66 x 78 = Complex

[Rick Hall]

Took my CFI up today for some towered and 'full stop' work in the PA28R-200 today. Last landing he endorsed my logbook for complex aircraft.

While he was signing the book, I noticed a 'small' box on the floor addressed to me. In the box was a propeller with a 66" diameter and a 78" pitch (see subject line). I think I'll have a use for this next summer FWIW/BTW, calculate a 78" pitch at 2700 RPM to see a theoretical airspeed.

Happy feet, happy camper, two birds in one day. Tomorrow I [continue my] training toward  a hi-perf endorsement.

For non pilots, you can think 200 MPH plus, with cops that could give a rip about how fast you're going. If you even see a cop.

Rick

[Snibbor]

Very nice.  I had many a pleasant hour spent in the old piper arrow.  When I was flight instructing back in the day, the boss owned a turbo arrow.  Didn't much see the point in that though.
The down side, the faster you go, the more it costs!!  The most fun airplane to fly, in my humble opinion, the f90 king air.  Damn that was fun.
What are you going to use for the HP signoff?

[Rick Hall]

FBO has a 172XP model, as well as a 182, a 210, and a couple of 310's for HP. The 310's are multi (out of my $ range). I flew the XP a couple of times, but think I'll 'final' in the 182. Depends on my CFI though You know the drill

The Arrow is nice and all, for a rental, but I need to keep one hand on the trim wheel/switch at *all* times. It flies like a brick, a semi-fast one though. I much prefer the PA28-180 (Challenger model designation, only made/named one year) over my 172N "Barf Rocket" trainer for distance flying.

[Snibbor]

Flat can't go wrong with the 182. 210 is serious overkill unless ur packing a huge load r have more than 3 friends . 310 is awesome but I'd rather have a beech baron

[Rhino]

Congrats on complex and on the new prop. Your building a Long Eze right? My complex check out was in a Dakota. Like a 182, lots of power without much speed. I was partners on an old wood wing Mooney with a O-360 180hp in it. Would smoke a Dakota or a 182.

I had a friend with a Comanche in San Jose CA. One day we went to Monterey for lunch. Came back to SJ, I got out, his GF got in and they were headed to Tahoe. Over Sacramento one blade decided to go its separate ways. Both survived as he landed gear up in the grass at Sac Exec. Said it seemed to take forever to get the engine shut down. The vibrations broke all the engine mounts and messed up the nose gear. It shook out all the radios in the panel. The only thing that kept the engine for falling out was the cowling.

[Toxz Qwaste]

Very cool. Congrats.
I received a lot of instruction in my dads PA11 and then, his T210 when I was younger.
That 210 was a great aircraft. back in '79, he had a midair with it that tore 1-2 ft. from the wing tip, damaged aileron, elevator, hole in fuel tank, bent prop, f-d up cowl and damaged gear hydraulics/door. He got it on the ground in one piece and then had it repaired. He wasn't shaken from the experience (Marine) and continued flying that bird for quite a while afterward. The upside for him was he got a hot prop out of the settlement.
My dad is gone now. My best memories of him are the ones we spent in the air.
I miss flying ($$$$). I hope to do it again someday.

[Snibbor]

Back in my flight instructing days one of the other cfis hit a goose in a 152 while on downwind. Dang near tore the wing off. Couldn't believe it still flew well enough to make the runway. I got picture somewhere

[Rick Hall]

Speed and power is the most powerful narcotic known to man.

Took the 182 up today. It's an older model (182Q) with 4,000 hours on the airframe, but everything works nice. Front tire is way out of balance though, ask me (and my CFI) how I know this

The plan was to get practice in a hi-perf airplane. CFI said we should work on some mountain flying since I live in them. In simple terms, the 182 flies JUST like the 172, but has one more knob to pull (prop), and seems to have unlimited power.

OAT around 15C, DA not a major factor, roll out on 11, depart the pattern to the SW and keep climbing toward Corona Pass (not a road, not on 'normal' maps). 80-90kts, 400-500FPM climb, level off around 13,000, close cowl flaps. Sweet, I like this, I like this alot

Cross Corona Pass (attached pix), start a power on decent to Granby. NO traffic, cool, no distractions either. Base leg is heading RIGHT toward the side of a hill. Very last minute, turn base. I turned a bit too soon, made a crappy base-final turn. But it worked out. The 182 lands better than the 172 also! Either that, or I'm getting better

Taxied back for departure, did an abbreviated 'max RPM' runup and took off. Granby field is 8207 FWIW. Heading west toward Kremmling (7400' elev.) I barely got back to pattern altitude then followed the Colorado River drainage (and/or US 40) toward Kremmling. King-Air on the Kremmling runway someplace. He was from the SW, music to listen to, but hard to get meaningful info from him. We asked location, he replied rolling... Uh-huh, rolling exactly where!?

We (I) did a straight in, he was taking off in our direction. I kept to the N (right) for no apparent reason we saw him 3 miles at 11:00 and 300-500 above. Cool, back on centerline, flaps, power, prop...

Exited the runway, recomposed, taxied back and took off to the west. Fairly sharp RH turn once 500AGL, paralleled a mesa (above me) on the left, and Kremmling to the right. Climb, adjust mixture, fiddle with radios, close cowl flaps, fiddle with cabin heat, knobs, buttons, levers... Cross Corona Pass again, head toward Casa Hall. 9000 MSL, couldn't see the house very well, kinda made my CFI nervous given I was descending (I live at 7400 MSL) in a mountain valley, but it was all down hill, and LMO was in sight.

Straight in to LMO with one plane in closed pattern. Called straight in if traffic accomodates, good landing but slightly skewed on touchdown (more left rudder).

1.8 Hobbs time for the whole event. By car it'd be 4 hours to Granby *only* and back, *IF* Trailridge Road was open (That's the road through RMNP)

Max IAS was around 140kts. I did a rough TAS in the air at around the same speed. Ground speed varied from 90 to 160kts, we had a 15-20kt wind from the west.

Next up is four hours in the same plane this Friday. LMO to LXV (Leadville, 9900', highest GA airport in USA), then GWS (Glenwood Springs, 5540'), then maybe Steamboat Springs area (Hayden? at 6600'), and back home.

Speed and power is a narcotic...

Rick

[Snibbor]

Very nice!!!
Most of my cool airplane pics are film.  So sad. 
If you decide to work on the multi rating (assuming you don't have it yet) you'll definitely find some addicting power.
Have a fun trip this weekend!!

[Rick Hall]

Multi and tailwheel is not on my bucket list. Multi may be nice, but it's fooking expensive. Tailwheel may happen in the future, if only to hone my landing skills, and/or mild aerobatics (spin recovery?). But I have absolutely no inkling to fly upside down right now, and I suspect neither would my passengers

The plane I'm building is a fast cross country machine, and that's my [current] mission profile.

IFR is next up, maybe in a year or two.

Rick

[Rhino]

You know what they say Rick, without pic, didn't happen.

[Miss Silvera]

Do we need another Tab/Thread for Air planes?   

We could call it: Props

[Rhino]

Do we need another Tab/Thread for Air planes?   

We could call it: Props

I like it!

[VirginiaJim]

Speed and power is a narcotic...

Rick

You need a C14...

[julianop]

You guys are makin' me cry. I haven't flown but a couple of times since my second son was born, over sixteen years ago. I flew Cherokee 140's and a 180 - nothing exotic - but it was the best $50 I ever spent in such a hurry (no I never did THAT). My wife learned with me, and we got our tickets on the same day, back in '91.

Wanted to go IFR, but ... you know: children.

The funny part of it is that I first flying started lessons one warm spring Sunday in '86 I think it was, when I got a yearnin' to buy a bike. Obviously bike stores, like car dealerships, aren't open on Sundays, but I hadn't been in the US for long enough at that time for that to have registered. After gazing through the window and drooling down my shirt over a BMW K-bike, I drove home, saw my local airport (Sylvania, C-89) on the side of the highway, and went in there and signed up right there and then, determined not to be beaten. I soloed, then moved up for a two year stint in Sheboygan Wisconsin (dunno what a London boy would find exciting there, but I've never been too bright).
Came back down to Racine WI in '89, met my wife in '91. I blew every dollar of spare cash on flying and the wife-to-be, usually both at the same time. Then kids came along, and I finally got back on a bike - as has been documented here to everybody's great amusement and/or despair on this site - with my purchase of a suspected 5-speed 2006 Connie back in August 2011.

I still dream of flying through clouds... though riding through thick fog is as close as I'll likely get, now...

[Rick Hall]

You guys are makin' me cry.

Here's a tissue.

Not painfully obvious, got my ticket five months after I started lessons. July 2nd of this year to be exact, I'm six cylinders shy of 60.

Keep the dream alive, it'll happen one day.

Rick

[Rick Hall]

You need a C14...

Vne on a scooter sux.

[julianop]

Vne on a scooter sux.

Now I think about it, I think I could cruise faster on my C10 than I can in a Cherokee 140 

[Rick Hall]

You know what they say Rick, without pic, didn't happen.

Kit plane, still trying to get it unboxed 

Rick

[Snibbor]

Multi and tailwheel is not on my bucket list. Multi may be nice, but it's fooking expensive. Tailwheel may happen in the future, if only to hone my landing skills, and/or mild aerobatics (spin recovery?). But I have absolutely no inkling to fly upside down right now, and I suspect neither would my passengers

The plane I'm building is a fast cross country machine, and that's my [current] mission profile.

IFR is next up, maybe in a year or two.

Rick

Spin training is more than worth it.  If you've never done it, it's also fun.  And hey, you can do it in a 152!!  Doesn't get much cheaper than that.
One word of warning, don't do them at night.  Don't ask how I know
I won't do that again.