Doug Ranly

Garmin is well known in the fitness world for creating high end smartwatches for tracking all of your activities: biking, hiking, swimming, running, gym workouts, and more. And of course our favorite activity, flying, can be tracked too, using their line of D2 smartwatches. I've spent the last two weeks testing the latest model, the D2 Mach 1 Pro, and it can do it all.

Lightspeed Aviation is known for thinking outside the box when it comes to headset innovation, and their latest product continues that tradition. The new Delta Zulu headset incorporates their best ANR technology ever, but this platform can do more than traditional aviation headsets. Everything from the ANR box to the integrated CO detector has been reengineered for maximum efficiency in the cockpit. As always, Sporty’s team of expert pilots took the new Delta Zulu for a bunch of test flights. Here's what we found.

The FAA spells out when oxygen is required in FAR Part 91.211. It's important to review this rule and understand the law, but many pilots need oxygen below the altitudes specified there—especially at night. Do you or your passengers always arrive tired or with a headache? It’s probably because of mild hypoxia. Spending a few hours at 10,000 feet is often enough to cause significant discomfort. 

Aviation headsets can be a sizable investment for pilots. Plopping down over a thousand dollars for something that will protect your hearing is a common practice for modern pilots (and a smart choice). After spending that hard-earned money on a headset, what can we do to make sure we get the most life out of our investment? Here are four things you can do to maximize the performance of your Bose, Lightspeed, or David Clark.

Sporty’s Pilot Shop is proud to offer high-quality gear from ASA. Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA) manufactures plotters, E6Bs, logbooks, kneeboards, and is a leading publisher of aviation books. With such a vast product range, there is sure to be a gift for the aviator on your list. Here are the top 5 ASA gifts for pilots. 

Aviators find themselves using oxygen as they explore higher altitudes in non-pressurized cockpits. This brings up an important question: what are the differences between the different grades of oxygen? Fortunately, it’s not that complicated. There are three main types of oxygen.

Some aircraft were manufactured with built-in oxygen systems. These are commonly found in high performance aircraft with turbocharged engines. When these aircraft were made, each manufacturer could pick which connector to use in their system. Portable manufacturers entered the fray and used different connectors. What we are left with is a whole lot of connectors without much consistency. You might think it will take a special decoder ring to figure out what connector you need for your 1972 Cessna T210 (PB-2 for the record), but it doesn’t have to be that hard. There are six main connectors to consider.  

As a frequent traveler, I have become a sort of luggage connoisseur. But my pile ’o bags might be marked for the next Goodwill run. I stumbled upon the Flight Outfitters Seaplane duffle bags a few months ago. At first, I thought there was no way I’d fall in love with a non-rolling set of luggage. The small and large sized duffle screamed basic and plain, but little did I know, that is exactly what I needed. 

ANR headsets make long flights in noisy general aviation airplanes more bearable. The standard passive headset reduces noise levels by 18-24 decibels; ANR headsets put an additional 10-25 decibels of reduction on top of that. But there is still pushback from those who want to continue to get a flashlight and shoes to go use the outhouse. Here are the top three myths we have heard when it comes to ANR headsets—and why they are wrong.