A gloriously sunny winter day

[G-HEVN]

What a glorously sunny Winter day - wall to wall blue: Even I got into the air today!
Very high pressure though, QNH1040, and only about 4 degrees C by the afternoon. Once in the air, visibility plummeted, with a marked inversion. But it was still as a mill pond, and the old TB10 climbed like a rocket even with two not exactly slim POB!

We were only going to Wellesbourne (EGBW) to do some touch and go's but it was so busy we were refused entry to the circuit, so we just had a local bimble instead. It seemed that every plane in the area was in the sky!


Climbing out from Enstone, my local airfield




Nice to see how accurate Microsoft's brown is!

[kiwiflyboy]

Very high pressure though, QNH1040, and only about 4 degrees C by the afternoon.

The engine must have been running like a dream, ROC would have been marvelous..... lately here its been hot, humid and with highs, makes climbing a dog, lucky to get 300'/min on some days........

[ZK-Brock]

300fpm? Oh yeah, Tomahawk...

G-HEVN, the viosibility didn't seem all that flash where you were flying, I had to look for about a minute to find where your airfield is!

[G-HEVN]

Had a similar probelm trying to land on it! It does rather blend into the scenery (it's the WWII camoflage ) But there are a few easy-find landmarks that help guide you in. For example the big white building just above and slightly to the right. That's on left base for 26. Stands out of miles (also happens to be the Renault F1 team HQ!)

There's probably only about 8 miles of slant vis into the murk, but above the inversion you can see forever!

[kiwiflyboy]

300fpm? Oh yeah, Tomahawk...

No a whale of a 172, empty weight is 1726lb, they are normally 1650ish

[ZK-Brock]

Jeez, what do ya keep in there?

[kiwiflyboy]

A big Air data computer, a flux valve and 2 10.5" LCD Screens...... G-1000 equipped is the sticker on the side B)

[ZK-Brock]

Ah right, I guess the G1000 would add more weight than I first thought.

[kiwiflyboy]

Yes, thats just the basic G-1000, more options like weather radar and traffic info add more weight as does air con. you could option your 172 out to be 1 person and full tanks and be at MAUW.... a real waste of time if you ask me.....

[ZK-Brock]

Did you do your ab initio stuff on a G1000? I would have thought that you'd start on old-school instruments and move up to the G1000 for advanced stuff, cross countries, IFR etc.

[kiwiflyboy]

I did my PPL in a hamster and steam driven instrument panel... then my instructor left and got given a new one, along with a new a/c..... generally my school will get you solo in the circuit, then move you into a G1000 once you've finished the solo consolidation. There is no way I am doing my instrument rating in a 172, not worth the hassle, for a few reasons.

1) no autopilot
2) Single engine + IMC = not too much fun if you engine decides to fail
3) It is illegal to fly an ATO single engine IFR (so defeats the point of having an instrument rating)

So it will be the duchess for me.....

[ZK-Brock]

It is illegal to fly an ATO single engine IFR

I believe you, but is the Air2there Caravan an exception to this rule?

[kiwiflyboy]

135.81 Operations of single engine aircraft "“ IFR
No person shall perform an air operation carrying passengers with a singleengine
aircraft under IFR.

That is straight from the caa website CAR Part 135. They will operate VFR, but at the very minimums, and get SVFR into the zone.