Editor’s Log

There’s a particular moment that arrives sometime in late March or early April—usually around dinner time on a mild evening. You walk out to the hangar, open the door, and realize you can see the windsock without a flashlight. The sun’s still up. Maybe the concrete is actually warm. And suddenly the airplane doesn’t feel like a winter project anymore. 

The calendar shift from winter to spring unlocks cockpit time that simply isn’t available in January. There’s a renewed energy replacing the winter doldrums. Hangars wake up, their doors open. First flights happen. Engines come back from overhaul. Fuel trucks are more frequently seen on the ramp. 

Down in Lakeland, FL, SUN ’n FUN becomes our sport’s spring training—a massive, chaotic, exciting gathering where new aircraft, new avionics, new engines, new building techniques, and old friends all converge for a week that reminds you why you got into this in the first place.

This month’s issue tries to bottle some of that April energy. The 2026 Avionics and Lights Buyer’s Guide arrives at exactly the right moment, because this is when inspiration drives curiosity and research on new components. When you come home from SUN ’n FUN or from your local spring fly-in, your head is full of ideas, a phone full of photos of shiny panels, and a stack of cards from vendors who all promise to solve your particular wish or problem. The Buyer’s Guide is the practical tool that helps you execute those ideas.

What’s changed since a lot of us last seriously shopped for avionics? Quite a bit. The consolidation of legacy radios into smaller, integrated ecosystems means you’re not forced to keep a 1980s stack in your panel just because you can’t afford a clean-slate refit. Glass has trickled down into simple VFR panels—no longer the exclusive territory of turbine singles, jets, and big checks. LED lighting, from landing and taxi lights to strobes and recognition packages, has become almost the default choice. The net effect is that far more capability is available in far less space, for less money, and with less wiring complexity than most of us remember.

The good news is that you don’t need a full-blown panel overhaul to be current in 2026. Most of the real wins—measurable improvements in safety and utility—come from addressing one or two key gaps. Better visibility come from a landing light that actually lights up the numbers and makes you conspicuous in the pattern. Being seen by other traffic has evolved from weak beacons and navigation lights to reliable strobes and recognition lights. Knowing where you are and what’s around you is greatly enhanced by at least a basic moving map with traffic and airspace clearly shown. This is the season to make a short, realistic punch list and commit to knocking off an item or two before Oshkosh.

We’re also taking a fresh look at one of the industry’s steady players this month with an overview of Sonex Aircraft, in the same spirit as last month’s look at Van’s. Sonex has made a career out of practical, straightforward designs that emphasize fun, efficiency, affordability, and accessibility. For builders who are thinking about “the next airplane” or for those who are just now stepping into the world of kits, understanding what Sonex is offering—and how their lineup is evolving—says a lot about where the homebuilt market is heading. The Sonex story is about how a whole segment is responding to changing expectations, new technology, and the eternal demand for more airplane per dollar.

And as always, the Builder Spotlights bring April back down to the hangar floor. These stories chronicle the inspiration and hope of a new season: airplanes being prepared to roll out after winter work, projects turning the corner to “almost there,” and builders who have navigated all the same choices the rest of us are staring at right now. New avionics or old. Incremental upgrade or clean-sheet panel. Finish this project or start thinking about the next one. There’s something reassuring about seeing those decisions play out in shops and hangars, hands-on with tools, building airplanes that will someday fly.

So, as the days get longer and the pattern gets busier, take a moment with this April issue. Use the Buyer’s Guide to refine your upgrade list instead of just daydreaming. Read the Sonex piece with an eye toward where you might want to go next as a builder or owner. Spend some time with the Builder Spotlights and let their momentum nudge your own project forward.

The hangar door is open a little wider now. The runway is calling louder than the workbench. Your airplane may not be perfect but April is a fine time to make sure it’s pointed out the hangar door and toward a beckoning sky.