I just heard that there would be an open house at the Monterey Airport from 11-3 this weekend. Apparently Walt and the original Cirrus will be there, as will Woody McClendon and Tom Shea. Woody has e-mailed me twice telling me about the gathering, but both times omitted telling which day it was, this weekend. He left his number and can be reached at 800-452-6184, or e’d at ebrpd18email.msn.com.aa
I just heard that there would be an open house at the Monterey Airport from 11-3 this weekend. Apparently Walt and the original Cirrus will be there, as will Woody McClendon and Tom Shea. Woody has e-mailed me twice telling me about the gathering, but both times omitted telling which day it was, this weekend. He left his number and can be reached at 800-452-6184, or e’d at ebrpd18email.msn.com.aa
The open house is on Saturday…
open house at the Monterey Airport from 11-3 this weekend. Apparently Walt and the original Cirrus will be there, as will Woody McClendon and Tom Shea.
Report from the open house - The Monterey gathering “open house” produced a couple of things of note. The open house, which was sponsored by Del Monte Aviation (aka Million Air - Monterey), highlighted the GA maintenance services of Del Monte. As a user of there maintenance department, I can tell you Chuck Humphreys and his crew are top notch.
First, there were quite a few people there and a few familiar faces. Glenn Beltz and his bride, Danielle, flew up from Santa Barbara it was good to see them and a number of other people from the bay area as well. Tom Shea, Cirrus SVP of Marketing, and one of his sales people flew out from Duluth for the event! Mike Busch, Cirrus' customer support guru was able to make.
In addition to the SR20 on static display there was a Lancair Columbia 300 on static display! I’ve always been interested in “trying on” the Columbia and at Oshgosh there are always lines plus they would normally let you get in the mock up not the flying model. This time I got to try on the real thing. Mind you I am happy that Lancair is bringing another airplane to market Â… everything helps GA.
First, I needed a ground step to get up on the wing. There was no step like the SR20 has. The Columbia flaps go all the way to the fuselage so when you step up on the wing you have to step over the flap Â… which is plainly marked "no step", but I can certainly see someone stepping on it early on. I could not get into the pilot's seat with out having to step on the seat first. The floor in front of the pilot seat is so far forward of the actually entry point that you are off balance trying to get it, but at last I did make it into the seat. There is not enough head room for me. I could barely close the door without a headset on, and with one I doubt I could fly it. The cockpit seemed much more cramped than I expected. The panel seemed closer to me and much more confining than the Cirrus. The control stick was longer than I remembered from the mock up. The best way I can think of to describe it is it is like a conventional control stick that is floor mounted between your legs, but it has been moved up and to the side. It seemed awkward to me. There is something else I can't quite put my finger on. The feeling of being cramped may be the visibility is not as the SR20, but on the other hand there isn't much out that is. I won't go into the avionics as that can be changed and what I saw is not likely what will be delivered to a customer.
The biggest problem for me (being 6'4" and not that agile) was getting out. I thought I might have to call fire & rescue! Wow! I finally did manage to extract myself, but it was work. I had to boost myself up onto the center console to get enough distance to swing my leg out from under the panel and onto the wing, but it was chore. I saw several people attempt to get in and out of the plane. I wasn't the only one that had trouble. I also saw several people, also fairly tall, get in and attempt to close the door. They seemed to be disappointed too.
The Columbia is a plane that one will have to try on to know what they are getting. I suspect that many tall may pass. While I wish Lancair well, I am glad I've got a Cirrus!open house at the Monterey Airport from 11-3 this weekend. Apparently Walt and the original Cirrus will be there, as will Woody McClendon and Tom Shea.
Report from the open house - The Monterey gathering “open house” produced a couple of things of note. The open house, which was sponsored by Del Monte Aviation (aka Million Air - Monterey), highlighted the GA maintenance services of Del Monte. As a user of there maintenance department, I can tell you Chuck Humphreys and his crew are top notch.
First, there were quite a few people there and a few familiar faces. Glenn Beltz and his bride, Danielle, flew up from Santa Barbara it was good to see them and a number of other people from the bay area as well. Tom Shea, Cirrus SVP of Marketing, and one of his sales people flew out from Duluth for the event! Mike Busch, Cirrus’ customer support guru was able to make.
In addition to the SR20 on static display there was a Lancair Columbia 300 on static display! I’ve always been interested in “trying on” the Columbia and at Oshgosh there are always lines plus they would normally let you get in the mock up not the flying model. This time I got to try on the real thing. Mind you I am happy that Lancair is bringing another airplane to market Â… everything helps GA.
First, I needed a ground step to get up on the wing. There was no step like the SR20 has. The Columbia flaps go all the way to the fuselage so when you step up on the wing you have to step over the flap Â… which is plainly marked “no step”, but I can certainly see someone stepping on it early on. I could not get into the pilot’s seat with out having to step on the seat first. The floor in front of the pilot seat is so far forward of the actually entry point that you are off balance trying to get it, but at last I did make it into the seat. There is not enough head room for me. I could barely close the door without a headset on, and with one I doubt I could fly it. The cockpit seemed much more cramped than I expected. The panel seemed closer to me and much more confining than the Cirrus. The control stick was longer than I remembered from the mock up. The best way I can think of to describe it is it is like a conventional control stick that is floor mounted between your legs, but it has been moved up and to the side. It seemed awkward to me. There is something else I can’t quite put my finger on. The feeling of being cramped may be the visibility is not as the SR20, but on the other hand there isn’t much out that is. I won’t go into the avionics as that can be changed and what I saw is not likely what will be delivered to a customer.
The biggest problem for me (being 6’4" and not that agile) was getting out. I thought I might have to call fire & rescue! Wow! I finally did manage to extract myself, but it was work. I had to boost myself up onto the center console to get enough distance to swing my leg out from under the panel and onto the wing, but it was chore. I saw several people attempt to get in and out of the plane. I wasn’t the only one that had trouble. I also saw several people, also fairly tall, get in and attempt to close the door. They seemed to be disappointed too.
The Columbia is a plane that one will have to try on to know what they are getting. I suspect that many tall may pass. While I wish Lancair well, I am glad I’ve got a Cirrus!
Just another opinion on the flap/step situation, after watching my daughter step on the slippery flap (legs to short to reach wing ) and nose dive on hanger floor I have to agree with Walt! There is a rumor that airplane is to be changed to an open cockpit. So don’t sweat the head room.
Speaking from the opposite end of the human male size range from Walt, I also tried out the Columbia. Looking at the two planes, they are both incredibly beautiful, works of art even, seeming to go at least 160 kt standing still. However, even at 5’6", I had similar difficulties with entry and egress. Stepping into the plane (with the front seat full aft) the forward door sill/windscreen was right in my face, forcing me to lean backward and develop an immediate severe aft CG problem. I was unable to flare for landing on the front seat! Exit was even more difficult and I nearly did a Fosbury Flop onto the wing root. Now, I am only marginally more athletic than your average boneless chicken, but my wife (5’3") is far more blessed with coordination/flexibility than I and she experienced the same difficulty. I’ll have to say that once inside it was comfortable with good visibility, although with a subjective feeling of less space than the Cirrus. The back seats looked not to have as much legroom either, but I was too rattled to try them out!
Today I got to experience the Favorite Object of our Collective Affections and accompany Walt as his “copilot” on an Angel Flight to Redding and back to PAO. The entry was far easier, as experienced before sitting in the plane. Gracious (and fearless) gentleman that he is, he let me fly left seat on the way to pick up the passengers at RDD, and even land the plane. WOW! I think I became dehydrated because I was drooling so much. You are all in for a treat–hang in there! It’s difficult to enumerate all of the little things that are superior about this plane compared to the Cessnas and Pipers which I customarily fly, but the cumulative effect is startling. It’s just a completely different and superior way to fly. The passengers seemed very impressed as well. Thanks once again, Walt.
Speaking for my subjective personal tastes only, I am glad to have chosen Cirrus. For myself (and certainly for my wife!), I would not choose to pay an additional $100K, use 60% more fuel to go 20% faster, and take yoga lessons in order to get into and out of the front seat. I can buy the Cirrus and operate it for 6-7 years for what it would cost to buy the Columbia.
If Cirrus can just deliver the airplanes, they will sell all they can possibly make. I hereby nominate the position of “Cirrus sales representative” for a select spot on the “world’s easiest jobs” list. Hey, sign me up!
Kevin