AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 40

BRIEFING
PRODUCTS /
It gave me peace of mind
while I kept my position
in the flyover as tight as
planned.
No cockpit clutter
ADS-B In wing tip device modernizes nav light, strobe
BY DAVID TULIS
THE SKYSENSOR INTEGR ATED right-side wing tip navigation light, strobe, and
ADS-B In system for certified aircraft is a lot to love.
The integrated device allows pilots to display traffic and weather on a compatible
electronic flight bag display (like an iPad) while also replacing a typical
incandescent bulb and associated power-hungry strobe flasher bulb with lowdraw
LEDs-a win-win for vintage aircraft equipped with generators instead of
alternators.
A dual-band ADS-B receiver provides subscription-free in-flight weather
and real-time traffic for users of popular electronic flight bag programs including
ForeFlight, FltPlan Go, FlyQ, and Wing X. A built-in static pressure sensor and an
internal GPS provide your EFB with accurate traffic depictions that come in handy
near airports, inside busy airspace, or when it's difficult to visually spot traffic.
Besides modernizing aging aircraft, the skySensor also eliminates cockpit
clutter caused by wires, chargers, and suction cup-mounts typical of portable
ADS-B In units.
The $750 wing tip device works by sending a Wi-Fi signal to your portable
electronics' display, and it's easy to set up via the associated app. Once the
initial connection is made wirelessly, the wing tip sensor is rock-solid, and it
" remembers " your EFB for the next time. It has proven its worth by allowing upto-the-minute
weather updates including radar, METARs, and TAFs en route; and
by highlighting traffic in the busy airspace near AOPA headquarters in Frederick,
Maryland, north of Washington, D.C.
During the National Celebration of General Aviation D.C. Flyover on May
11, it gave me peace of mind while I kept my position between Kollin Stagnito's
40
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
Cessna 170B ahead of me by about a quarter
mile and Adrian Eichhorn's much faster
Beechcraft Bonanza P35 about a half-mile
behind me in trail. I could also spot the
handful of Golden Age aircraft leading our
flight and additional traffic inside of the
Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA).
The device was announced for certified
aircraft following the successful rollout
for experimental category aircraft. Master
mechanic Tom Young installed the skySensor
on my 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer in about two
hours with no problems. However, he said to
confirm the wire to the aircraft ground has
a solid connection to avoid any potential
problems. Some users have reported radio
communication " pulsing, " which may be
caused by the use of either improper installation
or a poor ground. The installation
manual also directs users to call up a series
of communication radio frequencies to confirm
there is no interference-an important
protocol before flying behind the skySensor
for the first time.
The green, right-wing tip position
light/anti-collision unit mimics in shape
and design the company's integrated red,
left-wing tip position light/strobe/ADS-B
Out unit, a reasonably priced ADS-B
solution introduced to meet the 2020 equipage
mandate.
In addition to traffic depicted on an EFB,
certified aircraft users flying with the company's
panel-mounted AV-30-C color display
can see traffic posted on it via the optional
AV-Link, a recently added capability.
david.tulis@aopa.org
uavionix.com/products/skysensor

http://www.uavionix.com/products/skysensor

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024

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