This month we’re featuring two cockpit must-haves. Left undetected, carbon monoxide will deprive the body’s cells of critical oxygen. This silent killer works quickly, so early detection is key. Whether you choose the Tocsin 3 Cockpit Monitor or another product, you owe it to yourself to keep a CO monitor in the cockpit. And a great flight bag … well, that’s a given.

MyGoFlight PLC Pro and Sport Bags

Featuring durable, water-resistant sail-cloth material and well-padded shoulder straps and grips, this backpack fits all your essential flight gear, with compartments for headsets, a handheld radio, iPad, pens, flashlights and much more. See all MyGoFlight products.

Tocsin 3 Cockpit Monitor

Tocsin 3 Cockpit Monitor. Stay alert: Specifically designed for use in the cockpit, this digital sensor unit indicates dangerous carbon monoxide levels with flashing lights, horns and vibrations. The backlit screen displays the current CO level in parts per million. Alarms are customizable but preset at 35 and 100 ppm. $169.95; sportys.com

SkyNext: Tango Lightspeed Wireless ANR Aviation Headset

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Spidertracks took the opportunity at this week’s HAI Heli-Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, to introduce several new features for its Spider product offerings. The company says its new products will help operators around the world optimize their businesses through better monitoring and communication.

“We want our users to know how an aircraft is flying when they can’t see it, and we want them to have access to the information they need,” said Spidertracks’ CEO Dave Blackwell. “Instead of looking at a fleet as 10 or 20 separate aircraft, we’ve taken a step back and looked at the bigger picture to give that operator more, and more valuable, information.”

The Auckland, New Zealand-based tracking company introduced three new features that can be added to the existing Spider plan. Virtual FDR is a flight-data monitoring add-on that allows the Spider to record flight data such as altitude, speed, roll rate and G-forces. The data can be transferred to a cloud platform and overlaid onto existing satellite tracks. Virtual FDR allows the operator to identify how the pilots are flying the aircraft, which could lead to adjustments to safety management systems (SMS).

Spidertracks’ new Scheduling feature allows operators to improve the management of upcoming flights and crew assignments, which could potentially make the operator more efficient. The cost for the Scheduling feature is $20 per month per aircraft.

Spidertxt 2 is an updated version of the Spidertxt add-on, which allows the Spider user to communicate to and from the cockpit from anywhere in the world through an iOS or Android device. The new version of Spidertxt allows the user to bundle messages to reduce the monthly cost by up to 87 percent, Spidertracks says. Plans vary from $20 per month for 100 messages to $50 per month for unlimited messages.

Spidertracks also launched a new pay-as-you-go service called Aircraft Tracking as a Service (ATaaS). Rather than making an initial purchase, users can choose between several plans that include the Spider hardware.

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Each year, we at Flying select a small handful of products, companies or organizations that have had a positive impact on general aviation during the previous year. It’s the stamp of approval pilots look for when shopping for avionics, making aircraft-purchase decisions, or trying to separate merely good products from great ones. But it’s more than that. It is recognition of a job well done by teams of engineers, test pilots, marketers and other professionals who, working together, have taken bright ideas and turned them into certified realities. We hope that, in some small way, it also helps to spur competition, drive innovation and inspire the brilliant minds in aviation to dream of creating the next game-changing technology or product.

The airplanes we bestow the honors on this year are about as different as can be, yet they certainly fit the definition of game changing in the segments they represent. The avionics products we’ve selected also exemplify technology that pushes boundaries with new ways of thinking and presenting information. This year, we also recognize a charitable organization that is doing exceptional work to help get kids excited about aviation, a goal you’ll see us putting a renewed emphasis on here at Flying as we enter the new year. So join us in congratulating this year’s highly deserving 2015 Editors’ Choice award winners.

The California-born-and-bred Icon A5 light-sport amphibian is an obvious choice for a 2015 Flying Editors’ Choice award. It’s almost certain to be a controversial one as well.

With the A5, Icon Aircraft has introduced a different kind of airplane that is targeted primarily to nonpilot thrill seekers — a sort of flying Jet Ski that exists purely to bring joy to its owner. There’s nothing wrong with that. But Icon has also worked hard to cultivate a bad-boy image with the release of videos and promotional materials that show A5 pilots performing the sorts of aggressive low-level maneuvers that have been getting people hurt or killed in airplanes for more than a hundred years.

But the simple fact is, the A5’s flight characteristics are sublime, it meets FAA spin-resistant design criteria, and it comes equipped with cutting-edge safety features, including a full-airframe BRS parachute and angle of attack indicator. That it’s also badass is a bonus.

When viewed through this wider lens, and by taking into account everything Icon has accomplished with the A5, we proudly bestow this honor on a company that achieved exactly what it set out to do, boldly and without apology, in creating an airplane that epitomizes what an LSA can and should be.

Cessna’s newly introduced Citation Latitude midsize business twinjet occupies a class all its own, combining the things buyers have long loved about the Citation brand — rock-solid reliability, low operating costs, exceptional takeoff performance and more — and adding many others they’ll come to appreciate the moment they step on board.

The cabin, for starters, is surprisingly spacious with room for eight and a flat floor that stretches 6 feet to the ceiling, 6.4 feet wide and 21.75 feet long. Fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney PW306D1 turbofans provide a range of 2,850 nm and a max speed of 446 knots. The general shape is reminiscent of the Citation Sovereign, on which the Latitude is based, but the new model is jam packed with extras, from the Garmin G5000 touch-screen avionics up front to the Clarity cabin entertainment system in the back, as well as large windows that let in lots of natural light and an airstair door that’s generous in size. As a total package, this is a hard bizjet to beat.

A transponder with a touchscreen would probably make the short list for an Editors’ Choice award based on the mere fact it’s such a cool idea. A Mode S extended-squitter transponder with LCD touchscreen, internal dual-band ADS-B receivers, WAAS GPS receiver and Wi-Fi interface for connecting it to a tablet computer is, in our opinion, a slam-dunk winner. And since it’s our opinion that counts, we’re delighted to present the award to the revolutionary L-3 Lynx NGT-9000.

The unit provides you with everything you’ll need to comply with the FAA’s 2020 ADS-B mandate, plus a whole lot more. There’s an internal 1090ES ADS-B Out receiver/transmitter for rule compliance plus dual 1090 MHz and 978 MHz (UAT) ADS-B In links for receiving traffic and subscription-free weather information, which is displayed right on the NGT-9000’s touchscreen. Swipe left or right to call up various map, traffic and weather pages on the screen, or you can output the signal to another cockpit MFD or to an iPad or Android tablet for overlay on popular apps such as WingX Pro7.

OK, we’ll admit that we were skeptical of this one when Aspen announced it earlier this year. Then we flew with the company’s software-only angle of attack indicator and became believers. The reason we questioned whether it could really work as advertised is because there aren’t any external sensors that you need to install to display angle of attack on your Aspen flight display. You merely upload the software, plug in airspeed numbers specific to your airplane, go up for a quick calibration flight, and you’re in business.

How exactly does it work? The technology uses the accelerometers in the Aspen Evolution primary flight display and GPS track angle to derive angle of attack based on what the system sees. Developed by the Italian Space Agency and patented by Aspen, not only does the software provide accurate angle of attack indications on the PFD (even in an accelerated stall), but they are also theoretically more accurate than those supplied by permanently installed pressure-transducer-type angle of attack systems. The needles on the Aspen display provide fast-slow indications of margin above stall that are a huge improvement over what the airspeed indicator can tell you and provide more useful information than a stall-warning horn alone.

Build A Plane is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting aviation by giving kids the chance to build real airplanes. The organization, founded in 2003 in a formal partnership with the FAA, solicits aircraft donations — often from home builders who never finished their project airplanes and who can claim a charitable tax deduction — which are passed along to high schools and youth groups across the country where kids get to work building them. It’s up to the group to decide what happens to the airplane when it’s completed. A number of students who built airplanes have gone on to learn how to fly them.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association partnered with Build A Plane a couple of years ago and ­invited high-school kids to enter a competition named the Aviation Design Challenge. The students were tasked with ­building a virtual airplane using the program’s “Fly to Learn” curriculum, and then flying the airplane in a simulator using X-Plane software. The students with the most successful design got to build a Glasair Sportsman in Arlington, Washington. The Aviation Design Challenge is now in its third year. To learn more about the organization, visit buildaplane.org.

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So let me guess. You still haven’t equipped your airplane for ADS-B. With the calendar about to flip from 2015 to 2016 – and with the FAA mandate still stubbornly set for Jan. 1, 2020 – you’re starting to feel a little squeamish. You know you should install mandate-compliant ADS-B gear (including a WAAS GPS position source and antenna if you don’t have one already) but you’re reluctant to act. What if the mandate is delayed? What if a better, cheaper option comes along?

If you’ve already upgraded your airplane for ADS-B, congratulations. Your worries are behind you, and you’re probably already enjoying some of the benefits of ADS-B, such as traffic and weather data if you also have an ADS-B In solution.

If you haven’t yet upgraded, let me make a couple of not-so-bold predictions that might affect your decision-making. There won’t be a delay to the ADS-B mandate. The needed avionics products exist today and the FAA announced the start date long ago. If you decide to wait until the last minute only to find that avionics shops are full and hardware is on backorder, you’ll have only yourself to blame.

The good news is, 2016 is the perfect time to start thinking seriously about ADS-B. Sometime in the next year (or two at the most) you should decide on a solution, purchase the hardware you need and schedule your installation. There won’t be any benefit to waiting longer, and there could be some drawbacks to delaying your decision.

If you’re worried about what ADS-B will cost, do your research now and start setting aside money so you’ll be ready to upgrade well ahead of the deadline. The sooner your ADS-B decisions are behind you, the better you’ll feel on Dec. 31, 2019, while other pilots are wondering why they waited so long.

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Bad Elf, a maker of portable GPS receivers for the aviation market, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the introduction of an ADS-B receiver that will sell for just $299 — but only if the startup’s $500,000 funding goal is met by the time the campaign ends in mid January.

Capable of receiving ADS-B traffic and subscription free weather data for output to a tablet display, the portable single-band 978 MHz device represents a “breakthrough” in ADS-B technology, utilizing components that are cheaper and less power intensive than competitors’ products, Bad Elf claims.

The Kickstarter campaign runs through January 14. Bad Elf is offering the ADS-B receiver for $299 (with a limited number of “early adopter” units available for $249) and a separate product with built-in ADS-B and AHRS receiver for $449 (with special early bird pricing of $399).

If the company reaches its funding goal by the time the Kickstarter campaign ends, it will begin producing and shipping the units to buyers. The $299 price, Bad Elf notes, is about half that of its nearest competitor.

As of this afternoon the campaign had garnered nearly $75,000 in pledged funding.

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At this week’s NBAA show in Las Vegas, Garmin announced a new series of aviation products that are designed to make the runway environment safer. By providing audible and visual cues, Terminal Safety Solutions alert the pilot of threats to safety in the airport environment. The Terminal Safety Solutions include SurfaceWatch, TerminalTraffic and SafeTaxi.

SurfaceWatch is available on Garmin’s G2000, G3000 and G5000 integrated flight decks and is designed to help pilots avoid dangerous situations, such as taking off from or landing on the wrong runway, a taxiway or a runway that is too short. For example, if the pilot attempts to take off from a runway that is too short, SurfaceWatch’s aural alert will announce “runway too short” based on takeoff and landing distance data entered into the system. Audible distance remaining annunciations are also available and the system shows runway remaining information on the PFD during the takeoff roll.

The TerminalTraffic feature provides the pilot with a detailed image of ADS-B-equipped aircraft in the airport environment, including ADS-B-equipped ground vehicles. Based on type, each vehicle has distinct colors and symbols and is displayed on a detailed SafeTaxi diagram that includes runways, taxiways, hangar locations and more. A dedicated helicopter version of TerminalTraffic is also available.

The SafeTaxi portion of Garmin’s Terminal Safety Solutions has been available for some time on a wide variety of Garmin compatible platforms. SafeTaxi offers geo-referenced airport diagrams for more than 2,000 airports in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Check out the functionality of Terminal Safety Solutions in this video.

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Dassault Aviation on Monday introduced the first head-up display (HUD) system to combine synthetic and real-life infrared views, dubbed FalconEye.

The new combined vision system (CVS) pairs thermal and low-light cameras with synthetic, database-driven terrain mapping to provide situational awareness and increased capabilities, as well as permit approaches with operational credit.

“What makes this truly revolutionary is the unique and patented way in which we blend real video of the outside world in low-light conditions with synthetic terrain imagery, a first in the business jets industry,” said Olivier Villa, Dassault’s senior vice president of civil aircraft.

Presented at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas, the FalconEye is on display on a Falcon 2000LXS — a production model that will be delivered soon after.

Dassault’s chairman and CEO Eric Trappier says FalconEye will be available in early 2016. Dual HUDs will also be a future option for customers.

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On July 25, 2000, Air France Flight 4590 begins a takeoff roll from Runway 26R at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris. The airplane is a Concorde, en route to the John F. Kennedy International Airport. It is operating as a charter flight with passengers that will board a cruise ship in New York.

Barely a minute into the takeoff, the tower controller advises the flight, “You have flames behind you.” The crew acknowledges the report. Fifteen seconds later, an unconfirmed voice on tower frequency states, “It’s really burning and I’m not sure it’s coming from the engines.”

Cockpit gauges indicate that the No. 2 engine on the left side of the airplane has suffered a serious loss of power while the No. 1 engine on the same side is surging with its own power issues. Despite efforts from the captain, the Concorde deviates to the left of the runway centerline.

Unable to abort, and in an effort to prevent an excursion off the pavement, the captain pulls back on the control yoke at 183 knots, 16 knots below calculated rotation speed. The airplane becomes airborne and is unable to maintain a speed that will allow its climb to a safe altitude.

The controller advises Air France Flight 4590 that it has priority to return. Approximately 30 seconds later, the crew announces, “We’re trying for Le Bourget.” Le Bourget Airport is the site of the Paris Air Show and Charles Lindbergh’s trans-Atlantic arrival in 1927.

A fire warning from the No. 2 engine activates. The captain calls for the appropriate checklist, and the flight engineer responds by shutting down the engine and firing the extinguishing bottle. Adding to the seriousness of the problem, the gear will not retract as a result of the fire engulfing the left underbelly of the wing. Either the fire has destroyed the electrical activation of the landing gear or the gear door sequencing fault protection is preventing retraction.

Asymmetric thrust and a high angle of attack are causing the airplane to bank sharply to the left. The crew attempts to correct the problem by reducing thrust on the Nos. 3 and 4 engines located on the right side of the airplane. The high angle of attack is unsustainable. The supersonic transport (SST) enters an aerodynamic stall.

Only 5.9 miles after departure and three minutes after the commencement of the departure roll, the ­Concorde impacts the ground. One hundred passengers, nine crew members and four people on the ground perish in the fiery crash. What happened?

It’s a simple answer. A piece of FOD (foreign object damage) 16 inches long and a little over an inch wide pierced a tire on the left main landing gear truck as the Concorde progressed past its V1 speed of 150 knots. Fragments of the tread penetrated a fuel tank on the same side. A source of ignition from either the electrical wiring within the damaged gear well or combustion from the No. 2 engine caused a fire to erupt. Pieces of debris entering the No. 1 engine and back flow from the fire caused it to surge as well.

The investigation concluded that, even if the engines had remained operating, the outcome most likely would have been catastrophic. A high-speed abort would have departed the runway end, with survivability unlikely.

The FOD was tracked to a protective portion of the fan reverser sleeve on the No. 3 engine of a Continental Airlines DC-10 that had departed five minutes earlier. A lack of quality control for the repair on the fan reverser was attributed to it dislodging from the engine.

The BEA (France’s accident investigation board) terminated Concorde’s airworthiness certification as a result of the accident findings. Unfortunately, the recommendations specific to modifying various aspects of Concorde’s design as a preventive measure were not cost effective for an aging airplane that wasn’t profitable anyway. The world lost a prestigious and legendary piece of aviation history.

In this circumstance, however, tragedy inspired innovation. Six engineers, veterans of the Israeli air force, asked the question: “Why do airports have to accept FOD as the cost of doing business?” They don’t. Managing potentially hazardous debris is controllable. Combining their collective skills and experience, the six men devised a technology that automatically detects runway FOD. In addition, other runway hazards can be managed through the same installation. Enter Xsight Systems ­(xsightsys.com).

The clever aspect to the technology is that the installation does not require a change to the airport’s existing runway infrastructure. Why not? The system is co-located with the runway edge lights. The mounting platform, supplied by Xsight, is redesigned to accommodate both the edge lights and the FODetect sensors. Electrical power is already available.

The sensors use radar technology similar to that of the backup alarms available in Mom’s minivan. At night, once the sensor or sensors detect a piece of debris, a laser is activated to physically locate the object.

When FOD is detected, an aural and visual alarm is activated on a remote display screen that monitors the sensors. The display screen is located in the airport operations area, assigned usually to one individual who has direct communication with the appropriate authorities.

If the alarm activates, the operator is given an immediate image of the FOD. Each unit co-located with the runway edge lights offers live video, providing the operator an adjustable view to examine the FOD. At night, NIR (near infrared) technology is utilized. In addition, the exact location and size of the object is also available. If the FOD is deemed a potential threat, an airport vehicle is dispatched to retrieve the offending debris.

As a side benefit, the CCTV-type video imaging is useful for security purposes and runway activity monitoring. As an example, live video can aid ARFF (aircraft rescue and firefighting) crews responding to an emergency. Because FODetect is an automated, computer-based system, everything can be documented and archived for future reference.

Arik Fux, Xsight’s vice president of U.S. operations, introduced me to the system at Boston Logan International Airport, where it is deployed on Runways 9/27. A total of 68 sensors are operating at any one time, providing continuous monitoring of the runway surface. Whereas a vehicle inspection using human eyes conducted a FOD search only three times a day with great difficulty at peak usage, the inspection now occurs at least once a minute. A vehicle is employed only when debris is detected and deemed a hazard.

FODetect is active at Bangkok International Airport, Sea-Tac International Airport and Tel Aviv, and partially at Charles De Gaulle. More installations are being negotiated with various airport authorities. In round numbers, Arik indicated that the average installation cost is approximately $5 million per runway. In the scheme of ever-increasing global airline traffic, it seems like a small price to pay for an additional margin of safety.

An enhancement to the FODetect product, called SnowWize, is designed to accurately measure snow levels in real time. Considering that airline operations require snow depths to determine potential aircraft weight limitations, calculations of takeoff V-speeds and simply go or no-go decisions, this information is vital. Currently, the reported environmental contamination levels can be subjective and untimely, especially during a dynamic snowstorm event.

Another enhancement to FODetect is BirdWize. By combining the use of imaging technology and computer algorithms, bird species can be detected and identified. Confirmation of the bird threat can be viewed via live video. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach to scare away the airport pests, an audio sound specific to the species is generated by the BirdWize unit.

This “harassment” method is activated manually so as to leave the potential bird escape path to the discretion of an expert. What works to scare away Canada geese may not work for seagulls (although nothing seems to bother seagulls except for a lack of French fries). Bird detection can be archived and documented to determine habitat trends.

Certainly the Concorde accident in Paris could have been avoided had this innovative FOD detection system been available. Despite the negative economic factors involved in operating the SST, perhaps the world would have retained at least one airplane for posterity’s sake. Concorde was a tremendous representation of aviation ingenuity. It is indeed a horrible irony that a small, obscure piece from another aircraft heralded the end of an era.

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The FAA continues to make it easier and less costly to bring advanced technology to the cockpits of light airplanes. The most recent example of this welcome trend comes in the form of an FAA policy statement that will allow aircraft owners to replace older vacuum-driven attitude indicators with more reliable electronic units.

The policy statement, issued on September 14, makes replacing a vacuum-driven attitude indicator with an electronic attitude indicator a “minor alteration” under most circumstances for Part 23 airplane weighing less than 6,000 pounds.

“This new policy statement is a move in the right direction when it comes to helping owners increase their safety and modernize their aircraft,” said David Oord, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs, according to the association’s website. “We hope this signals a broader shift toward commonsense, risk-based policies that will help keep the legacy fleet flying for many years to come.”

The policy change permits the replacement of a vacuum-driven attitude indicator with electronically AI with backup battery that can include a secondary function, such as a turn-and-slip indicator. The FAA says the only caveats are that new unit must be positioned to allow for partial panel operations in the event of instrument failure and that it must include a dedicated circuit breaker.

The FAA a couple of years ago moved to allow installations of angle of attack indicators in light airplanes with an STC, a move that has led to the introduction of several products priced below $2,000 and requiring minimal installation expense.

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The Max-Viz infrared enhanced vision system from Astronics Corp. that has been offered for years in certified aircraft is now available for Experimental and homebuilt models after the company this month introduced a noncertified version designated X1 and priced at $6,000.

The unit makes use of essentially the same technology that’s installed in certified aircraft, from airliners and globe-girding business jets to GA airplanes like the Cirrus SR22 and Pilatus PC-12. Astronics says it is introducing the Max-Viz X1 version specifically for kitbuilt aircraft that operate from unimproved airstrips with wildlife and other obstacles.

“The uncertified Max-Viz X1 is a lightweight, low-cost solution for the kit and homebuilt experimental aircraft operator,” said Astronics Max-Viz executive vice president Elliott Troutman. “The system complements synthetic vision systems and allows pilots to see temporary obstructions, such as wildlife and construction barriers, which are not in the SVS database.”

The Max-Viz X1 infrared sensor enables pilots to see up to 10 times farther than unaided human vision in visibility-obscured conditions, such as smoke, haze and light fog, day or night, though not through solid clouds, Astronics says. The EVS image can be presented on any video-capable cockpit display.

The X1 is a single line-replaceable unit built into an aerodynamically shaped housing and weighs in at just over a pound.

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From Garmin’s latest offerings comes the GTC 580, a new touchscreen controller option for the G2000, G3000 and G5000 integrated flight decks. The high-resolution landscape display adds standby flight display capabilities while using the same GTC 570 interface that provides full flight deck management control, such as flight planning, radio and audio management, and weather systems control.

The GTC 580’s SFD offers flight attitude information, airspeed, barometric altitude and heading information. The screen comes in a 5.8-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) and 1280 x 768 resolution. It also boasts an infrared touchscreen making it faster and more responsive and can even be used with gloves.

In conjunction with GTC 580’s launch, Cirrus Aircraft announced the Cirrus Perspective Touch by Garmin for their Vision SF50 Jet. Specifically designed for the new personal jet, the touchscreen-based flight deck features three of the GTC 580 touchscreen controllers under the PFD and MFD.

Check out garmin.com/aviation for more information.

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Operators of many of Garmin’s G1000 avionics suites can now upgrade their systems to meet the ADS-B requirements set for implementation in 2020. The company has matched its GDL 88 ADS-B box with the integrated avionics suite as well as several other systems.

The GDL 88, which is part of Garmin’s Vantage ADS-B suite of products, replaces the G1000’s GDL 90 ADS-B transceiver and provides the required ADS-B Out capabilities for customers flying in United States airspace below 18,000 feet. ADS-B In traffic, Nexrad and metars displayed on the G1000 are derived from Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) weather.

In addition to the widely adopted G1000 system, Garmin has made the GDL 88 compatible with the GMX 200 and MX 20 multifunction displays. Unlike with the G1000, these systems display ADS-B In traffic and weather. Garmin also expects to add Aspen Avionics’ flight displays to the list of compatible systems later this year.

In addition to the integration with panel mounted avionics, customers can connect the GDL 88 to up to two mobile devices through the Bluetooth capable Flight Stream 110, which costs $549, or Flight Stream 210 system, which costs $999 and also allows customers transfer data, such as flight plans, between the mobile device to select Garmin navigators.

The price tag for Garmin’s GDL 88 is $3,995 plus installation.

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Safe Flight Instrument Corp. received FAA approval for its SCc angle of attack system, launched at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this week. The product, which is a follow-on to a similar AOA indicator introduced for the Experimental market last year, is available now for installation in Part 23 certified aircraft.

The product includes a lift transducer mounted in the wing leading edge and a display that fits on the glareshield and presents AOA fast-slow indications using red, yellow and green LED lights. The unit also ties into the audio panel to provide a distinct clicking sound in the pilot’s headset that increases in urgency as the airplane approaches critical angle of attack.

In addition to low-airspeed awareness, the SCc provides the pilot with AOA-based guidance for a variety of high-lift conditions such as normal and short-field takeoff, climb and wind-adjusted AOA cruise speed for maximum range and endurance.

I flew with the system in Safe Flight’s test airplane, a Cessna 172, with Safe Flight director of sales Ken Bannon just before Oshkosh. I found the LED display on the glareshield easy to interpret as I performed slow flight, power-on and -off stalls, slips, and normal and short-field landings. The clicking audio alerts, which sound like a Geiger counter in your ear, provide additional stall awareness that makes the system a worthwhile safety addition at the SCc’s price of $1,895.

Here’s how SafeFlight’s AOA product works: The SCc lift transducer precisely measures the wing’s leading edge stagnation point and flow field. This provides a precise measurement of AOA regardless of aircraft weight, wing loading or center of gravity. The indexer computer uses an LED-lit display with a pilot-selectable reference marker for setting AOA targets in flight.

SafeFlight estimates installation times of five to six hours. Pilots can then perform a short flight with the SCc to calibrate it and start using it immediately to gain maximum performance from their airplanes.

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Aspen Avionics and L-3 Avionics Systems have teamed up to connect ADS-B capabilities with primary flight and multifunction displays. L3’s new Lynx NGT-9000 multifunction transponder with LCD touch screen will integrate with Aspen’s Evolution line of PFDs and MFDs.

As a Mode S extended squitter transponder with ADS-B In and Out capabilities and an integrated WAAS GPS, the Lynx NGT-9000 satisfies the ADS-B requirements that are scheduled for implementation in 2020. Traffic and weather data from the NGT-9000 can be overlaid on the HSI and moving map displays of the Aspen Evolution screens.

The Lynx NGT-9000 operates through a touch interface and connects wirelessly to some aviation applications, such as WingX Pro7 and SkyRadar, on iOS and Android devices. The base price for the Lynx NGT-9000 is around $6,000, L-3 said.

Aspen/L-3 bundles start at $20,795 plus installation. You can see the combination at the L-3 booth (#3109-3114 in Hangar C) at the AirVenture show grounds in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Aspen also announced that it has achieved certification for its angle of attack indicator, the first AOA to be integrated with a Part 23 certified PFD. The AOA appears automatically near the top left corner of the screen during changes in attitude and when the airplane nears the critical angle of attack. AOA indications can also be displayed on the MFD.

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For owners of legacy airplanes with older electromechanical attitude indicators, the need to repair or replace one of these units can be an expensive and uncertain proposition, one that sometimes sadly only resets the clock for a while before more repairs are needed. On Monday at AirVenture in Oshkosh, BendixKing announced it was closing in on certification of a product, the KI 300, designed to provide a reliable long-term solution to such attitude direction indicator woes.

The KI 300, which comes in three distinct versions, is a standard-sized solid-state gyro-based attitude display with a bright LED screen that replaces the company’s existing mechanical legacy KI 254, 255, 256 and KG 258 and 259 attitude indicators, providing a more reliable, durable and accurate ADI solution compared with older mechanical units.

The new ADI also includes integrated battery backup in case of the loss of aircraft power. The KI 300 will be able to serve as the attitude source for a number of BendixKing autopilots, including most of the KAP and KFC models. The new ADI is designed to be a direct replacement for easy installation.

The KI 300 will typically sell for $5,995, when used as a KI 256 or KG 258 replacement, or $4,995 when used as a replacement ADI only. The yaw damper function brings the price up to $7,995. BendixKing expects the KI 300 to be available late this year.

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Avidyne is opening up the wireless data transfer capability of its flagship IFD540 and IFD440 GPS navigators to app developers by introducing software developer kits that will enable the creation of software applications for the units.

“Our IFD540 and IFD440 each come with integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability at no charge,” said Avidyne president and CEO Dan Schwinn. “Our open-architecture software developer kit makes the data stream available not only for professional app developers — several of whom we are already working with — but also for students, flight schools and even hobbyists who want to create new and innovative solutions for the pilot community.”

Avidyne has created two software developer levels, Tier 1 for developers who wish to create apps that only receive wireless data from the IFD540 and 440 boxes, and Tier 2 who plan to create apps that send data back to the avionics.

Tier 1 software developers can sign up for the free software developer kit on Avidyne’s website, while Tier 2 app developers will require additional vetting and testing to ensure the software works properly with the avionics.

Schwinn said the Tier 1 software developer kits will be available within a few weeks. Avidyne is currently working with “four or five” Tier 2 app developers, with the first software expected to be ready for initial testing in the next few months, he said.

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Garmin continues to crank out new products for the aviation community. One of its latest offerings is a new Bluetooth-capable audio panel, the GMA 350c. Its Bluetooth link allows the audio panel to connect wirelessly to a tablet or smartphone, providing pilots the capability of making phone calls and streaming music or other audio, and receiving alerts on their devices.

The audio panel incorporates Garmin’s 3-D audio processing, which makes sounds in the headsets appear to come from different directions, and Telligence Voice Command, allowing the pilot to activate features by voice commands rather than pushing buttons. Customers are also likely to enjoy the enhanced auto squelch feature.

The GMA 350c also incorporates with Garmin’s latest video cameras, VIRB X and XE, which connect wirelessly to enable audio recording directly from the audio panel.

The new audio panel comes in two additional versions, both incorporating the features of the GMA 350c. The GMA 35c has a remote audio processor that integrates with Garmin’s GTN 750 navigator. There is also a helicopter version, the GMA 350Hc, which adds night vision compatibility and support for a third COMM.

All three boxes are expected to be available in the third quarter of this year for a price tag of $2,295.

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Cats and dogs will probably never live together in true harmony, but at least ForeFlight Mobile app users can now wirelessly link to their Garmin cockpit avionics after an announcement that is being described by the companies as a “groundbreaking collaboration.”

ForeFlight has long sought to tap into the market for Garmin panel avionics connectivity, but as competitors in the flight app business the two have been fiercely battling to win over the same customers. That’s all changing as of right now with the news that ForeFlight Mobile users can use Garmin’s Flight Stream wireless gateway to receive Garmin ADS-B weather and traffic, GPS data, and dynamic pitch and bank information on their iPhones and iPads running ForeFlight Mobile 7.2.

Flight plan transfer capability is “currently in development and will be available in a future app update,” ForeFlight says.

Through the collaboration, ForeFlight Mobile now connects to the Flight Stream 210 ($999 retail price) and Flight Stream 110 ($549 retail). These are Garmin’s Bluetooth wireless units that will allow display of, among other things, the full suite of ADS-B weather and traffic information received via the GDL 88/84. The Flight Stream 210, with its internal attitude sensor, powers ForeFlight’s Synthetic Vision and adds a backup attitude capability with dynamic pitch and bank information.

WAAS GPS position information from GTN 650/750, GNS 430W/530W navigators, or GDL 88 with an internal WAAS receiver can also be used to power features like ForeFlight Mobile’s moving map, geo-referenced approach plates, and taxi diagrams to enhance situational awareness in the air and on the ground.

“We’re pleased to welcome ForeFlight into Garmin’s connectivity ecosystem which will enable even more aircraft owners the opportunity to utilize the excellent benefits of Connext,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “Both Garmin and ForeFlight loyal customers will find this collaboration attractive as it emphasizes ForeFlight’s commitment to serve their customers with a quality app, and Garmin’s commitment to offering practical solutions that optimize the flying experience.”

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Aspen Avionics is now shipping its new ATX100 ADS-B transceivers. The units seem a great solution to owners who have the Aspen Evolution primary flight display with the Garmin GNS 430W or 530W in the panel too.

The ATX100 can use the position feed from a WAAS capable Garmin navigator, eliminating the need for owners to install a separate WAAS antenna, which is often the most costly part of an ADS-B installation. The cost of the ATX100 is $2,645, not including installation.

The aircraft also needs to have a Mode A/C or Mode-S transponder installed, as is the case with all installs. Approved for operations below 18,000 feet, the 978 mHz UAT ATX100 is also capable of supplying free weather data and displays of traffic.

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Sporty’s, along with partners Appareo Systems and ForeFlight, today introduced the next-generation of Stratus ADS-B receivers offering improved performance, better signal reception and much, much more.

Like their predecessors, the new Stratus 1S and Stratus 2S models offer integration with the ForeFlight Mobile app for subscription-free weather, ADS-B traffic, WAAS GPS position and all-day battery life. Additional features include a built-in attitude and heading reference system and dual-band traffic receiver in the 2S version and the ability to hide the device’s Wi-Fi network and add a password. The units will also be able to connect to Appareo’s certified ADS-B Out avionics with an interface cable.

“Pilots love Stratus because it simply works the right way, so our focus has always been on improving performance while maintaining a pilot-friendly design,” said Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman.

Stratus can also display ADS-B weather data on the Apple Watch. And a new pressure altitude sensor in the 2S model allows pilots to view pressure altitude in ForeFlight, as well as enables the app’s Cabin Pressure Advisor.

Stratus 2S is priced at $899 and the 1S at $549. Both begin shipping next week, and will be on display at the Sporty’s tent at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

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