May 10, 2013

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

New Terrain: Terrain and Obstacle Hazard Awareness for iPad ForeFlight's new Hazard Advisor swiftly and elegantly highlights hazardous terrain and obstacles, making you more aware of the granite clouds and threatening obstacles in your path. A worldwide terrain database keeps you informed wherever you fly, from Aspen to Auckland. Obstacle data covers North America, the Caribbean, and U.S. territories. Upgrade to ForeFlight Pro today and keep hazards at bay. Today's Exclusive AVweb Feature back to top  Buying Used, Buying Smart: The Prebuy The economic downturn continues to depress used aircraft prices so if you've managed to escape significant and sustained financial peril you could be well positioned to pick up a good used aircraft at a very good price. Unfortunately, not all bargains are what they seem. The old phrase "buyer beware" is as true as it's ever been. The course most pilots take to avert the potential heartache and financial headache created by a bad aircraft purchase is the prebuy inspection. But not all inspections are equal. And if you think a recently logged annual is good enough, you may want to reconsider. To get a handle on how to conduct a proper prebuy, we spoke with Mike Busch, who was honored as "National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year" in 2008. The awards program is a cooperative effort between the FAA and over a dozen industry sponsors. Aside from writing for numerous aviation publications, Busch has also produced "Savvy Owner Seminars" that are focussed on better aircraft maintenance while spending less money. And, in a previous life, Busch cofounded AVweb and served as editor-in-chief for more than seven years. We found his comments on the proper prebuy frank, sensible, and sometimes … scary. Click here to read the full article. Aspen Avionics Introduces ADS-B Solutions Designed to work with what you already have in your panel, Aspen's affordable NextGen ADS-B solutions provide an easy, cost-effective path to increased situational awareness and meeting the FAA's NextGen mandate. Try our simple ADS-B solution finder to get started, at AspenAvionics.com/EasyADSB. From the Pages of Aviation Consumer Magazine back to top  Bulletproof Engines: Are There Any? Yes, say engine overhaulers, and Lycoming's four-cylinder models own the category. Owning one substantially reduces the cost of flying. Next to $6 avgas, the cost of routine engine maintenance and overhauls takes the biggest bite out of the aircraft ownership budget. You can always choose not to paint your airplane or live with ratty seats, but if the engine tanks, you've got an 1800-pound radio stack you can't even use because there's no way to spin the alternator. Our owner reports on various models consistently confirm what we've always known: Some owners spend a lot less on aircraft maintenance simply because they own airplanes equipped with engines we have often considered bulletproof. This concept is, itself, a misnomer. Nothing in aviation is truly bulletproof, but it's fair to say that some engines have a better service history than others and, conversely, some are simply money pits. That's not to say they don't perform, but it'll cost you more and reliability will suffer. Click here to read the full article. Garmin G3X Systems Now Starting at $4,375 Now you have even more options when installing a Garmin G3X™. A new Garmin autopilot system brings robust capabilities to virtually any aircraft. An angle of attack pitot provides accurate, real-time measurement of wing performance to provide stall margin indication. And best of all, a new ADHARS unit and other essential system components means you can get a complete G3X system for a new low price starting at only $4,375. Learn more. AVweb Audio — Are You Listening? back to top  Podcast: Pilots Get Social File Size 5.8 MB / Running Time 6:20 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS The $100 hamburger can be a pleasant quest for pilots, but there's nothing like planning a flight to a specific event to get the prop turning. That's the theory behind Social Flight, an app that lists more than 3,500 flying-related events all over the U.S. with customized features that let pilots know where they can fly -- but, more importantly, why they should. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Social Flight's Jeff Simon. Click here to listen. (5.8 MB, 6:20) A Breed Apart Instrument pilots like you are passionate about staying proficient. IFR Refresher helps you stay that way. Act now and receive a special gift with your subscription. Names Behind the News back to top  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 Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling, click here or contact Tom Bliss, via e-mail or via telephone [(480) 525-7481]. Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.) 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. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.