Airspace Aware v Garmin, The FLY-UK test!

Back when the old king died Garmin were making GPS, they are robust and full of features, lots of buttons and a real boys toys. A good portable will see you pay 3x the cost of a good Dell Laptop with the latest technology and so when Airspace Aware arrived at circa 0.75x the cost of a Dell lap top I was interested to say the least! I was at the end of the life of my colour 295 and ready to invest, but a second hand second rate GPS from Garmin via EBay was still 1.5x the cost of that benchmarking Dell Laptop.

Just think about the Technology in a laptop for a few moments and you will see the direct comparator. Its like the Coke Comparator I use when visiting other nations! more or that later!

So, there I was at Popham, two hundred quid burning a hole in my credit card and so after the first 5 minute demo I purchased my Airspace Aware, 3 nights later I was packing up my Garmin 295 ready for posting to its new owner. For me a Zero - Zero Transaction, if you get my drift!

Fast forward to FLY UK and a 40 hour test drive around the shores of the UK with my new Aware, would I end up heaving it over the side? Re investing in Garmin (the Market Leader)?

The first thing you have to do when you buy a Aware is to figure out how to power it, the supplied Charger interferes with EVER ONES radios,  no exception that I am aware off, a simple fix is to by or make a charger that can be placed away from the Ciggy lighter and wired directly with the appropriate suppressors, they are available from the web but you have to buy them elsewhere not great customer service. I built my own from 4 quids worth of bits from Maplins.

NOTE to AIRBOX AWARE CUSTOMER SERVICE:- Offer other hard wire chargers and Suppressor options, face the problem

Fitted and functioning a BMAA minor mod sorts the paperwork, a nice touch from the BMAA its a free mod ;-) Thank you uncle Geoff & Ben.

Installed and working I found the 250 maps set a boon, easy to read and see airfield data, and in a microlight the distanced are manageable, the 500 maps had others in my groups preference so take you choice. We flew up to Aberdeen and were setting coarse for Orkney and may be the Shetlands, alas Wx did not work! Just as well really the Aware maps stop before Orkney!

NOTE to AIRBOX AWARE DEVELOPMENT:- Er? When is a 250 map not a 250 map? when it does not have all of the map on it?????? Doh! Schoolboy error...fix it or lose the hard core....France is my next mission, will I be disappointed?

Arriving in Longside (Peterborough) and chatting too the 3 other users on the Round UK I was traveling with they were complaining about Back lighting and visibility, A quick fix there is that the light and all the other settings are accessible if you start the Air box Aware with the Sim card out and access the settings, 3 very happy campers tracked on down the Great Glen!

NOTE to AIRBOX AWARE CUSTOMER SERVICE:- Its not in my manual how to set up one's preferences, up to and including turning off the sound! Simple fix lads....

Navigation setting up the device for your route is easy, and straight forward, but a couple of little things would make life so much easier...
- Ability to plot routes adding way points BEFORE, setting the final destination.
- Ability to reset the "go to" without having to scroll
- IPhone Swipe Functions......to navigate around the map
- Ability to Sleep the device without having the thing turn off when your trying to wake it again(Is it me?)

All in All I LOVE my Aware, living with it for a week with at least 2 legs of 3 hours a day and its fit for purpose and kept me out of and aware of airspace in places I have never been. However these
simple additional options would really make a good product GREAT! the things it does well are:-

- It alerts you to your location and airspace really clearly, its brill, brill, brill, this advantage is not evident flying in your local area so this device comes into its own when you need it most...
- Its easy to ready, and the moving map is very clear and works well with a map board to confirm location
- Its 0.75x the cost of Dell Lap top cost and 20% of the cost of its competitors (Well done Airbox), add the extras and its price could go up....I be willing to pay for the upgrade of new functions.
- Its light, easily mounted and works....

Did I make the right choice? for me yes, but this device needs to mature....lets watch this space.

Officially Excited!

I am officially exited as I load my Pod with my favorite tunes! Tonight I spent the evening on the beach with the Charlotte, Emily and Beth BBQ and Paddling the Canoe around the buoys. Spending a few special moments with my family, I do love them so. Family life is rarely lived in context. The day to day petty arguments and personality defects (mine not theirs) get in the way of one's thoughts, when your excited about an "Expedition" those arguments pale and I can concentrate on how I think and feel about them all, I miss them before I have shut the front door.


This year we are planning one of the most ambitious Flights we have ever attempted. Lands End to Shetland Isles, Western Isles of Scotland, across to Northern Island, back to Isle of Man and North Wales to the final party near The Wash. That is a lot of fatigue, a lot of water and a lot of mountain flying. Generally the gotchas are found between the Seat and the controls, but in these environments its possible to fly for an hour and not see a road, flying 6 or 8 hours a day takes it toll. The weather changes in the mountains and in the Islands so quickly there are some Gotchas one cannot anticipate.

As I sit here I resolve to circuit every field and think, think and think again, familiarity is no friend to me. I need to fly every mountain every Vally carefully and with respect for the places I fly. I resolve to fly the water as high as I might, and equip myself with the self control not to panic or hyperventilate if I hit the cold water, or have to control an unexpected decent.

Tonight, dropping over the side of then canoe into the channel, I am wearing a wet suit and in still warm water, I hyperventilate momentarily, a reminder self control, self discipline and procedure will keep me alive.

Time away is thinking time, I am excited at all the possibility's all the things I will experience all the things that keep my heart pounding keep me alive to all of the things that are so valuable and important too me. They remind me that life is such a rich and deep experience, that we should use the fear to propel us though this time we have together, take every moment, grasp every opportunity. And love.

Know you Islay from your Islands?

Preparation is in full flow! Time to get to grips with the Scottish maps.Dave tells me he is only going to take a bottle this year and not buy any on route. Wise decision.

Dirk is Dead

Followers of this blog will know Dirk from the Fly UK posts in June. This morning I awoke first light and though I must call Sandra and Gustav to ask about Dirk. When I got around to calling Sandra said Dirk had died at 0600hrs.

Did Dirk visit to say good bye?

I am really very, very sad we cant fly again, just one more time, one more take off, one more landing, one more swoop, one more roll, one more thermal, one more splash. Today was Dirks last take off his landing will be somewhere else.

Dirk, if they have blogs where you are, I hope the wind under your wings is warm and dry, keep your splasher ready... I hope you will be there to welcome me.........

Home.

I starting with the man in the mirror...

Tonight's flight help me learn a little more about myself. The lesson was "get home itist" nearly added a knotch too its bed post. Not that we nearly bit the dust, its just that our decision making was all a cock. I also learned that folk critique others based around their own fears. I have decided to watch out for this and make sure I dont fall into that trap.

Fly UK 2010. I am now ready to move on....

Barra - Beach Landing

Now that's is what you call a flying experience, 26 Miles of Water (at the narrowest point) 20Knt winds and a landing on a Beach! Berra's licenced Aerodrome only appears at low tide, the opening hours today were 1400hrs to 1630hrs, after that....its closes and sinks under water.

The long water crossings seem longer than the Channels crossing simply because the channel is peppered with boats and ships, the waters here are deserted.

The group split in two on the return journey, some flying directly back the long way over the water, to Plockton and the others flying North to Stornaway via Bembeckular.

We just now off to fly Loch Ness - The Great Glen

Glenforsa - Cream Tea...

The view over the loch is spectacular landings smooth and a warm welcome. Refueled with both mo gas and "Tobermory" we head on to Plockton... the Airfield manager lends us his car to pick up the fuel and supplies, I am planning a little surprise with tonight's splash! There is one resident aircraft at Glenforsa a retired instructor from Netherthorp.

A must see airfield!

The group this year is bigger than usual and our ability to make decisions has been a little longer, with some open and frank conversation clearing the air and making today run alot more smoothly...

Colonsay !!!

Laurie - Daryl - Dave make it too the island of Colonsay, a small island north of Islay. The breaches were breathtaking and deserted, the island scarcely inhabited. Just of the South Coast on the 5 mile water crossing we spy a whale swimming the cristal clear waters....just breathtaking ;-)))

The Airfield has one runway 02-20 winds light and variable but because there are 3 flights a week to this island its airfield boasts a firetruck!

There were no landing fees and a warm welcome from the locals who all arrived in minutes...

Islay - for lunch?

The Plan changes ... Today so far we have have visited Bute - Gigha - Islay where we met Duncan the aiport manager and his staff, a great welcome and a fantastic airfield. Off now to Colonsay - Glenforsa - Plockton

DAY TWO - Northampton - Edinburgh

Northampton - Manchester Barton.
2hrs 30 Minutes
Highlights: Jodderal Bank - Manchester Low Level Corridor

Barton - St Michaels
1hr 05 Mintes
Highlights:: Meeting Jim Orange farther of 14 kids 10 boys and 4 Girls.

St Michaels - Kirkbridge
1Hrs 30 Minutes
Highlights: Morcombe Bay / Lake District

Kirkbrige - Edinburgh (Carlobs )
1.20 Minutes
Highlight: Extream Turbulance - Bundting the Aircraft over the 2,500 foot TME..

Today I cried..

Dirk on the left is Goodstuff (Gustave) brother, I met him in 2007 at Swansea airfied after he was diagnosed with a brain tuma. When I first met him, becuase I knew of his illness I expected something different, I dont know what, may be some self pity, may be somone who was having phsical diffoulcty, the truth is I expected that people with Cancer seem to try hard to hang on....but wiht Dirk I metsome one who was completely at ease with who he was and what had happened to him. I can best describe him as being annoyed he has a brain tumor, but during those first flights around Wales and up to Ince I got to know him and understand just a little about his life.

Over hopeful is how I would decribe most people I knew with Cancer, but Dirk is not over hopeful but resigned to make the most of every chance that comes his way. So in 2006 he was diagnosed with the Tumor and Julie & He now have a beautful son Jack born on the 29th of Feb 2008 , and another child on the way.

Meeting him again today was a shock, he walks with Sticks and a Frame, and is or seems to be at one with the progressive nature of his tumor. " Its like someone is blowing bubbles in a milkshake in my head"

In planning todays flight we were worried about his fits and medication, a fit in an microlight would be life threaterning. But wiht Jonney's experence and planning a way was found.

I found myself with a tear in my eye, in part self pitty in part frustration that I did not meet Dirk earlier....

Fly UK - Day one Hayling Island - Sywell

Arriving at the hanger its blowie, its always is on the first day of FLYUK, I dont think I have ever left the south of the UK with less than 20mph winds! I overloaded the trike and took too much gear as usual so a re pack tommorrow in in order!

Flight tonight over Sliverstone was the highlight, of perhaphs a slighly dull bore through the skys to the start point.

Splashing when we landed, tent pitched and we are now at the Sywell Hotel, pie and beer, and free wireless!

DAY ONE - Thorney Island - Sywell Nothampton

Saying good bye to the kids today was tough, its become a language of goodbye they have had too much of this week. They said good bye to some innocence (difficult circumstances) this week at School but worse still Bethany & Emily's best friends Mia & Yvonne are moving out to America, there Dad is VP of something for GKN and on a 3 year project to Dallas. The good byes last night were painful to watch. As a parent one's instinct is to try and protect your kids from any hurt, however there are times when that's not possible, nor desirable, as they take one more step in growing up.

Fly UK 2009 - Counting Down - Tuesday

Essential maintenance complete, oil changed new plugs, a good look over the trike and detailed look at the wing, check lists printed and laminated. A pile of camping equipment in the car is being slowly loaded into the car.

Completing my ICE documents tonight, I have to prepare for the worst and plan for the best. How do you plan to say good by to the kids? Like I might not see them again? or like I will see them next week? The truth is its no more dangerous to fly around the UK in a microlight than it is to travel to London in the car. So why to I feel differently about saying "see you later" on Friday night than I do when I rush off to work in the morning? What is it about flying that brings you to terms with your own mortality, when compared to taking the car to Tesco's (Whoops....Waitrose ;-)

"I began to feel like I lived on a higher plane thant the sketics of the ground; one that was richer because of its very assocation with the element of danger they dreaded, becuase it was freer of the earth to which they were bound.

In flying, I tasted the wine of the gods of whch they cound known nothing.

Who valued life more highly, the aviators who spent it on the art they loved, or these misers who doled it out like pennies through their ant like days?

I decided that if if I could fly for ten years before I was killed in crash, it would be a worthwhile trade for an ordinary life." - CSA

Another Must Have of the Season!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Summit-X-Mug-Orange/dp/B001Q3KLU4