Powered Lift, the New Rating Category, and the eVTOL Demonstrators Parked on the Oshkosh Innovation Ramp
In October 2024 the FAA created powered lift, the first new civil aircraft category in ~80 years - here's what it means for pilots.
Cleared Direct
Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
SureFly, the Electronic Ignition, and the Hundred-Year-Old Magneto Finally Meeting Its Replacement in the Oshkosh Exhibit Hangars
SureFly's electronic ignition is finally replacing the century-old aircraft magneto - here's how it works and whether it's worth it.
The Homebuilt Glass Panel War at Oshkosh and How Garmin's G3X Touch and the Experimental Autopilot Servo Broke Open Certified Avionics
How experimental homebuilt aircraft became the lab that made modern glass panels and autopilots cheap - then pushed them into certified cockpits.
Waas, the L P V Approach, and the Space-Based Signal That Slipped an Instrument Landing System Into Every Cockpit at Oshkosh
How WAAS turns free GPS into a precision LPV approach that brings ILS-quality minimums to small airports that never had an instrument landing system.
Distributed Electric Propulsion and the NASA X Fifty-Seven Maxwell, the Fourteen-Motor Wing That Rewrote the Rules Before It Ever Flew
NASA's X-57 Maxwell never flew, but its 14-motor wing proved distributed electric propulsion and reshaped today's eVTOL and air taxi designs.
Dynon, the Approved Model List STC, and How the Experimental World Talked Its Way Into the Certified Cockpit
How Dynon's Approved Model List STC brought cheap, solid-state glass panels from the experimental world into certified cockpits.
G100UL, Swift, and the Long Goodbye to Leaded Avgas - The Fuel Transition Playing Out in the Oshkosh Exhibit Hangars
How G100UL, Swift's UL94, and the EAGLE initiative are ending leaded avgas - and what the transition means for piston pilots.
Garmin Smart Glide and the Button That Flies the Glide For You When the Engine Quits
Garmin Smart Glide is a one-button system that pitches for best glide, finds a reachable airport, and tunes 121.5 after engine failure.
Synthetic Vision, the Terrain Database, and the Cockpit Display That Paints the Mountain You Cannot See
Radio Hangar explores Synthetic Vision, the Terrain Database, and the Cockpit Display That Paints the Mountain You Cannot See.
The Airbus Perlan Glider and the Engineless Sailplane That Climbed to Seventy-Six Thousand Feet on the Edge of Space
How the engineless Airbus Perlan 2 glider rode stratospheric mountain waves to a record 76,124 feet on the edge of space.
The Digital Autopilot Retrofit and the GPSS Roll-Steering Servos That Rebuilt the Legacy Cockpit at Oshkosh
How digital attitude-based autopilots and GPSS roll steering gave 1970s Cessnas and Pipers capability that once belonged to turbine aircraft.
The Dual-Link Gamble - Why American ADS-B Runs on Two Frequencies, and the Ghost Targets That TIS-B Was Built to Chase Down
Why US ADS-B uses two frequencies (978 and 1090 MHz), how TIS-B relays traffic between them, and why ghost targets appear.
Electronic Stability and Protection and the Autopilot That Quietly Pushes Back on the Yoke
How Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) quietly pushes back on the controls to prevent loss-of-control accidents in general aviation.
ForeFlight, the iPad, and How the Electronic Flight Bag Rewired the General Aviation Cockpit
Radio Hangar explores ForeFlight, the iPad, and How the Electronic Flight Bag Rewired the General Aviation Cockpit.
Hydrogen and the Fuel Cell Airplane - Why the Zero-Emission Bet Keeps Showing Up in the Oshkosh Innovation Hangars
Radio Hangar explores Hydrogen and the Fuel Cell Airplane - Why the Zero-Emission Bet Keeps Showing Up in the Oshkosh Innovation Hangars.
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Zero-Emission Airplane That Might Not Run on Batteries at All
How hydrogen fuel cells and combustion could power zero-emission flight - and the weight, volume, and infrastructure hurdles still in the way.
SpaceShipOne, the Feathered Wing, and the Experimental Airplane That Flew to Space From the Same World That Fills the Oshkosh Flightline
How SpaceShipOne, a homebuilt-derived experimental aircraft from Mojave, flew to space and won the Ansari X Prize in 2004.
The Angle of Attack Indicator and How the Experimental World Made Aviation's Most Honest Instrument Affordable
An angle of attack (AOA) indicator measures how close your wing is to stalling directly, and the experimental fleet made it affordable for certified aircraft.
The Van's RV-15 and the High-Wing Bet That Could Redraw the Kit-Plane Market
Van's RV-15 is the company's first high-wing kit, a backcountry bet unveiled at Oshkosh after surviving Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
uAvionix, the skyBeacon, and How a Wingtip Light Made the ADS-B Mandate Affordable
How uAvionix's skyBeacon hid a full ADS-B Out system inside a wingtip light and cut compliance costs from $6,000 to around $2,000.