My X-country trip to Austin, Texas pt 1

[McLovin]

heres a few pics of one of my intermediate flights I took today to Austin, Texas. the route was KCNW-KCLL-KAUS-KCNW for you guys wonderin.

GUESS WHAT PLANE IM FLYING....DONT TELL THEM KNUCKLEHEAD CUZ U KNOW!


Sorry for the bad quality, Im not much of a picture taker!












Hope you enjoyed.

Bret

[Mobius]

Nice shots.  I know what you're flying, but I won't spoil it for anyone who can't figure it out (for some reason ).

Did that 430 have WAAS?  If it did, did you notice any increase in the update speed of the map and course indicator?

[masmith]

Nice shots! bad quality or not,

There was a PA28 at our local flying club with a GPS but the owner took it elsewhere

[Aerophile]

I only know what it is because I was sitting right next to you.   I wouldn't be to proud of flying around in the "plastic wagon" (A hint for those of you who don't know what it is) there Bret.  :D  Should be pretty easy to id for most people in this forum, however.   Glad to see you finally posted your shots though!  8-) Not a bad shot of the Waco skyscraper.

This 430 is not WAAS enabled.  The airplane itself is not even certified for flight into IMC (another hint  ;) if it's not blatantly obvious already).

I enjoyed the flight though. Thanks for asking me to go!

[Mobius]

They're not certified for flight into IMC?  Why is that?  Any reason in particular?  From what I've seen, they have all the equipment, if I remember the list right...

[Aerophile]

They're not certified for flight into IMC?  Why is that?  Any reason in particular?  From what I've seen, they have all the equipment, if I remember the list right...

They have all the equipment, they just lack a way for static electricity to be dissipated back into the atmosphere because the airplane has a composite airframe.  Airplanes that are certified for IMC typically have bonding strips that allow static to flow through their metal airframe and then the static is dissipated back into the atmosphere through static wicks.  Composite airframes on the other hand usually have a metal mesh that is built into the airframe which allows a path for the static electricity to flow.  This particular model does not have that metal mesh.  So, if you were flying in the vicinity of a thunderstorm in IMC, you would likely pick up a static charge on the radios, commonly known as St. Elmo's Fire.  And that is why the airplane is not certified for IMC.  You can still fly on an IFR flight plan, from what I am told anyway, but it would have to be severe VFR and clear of clouds.

That'll be $15 for ground instruction for each time this post was read.  If you want I can just bill McLovin's flight account. I'm sure he'd be ok with that.  ;D

[Mobius]

Ah, I never knew that one.  Thanks.

[Aerophile]

No prob.  We joke around a lot that if the airplane were to enter a cloud it would explode.  :o

[McLovin]

hahaha good one knucklehead...um NO if you bill me.......I KEAL YOU! Oh and this is the one I went on yesterday solo. not that no one is next to me in the shot I took of myself. The ones I took on our trip sucked and only took like 4 or so.

[Aerophile]

ha, I guess you're right.  i didn't look at the photo all that closely, obviously.  

[Jared]

nice shots, looks like a nie day to fly

[Ashar]

Awesome shots! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[beaky]

The shape of that tail gives it away... and the N-number seen there makes it even easier to guess.

Another bit of advice: don't show pis of the GPS when you're off-course...

[Aerophile]

Another bit of advice: don't show pis of the GPS when you're off-course...

I wasn't going to say anything, but I'm glad to hear someone else point it out.  Be glad I'm not your instructor Bret, I would have had to give you a hard time on that... a much harder time than I am now anyway.  Maybe I should suggest to your instructor maybe removing the GPS cards and have you go back to good ol' pilotage and deadreckoning.  ;D

I guess it's safe to say now that it's a Diamond DA20-C1 Eclipse, a.k.a. "plastic wagon", aka, "sperm with wings."


I hope I didn't steal your thunder by posting a full shot of the Diamond McLovin.  If so let me know and I'll get rid of it.

[McLovin]

hahaha the reason why it shows me off course is bcuz I was paying closer attention to finding out my new wind correction angle from the new wind info I got from Flight Watch, and I was only about a mile or maybe a 1/2 of a mile to the right, but yeah good idea haha  ;D . But nah I dont care Denton! BTW ya wanna give me my EOC later?