Tag Archives: Cessna

Flying

I have flown 40 different airplanes

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As I update this, I have flown 40 airplanes and 23 gliders. That’s perhaps more than some, fewer than others. The number would be lower if I count significant variants within the same family as just one airplane. Hmmm. (List updated effective October 28, 2024 but the original story below has not changed.)

TODAY I Flew a new-to-me airplane – a Robin R2160. That’s a complicated name, but it was a very responsive, fun airplane to fly.

European rules for maintaining the privilege to fly are much more complicated than in the US. Instead of a flight review with an instructor every other year, you have to fly 12 hours in the last 12 moths of each 24-month period, including at least six as pilot in command (i.e., no more than six hours dual), plus a flight with an instructor.

If you go over the 24-month period without accomplishing the above, it gets worse. In FAA-world, if you have gone beyond 24 months since your last flight review or equivalent, you just fly with an instructor and if OK, you are good to go. Easy. In Europe, if you go beyond the 24 months, you have to be evaluated by an instructor, receive any required training, then fly with an examiner. If you go more than 12 months beyond the 24, then it gets really complicated. That’s where I am…

So, here’s what I’m doing. I am trying to get double duty out of this expensive training. I have an aerobatic rating for gliders. European rules allow this to be expanded to airplanes with just three proficiency flights. The three flights for the aerobatic rating will prep me for the flight with the examiner. Once that’s all done, I can send off a bunch of documents and get an expensive green piece of paper back in the mail.

The airplane I flew today is the first aerobatic airplane I have ever flown. I was surprised at how responsive it was. Really quick. Rolls with power are so much easier than in a glider. I think I still like gliders better, but I want to have fun and get double duty out of my money. 🙂

Here’s what I have flown (The PBY, the B-17, and the T-28 I only flew enroute – no take off or landing):

  1. Cessna 150
  2. Cessna 172
  3. Piper J-3 (Cub)
  4. Piper PA-28-140
  5. Cessna 152
  6. PA-28-161
  7. Grumman AA-5B
  8. Robin ATL
  9. Beech T-34B
  10. Cessna T-41B
  11. Piper PA-28-200/201R
  12. Boeing B-17G
  13. Diamond DA20
  14. Beech BE-58
  15. Piper PA-31-310
  16. PA-28-236
  17. Consolidated PBY
  18. Beech BE-76
  19. Cessna 172RG
  20. Aquila A210
  21. Robin R2160
  22. Robin DR400
  23. Cessna 310
  24. Piper PA-32 Twin Comanche
  25. Piper PA-44 Seminole
  26. Cessna 182
  27. Cessna Citation Ultra
  28. Beech King Air F90
  29. Cessna 162
  30. Beech King Air 200
  31. Bellanca Citabria
  32. Vans RV-12
  33. Cessna 210
  34. Cirrus SR22T
  35. SIAI Marchetti S-211
  36. Van’s RV-7
  37. North American B-25
  38. Cessna 180 (On floats)
  39. North American T-28C
  40. Cessna 320B
Flying

A Cross-Country Proficiency Flight

THE TEMPERATURE has been 100 °F (38 °C) lately – much too hot. I am off work today. The last few times I’ve been flying I’ve been working on Commercial Pilot maneuvers. I wanted to do something else. I decided to do a short triangular cross-country flight to two airports I had not visited before. One of the guys I know from Civil Air Patrol is interested in learning how to fly; I invited him to ride along.

Detailed map.
The flight went from the airport at the lower right to the left to the upper center one then back to the lower right. The flight took 1.9 hours total.

The flight I planned/flew was from Daniel Field (KDNL) to Greene County Airport (K3J7, 56NM/110km) to Washington-Wilkes Airport (KIIY, 19NM/35km) and back to Daniel (46NM/75km). The initial heading was 285 with the wind 310 at 10, so a bit of a headwind. Ground speed was an “amazing” 85kt. Navigation by looking out the window at landmarks and using GPS actually was amazing. 🙂 You can tell it’s almost summer in Georgia. There was plenty of haze on the horizon.

View from final approach.
Runway 25 at Greene County Airport.

We arrived at the first airport, landed, and taxied back for takeoff. The next leg was very short, but had a perpendicular crosswind. This required about a 20-degree correction. We flew directly towards the sun, so with glare and haze I didn’t see the Washington-Wilkes Airport until we were about four miles away. Another better than average landing, taxi back and takeoff.

Over the nose, Washington-Wilkes Airport.
Landing at Washington-Wilkes Airport, runway 31.

Now, what had been the headwind became a tailwind. Instead of 85 knots we had a ground speed of 114. Much better! I had the airplane from 8:00 to 10:00 and landed right at 10:00, for a total of 1.9 hours of cross country flying.

Electronic Flight Book
The blue airplane on the top course line shows where we are on the third/final leg of the trip.

The flight was exciting, but it was rewarding for the precision and pleasant since it was not yet brutally hot out and was cooler at altitude. I need to do more of it!

PS I flew Augusta Aviation’s Cessna 172 N80842. I seem to have a lot of time in their airplanes! [Trivia – the Cessna 172 is the most produced airplane in the world.]