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Holiday Gift Guide
by Sean Fulton
 CITIZEN SKYHAWK WATCH
This all-titanium aviation watch has an E6B bezel and keeps track of time and date in 22 separate time zones, making sure you know what time it is no matter where you land. It’s water resistant to 333 feet, and uses Citizen’s innovative Eco-Drive technology to convert sunlight into energy. The result is a stylish-looking time-piece that never needs batteries. Reasonably-priced at $499 from citizenwatch.com.
 CLARITY ALOFT AVIATION HEADSET
For the first time, good aviation hearing protection doesn’t mess up your hair. This is without a doubt the lightest, most versatile aviation headset on the planet. Made of two specialized, viscoelastic foam ear tips that are combined with a light-weight, noise-canceling microphone, the Clarity Aloft headset was designed for the military and already boasts thousands of hours in the air. But best of all, because the headband fits behind the head, rather than across the top of the head, you can spend hours in the cockpit with this headset and not have a hair out of place. Reasonably priced at $550 from clarityaloft.com. 
TELEX AIRMAN ANR 500
 For a light-weight and impressive-looking active noise canceling headset, pick up the ANR 500 for your favorite aviator. This comfortable headset offers impressive active noise reduction up, to 15 dB below 1000 Hz. Better still, it weighs less than half a pound and was designed so that the weight is balanced, easing potential pressure points that can drive you crazy on long flights. The ANR 500 includes a volume control, stereo/mono operation, and a panel power option. Reasonably priced at $550 for the battery option, a bit over $600 for the panel powered option from telex.com.
 SKYOX PORTABLE OXYGEN SYSTEMS
The FAA mandates oxygen for flights above 14,000 feet, but good sense dictates that pilots use oxygen whenever the need arises. Oxygen deprivation can start at altitudes as low as 6,000 feet MSL depending on a person’s health, or even lower during night flights. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have oxygen on board, and SkyOx is one of the best. Various sizes and configurations from skyox.com.
TELETYPE BLUETOOTH GPS
 As handy as those PocketPC-based GPS systems can be, the miles of wire they require you to run all over your cockpit can almost make them not worth the hassle. Now Teletype GPS has cut the cord, so to speak, by introducing the first Bluetooth-based GPS receiver that communicates with the hand-held PDA without using wires. Bluetooth is a powerful wireless technology used by most portable computers, allowing them to communicate at blistering speeds without using wires. The latest version of the Teletype GPS navigational software includes support for routing on Victor airways, seaport bases, and a computed glideslope/VASI that will work on any runway. Combined, you have a powerful backup navigational package that no pilot should be without. Bundles start at $549 from teletype.com.
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