Australian Flying November-December 2015 explores some new bits of kit for your aeroplane including engine management systems, air frame parachutes and the best way to get your interior looking smart again. We also have a good look at one of the most exciting new light sport aircraft to be released for a long time, get inside Australian Army Aviation, go visual around the United States and speak with ferry pilots about their careers flying small aeroplanes over unimaginable distances.
Andrew Anderson reports from the USA on the ins and outs of VFR flight and why we should be allowed to do it that way in Australia too.
Aeroprakt's latest LSA, the A32 Vixxen, encroaches seriously on general aviation, and Steve Hitchen was lucky enough to get himself in the cockpit for an introductory flight this brilliant little aeroplane.
Nowadays there is no excuse for not fine-tuning your motor to get the best performance the the best economy. Steve Hitchen examines the science of engine management and looks at the best monitoring systems around.
No-one ever thinks of the Australian Army as a career in aviation, so we dispatched Phillip Smart to Oakey in Queensland and he found out that Army Aviation presents a flying career of most interesting proportions.
Ferrying is most certainly not for the faint-hearted. You'll spend hours flying straight and level over miles and miles of not much, all whilst jammed into a cockpit with a stinky ferry tank, a portable toilet and room for very little else. Paul Southwick reports on this one.
We practice forced landings regularly, and except for the occasional miss, perform fairly well. That's good under controlled conditions, but what really happens when the engine goes out? Jim Davis lends us his experience.
Airframe parachutes have been credited with saving many lives, yet they are still not a mandatory nor much sought-after piece of kit for most GA aeroplanes. Paul Southwick plays advocate for both sides and lays out the arguments for and against.
How's your interior? If it's like many GA aircraft around Australia it's probably in need of an upgrade to restore the pride in appearance. Steve Hitchen discovers there's more to the art of refurbishing aeroplane interiors than might seem immediately obvious.