No cockpit clutter
ADS-B In wing tip device modernizes nav light, strobe
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 low-draw 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 up-to-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.
It gave me peace of mind while I kept my position in the flyover as tight as planned.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 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.
