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Welcome to our first issue of MaxNews in 2024. Once again the weather is beginning to turn around and before we know it we’ll be into the peak of flying season. The beginning of our busy tradeshow season is just about to begin and will see our employees travelling all around the United States and Canada to meet with customers, learn about their needs, and stay on the leading edge of the avionics available today. As usual our newsletter includes updates on everything avionics and some of our featured projects.
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New Products/Announcements
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Garmin introduces new series of slimline COMM and NAV/COMM radios
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Garmin announced the launch of a new series of COMM and NAV/COMM radios that offer feature-rich solutions in a slim 1.35-inch bezel height form factor. The GTR™ 205 Comm radio and GNC® 215 NAV/COMM radio are affordable solutions for customers that feature an easy-to-read full color LCD display, intuitive user interface and worldwide frequency database.
Designed for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, the GTR 205 and GNC 215 are versatile radios that can serve in a variety of aircraft types and panel installations. The 1.35-inch height form factor matches previous-generation SL30 and SL40 radios, enabling easier upgrades and creating more room in space constrained panels. Pilot-selectable 25 kHz or 8.33 kHz channel spacing provides global capability. Both radios feature a sunlight-readable color LCD display, indicating the currently tuned active and standby frequencies, as well as their station ID – such as “KOJC TWR” or “KSLE ATIS”1. The vibrant display as well as the dual concentric knob and backlit keys mimic those found on other modern Garmin avionics products, providing an intuitive user interface and simplifying product operation.
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MyGoFlight PLC Commuter Flight Bag
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MyGoFlight has long been a leader in flight bags made to fit the needs of aviators and travelers. The new PLC Commuter is the latest addition to their lineup and it engineered to hold all of your flight essentials while the rugged ballistic nylon protects your items and ensures a long lifespan of the bag.
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MyGoFlight PLC Pro 2024 Edition
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MyGoFlight also released their 2024 edition of their PLC Pro flight bag. Upgrades over last year’s model include upgraded padding for durability, stowable backpack straps, and a matte finish on the metal parts. MyGoFlight Bags are designed by pilots for pilots to be the ultimate travel companion.
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Northwest Aviation Conference
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Maxcraft will once again be exhibiting at the Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show in Puyallup, WA. This conference typically attracts over 10,000 aviators from the Pacific Northwest, and features over 75 hours of seminars, and 122,000 sf of aviation displays. This is the perfect opportunity to refresh your knowledge before the summer flying season. If you are planning to attend the NWAC, drop us a note or stop by our booth #307, we’d love to chat
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Maxcraft is continuing our tradition of displaying at the Helicopter Association International’s annual conference. Heli-Expo is the world’s largest helicopter exhibition and is a must attend event for any company involved in the helicopter industry. If you’re attending Heli-Expo this year, give us a call or send us an email and we can arrange a time to meet, or stop by out booth #1908.
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Steve recently wrote an article about the “Safety in Avionics” for the Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA). It’s an interesting article regardless of which airplane you fly, but if you fly, or are thinking of flying, a Piper PA-46 you will get tremendous value out of a PMOPA membership. Maxcraft owns a Piper PA-46 Malibu and Steve sits on the board of PMOPA.
Click here to read the full article
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This King Air flew up to Maxcraft from Texas to receive a modern glass panel upgrade. Replacing the standard six-pack instruments with a large 10.6″ touch screen primary flight display, and the aging analog autopilot with an all digital flight control system, this King Air is ready for decades more of service.
Read more here.
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“Was it worth it to fly this airplane more than 1,600NM to get the panel replaced? Absolutely! We slept easy knowing the airplane was in good hands and the job was going to be done right.”
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While most of our upgrades revolve around new glass panels, or other eye-catching devices, this upgrade was all behind the scenes. While the crew and passengers may not visually notice any changes, they will undoubtedly know something changed with internet speeds more than 2.5x faster than before. We upgraded this corporate Citation from Gogo’s ATG-5000 in-flight connectivity system to the new LTE based Avance L3.
Read more here.
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“Our proposed quote was right in line with our expectations, the completion date was a week earlier than quoted and everything operated as it should upon receiving the plane. Our transition and flight from Maxcraft to back home was Ops normal”
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The Next Generation of Headsets: Beyond Noise Cancelling
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It’s been over a decade since we’ve written a technical article about headsets. When we last wrote about them in 2012 many pilots were skeptical of the technology and how it compared to passive noise cancellation. The information in that article is still current and relevant today and if you want a wonderful breakdown of how active noise cancelling technology works you can read that article here.
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In the early days of aviation it was rare to spot a pilot wearing a headset, even when radios started to be standard equipment from the factory, many pilots opted to use a speaker and hand microphone to communicate. With airspace becoming busier and busier it’s hard to think of anyone who would fly without a headset these days. What was once not much more than simple headphones are now highly advanced pieces of technology with their own on-board processing power.
If you spend any significant amount of time in an aircraft it’s not a question on if, but rather when will you buy a top of the line headset. All of the top choices are available with tremendous active noise cancelling, which once you’ve tried it there simply is no going back.
Commonly found advanced features include:
- Bluetooth connectivity for music and phone calls
- ATC priority mode to mute music/phone calls instantly during ATC calls
- Auto on/off for longer battery life
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On the more advanced headsets, such as the Lightspeed Delta Zulu, you will find features that truly make them a whole new product other than a headset. The most notable of which is the built in carbon monoxide detector. If an unsafe level of carbon monoxide is detected the headset will play a warning in your ears alerting you to land and investigate the potential issue. This feature alone can be life saving as a dangerous level of carbon monoxide can lead to pilot incapacitation.
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The Delta Zulu can also adjust the sound profile on the headset to perfectly match your ears. This is done by completing a quick and simple hearing test in the Delta Zulu’s companion app for the iPhone and iPad. Once complete this profile will be saved to your headset. The companion app also saves history from previous flights such as carbon monoxide levels during different times helping you narrow down what may be causing a carbon monoxide leak. An important feature for student pilots, or pilots working on a new rating or recurrent training is the recording function. This allows pilots to record all the sound that goes through their headset for review at a later time. This can be helpful when reviewing a confusing ATC call or to recall exactly what your instructor told you in the air while you were task saturated.
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Lightspeed Aviation creates products to protect and save lives and is a leading manufacturer of premium aviation headsets and helmet products. From its first ANR headset offering presented in 1996 in a 10-foot booth at AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, Lightspeed has demonstrated industry leadership in the category over nearly 3 decades with first-to-market features like Bluetooth integration, wireless offerings, and headset audio adjustments and recordings.
They are an aviation-centric headset brand for discerning pilots who want high performance gear to maximize the comfort and safety of their flying experience. they are committed to learning from and educating themselves, their customers, and theor markets in order to provide the ultimate in personal safety and communications solutions.
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Additionally, Lightspeed is a passionate supporter of initiatives to encourage the next generation of pilots through its support of programs like Young Eagles and Ray Scholars. The company is proud to have participated in helping countless young people experience everything from a discovery flight to getting a Pilot Certificate.
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In 2021, Lightspeed Aviation celebrated its 25th Anniversary. With over 27 wonderful years of serving pilots, Lightspeed hasn’t run out of runway. Those who know them know that they’re always thinking of ways to make the flying experience better, so stay tuned for what the future holds. As Allan Schrader, Lightspeed founder and CEO, says, “finding a better way has always been our quest, and we’re just getting started”.
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In a company of our size our shipping/receiving department is the lifeblood of our success. With all the major couriers stopping by daily, bringing a near constant stream of packages, an efficient shipping/receiving department keeps our technicians at work. Whether it’s a new glass panel gadget from Garmin, or an urgent AOG replacement part, Chris is the magic in the stores department making sure the guys in the back get the parts they need to keep your aircraft flying. Along with shipping and receiving, Chris supports our instrument and avionics repair shops by opening work orders for incoming repairs, and invoicing them when they’re on the way back out the door.
Chris joined Maxcraft a little over three years ago and came to our team with countless years of experience in both warehousing and shipping/receiving. Before coming to Maxcraft Chris was doing shipping/receiving for a high-end rim and tire company. This is Chris’ first job in the aviation industry, and he ended up in it by chance. When Chris was looking for a job closer to home, Maxcraft was looking for a stores person and the rest is history. Chris has still found one of his favourite parts of working here is looking at all the planes and helicopters we work on in the hangar.
Born and raised right here in British Columbia, Chris has been married for almost 20 years and has two teenaged sons, along with two dogs, Pearl (a three-year-old Border Collie) and Ivan (an 18 month old Black Lab/Husky cross). In his off-time Chris loves watching hockey (go Canucks Go), and has started to do a little bit of wood working. Most importantly, Chris and his family enjoy spending time at their cabin where they go kayaking, hunting, fishing, and most importantly spend time relaxing.
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Whether you are an existing customer or new to Gogo, they are offering a rebate on their Avance L3 and L5 systems. Valid until Oct. 31, 2024
Click here for more details!
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Buy More. Get More promotion!
The more you buy, the more you save! Offer valid on Zulu3 or Lightspeed Delta Zulu headsets.
Valid until February 29, 2024.
Click here for more details!
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Garmin Direct-To Savings Promotion
Purchase one of the products below from Oct. 2, 2023 through April 30, 2024 and receive a free Standard OnePak + FliteCharts!
(GTN Xi, GDL 60, G1000 NXi Upgrade)
Click here for more details!
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NWAC Northwest Aviation Conference
Feb 24-25, 2024
Puyallup
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HAI Heli Expo
Feb 27-29, 2024
Anaheim, LA
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CAAA -Canadian Aerial Applicators Association
Feb 29-Mar 2
Fairmont, Banff
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AEA Annual Convention & Tradeshow
Mar 19-22
Dallas, Texas
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CBAA Chapter Meeting
Apr 9 2024
Edmonton, AB
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CBAA Chapter Meeting
Apr 10 2024
Calgary, AB
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The Pilot and the Priest
A priest dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates.
Ahead of him is a guy named Don McPherson, who’s dressed in sunglasses, a
loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.
Saint Peter addresses this cool guy, ‘Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?’
The guy replies, ‘I’m Don McPherson, retired American Airline pilot from Palm Springs CA.’
Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to, the pilot, ‘Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom.’
So Captain Don goes into Heaven with his robe and staff. Next, it’s the priest’s turn. He stands erect and booms out, ‘I am Father Bob, pastor of Saint Mary’s for the last 43 years.’
Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the priest, ‘Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom.’ ‘Just a minute,’ says the good father. ‘That man, Don, was a pilot and he gets a silken robe and golden staff and I get only cotton and wood. How can this be?’
‘Up here – we go by results,’ says Saint Peter. ‘When you preached – people slept. When Don flew, people prayed…’
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250 – 18799 Airport Way, Pitt Meadows Airport (CYPK), Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2B4
YVR Office – 4360 Agar Drive, Richmond BC V7B 1A4
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