Pilot products: AirSync

Airplane data delivered to you

January 1, 2020

AirSync is a cloud-based service that seeks to bring pilots into the twenty-first century by providing immediate access to all kinds of data: flight history, fuel on board, fuel burn, engine parameter graphs, and more. The data can remain in the cloud, be accessed from a web portal, or be transmitted to an app. It can be produced as a hard-copy report, and flights can be saved in an electronic logbook.

Flight schools, Part 135 operators, and individual owners can use the service not only to track flights but also to see how aircraft are being operated, and whether engines are being run too rough or too lean. Users can get automatic alerts if a pilot exceeds critical engine parameter thresholds. Pilots who use their airplanes for business can use AirSync to track the purpose of a flight and can differentiate a flight that was intended for business use as opposed to personal use when it’s time to allocate those items for tax purposes.

AirSync consists of two components: an SD card that is installed in the multifunction display, and a cellular-enabled bridge that can be installed in the center console between the pilot and co-pilot seats. The bridge can be powered via a USB port or a 12-volt USB power adapter. Once installed, it does not need to be disconnected postflight. It takes about 10 minutes to get the unit installed and running, said Jason Harris, AirSync director with Anrim Technologies, the company that developed the service.

AirSync is an aftermarket installation for certain aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000, G3000, and G3X systems, although Harris says more aircraft are coming online and pilots are welcome to suggest additional makes and models. The kit is $795 with one year of service included, then $200 per aircraft per year for the entry-level service. The professional service, priced at $499 per aircraft per year, includes unlimited user access, maintenance alerts, fuel purchase tracking, the ability to generate aircraft flight logs, and API access. See the website for the complete list of compatible aircraft. —Jill W. Tallman

Web: air-sync.com

Headsets galore

Faro Stealth 2

Sporty's announced in November that it is the exclusive source for the Faro Stealth 2 passive headset. The headset offers Bluetooth connectivity, a feature usually found only on active noise canceling headsets, that allows pilots to connect wirelessly to an iPad or smartphone. The Stealth 2 is available for $249.95, or as ANR for $449.95. —JWT

Web: sportys.com

Bose ProFlight Series 2

Bose's latest headset offering leverages the one thing about headsets that all can agree upon: lighter is better. The Bose ProFlight Series 2 is the follow-on product to the ProFlight model introduced in early 2018. Designed especially for those flying in turbine cockpits, ProFlight is a major departure from the more traditional over-the-ear headsets normally associated with Bose and most other manufacturers. The Bluetooth model is available for $1,046, and the model without Bluetooth is $996. —Thomas B. Haines

Web: bose.com