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Top 3 Best Aviation Handheld Radios In 2024

Looking for the best Handheld Aviation Radios?

In this guide we have done an extensive review of the Top Handheld Aviation Radios and we rated them according to Features, Audio Clarity, Signal Quality, Ease of Use and Value for Money.

So let’s get started!

Number 3. Yaesu FTA550 – Best Budget Handheld Aviation Radio

Yaesu FTA550 has a lot of things going for it. These include good brand value, decent performance, and a low cost. Yaesu is well-known for high-end and quality radio products, so eventhough this transceiver is not exactly cheap, it does offer incredible value.

Its large 1.7-inch dot matrix display is quick to grab attention and forms a big part of the radio’s appearance. This gives it plenty of room to show information so managing menus is easy, and it’s just plain convenient to manage.

The buttons are well-spaced and ergonomic. The screen and keypad are backlit and there’s a dimmer for the display. Users can also set the backlight to stay off or permanently on. Additionally, you can choose from several time frames going from 5 to 300seconds for the display backlight.

The 800mW speaker sits right below the keypad and it’s loud and clear. It probably helps that the squelch on the HT works wonderfully well and cleans up the audio nicely. Eventhough the transmit audio is not impressive it’s decent.

This VHF radio provides full communication on the Aircraft communications band and even has room for “V”O”R” and “I”L”S” navigation features for the NAV band. It’s a nice touch, but the usability of VOR and ILS on a handheld is limited at best.

The transceiver offers full operation on the airband with maximum 5W RF output power. Its “scan band” selection includes All Band, COM, and NAV band modes.

Other notable features include a 200 channel memory with eight customizable groups, 15 alphanumeric characters for channel names, and NOAA weather scan and alert features. The radio is easy to program and comes with a programming cable and uses Yaesu’s software.

Yaesu rates this model IPX5 water-resistant, which means it can handle being exposed to some rain but should not be submerged in water. It also complies with Military Standard MIL-STD-810F, signifying that the radio is rugged and can handle some rough use and extreme environments.

The company offers this radio in two variants. FTA-550L comes with a Li-ion battery and the package includes a 110V and 12V DC charger with cradle and alkaline battery tray, should you choose to use AA batteries instead.

Yaesu FTA-550 AA variant skips the Li-ion battery and related options like the charging cradle and 120V cable. Instead, it depends solely on AA batteries for power and includes a battery tray. Given the smaller set of options, this variant is also slightly cheaper.

Overall, the Yaesu FTA-550 is a decent aviation handheld radio with good features. It’s useful for anyone who wants a simple but dependable backup handheld radio.

To sum up, what we like is the…

● Attractive pricing
● Rated IPX5 water-resistant
● Convenient programming with Yaesu’s software
● Can run on AA or built-in batteries
● Well designed aesthetically.

On the downside…
● Can drain battery quickly.

Our Ratings
Features: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Speaker Clarity: 8/10
Signal Quality: 8/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Number 2. Icom IC-A25N – Best Premium Handheld Aviation Radio

Icom IC-A25N VHF Airband Transceiver benefits from a remarkable display, great ergonomics, and an overall good feature set. And all that lands it the premium spot in this ranking.

It’s made to be easily portable in a flight bag, eventhought it’s not a small radio. It has a good size and feels good in the hands. The large screen provides a lot of information and key points can be seen at a glance. This 2.5-inch LCD comes with an adjustable backlight. It remains visible in the sun and doesn’t feel disturbingly bright in the dark.

The backlit keypad sits below the display. The buttons take advantage of the larger size of the transceiver and are ergonomic and easily accessed. Right below the keypad is the speaker, which offers good audio quality.

At the back of the HT, you’ll find that the battery compartment is secured rather well. The high-quality casing helps with the IP57 rating of the device. This means that it is dustproof and waterproof. It can survive being submerged in water up to a depth of 1 meter for a few minutes.

Additionally, the rugged radio is rated to military standard MIL-810 G. This means it’s shockproof and capable of working in extreme environments like high humidity and extreme temperatures.

While these ratings speak to the ruggedness of the device, Icom has ensured that they don’t make it appear brutish. Indeed, the IC-A25 series transceivers offer a rather premium feel with a very satisfying operation.

The device runs on a 2350 mAh Li-ion battery. The company says it can run for 10.5 hours, though the practical use scenario puts it somewhat lower. And if you’re transmitting often, the battery time can be noticeably lower than the claimed time.

On that topic, the max RF output power here is 6W, which is slightly higher than the conventional 5W used for handhelds. It doesn’t make a huge difference, but it can be useful in some scenarios.

Icom also offers an optional battery case, which allows the use of six AA alkaline batteries to power the radio.

There is another variant model, the IC-A25C. The A25N handles both COM and NAV on the VHF spectrum of the airband, while the A25C is content handling only the COM frequency band. This means the A25C costs slightly less, and though it shares most features with the more capable model, it doesn’t have Bluetooth, GPS, or VOR navigation.

Other notable features of the A25N include a 300 channel memory bank, channel recall, Bluetooth connectivity, built-in GPS, weather alerts, and VOR navigation. Users can use Bluetooth to connect the HT to their smartphone. This is also required for other features like setting flight plans on the device.

I think the A25N misses out on some important features like an internal GPS database. A glideslope might also have been useful.

Overall, ICOM IC-A25N is a good aviation radio for the seasoned pilot, and its navigation features make it a decent backup especially for those who still use VOR.

To sum up, what we like is the…
● Excellent build quality
● Rated IP57 waterproof
● MIL-810 G standard
● Convenient programming
● Offers Bluetooth and GPS.

On the downside…
● Can have issues even with compatible smartphone apps.

Our Ratings
Features: 9/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Speaker Clarity: 8/10
Signal Quality: 9/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Number 1. Yaesu FTA-850L – Our Top Choice

Yaesu FTA-850L is relatively new on the scene and benefits from relatively modern features and design. Its reliability and features make it our choice for the best handheld aviation radio.

It has decent looks and design and the screen dominates the aesthetics. The beautiful 2.4-inch TFT color display is wide enough to easily scroll through menus while also showing relevant information quite prominently. The display backlight is adjustable, allowing the device’s use in sunlight and low-light conditions alike. However, the display clarity can struggle in sunlight.

Following the display are the keypad and the speakers which are sufficiently loud and offer good audio quality. That’s further helped by noise cancellation features, so the audio tends to be crisp. A similar feature set is available for transmitted audio as well, so the overall noise cancellation effect remains impressive.

The case is well-built and has a quality feel to it. The overall construction quality and styling also helps keep the transceiver rugged and built to last. It is rated IPX5 water-resistant and has a MIL-STD-810H certification.

The water protection rating means it can handle being exposed to heavy rain, though it should not be submerged in water. Similarly, the military standard certification implies that the HT is rugged, has some shockproofing, and can work in extreme environmental conditions.

Yaesu has also upped the maximum power output for this radio to 6W, which is slightly higher than the conventional 5W for most handhelds.

Power comes through a 2200mAh Lithium-Ion battery that provides decent juice to let this radio run for long hours. The packaging also includes a backup Alkaline battery tray with room for 6 AA batteries, should you choose (or need) an alternate power source.

Other notable features include WAAS GPS receiver, Bluetooth, 400 channel memory, NOAA weather channels Rx with weather alerts, and dual frequency display.

It offers similarly impressive features on the navigation side, with flight route navigation with waypoints, VOR and ILS navigation with localizer and glide slope. The NAV band shows on the display and thanks to the color screen, it is easy to follow and makes it possible to skim information quickly.

Yaesu has made some improvements to the FTA-850L over previous models like the FTA-750. These include an enhanced memory bank, full color display, and upping the RF output to 6W.

However, things are much closer when compared to competing models like the Icom IC-A25N. The Icom radio lacks a color display and its navigation features could use an update, but the radio offers better sensitivity and communication performance as compared to Yaesu FTA-850L.

Overall, Yaesu FTA-850L is an excellent radio for professionals and amateurs alike. It is wonderful as a backup aviation radio, but can take on a more serious role if you so desire.

To sum up, what we like is the…
● Full color 2.4-inch TFT display
● Rated IP-X5 water-resistant
● MIL-810 H standard
● Convenient programming
● Bluetooth and GPS.

On the downside…
● Display can be difficult to see in bright sunlight.

Our Ratings
Features: 9/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Speaker Clarity: 8/10
Signal Quality: 9/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10