Let's get high.

Took the airplane up to 16.5K today to see what she'd do and have my first
experience sucking oxygen. It is truly satisfying to sit back and watch the
airplane hold 800 FPM all the way up.

Performance was a bit better than book: 164 KTAS at 27" and 2400 RPM, 14.6
GPH, 50 deg. ROP.

I'm in love with this airplane; it's a dream to fly and performs beautifully.
Heading back to Mobile, I took the headphones off, turned off the autopilot
and enjoyed the unusual 60+ mile visibility as I banked left and right all the
way down to 1,000 ft. over Dauphin Island.

Jeez, I love flying.

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

In article ,
"Dan Luke" wrote:

Took the airplane up to 16.5K today to see what she'd do and have my first
experience sucking oxygen. It is truly satisfying to sit back and watch the
airplane hold 800 FPM all the way up.

Performance was a bit better than book: 164 KTAS at 27" and 2400 RPM, 14.6
GPH, 50 deg. ROP.

I'm in love with this airplane; it's a dream to fly and performs beautifully.
Heading back to Mobile, I took the headphones off, turned off the autopilot
and enjoyed the unusual 60+ mile visibility as I banked left and right all
the
way down to 1,000 ft. over Dauphin Island.

Jeez, I love flying.

Sounds like fun Dan.
How long did it take to climb up to 16.5K?
How long to descend?
How did the controls feet at 16.5K? Did the airplane feel like it was
balancing on the tip of pin, or solid like it does down low?
Did you do any steep turns or stalls?

On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 17:52:14 -0500, "Dan Luke"
wrote in
:

I'm in love with this airplane

Would that be an '83 C-172RG?

Jeez, I love flying.

I'm with you, Dan.

Today, after another sold-out weekend with not one, but TWO family
reunions at the inn (one of them Mary's family!), it was time to get
some air beneath our wings.

We had already eaten a huge family brunch (made by Mary's pro-chef
brother), so we didn't need to find food (for a change!). Thus we
aimed to visit some little-used, out of the way airports.

West Union, IA and Cresco, IA became our 54th and 55th Iowa airports
we've visited, respectively. Both are old-fashioned relics from the
1960s, with hand-painted signs that have long-since faded, written by
men from my father's generation who no-doubt thought others would
follow in their footsteps.

They were wrong, but we were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor
today. The sign-in book in Cresco was poignant -- we were their
first transient visitor since May.

After announcing our intention to land from ten miles out, another
pilot queried us to see where we were coming in from. (Very
unusual!) We told him Iowa City, and he excitedly announced that he'd
be landing in Cresco shortly, too.

After touching down and stretching our legs, a cherry Cessna 150 soon
landed on the grass runway, and taxied up to the hangars near where we
were stopped. The pilot almost *ran* up to shake our hand -- he was
based there, and it seemed like he hadn't seen anyone land in a very
long time!

We enjoyed a good long chat -- as we had done earlier in West Union
(with a Quickie home-builder who admitted to having the airport pretty
much to himself nowadays) -- and then headed over to Prairie du Chein,
WI for their marvelous Sunday Prime Rib special.

The air was still, the visibility unlimited, and the temperature was
in the mid-70s. The four of us flew home, stuffed to the gills and
totally decompressed after a VERY hectic few days.

Flying is life, and July is simply the best.

Glad you're enjoying your new plane, Dan!

(Still no cancellations for the Pool Party -- but I'm trying! :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Dan Luke wrote:
Took the airplane up to 16.5K today to see what she'd do and have my first
experience sucking oxygen. It is truly satisfying to sit back and watch the
airplane hold 800 FPM all the way up.

Performance was a bit better than book: 164 KTAS at 27" and 2400 RPM, 14.6
GPH, 50 deg. ROP.

I'm in love with this airplane; it's a dream to fly and performs beautifully.
Heading back to Mobile, I took the headphones off, turned off the autopilot
and enjoyed the unusual 60+ mile visibility as I banked left and right all the
way down to 1,000 ft. over Dauphin Island.

Jeez, I love flying.


Just for grins, did you happen to notice your OAT? Any problems staying
warm?

What did you use? Cannula? Mask? Any conserving devices?

We are doing initial engine runs/tests on our auto conversion velocity,
and once everything is sorted out, We intend to equip for flight as far
as the low flight levels.

Dave

"john smith" wrote:

Sounds like fun Dan.
How long did it take to climb up to 16.5K?

I don't know; I didn't do a max performance climb.

How long to descend?

Didn't time that either. I was having too much fun swooping back and forth
and enjoying the almost crystal clear view -- we very seldom get that down
here.

How did the controls feet at 16.5K? Did the airplane feel like it was
balancing on the tip of pin, or solid like it does down low?

I didn't notice any difference.

Did you do any steep turns or stalls?

Great idea. I'll do that next time. If I spin it, there should be plenty of
room to recover. ;^)

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

"Larry Dighera" wrote:


I'm in love with this airplane

Would that be an '83 C-172RG?

Nope. The '84 Cutlass is long gone.

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

"Dave S" wrote:


Just for grins, did you happen to notice your OAT? Any problems staying
warm?

2 deg. C, IIRC. No prob' staying warm, just turned down the vents (oh, man;
what an improvement over the old Cessna orange juice cans!) and let the
sunshine do the rest. I wasn't up there long enough for my feet to get cold.

What did you use? Cannula? Mask? Any conserving devices?

Cannula with a Precise Flight conserver.

We are doing initial engine runs/tests on our auto conversion velocity, and
once everything is sorted out, We intend to equip for flight as far as the
low flight levels.

What engine?

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

"Jay Honeck" wrote:



(Still no cancellations for the Pool Party -- but I'm trying! :-)



Maybe FEMA could loan you some trailers. ;^)


--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

On 7/1/2007 6:52:16 PM, "Dan Luke" wrote:

I'm in love with this airplane; it's a dream to fly and performs
beautifully.

It's nice to read of your seemingly rejuvenated spirit with regards to
flying.

How is the glass cockpit learning curve progressing?

--
Peter