GA is priceless

http://www.stantonairfield.com/ in Stanton, MN is a very nice turf
field with a few FlightDesign CTs that have been extremely popular with
new pilots training for sport pilot and private pilots as well. The
Light Sport aircraft have also garnered very favorable stories in the
local news, both television and print. Everyone who sees or flies the
CT really enjoys the experience.

That's cool!

I flew the CT this past summer, and would buy one in a hearbeat if it
were just Mary and me. However, we've got 250 pounds worth of kids,
plus luggage, to lug around with us...

;-)

--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Steve Foley writes:

I owe you exactly nothing.

Then we are even.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Steve Foley writes:

But you need to hook a coimputer up to your car to find out the gas cap is
loose. Sounds pretty complex to me.

Apparently I haven't made myself clear. The complexity in the system
is not the same as the complexity exposed to the user.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Stefan writes:

Those fees are only for IFR flights. IFR is using the system and relying
on it. *Somebody* has to pay for it. There's no free lunch.

It implies that pilots are an elite, rather than simply ordinary
people who like to fly. The same underlying social assumptions are
behind toll highways.

Some things that are truly specific to a small group of users are
logically billed to those users, but parts of a national
infrastructure are usually best paid for by the public at large.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

You've made yourself perfectly clear (to me, at least).

Seven Hours, thirty eight minutes.

Bye-Bye


"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Steve Foley writes:

But you need to hook a coimputer up to your car to find out the gas cap
is
loose. Sounds pretty complex to me.

Apparently I haven't made myself clear. The complexity in the system
is not the same as the complexity exposed to the user.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Steve Foley writes:

I owe you exactly nothing.

Then we are even.

Not in my book.

Seven hours, fourty minutes


Bye Bye

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
I flew the CT this past summer, and would buy one in a hearbeat if it were
just Mary and me. However, we've got 250 pounds worth of kids, plus
luggage, to lug around with us...


Q. Am I the only one who sees the solution here?
A. Thanks for the lift Atlas!

Three pilots - two planes!
CT#1 and CT#2 :-)

The Honecks are a throw-back to that 19th Century spirit of adventure, lived
fully (and written about) by the likes of Jack London and Samuel Clemens (to
name only two). IMHO, it's a uniquely American spirit, one of changing
scenery, limitless opportunities ...and, much the way the (1804) Lewis and
Clark Expedition learned about Grizzly bears: a new discovery around every
bend.

Unfortunately, it seems that a once potent Corps of Discovery spirit
eventually calcifies, in people, families, groups, institutions ...and
nations, over the course of enough time.

That's why Jay and Mary are so entertaining. They still have it ...that
'Westward' spirit. They make plans, sure, but will pull up stakes in a
heartbeat, and move on - if an interesting opportunity presents itself.

I see a CT (or two) in the Honeck's future. g


Montblack
And Jay, next time I say I'm thinking about buying a hangar at ANE - hold my
feet to the (branding iron) fire until I write the darn cheque!

On Sun, 31 Dec 2006 15:26:07 -0600
"Montblack" wrote:

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
I flew the CT this past summer, and would buy one in a hearbeat if it were
just Mary and me. However, we've got 250 pounds worth of kids, plus
luggage, to lug around with us...


Q. Am I the only one who sees the solution here?
A. Thanks for the lift Atlas!

Three pilots - two planes!
CT#1 and CT#2 :-)

The CT will haul 110lbs of stuff in the luggage compartment, 55lbs per
side. One of the CT's at Stanton Sport Aviation will haul 650 lbs of
fuel, people and baggage.

With 34 gallons to fill the tanks (up to 1000 miles range), you have
about 440lbs capacity remaining. It is impressive when you calculate
that at ~30mpg it is more fuel efficient to fly than drive many cars and
the CT planes will even run on auto fuel or 100LL.

I've flown a CT 650 statute miles and still had a very good reserve.
The one I flew had a full glass panel (EFIS, engine monitor, GPS), 3
axis autopilot coupled to the panel mounted GPSMap 396 with XM weather
with altitude hold. It really is amazing the amount of innovation that
is occurring due to the deregulation in the light sport category.

It would be nice to see some of the success from Light Sport and Sport
Pilot carry over to recreational and private pilots and larger planes.
The requirement for a medical certificate for a private pilot for
personal flying is absurd considering all the open space when flying in
most areas. As for airframes, the market seems to be deciding pretty
well for itself which safety features desired in light sport. The CT,
for instance, has no sharp edges in the cockpit, a ballistic parachute,
great visibility to avoid an accident, seat belts with 2 shoulder
straps, carbon fiber and kevlar construction, and a safety cage
construction that prevents the engine from entering the passenger
compartment during a crash. Why would allowing currently certificated
planes to be constructed to similar consensus standards be any worse?

I've seen the combination of features the CT provides really drive up
interest in aviation. I'd like to see similar innovations in larger
planes as well.

I know, preaching to the choir.

Doug

--
For UNIX, Linux and security articles
visit http://SecurityBulletins.com/

In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

There is simply NO reason for GA flight training to be so complex --
period. Unless you intend to move onto the airlines, or fly charters,
you simply do not need to learn much of what is in the current flight
training syllabus.

What is so complex about it?

And what would you eliminate?

(i) Preflight preparation;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(ii) Preflight procedures;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(iii) Airport and seaplane base operations;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(iv) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds;
(seems reasonable to me and are these operations complex?)

(v) Performance maneuvers;
hey, what are these?

(vi) Ground reference maneuvers;
ok, these could probably be deep-sixed, but how much time
is wasted doing these?

(vii) Navigation;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(viii) Slow flight and stalls;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(ix) Basic instrument maneuvers;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(x) Emergency operations;
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(xi) Night operations, except as provided in 61.110 of this part; and
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)

(xii) Postflight procedures.
(seems reasonable to me and not complex)


have I missed something?

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

("Doug Spencer" wrote)
The CT will haul 110lbs of stuff in the luggage compartment, 55lbs per
side. One of the CT's at Stanton Sport Aviation will haul 650 lbs of
fuel, people and baggage.

With 34 gallons to fill the tanks (up to 1000 miles range), you have
about 440lbs capacity remaining. It is impressive when you calculate
that at ~30mpg it is more fuel efficient to fly than drive many cars and
the CT planes will even run on auto fuel or 100LL.

I've flown a CT 650 statute miles and still had a very good reserve.
The one I flew had a full glass panel (EFIS, engine monitor, GPS), 3
axis autopilot coupled to the panel mounted GPSMap 396 with XM weather
with altitude hold. It really is amazing the amount of innovation that
is occurring due to the deregulation in the light sport category.


What were your observed cruise speed(s) and climb rates? Thanks.

120mph = 2 miles/minute
30 miles takes 15 minutes ...and (~30mpg)

So, 1 gallon every 15 minutes? 4gph?

Were your numbers close?


Montblack