ASAColor E6B Flight Computer

Very smooth operation and easy to read the numbers. It doesn’t have any play in the dial and is accurate. Really like the attention to detail, pretty sure as a student pilot this is the first and last E6B I’ll probably have to buy. Dry erase markers work perfect for the wind calculator plate.

I bought an ASA aluminum E6-B Flight Computer from an aeronautical book store in Burbank, CA for when I would have the time to actually take a flight school course; I figured having the device to learn and practice with, would give me a bit of a "head start" once I needed to plan flights for real.That was 20 years ago; it wasn't hard to master at all - the calculator side is just a circular slide rule, and I was familiar with slide rules from my high-school days in the early 1970's. Besides making quick work of Multiplication and Division, a slide rule is PERFECT for establishing RATIOS, and scaling them up or down to size or time - and the E6-B has the ratios for nearly any calculation a pilot needs to make already marked and highlighted for instant set-up. It even has a couple windows for adding a ratio-on-a-ratio, to see how temperature and air pressure and indicated altitude will affect the first calculation. Just line the marks for specific things on the outer scale with the specific quantities or times on the inner scale, and the entire range of values locked to that fixed ratio is instantly visible....All that being said - on the original version, it easy to lose those reference arrows (in black) on the scales (in black) on the brushed aluminum. The NEW model, with color, makes the specific ratio points stand out in sharp contrast, making it easier to find what you are looking for - a BIG improvement in visual clarity, helping to eliminate a possible source of Error.The colors also apply to the wind-and-heading correction side, as highlights to the E/W and L/R and major (5-degree) divisions on the wind chart.The disks on the calculator and wind course plotter slide easily, but with just enough resistance to stay where you set them. The new version feels just as durable in base material and markings as my 20-year-old model. While I had no complaints about the original, the color-enhanced version is a very useful improvement, and definitely worth the difference in cost between the two!This was shipped by USPS (mail), and after reading previous reviews, I was a bit worried that it might arrive bent or similarly damaged beyond use; but it arrived within 4 days, and despite not being packed with any sort of stiffener or additional protection beyond the Bubble-Pak mailer, it arrived straight and true and flat, without any bends, folds, distortions, or marring. I am very pleased with this product and the source.

Old-school flight computer that has durability

This usability of this E6B is fantastic. I know a lot of pilots think that technology has passed this old workhorse by, but the fact is the FAA still expects pilot applicants to know how to do flight planning calculations, and using a mechanical E6B will give students a more intuitive grasp of the relationships among the variables than punching numbers into boxes on an electronic E6B will. I am a ground instructor, and I had used my old Jepp so hard I'd mostly worn the paint off the aluminum. This new unit is sturdy, turns smoothly, and the color coded areas are wonderfully easy to read. Yeah, it's a little pricey, but I believe I'll never need to buy another one. Well done, ASA. Great product. If they had found a way to sneak the light gun signal chart onto it (as they did with the ICAO equipment codes) I'd find a way to give it six stars.

even thought i am having trouble getting used to the E6B this is still 5* product. wen i opened the product i was about to return it due to what i thought where scratches on the inside of the circle.. My girlfriend suggested i take the compressed air and give it a a blow (yes that is what she said). and it was not scratches but dirt had some how got into during the packing process. also the long metal slide rule has plastic on it as well. i did not know this and after having used it everyday for a week i thought i had scratched the thing. Nope just plastic.goes to show they pride in their craft and handle it with care and put plastic on everything. my only suggestion would be to go IKEA style and wrap the circle part in plastic as well and have the buyer assemble when they get the product. but either way this is a great E6B.

I used to have an older Jeppesen aluminium E6B that has been in my flight bag for many years (and is sadly no longer available to purchase); I bought this ASA Color E6B as a replacement (now that I am working towards my CFI ratings, I wanted to have a new unit), and I am quite pleased with the build quality; the aluminium is a little bit thiner, but everything fits nicely together unlike some cheaper knockoffs and it runs smoothly; moreover, it is very readable, I'd say better than my old Jepp E6B, so I am very pleased with this purchase.ps, yes, on the wind side the speeds don't go higher than 260 knots (unlike the Jepp E6B); but this is unlikely to be an issue for its intended audience, the true airspeed computation won't be accurate in higher speed ranges anyway (that's where a CR type circular flight computer -also made by ASA - comes handy, that and the fancy avionics that probably come built into your personal turboprop or jet :-) ), and the reverse side used for higher speed on the Jepp E6B is put to good use for cross wind quick computations and convenient cheat sheets...

As others have wrote, it arrived with a slight bend....I straightened it but it shouldn't still be an issue... but for the price

This is a must for every student pilot!Good construction.I like it a lot!