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Best Portable Air Compressor for Pilots
This is the first article in my series of “Best of the Stuff That You Didn’t Know You Needed Until You Needed It”.
My first real world experience in this department was when the nosewheel tire on my fairly new to me Cessna 150 looked a bit low on a chilly December morning. Not only did I not have a tire pressure gauge to verify my probably less than stellar eye diagnosis, but I didn’t have an air pump any where near my hangar.
A “quick” 40 minute round trip dash back home and I returned to my hangar with a tire pressure gauge and my plug in air compressor. Luckily I was smart enough to bring along an extension cord as well, OK, it wasn’t me that remembered the extension cord, my wife reminded me.
Feeling fully prepared to address my inflation issue, I then proceeded to inch my plane forward in a desperate attempt to find the tire air stem through the miniscule opening in my wheel fairing access door, chocks in hand. After several minutes of this comically difficult task, I was able to locate the air stem and chock the wheel so that I could get an air pressure reading. By golly my eyes were correct! The tire pressure was several PSI low compared to the proper value listed in the Pilots Operating Handbook. A few minutes later and I was ready to roll (literally and figuratively).
That event convinced me to purchase a battery powered air pump so that I wouldn’t need to worry about a place to plug in, plus I could take it with me on trips and always be prepared (no, I was never a Boy Scout).
As with all of my product roundups, I select a favorite of mine based upon three price tiers:
Piston = lowest price
Turboprop = moderate price
Jet = Rockefeller types only
I’m partial to the ‘Piston’ or ‘Turboprop’ tier prices but I know not everyone is as cheap…er, frugal, as I am.
Piston Choice
The cheapest and lightest air pump on the list is the Jusuox Portable Air Compressor. It’s powered by a lithium battery and if the battery dies because you forget to charge it before your flight, it can also plug into the DC power receptacle in your panel if you have one. It is capable of filling tires up to 150 psi so it is more than capable of filling aircraft tires of all types.
It has a built-in pressure gauge along with several pressure memory settings so you can just turn it on and it will automatically turn off at the desired pressure.
As an added bonus, it can also be used as a power pack to charge your phone or tablet if you get in a pinch. It also has a built-in LED light which helps trying to find that stubborn air stem in a dark hangar.
I really appreciate the small size of about 2” wide x 2” deep x 8” long. It will easily fit in your hand and tucks away nicely in your flight bag or can even fit in a back seat pocket if you have one in your plane.
It receives 4.5 stars out of 5 based on about 500 reviews.
Turboprop Choice
I have to admit that this item is my personal choice and I’ve been using mine without any issues for several years. It’s come in handy many times for my car tires as well. On a recent cross-country trip in our SUV, I woke up to four low tires on a -7⁰ F morning in Nebraska. Thankfully, my Sun Joe Auto Joe 24-Volt Cordless Portable Air Compressor Kit was able to power through each tire even though I had left it in the frozen car overnight. I have the older version of this unit which only has a carrying bag, the newer version available now has a nice hard case.
I really like the fact that it has a detachable battery pack that can be used for other Sun Joe products, this adds quite a bit of versatility to the compressor. Detaching the battery on those below zero nights and bringing it inside will help extend the usefulness of the compressor.
It has a pressure gauge with a preset value available as well as an auto shut-off so I just set the pressure I need, turn it on and can walk away while it does its business.
The compressor has plenty of power and can inflate up to 120 psi.
It comes with a LED headlight that makes it easy to work on a dark apron.
It weighs about 3 pounds and measures 3″L x 9″W x 14″H so it’s sized right for the cockpit.
It receives 4.5 stars out of 5 based on about 1,000 reviews.
Jet Choice
For those of you wanting a few more bells and whistles and maybe even a more stylish compressor (it comes in four colors and is Italian designed), the Etenwolf Vortex S6 Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor is a good choice.
It has a built-in pressure gauge along with several pressure memory settings and seven preset modes so you can just turn it on and it will automatically turn off at the desired pressure. It can handle up to 160 psi and comes with integrated storage so all cables and hoses are properly stowed.
Like the Jusuox unit, it can also be used as a power pack to charge your phone or tablet. It also has a built-in 1,000 lumen LED light.
This compressor is slightly larger and heavier than the other two picks on the list, weighing in at a stout 6 pounds. But then again, this is my ‘Jet’ pick so hopefully you’ll have plenty of space for it on board.
This compressor’s claim to fame may be the 100% duty cycle so it won’t overheat and can be used continuously for 30 minutes to inflate tire after tire.
It receives 4.7 stars out of 5 based on about 1,300 reviews.
