Planes.. Shouldn't be here !!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

We'd better get an extension for the POG rally. There ain't no way we can be talked out in the allotted length of time.

On another forum I just saw where a Cirrus (brand new) lost its primary display in hard IFR (bad weather for Lew) and fortunately the husband/wife team on board were able to get over the shock, use their fall back instruments and get it on the ground. It was reported Cirrus is aware of the underlying cause. The wife had more than 2000 hours and was acting PIC and the husband had 1000 hours. It was speculated that had the pilots had experience levels of the average Cirrus owner they would either have pulled the cord (Lew: the Cirrus has a whole plane parachute) or augered in.

Anybody in this bunch of crazies own a Cirrus? Anybody want to?

[lewpopp]

I am the happiest person in the world to open up this can of worms. Oh, how happy I am.. Now you won't be calling me names on the other subject sections.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Lew....What makes you think that? I'm perfectly capable of multi-tasking.

What we all have to do is band together to protect ourselves from JDUB. He has left no stone unturned in his quest to insult everybody.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Tom,

I am a steam gauge guy and will remain so. When the owners of the glass cockpit planes talk about their whiz-bang flying video games they soon realize they do not have any more capability than I have. Because they get used to their TV picture displays when that goes black they are in serious trouble because they have lost the ability to have positional awareness and their instrument scan has changed into an instument stare.

I'm not talking against the Garmin 430 or 530, but I have flown with several pilots who started flying when these types of boxes were in their aircraft. When we went on the gauges I sat and watched them fly the magenta course line. The were ignoring the OBS or HSI. Just for grins I would ask them to fly to a point in space. This position could have been defined by flying a radial or intercepting a radial. When that type of challenge was given they could not even determine which way they had to turn.

I am for improvements in technology and I love the pretty picture on my 396, but I was brought up learning how to determine where I was and how to go somewhere else by using the radios and dials. I am seeing pilots rely solely on the "direct to" button and they follow the line without any sense of whether they are doing it right or where they are relative to where they want to be.

I'll step down off this soap box now.

Do you intend to trade buses as often as you traded planes? I'm a stick with it guy because my current one has served me well for 20 years.

[Jerry Winchester]

Man, I haven't even flown that many types of planes much less owned them. You are the man.

The Deb is a sweet plane and the Stretched Deb is not bad either. My hanger partner just swapped his Baron for a V35 and he has really enjoyed it. He had the typical reservations and hounded me to death about it, but he is is really up since the price of avgas is $3.50 gal.

I have owned one plane - the Bonanza and I have owned one RV - the Prevost. I don't need a lot of things, just the best of what I can get.

Banded together for protection; what's up with that? Do we need to change it from the POG forum to the Eunuch Forum? You are starting to sound like Lew. I thought hazing was an olympic sport?

[truk4u]

Keeping your plane for 20 years is fantastic Jon, I just get bored with the same thing and look for something different. The last 10 years of my plane ownerships I had a great partner who took an early out with IBM and we would buy a plane needing a little work, fix it up, fly it for a few years and then sell for a profit. We did all our own work, he is an A&P and A.I. and he's still flying the Arrow. I was fortunate enough to use my planes in business prior to having a partner, boring holes in the sky with 3 or 5 empty seats. The partnership worked out great and I really enjoyed sharing lots of adventures. My partner took on some corporate flying and I was able to get some great Navaho and King Air time.

But now it's a slower pace and momma likes to see the country from the big windshield. I have managed to keep her for 40 years, glad she doesn't have propellers or wheels or she would be history! Now you know the story, red is her favorite color and the Marathon is RED! Hmmm, she never gave a rats ass about the red planes!

Now who has the Bonanza, I'll have a gift for you at POG?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Its not hard to keep one 20 years when you realize you have the best.

[truk4u]

Lew,
Don't let them fool you, IFR stands for "I follow Roads".

No plane now Jerry, sold my Arrow last year getting ready for the freekin bus,
sniffle, sniffle... Not in Jon's league, I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy..

Hey, whats wrong with 120 mph, 500' AGL smashing bugs while able to set down in a field at a moments notice to pee? Had a ride two weeks ago, I'll get over it!

Here's my list of ownership and happy times with the favorite at the bottom:
Cherokee 180 (2)
Cherokee 6
Cessna 182
Cardinal
Tiger
Arrow
Apache
Twin Comanche
Aztec
Baron
Debonair (best of all)

Jon, guess the days of needle, ball, airspeed are over. Thank God for technology.