The ferry pilot who is supposed to be bringing my plane over, at last completed the ferry of the Arrow from Sweden to Tyler, Texas.
It took three weeks during which time he had problems losing engine oil. He then went straight to Duluth and picked up my Cirrus and headed off, Wednesday 26th January, to Bangor, Maine, which is, I believe, his home and where he has the ferry tank fitted.
He made an overnight stop at Kincheloe, Mitchigan. I copy you part of the E.mail with comments on the plane.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I got a little check-out in the Cirrus, with a lot of good information
during the preflight inspection, and then started westbound. I had been
impressed with the looks and the performance of the Cirrus, but I had wondered
how it was to fly. In a word: delightful. I’m particularly impressed by the
ailerons, which are a brilliant solution to the problem of limited mechanical
advantage in roll with a side-stick control. It sure does need rudder trim,
though. A little rocker switch just ahead of the throttle…
I landed at Kincheloe, Michigan, just south of Sault Ste. Marie, for
fuel or RON. It only made sense to spend the night here or in Bangor, and I’d
arrive in Bangor after midnight, so from a scheduling perspective, Kincheloe
was preferable–I just had to find out at a nearly deserted airport whether
there was a hotel nearby, and whether I could get an engine preheat in the
morning.
These questions were answered in the affirmative by a helpful UPS
pilot named Tony. Tony was waiting to take off with the night’s freight in a
Cessna Caravan, which, he was astonished to learn, was no faster–with three
and a half times the horsepower–than the slick little Cirrus he so admired.
Of course, the Caravan carries more weight.-----------------------------------------------------------------
He arrived in Bangor on Thursday, however the FAA Inspector who would have to approve the ferry tank instalation was out of town until Monday.
I would add at this stage that I planned to go to Holland next weekend to train and collect and through all of this it looked as if he would make it in time. Then this morning the next bombshell. Rather than wait for mine he has started another ferry taking a Warrior across to the UK. He hopes to get back later in the week for mine but I will miss my chance to go to Holland and cannot go again for two or three weeks.
I will have owned the plane for almost three months before I see it.
Life is not all that bad though I had the best weeks ski-ing in Austria. A dump of new snow before we arrived and everyday wall to wall sunshine.
Regards to you all Robin.