industry STANDBY BATTERIES ALTERNATIVE POWER FOR URGENT NEEDS S T O R Y F B Y D A V E H I G D O N or the pilot of the simplest general-aviation aircraft, few emergencies generate the level of urgency as an electrical-system failure. And few circumstances match the adrenaline surge accompanying an electricalsystem failure when flying in instrument meteorological conditions. But one does: An electrical-system failure in IMC ... at night. Such a circumstance often makes the effected pilot wish to be "down there" on the ground rather than "up here" in the klag, unable to see anything more than the dark, featureless interior of an eggshell. The vast majority of our light, general-aviation aircraft fly with a fairly basic electrical system - one with some single points of failure backed up by the main-ship battery. An engine-driven generating source keeps the main-ship battery charged while powering lights, radios and flight instruments. 20 avionics news * september 2019