Product & Pilot Gear Reviews | Plane & Pilot

Plane & Pilot Magazine's product and gear coverage for 2025 reflects a notably diversified marketplace for working pilots and aviation enthusiasts, spanning consumer electronics, ground support equipment, retail expansion, and industry consolidation. Among the featured developments, Aircraft Spruce's opening of a new 38,000-square-foot Texas retail facility — its sixth location — signals continued confidence in the brick-and-mortar aviation supply model even as e-commerce dominates the broader retail landscape. Equally significant from a business standpoint is Sporty's Pilot Shop's acquisition of PilotWorkshops, a move that consolidates two well-regarded pilot training and gear brands under a single entity, potentially expanding Sporty's curriculum-based product offerings and deepening its reach into structured flight training markets.

The editorial lineup also reflects a growing intersection between the consumer UAV sector and traditional general aviation audiences. With multiple drone buying guides segmented by price — under $500, under $1,500, and under $5,000 for professionals — Plane & Pilot is explicitly acknowledging that its readership increasingly includes operators and enthusiasts who are engaged with unmanned systems alongside or separate from manned aircraft. This positioning is commercially astute given FAA data showing continued growth in registered drone operators and the expanding use of UAVs in Part 107 commercial operations, aerial survey work, and infrastructure inspection — activities often performed by pilots who hold both manned and unmanned certificates.

For professional pilots operating under Part 91, 135, or corporate flight departments, the practical gear content — covering flight bags, cockpit organizers, kneeboards with integrated iPad mounts, and high-capacity battery packs — tracks closely with the workflow demands of EFB-dependent operations. The 2025 pilot gear market has consolidated around a few clear priorities: USB-C/Power Delivery compatibility, MagSafe or suction-cup cockpit mounting, and ruggedized construction suited to both cabin environments and outdoor operations. Products like the Battleboard Kneeboard Tech Edition and Aerocoast PRO EFB bag reflect a market that now treats the iPad as a primary flight instrument rather than an accessory, designing hardware around tablet form factors rather than paper charts.

The appearance of adventure and lifestyle-oriented gear — such as Step 22's aviation-friendly camping organizers unveiled at Sun 'n Fun — underscores a broader editorial trend in general aviation media toward pilot identity and lifestyle content alongside purely technical coverage. Sun 'n Fun and AirVenture have increasingly served as launch platforms for niche gear brands targeting pilots who combine flying with overlanding, backcountry camping, or sport aviation. This convergence of aviation and outdoor recreation markets is commercially meaningful, as it suggests pilots represent a demographically attractive consumer segment with above-average disposable income and a strong affinity for purpose-built, high-quality equipment. Publications like Plane & Pilot are positioned to capture advertising and affiliate revenue from this expanding product ecosystem as the boundaries between aviation gear and premium lifestyle gear continue to blur.