EAA Sport Aviation - November 2010

times on repositioning flights. “The
pilots lovingly call it the ‘ankle
bracelet,’ but they understand its
value to the operation.”
Elliott says that EAA may try using
Spidertracks to analyze how to get
more people to sign up for flights. “We
have discussed using it to track certain
flight paths at tour stops and compare
that to passenger walk-up perfor-
mance. It could be an interesting way
to see which neighborhoods yield the
best passenger interest after seeing the
B- 17 fly over.”
For pilots interested in social net-
working, Spidertracks is about to
debut its Aviator website, where pilots
can post photos and details about
flights and share them with friends.
Logbook entries, based upon the first
and last Spidertracks position reports
for each flight, are automatically
added to the site.

The Spider S3 sells for $995, though you can get a rebate of up to $200 if you’re a heavy user of the system and commit to a three-year service contract. Contracts, which cover the cost of sending position

Max and his Lake Buccaneer at the Clear Lake Splash-In, held each fall in Northern California.

reports through the Iridium satellites, vary
with usage. For a weekend pilot flying fewer
than five hours per month, a 12-month con-
tract costs just $10 per month. With today’s
technology, there are a variety of ways to
make sure that you get help when you need
it. Take time now to figure out the strategy
you want to use to make your flying safer,
then go out and pursue your aviation dreams.
Who knows, you could end up with a sea-
plane, too!

Max Trescott, EAA 531980, is an aviation author and
publisher and was the 2008 National CFI of the Year. For
more of his articles, go to www.Max Trescott.com.