Review – Page 2 – Takeoff Junkie

Review: 5.11 Rush 12 Back Pack

March 16, 2015March 14, 2015 Nick Leghorn 4 Comments

I rent my wings, which means that I need to truck all my aviation related junk to and from the airfield with me every single time I fly. I tried using a range bag that I had acquired through my alter ego, but it wasn’t the most elegant solution. To make that process easier I wanted to see if there was a better bag out there that would give me quick access to all my gear while in flight yet contained enough to not take up my entire trunk. After going through a few different bags, I finally settled on my #1 choice: the 5.11 Rush 12 Back Pack.

Review: Dual Electronics XGPS150A Bluetooth GPS

February 22, 2015February 22, 2015 Nick Leghorn Leave a comment

I love high-wing airplanes. They give a great view of the outside world, and are very easy to fly and land. But there’s a problem with high-wing planes that low-wing planes don’t experience: the GPS signals are blocked in the cockpit. Because the wing spars are above your head, simply holding a GPS in your lap isn’t going to cut the mustard. You need a remote GPS device somewhere with a clear view of the sky, linked to your electronic flight bag of choice. One solution: the Dual Electronics XGPS150A.

Review: Garmin Pilot for Android

February 15, 2015January 12, 2016 Nick Leghorn 5 Comments

NOTE: This review features Garmin Pilot prior to version 4.3. I have been tracking the updates as they happen and here are the major milestones (and associated discussion):

Version 4.3: Terrain, Obstacles, and X-Plane Integration

Version 5: User Interface changes, Lockheed martin flight plan filing, ICAO flight plans

The basic functionality of the app is still as cited below, but the look and feel has changed. Once you’ve read this review feel free to check the articles about the updates.

I can’t stand Apple devices. Their “walled garden” approach to apps might be good for security and stability, but when you start using that power to ban images of things that don’t fit your personal beliefs it goes a step too far. Censorship just isn’t my cup of tea. So when I started flying, I bought myself an Android tablet thinking that I’d use that for my Electronic Flight Bag and never have to worry about paper charts or pencil-and-E6B trip planning again. Little did I know that while Apple devices have a smattering of brilliant apps for that specific purpose, Android devices have been pretty much ignored. It took me a while, but with Garmin Pilot I think I finally have an app I can live with.

Review: MyGoFlight Tablet Mount

January 16, 2015February 20, 2015 Nick Leghorn 1 Comment

I don’t own an airplane — I rent them by the hour from FBOs. And while G1000 equipped airplanes are available, the cost associated with those planes is much higher than a normal steam-gauge Cessna 172. There’s also no way to know if the charts have been updated recently, and if you want to enter a detailed custom flight plan you’ll need to do it while on the ground burning gas prior to takeoff. For me, having a tablet to fulfill all of my navigational needs is ideal since I can configure it exactly how I like and program everything for my flight before I even leave home. But there’s a problem: how do you mount it on an airplane, especially one where you can’t alter anything and the configuration can vary wildly between FBOs? MyGoFlight has a solution: the Universal Flex Suction Kit.