My father (85 and a WWII Thunderbolt pilot) and I arrived on Sunday, Sept 16th, for our planned delivery on Monday. We waited for only one day (spent it in ground school) before training with a GREAT Wings Aloft instructor, Regis. Low IFR hampered our training (except for lots of approaches) until Thurs when the weather lifted and we filed multiple IFR routes to get some landings…a pain, but creatively worked out (and, of course, all legal) by Wings Aloft. Left on Thurs afternoon (with our instructor, Regis) for the ride back to Orlando via Atlanta, S.Carolina (to drop off my Dad), Winston-Salem, NC, Atlanta, and then Orlando…all done from Thurs afternoon thru this morning (Sun). Over the heartland (Wisc, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, we saw NOT ONE
OTHER AIRCRAFT all day on Friday. Traffic into ATL/Hartsfield was light. We visited many small FBO’s in these states as we completed the requisite touch and go’s (as full stop landings).
As we all know, dead silence at them all. At one, Bowling Green, we were the first customer since the shutdown except for some Navy choppers on a fuel stop.
Through all of this, Cirrus and Wings Aloft folks attitudes were tremendous…and, even with the pall of the horror of last week hanging over everyone, they were able to keep us in good spirits with there “can do” thinking and action.
And, it goes without saying, the SR22 is more than anyone could imagine. With over 2000 miles flown in 3 days, I can tell you that I would jump in again tomorrow for another 4 hr ride! Bottom line: far more than promised is delivered.
What a coincidence: as I arrive in Orlando this afternoon, I was asked to slow to approach speed and square the turns so another SR22 could takeoff!
Marty Kent (N191KM) was leaving just as the first “based” SR22 (N248CG - mine) arrived in Orlando