FergWorld : PIREPS 11/23/24    Home | Articles | Training | Instructor's Corner | Airplanes | Travelogues | PIREPS | For CFIs | ATPs | Pilot for Hire By Ryan Ferguson, © 2001-2005 Ah, the joys of running a totally unbiased personal aviation website. I am free to tell you EXACTLY what I think of the products that I review. There are no sponsors to keep happy and no egos to stroke. Of course, this means I get to personally purchase all of the products I review. So much for the perks... but at least I have nothing to lose by being completely honest and objective with my PIREPs. Enjoy! January, 2003 "Icing for General Aviation Pilots," a joint project between NASA and the AOPA ASF, is a $5.00 DVD with a volume of information on aircraft icing. Includes NASA research footage of in-flight icing conditions, re-enactments, and detailed discussions on the causes and associated recovery techniques of tailplane icing and stalls. [READ ARTICLE] » October, 2002 Confession time: are YOU still flying IFR with hand-held GPS? Then read my review of the Bendix-King KLN-94 IFR GPS. A lot of power and utility for the price for the budget-minded pilot. [READ ARTICLE] » July, 2002 Which chart format deserves your loyalty: Jeppesen or NACO? This PIREP deals with how I reached the conclusion that simpler and cheaper is better. [READ ARTICLE] » May, 2002 Updated CBAV (short for 'Cheap Bastard Aviation') is a free applet for the Palm OS featuring NEXRAD weather images, METARs, and TAFs. What makes this so special? Using a Palm VIIx and the Palm.net wireless service, you can get weather updates in the air for a grand total investment of under $150. [READ ARTICLE] » August, 2001 Looking for a handheld transceiver with both nav and comm functionality, plus a whole lot more? Read my review of the ICOM IC-A23, including a simulated 'electrical failure' to test the capabilities of the unit. You might be surprised at just what capabilities you have when you revert to your handheld in an actual emergency. [READ ARTICLE] » August, 2001 Updated As one of the higher-end headsets available to the private pilot, this rig offers a featureset that most headsets can't match. Unfortunately, its light weight and quiet performance comes at too high an all-around price. [READ ARTICLE] »