MidlifeMark
09-23-2006, 07:47 PM
I got 4.1 hours of dual XC in on Friday. 42B->1B1->KELM->42B. We're still breaking in the engine after the major overhaul; about one more hour and we'll change the oil, cut the filter, and hopefully see nothing unpleasant in the filter element. At that point we'll be able to concentrate on pattern work so that I can finish up my HP endorsement and go have some fun with the plane.
Anyhow, it was the most flying I've done in a single day since my long XC for my PPL 22 years ago. I took vacation on Friday, and met Joe, my mechanic/instructor, up at my hangar at around 8 AM. We took the cowling off and checked out a few things, then we put it back on, climbed in, and fired up the engine. We headed up to Columbia County (1B1) because Joe remembered it as having really cheap fuel prices at the self-serve pump. Turns out it was 3 cents cheaper than 42B, but it was good to visit an unfamiliar airport.
We then set sail for Elmira (KELM) to have lunch with a couple of buddies of mine who are on a temporary assignment up at Schweizer Aircraft. We were VFR and there were scattered clouds at around 5500', so we stayed at 4500'. It was a little bumpy over the Catskills; we weren't more than 1000' higher than the highest hills and there was a bit of a headwind. But the autopilot kept us right side up and headed in the right direction much better than I would have.
My buddies met me at the ramp, with the news that one of them had just been called back to the plant for a meeting. So we dropped him off and went to get lunch. We grabbed sandwiches at the local deli and brought them over to the local EAA hangar, where my buddy is building a Hummel Bird. We ate lunch, toured the hangar, and had a nice visit.
In the hour or so that we were on the ground, the skies had gotten a bit cloudier. We decided to climb around & between the scattered clouds at 5500' and cruise home at 7500'. It was an interesting experience for me, since I hadn't spent much time looking at clouds in the past couple of years; most of my recent time was spent under the hood working on my instrument rating. The ride was much smoother than it was on the way to Elmira; we stayed at 7500' until we were past Danbury (KDXR), then threaded our way down between the clouds and passed Oxford (KOXC) at about 3500'. We went straight over the top of Meriden (KMMK) and landed at Goodspeed (42B) and put the plane away.
It's certainly been interesting getting familiar with the Skylane. The GPS and autopilot take a lot of work out of the enroute portion of a XC, but the extra speed and the need to pay close attention to fuel flow and engine temperatures (now that I'm paying the fuel & maintenance bills!) requires more planning and management, particularly in the descent.
I've got almost 10 hours of dual in the aircraft now, and most of the rust has been chipped off of my flying skills. After 3 months of putting the deal together, and 6 1/2 months of maintenance downtime, I'm finally starting to live my dream.
Anyhow, it was the most flying I've done in a single day since my long XC for my PPL 22 years ago. I took vacation on Friday, and met Joe, my mechanic/instructor, up at my hangar at around 8 AM. We took the cowling off and checked out a few things, then we put it back on, climbed in, and fired up the engine. We headed up to Columbia County (1B1) because Joe remembered it as having really cheap fuel prices at the self-serve pump. Turns out it was 3 cents cheaper than 42B, but it was good to visit an unfamiliar airport.
We then set sail for Elmira (KELM) to have lunch with a couple of buddies of mine who are on a temporary assignment up at Schweizer Aircraft. We were VFR and there were scattered clouds at around 5500', so we stayed at 4500'. It was a little bumpy over the Catskills; we weren't more than 1000' higher than the highest hills and there was a bit of a headwind. But the autopilot kept us right side up and headed in the right direction much better than I would have.
My buddies met me at the ramp, with the news that one of them had just been called back to the plant for a meeting. So we dropped him off and went to get lunch. We grabbed sandwiches at the local deli and brought them over to the local EAA hangar, where my buddy is building a Hummel Bird. We ate lunch, toured the hangar, and had a nice visit.
In the hour or so that we were on the ground, the skies had gotten a bit cloudier. We decided to climb around & between the scattered clouds at 5500' and cruise home at 7500'. It was an interesting experience for me, since I hadn't spent much time looking at clouds in the past couple of years; most of my recent time was spent under the hood working on my instrument rating. The ride was much smoother than it was on the way to Elmira; we stayed at 7500' until we were past Danbury (KDXR), then threaded our way down between the clouds and passed Oxford (KOXC) at about 3500'. We went straight over the top of Meriden (KMMK) and landed at Goodspeed (42B) and put the plane away.
It's certainly been interesting getting familiar with the Skylane. The GPS and autopilot take a lot of work out of the enroute portion of a XC, but the extra speed and the need to pay close attention to fuel flow and engine temperatures (now that I'm paying the fuel & maintenance bills!) requires more planning and management, particularly in the descent.
I've got almost 10 hours of dual in the aircraft now, and most of the rust has been chipped off of my flying skills. After 3 months of putting the deal together, and 6 1/2 months of maintenance downtime, I'm finally starting to live my dream.