Great Day of Flying

[SixPapaCharlie]

I was asked to take the kids to a Chuck E Cheese bday party.
I quickly negotiated some flying time.

I took AggieMike for a spin this morning where we tried to wake Walt up by doing low passes at his airport. He never woke up but I think I set a new speed record.

Next flight was to take Mrs 6PC and her parents on their first $100 pizza run. It was for my FIL's bday. We get up and My MIL has NO FEAR (Someone should put that on a bumper sticker by the way) she askes if we can do something scary or fun.

I flew a couple parabolas which I learned in the Cirrus is WAY different than the prior plane. I did one and everyone giggled a bit. I did another slightly steeper one and the POH flew out of the back seat pocket and hit the ceiling.

My MIL actually exclaimed "That's the most amazing thing I have ever experienced!"

We landed, got our pizza, and climbed back in for the trip home.
I let MIL fly a bit and she was nervous as heck but having a blast at the same time.

Sunset was awesome. They had a great time.

"Nana" at the helm!!

They were very complementary of my flying which was nice.
They know me as their Jackazz son in law but both were like "Wow you are so professional up there" They had a lot of positive things to say about the experience.

I am beyond lucky that I get to do this and sharing it is so much fun.
Just the fact that my kids grandmother got to fly a plane today...
I mean how cool is it that we can create a situation for someone that allows them to feel that experience?

This is awesome stuff.

 

[Archammer]

Badass! That's always a good day any way you "slice" it!

nyak nyak

 

[eman1200]

Sounds like fun!

 

[frfly172]

Nice day , always fun to fly with the inlaws ,and impress them. Hope they paid for the pizza.

 

[Mrs. SixPapaCharlie]

It was a great evening! My parents had so much fun; especially my mom. She was still going on about it the next day, calling the whole evening magical. It is funny how quickly I've gotten to a point where I take this for granted to some extent -I mean I still love it, but to go with people who have been in a small plane maybe once or twice before and see their reaction is incredible. My dad filmed almost the whole flight both ways, and my mom kept setting her phone down only to get it back out and snap another picture. We paid for pizza -it was to celebrate my dad's 73rd birthday. The parabolas were so fun, the sunset was beautiful, the weather was good. Couldn't have asked for better.

Oh, and I have to say, Bryan, you know they don't think you're a jackass. But I do think you really impressed them.

Thank you for an amazing experience for us all. I won't soon forget it.

 

[Geico266]

Nicely done!

 

[jordane93]

Sounded like it was a good day!

 

[Cpt_Kirk]

MiL is flying?

Pull the chute.

 

[Cpt_Kirk]

If you pull the chute and don't cutoff the mixture, can you log that as powered parachute time?

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

If you pull the chute and don't cutoff the mixture, can you log that as powered parachute time?

I would think if you pulled it and kept the engine running, you should be able to keep on trucking

 

[AggieMike88]

That was my first ride in a Cirrus. Some observations.

Entry/Exit: The right side was easy to get into and out of. The doors swing well out of the way. An easy step down into the footwell while holding the grab handle. Other foot in, then plant your butt. Exit was as easy, but having some PA28 and Bonanza experience here helps.

Power: That aircraft has plenty for two humans + bags + fuel. While we didn't have any bags, we were off the ground in 700 ft. ish (well within first 15% of a 7000-ft runway).

Slowing it down for traffic pattern entry requires earlier planning that many of us are used to. Cruising at 3500 MSL had us around 170-175 KIAS. DTO tower asked for a "tight LH base" to aid them in sequencing. I could physically see Bryan working the mental "what to do when" with that curve ball so that when we turned final he was at his desired speed. Even so, I could tell that even with reduced power, we didn't bleed off air speed as fast as I am used to with the Skylane. Lack of rivets makes a big difference.
​

Visability: From the right seat, and slid slight back from a "flying" position, the view was very unobstructed. Low wing aircraft always have a better out and up view. But this was as nice as the DA20 I trained in.

In level flight, you think you're pitched a bit too nose down in flight, but that's the correct way. In the Skylane, I usually see 3-4 inches of horizon above my cowl. In Bryan's Cirrus, it was easily double that.​

No Blue Knob Prop: That was one of the more interesting experiences. If you are paying attention, you can hear the pitch change. A whole lot of bite as we start accelerating down the runway then an audible difference as we begin our climb out.

Cabin Comfort: This is one area Cirrus definitely got right in spades. The seat was just the right mix between cushy and firm. Side to Side space reminded me of the Skylane and Bonanza that MFC has. And the side stick provides the visual of plenty of knee room. Our excursion was just a shade over an hour long, but I could easily see being comfortable for much longer flights.

Panel: There is a lot going on here. Large Avidyne MFD, Sandel 3308, dual 430's crosslinked to other parts, and more. For an unwary pilot, it's going to be too easy to get your eyes sucked inside the plane and forget the basic part of aviation... fly the plane.

Bryan is at a good stage in his learning of the systems. I can tell his comfort level has increased. And with some more polish and an eventual IFR rating, he'll be even better.
​

Overall: I really like this aircraft. This flight really aided in my understanding why folks who desire the combo of speed, comfort, decent fuel economy, and the chute are seeking it out. Would I change anything on this aircraft? Maybe an Aspen single PFD, but other than that... Pilot6PC got himself a good one.​

Thanks Bryan for the flight. I hope to do more with you in the future.