the more popular posts on this blog is “What’s In My Flight Bag,” a post from a couple years ago where I discussed what I was currently carrying in my bag when I rented an airplane. Since then things have changed a bit, and I thought it would be worthwhile to revisit the topic.

Review: MyGoFlight iPad Kneeboard Sport Case

January 16, 2019January 15, 2019 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

There used to be a pretty big contingent in the flying community that thought flying with an iPad or electronic flight bag was a recipe for disaster. These days that opinion seems to have flipped on its head — an iPad is pretty much required equipment for every flight. The trick is finding a way to keep that iPad stationary and visible during flight. One of the best things I’ve found is MyGoFlight’s iPad Sport Case