Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Flight by light

It may look like a mechanical dragonfly but Metin Kaplan’s “Sunrise” is not a Da Vinci helicopter. By harnessing the power of the sun, Kalpan’s project aims to make thermal-powered flight a reality for a wider audience — and if you’re wondering who needs slower, solar-powered aviation just think about its applications in filming, patrolling, [...]

All-Inexclusive Adrenaline

You don’t just dive into the sport of Paramotoring all willy-nilly like — no matter how much tequila you’ve had. You need training, a motor, a couple of parachutes, a gliding wing, and some fairly large cojones. For those with the appetite for aviation and the wallet to back it up, though, Parajet’s 1-2-3 Let’s [...]

Hot 100

Back in 2008, we introduced you to the first renderings of the revolutionary Icon A5 personal aircraft. Small, light, maneuverable and sleek, it showed what portability and cutting-edge design could look like in a small aircraft. Well, ICON has now released info about the first production run of the Limited Edition ICON 100 A5. The [...]

Fly By Numbers

In the grand scheme of DIY jobs, we’re pretty sure building an airplane is one of the most ambitious (and ballsy) projects you can take on. Starting with a kit from Velocity Aircraft, however, can help make the monumental task slightly more manageable. Their business model revolves around selling comprehensive “experimental aircraft” kits that can [...]

Yes. This is Real.

Every once in a while something comes along so crazy, so unearthly cool, we have to shout it from the rooftops. Today just happens to be that once in a while, so feast your eyes on the BMW boxer engine powered Hoverbike. Framed around an 1,170cc 4-stroke BMW boxer engine that powers the twin rotors, [...]

Sky Limo

Everybody and their uncle is slapping clothing brand names on vehicles. It started with goofy ideas like the “Eddie Bauer” Ford Explorer and the “Nautica” Mercury Villager minivan and now it’s morphed into the ridiculous Hyundai Genesis Prada Special Edition. Finally, a carmaker is doing it to someone else. Mercedes-Benz did just that by emblazoning [...]

Great 8

Just last month the all-new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental embarked on its maiden test voyage from Paine Field in Everett, Washington and with it, a legacy that started 42 years ago entered another chapter of its storied life. The 747 is a modern-day icon, representing a crux of engineering, design and ambition — maybe even more [...]

Big Deux Coupe

The original BMW 635CSi from the 80′s was a tough act to follow. Crisp, clean lines and an aggressive stance, along with a beautifully forward angled grille made the 6-Series Coupe of yesteryear a true classic.The reincarnation in 2003 proved to be less than thrilling, looking more like a large lozenge than an iconic coupe. [...]

Higher Flyer

Working in a 15,000 square foot factory in Grottammare, Italy – Fly Products has been producing some of the world’s best motorized paragliding gear in the world. Focusing their research & development efforts on high-quality paramotors and trikes that not only inspire and stun, their creations will have you itching for aerial acrobats at every [...]

Meet the Bass Pro Shop On Wheels

Toyota has been pulling out all the stops for SEMA 2010 and there are plenty of amazing concepts worth browsing. The Toyota Tundra Sportsman though is hands down one of the most awe-inspiring pick-ups we’ve come across. Described by the automaker as a “command center for extended hunting trips” and “the ultimate sportsman fantasy transport [...]

Jealousy Still Applies At 17,500 Feet

If the spoils of your endeavors have imparted you with roughly half a million in spare change (e.g. short selling British Petroleum), the newest member of the Cirrus SR22 aircraft lineup might be the definitive differentiation purchase. The Cirrus Aircraft SR22T ($475,000+) touts an exclusive 310 hp Teledyne Continental Motors twin-turbocharged engine mated to a [...]

Unlike The Stock Market, The Cirrus Vision Soars We got the chance to learn about the Cirrus Vision SJ50 and I’ve got to say that it’s a stunning mark of aviation machinery. This, in a time where the experience and innovation of flying conjures thoughts of delays, shoddy service and general inconvenience. The Cirrus Vision [...]

[click on image to enlarge] Right now, a revolution is occuring in aviation. If you haven’t noticed, the team here at GP enjoys a healthy dose of vehicular obsession, be it by land, sea or air. That’s why we are excited that today, the ICON A5 shed its cloak at AirVenture 2008. This will be [...]

[click on image to enlarge] Forget saving up for a car or home. A single-engine jet is what you need. An Eclipse 400 at that. The Eclipse 400 is a single-jet powered plane that cruises 41,000 feet aloft at a speed of 380mph propelled by the 1,200 lbs of thrust enimating from its Pratt & [...]

The VH-71 is a good looking helicopter. That is, until we read on Danger Room that this little beauty and it’s 28 sisters will cost the U.S. around $11 bilion dollars to operate, about $400 million per chopper. Airwolf didn’t even cost that much and at least they had Jan-Micahel Vincent at the helm. Just [...]