After two days of intense training in Duluth, my son and I flew #71 home to sunny southern California!! David Katz and I shared the same weather: several days of rain, freezing levels at 3-6,000 msl, and some real ice and IMC work. The Cirrus people were every bit as kind as you have all read in this forum. My sincere thanks to them all. Chris Baker of Wings Aloft was my instructor, and he did a great job. We included the formalities of an IPC.
We left Duluth in the morning on Oct. 7. First stop was Sioux Falls S.D. Average altitude for that leg was 1200 ft. agl due to overcast, freezing mist at 2500 ft, etc. Refueled at Sioux Falls, then filed VFR to Denver Centennial. Denver was MVFR, so we filed IFR about 100 E of Denver and proceeded through the deck to land at about 5 P.M. TAS was about 155 KT at 8000 ft. Fuel burn was about 10.5 gph. Great leg of the trip. Had to file IFR out of Denver on Sunday, and route south due to weather over the S. Rockies. We were IMC at 12,000 ft. MSL all the way from 100 mi. SW of Denver to Albuqerque then W. to Prescott. From Prescott to N. Las Vegas we actually saw the ground. The plane is a joy to fly even IMC, and we learned a great deal using the no. 2 GPS enroute and with the manual in my son’s lap. I highly recommend learning ALL of the features of the 430 before arriving for training.
Controllers in Las Vegas kept asking what kind of aircraft this was, and when one finally said “Oh, kinda like a Cessna ?” I said “yeah. exactly.”
Every question, including the price of the SR-20 was asked by radar guys. The trip from Las Vegas to Orange Co. was simple IFR and 90 minutes. This was a real adventure, and one that my 24-yr old son will really remember. We stepped out at home and he said “I could fly that anywhere.” I think he could. Now, he has to get his license.
A couple very minor squaks, no system failures, and performance very near what the book says. 29 hours on the hobbs meter (5 hrs. at delivery).
Hope I didn’t bore you guys. Read David Katz’s notes if you want more about weather. The plane draws a crowd on the apron of every little airport. Good luck to all. Hope to see some of you out here in Long Beach in a couple weeks.
Congratulations Steve. I really enjoyed your report.
After two days of intense training in Duluth, my son and I flew #71 home to sunny southern California!! David Katz and I shared the same weather: several days of rain, freezing levels at 3-6,000 msl, and some real ice and IMC work. The Cirrus people were every bit as kind as you have all read in this forum. My sincere thanks to them all. Chris Baker of Wings Aloft was my instructor, and he did a great job. We included the formalities of an IPC.
We left Duluth in the morning on Oct. 7. First stop was Sioux Falls S.D. Average altitude for that leg was 1200 ft. agl due to overcast, freezing mist at 2500 ft, etc. Refueled at Sioux Falls, then filed VFR to Denver Centennial. Denver was MVFR, so we filed IFR about 100 E of Denver and proceeded through the deck to land at about 5 P.M. TAS was about 155 KT at 8000 ft. Fuel burn was about 10.5 gph. Great leg of the trip. Had to file IFR out of Denver on Sunday, and route south due to weather over the S. Rockies. We were IMC at 12,000 ft. MSL all the way from 100 mi. SW of Denver to Albuqerque then W. to Prescott. From Prescott to N. Las Vegas we actually saw the ground. The plane is a joy to fly even IMC, and we learned a great deal using the no. 2 GPS enroute and with the manual in my son’s lap. I highly recommend learning ALL of the features of the 430 before arriving for training.
Controllers in Las Vegas kept asking what kind of aircraft this was, and when one finally said “Oh, kinda like a Cessna ?” I said “yeah. exactly.”
Every question, including the price of the SR-20 was asked by radar guys. The trip from Las Vegas to Orange Co. was simple IFR and 90 minutes. This was a real adventure, and one that my 24-yr old son will really remember. We stepped out at home and he said “I could fly that anywhere.” I think he could. Now, he has to get his license.
A couple very minor squaks, no system failures, and performance very near what the book says. 29 hours on the hobbs meter (5 hrs. at delivery).
Hope I didn’t bore you guys. Read David Katz’s notes if you want more about weather. The plane draws a crowd on the apron of every little airport. Good luck to all. Hope to see some of you out here in Long Beach in a couple weeks.
Welcome to the “club”. Nice report.