By Kristy Gilligan 

Recreational pilots seem much more inclined than their general aviation counterparts to indulge in a little ‘bling’ for their pride and joy.

Lower costs associated with RA might mean more spare change in an RA aircraft owner’s pocket. Then there’s also the more relaxed rules regarding modifications of ultralight or RA aircraft. Whatever the reasoning, the boom in Recreational Aviation is fueling a boom in gadgets and accessories fitted in aircraft registered under RA-Aus.

I am the first to admit, now that I don’t have to pay a week’s salary to go flying in someone else’s beaten up old Cessna 172, it is much easier to afford a few luxuries like a nice headset or a GPS.

Just like many a car enthusiast, recreational aircraft owners around Australia can be seen in front of their hangars on a Sunday morning, post early morning flight, polishing, primping and comparing their machines. One day John has a new ballistic parachute – then Jim next door buys one – then Jim buys some wheel spats, so John gets some – well you get the idea! We might laugh at this behaviour, but it can have some very strong effects on flying safety, mostly for the better, occasionally for worse.

There really isn’t a lot of negative actually, unless John should decide it’s a good idea to fit a subwoofer to his trike resulting in dire consequences. On the positive side, the more a pilot invests in their machine, learns about it and improves it, the safer they are likely to be. A new headset will drastically improve communications. Installing a transponder is bound to impress air traffic control no end and even something as simple as a good tie-down kit can make everyone on the aerodrome a whole lot happier.

Thus the question is raised – what is the most popular recreational aviation add-on? There are no prizes for guessing the most popular, being GPS units. They are a necessity these days, so long as they are not being used to patch a hole in the pilot’s navigation abilities. GPS is a sound investment as it increases safety by avoiding geographical embarrassment and reducing cockpit workload. Many units have the added bonus of being portable for use across a variety of aircraft, the owner’s car or even bush walking.

Another popular purchase is the PLB. Again, it’s light, non-intrusive and is a simple piece of insurance for that one fateful day. Operating on 406MHz, each beacon is programmed with a unique serialised code that must be registered with national authorities. This enables the identification of the beacon owner as well as the environment where the beacon is used (land, air, marine). This information is vital for search and rescue operations to gain precious time.

It’s hard not to love some of the new flight planning software available. No more excuses for shoddy planning. Now we can finally spend more time actually flying our mean machines than deciphering one hundred metres of Avfax weather. Ah the old days! But be careful not to get too lazy. Remember to polish up on those skills regularly and not become blinded by faith in software and computers, reliable as they may be.

While in the eyes of some, Recreational Aviation may have had a tumultuous start in Australia, RA Aviators can sit back quietly with a small grin on their faces as some of the ‘little fellas’ (and gals) show the big boys the way into the future.

Recreational pilots and owners should be really proud of the precedent they are setting for all aviators by buying and using some of the new accessories on the market. In the end, it’s a case of get up to date, get equipped and be safer. Not only that but, in an industry that has been facing a financial battle for survival, spending some money with struggling aviation companies will really help.