What's New -- Products and Services

This month AVweb's survey of the latest products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners brings you a mini-tug, instrument panel lighting, satellite phones and more.

If you know of a new product or service other AVweb readers should hear about, please send us a note.

Aircraft Spruce Instrument-Panel Light Strips

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty is now offering instrument-panel light strips for use in experimental aircraft. The flexible strips, which feature dimmable LEDs encased in resin, are ideal for mounting under glare shields for instrument panel lighting. They are available in red, white or blue and can easily be trimmed to fit a specific panel width.

The light strips are easy to install, they are waterproof, shockproof and operate off normal 12-volt aircraft batteries, drawing only 83 mA. Their service life is 10,000 hours. They come in 35-inch lengths and can be trimmed to fit any panel. They are 3/8-inch wide, 1-mm high and can be secured under the glare shield with double-sided tape.

Price varies with color: white is $56.75; blue is $44.85 and red strips are $39.95. Instrument panel light strips can be ordered online at Aircraft Spruce & Specialty's Web site.

Sporty's Cordless Mini-Tug

The Mini-Tug Plus from Sporty's is a heavy-duty electric tug that is quiet, cordless and easy to use. It will move most piston single- and twin-engine aircraft, even up grades.

The tug's castering rear wheel makes maneuvering the tug simple, while dual, 16-inch drive wheels provide plenty of traction. A manual winch gently pulls the aircraft onto the loading ramp against a stop for a secure hold. A nose-wheel stop bar is included, which allows the Mini-Tug Plus to be used on aircraft with wheel pants.

Other features of the Mini-Tug include:

• 9000-pound towing capacity, 1500-pound nosewheel ramp capacity;
• Twist-grip, variable-speed control;
• Battery-powered, 24-volt motor;
• Accommodates almost any aircraft, even with wheel pants;
• Halogen work light for night operations;
• Forward/reverse switch;
• Steel cabinet with diamond plate deck;
• Includes two 12-volt batteries.

Sporty's Mini-Tug Plus weighs 250 pounds and includes a battery charger. The tug is available for $3,495 and may be ordered from Sporty's Web site.

Trade-Up to Iridium Satellite Phones

Iridium Satellite has introduced Trade-Up to Iridium, a rebate program that provides pricing incentives for North American customers switching from Globalstar to Iridium. The program is targeted toward government users, first responders, educational institutions and relief organizations that have already purchased satellite phone service.

The program offers rebates of up to $700 for North American Globalstar subscribers switching to Iridium. Through June 30, 2008, participating Iridium service providers will give a rebate of up to $400 on a new Iridium 9505A satellite phone to customers turning in an existing Globalstar handset. It will also provide up to $300 in airtime credits when signing up for a qualified Iridium North American calling plan.

For more information, visit the Iridium Web site.

Lightspeed Zulu Headsets

The new Lightspeed Zulu headsets are now available. Incorporating magnesium in place of plastic ear cups, the new Zulu headsets are durable, and weigh only 13 ounces. The magnesium is reported to be 10 times more effective than plastic in reflecting cockpit noise.

The Zulu headband features a very thin, flexible spring steel that provides an good fit with 40 percent less side -- or "clamping" -- pressure. Soft, smooth leather surrounds the extra-wide ear seals that are filled with temperature sensitive foam, which are half the thickness of other pads. The magnesium ear cups are significantly smaller in profile than other headsets. Four types of composite plastics have been incorporated to dampen noise within the headsets.

Bluetooth technology, built into the headsets, allows cell phone or MP3 players to be connected wirelessly.

Zulu headsets by Lightspeed can be ordered from many headset retailers, including Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, which has priced them at $850.

Sporty's Introduction to Flying DVD

Sporty's new DVD -- Introduction to Flying -- takes the mystery out of flying for the non-pilot by exploring how flying works, for both VFR and IFR flight. This program is designed for passengers and not the pilot, using lay terms to explain aviation concepts. Passengers will learn more about what the pilot is doing and why. They'll learn how to participate in the flight as a helpful crewmember and how to aid in an emergency to make their next flight safer and more enjoyable.

From preflight through takeoff and landing and all the way to engine shutdown, this program explains all about a flight:

• See what's involved in successful preflight planning;
• Learn the basics of using an airplane's autopilot;
• Find out how to land an airplane in an emergency;
• Discover the "Four W's" for easy radio communications;
• Learn how to use navigation instruments including GPS;
• See a glass cockpit in action in a Cirrus SR22; and
• Understand how pilots can safely fly in clouds and low visibility.

Introduction to Flying on DVD is available for $29.95 and may be ordered at Sporty's Web site.