Affordable awareness

Priced at $599, the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) GPS and dual-band ADS-B receivers and capability to wirelessly connect to as many as six mobile devices at once might be sufficient selling points, but Levil Aviation sweetened this compact package with high-performance AHRS sensors calibrated to keep up even with aerobatics. Refreshed 14 times per second, the AHRS built into Astro Link can handle a rate of turn up to 500 degrees per second, and the AHRS function is fully independent of GPS.

Measuring just over 15 cubic inches (4.3 inches by 3.2 inches by 1.1 inches) and 12 ounces, Astro Link can supply data to a range of iOS, Android, and Windows devices, acting as a router in flight and feeding free weather and traffic information to a broad range of apps. Made in the United States, the Astro Link “brings peace of mind to every pilot by offering a progressive back-up solution at any time. The Astro Link is capable of driving synthetic vision displays and provides navigation information you need to turn your tablet into a real glass panel,” the company notes in a product description.

Reaching the market just in time for Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, Astro Link is what Levil Operations Manager Michelle Leon was hinting at in early March when she promised that the arrival of a low-cost ADS-B/AHRS product was imminent.

Sun 'n Fun attendees get the first crack at Astro Link, which will be sold at the show by Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, Adventure Pilot, and online at MyPilotStore and Marv Golden Pilot Supplies. After the show, the unit will also be available for purchase at the Levil Aviation website.

Sales and Marketing Manager Ricardo Leon said in an email that the Astro Link is essentially a more affordable version of the iLevil SW, with many common features. The price was reduced by removing the iLevil SW's solar panels, data recording capability, and a port that allows a wired connection to external devices such as engine analyzers.