Neat experience today.

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message ...

I decided to stop by my local airport today (N38) as I hadn't been by in a while. While I was there, a Cirrus SR20
pulled up to the pumps. Never having seen one in person, I walked over and asked the pilot if he minded me walking
around and taking a closer look. He said, "how about going for a ride?" I said sure.

....snip...

I suspect that flying an SR22 might change my opinion as the main thing with the SR20 is that it felt underpowered,
just like the Arrow. After flying a Skylane for 6 years, I really miss the performance, particularly on takeoff.


Matt

Didja log the flight time?

Often when flying Pipers I know slowly "pump" the controls during the
flare. One of the aviation columnists recently wrote about using this
technique and the advantages of it. I never needed it much in my 182 as
I could gradually pull back the wheel in it. The Arrow isn't nearly as
smooth and a low amplitude, high frequency "pumping" of the wheel tends
to allow smoother arrivals at closer to stall speed.

I ususally wiggle the yoke (roll axis) as I pull or push to overcome the
"stiction". :-))

In article ,
Matt Whiting wrote:

john smith wrote:

Longer (relative term) ground runs are the result of the Cirrus wing
design. It is optimized for cruise, not climb.

I'm sure that is true as well, but the acceleration was sluggish and
that has nothing to do with the wing ... well, other than the weight of
the wing! :-)

Is the SR-20 fixed or constant speed prop? A cruise prop will produce a
sluggish ground run on takeoff.

While it sounds like you had a great experience, I question your decision to
go and fly with someone you didn't know at all. Personally, I never would
fly with anyone unless they had a reputation as a cautious and safe pilot,
and had a well maintained airplane. I would never fly with a stranger in an
unknown airplane.

It can generate behavior like: the airplane can do six vertical rolls (even
though I've never tried it before), or "watch how the spin recovery is easy
(even though I've never spun the plane before), or "let's do a high speed
pass down the runway and show everyone what the plane can do!" Famous last
words are :"let me show you this!"

In general people (including myself) are proud of their new shiny toys, and
like to show people what the airplane can do, even if it exceeds their own
skills, experience, or common sense. It's a perfect formula for an accident.

Just a thought.

Jay,

That's the first time I've ever heard that before, Matt. I've not flown a
Cirrus, but in the magazines SR-20 handling is usually described as "crisp"
and "responsive".


First time for me, too. Personally, I found the Cirrus's control harmony even
beats the Bo - a hard thing to top. A 182? No comparison at all.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

While it sounds like you had a great experience, I question your decision to
go and fly with someone you didn't know at all. Personally, I never would
fly with anyone unless they had a reputation as a cautious and safe pilot,
and had a well maintained airplane. I would never fly with a stranger in an
unknown airplane.
It can generate behavior like: the airplane can do six vertical rolls (even
though I've never tried it before), or "watch how the spin recovery is easy
(even though I've never spun the plane before), or "let's do a high speed
pass down the runway and show everyone what the plane can do!" Famous last
words are :"let me show you this!"
In general people (including myself) are proud of their new shiny toys, and
like to show people what the airplane can do, even if it exceeds their own
skills, experience, or common sense. It's a perfect formula for an accident.

Doc, having been involve with the acro community for the past 25 years,
I can speak from experience that it sometimes takes years for some
pilots to show their true alter-ego. An acro mount usually brings it out
in short order, though.

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
[...]
Rotating the wrist isn't one of the strongest actions a human can do. I
have much more strength with the rotation is combined with an up or down
action so that your biceps and triceps can get into the action along with
the rotation from your forearm.

Huh. When I flew the SR20 (granted, this was one of the test planes, before
they finished certification...but it WAS one of the conforming prototypes,
so surely it's not that different from the one you were in), I didn't use a
rotating motion to control the side-yoke. My forearm was not in line with
the axis of the yoke, and aileron control was more of a push-right,
pull-left (from the left seat) affair.

Still different from the use of a center-mounted yoke, granted...but I had
plenty of leverage and found the controls quite natural and easy to use.
Certainly compared to the 182s I'd been flying, the SR20 seemed more
responsive.

Pete

..Blueskies. wrote:

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message ...

I decided to stop by my local airport today (N38) as I hadn't been by in a while. While I was there, a Cirrus SR20
pulled up to the pumps. Never having seen one in person, I walked over and asked the pilot if he minded me walking
around and taking a closer look. He said, "how about going for a ride?" I said sure.


...snip...

I suspect that flying an SR22 might change my opinion as the main thing with the SR20 is that it felt underpowered,
just like the Arrow. After flying a Skylane for 6 years, I really miss the performance, particularly on takeoff.


Matt


Didja log the flight time?



No, but that is a good idea! Probably only had 3 tenths, but hey, it is
time in a Cirrus no matter what. And I was sole manipulator at the time
so it should be legal, even if I was in the right (wrong!) seat.

Matt

john smith wrote:

In article ,
Matt Whiting wrote:


john smith wrote:


Longer (relative term) ground runs are the result of the Cirrus wing
design. It is optimized for cruise, not climb.

I'm sure that is true as well, but the acceleration was sluggish and
that has nothing to do with the wing ... well, other than the weight of
the wing! :-)


Is the SR-20 fixed or constant speed prop? A cruise prop will produce a
sluggish ground run on takeoff.

He said it was constant speed, but you wouldn't know it flying it as it
has just the throttle lever. No prop control, no mixture control (at
least I didn't see a traditional mixture control).


Matt

Viperdoc wrote:

While it sounds like you had a great experience, I question your decision to
go and fly with someone you didn't know at all. Personally, I never would
fly with anyone unless they had a reputation as a cautious and safe pilot,
and had a well maintained airplane. I would never fly with a stranger in an
unknown airplane.

It can generate behavior like: the airplane can do six vertical rolls (even
though I've never tried it before), or "watch how the spin recovery is easy
(even though I've never spun the plane before), or "let's do a high speed
pass down the runway and show everyone what the plane can do!" Famous last
words are :"let me show you this!"

In general people (including myself) are proud of their new shiny toys, and
like to show people what the airplane can do, even if it exceeds their own
skills, experience, or common sense. It's a perfect formula for an accident.

Just a thought.

I was waiting for one of your kind to jump in. I'm only surprised it
took as long as it did.

He also had his mother in the back seat as she hadn't ridden in the
airplane either. I wasn't too worried.

I guess you don't fly the airlines then, eh? That would mean flying
with a stranger in an unknown (to you anyway) airplane.

Hey, I could have always pulled the chute! :-)


Matt