LEARNING YOUR RETROFIT PANEL

I've been an avionics tech long enough to remember when the extent of new avionics upgrades included a couple of flip-flop Navcomm radios and an audio panel. Even back then, some owners stumbled with otherwise simple switchology. Worse case was a missed radio call.

Things have changed. Today's avionics upgrades usually involve tightly integrated glass systems and advanced automation. Just learning how to power up and configure the equipment usually requires more thought and planning than the Navcomms of 20 years ago. The safety implications are obvious; the operational ones perhaps somewhat less.

It doesn't have to be this way as long as you have a game plan for proper training and set some limits for your flying until you master the basics. Checking your ego outside the cockpit and avoiding radical instrument panel layouts while setting new personal minimums is a must.

Herewith are some tips to make transitioning to retrofit avionics safer and easier.

Click here to read the full article.

THE PILOT'S LOUNGE: TO ABORT; PERCHANCE TO LIVE

AVweb's Rick Durden had a close call when he didn't abort a bad takeoff, and he has suggestions for how to be a little more embarrassed but a little less dead.

Click here to read the full article.

COMING THIS MONTH: AVWEB'S NEW LOOK
Later this month, AVweb will unveil a completely redesigned website and e-letter that will deliver news stories, features, video and podcasts in a fresh new format. We've had the redesign in the works for months and although we'll retain the familiar features that readers find compelling, we'll be streamlining delivery in a way that will make it easier for you find AVweb's deep well of aviation-related content and in the coming months, we'll be adding new features. Thanks to a more efficient content loading system, we'll be updating the site more frequently with breaking news. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The AVwebFlash team is:

Publisher
Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings

Ad Coordinator
Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.

If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.

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