It IS the 21st century after all...

Diamond Aircraft is now manufacturing their DA20 C1 aircraft with the Garmin G600 panel. This should come as no great surprise as the announcement for this change is months old. The Garmin G600 is an amazing piece of technology. It's a combination of the standard six pack of instruments displayed in amazing clarity on a monitor placing all of the necessary information to the pilot in a smaller space allowing for a more efficient scan. For complete details and more photos on the amazing Garmin G600, visit the Garmin website.

As for me I'm excited that the technology revolution has finally seemed to pick up momentum in aircraft. The choices for GPS based avionics and glass panel displays are still few, but the prospect of even better technology is thrilling. Just one example of such innovation in airplane avionics is Garmin's recent introduction of SVT or Synthetic Vision Technlogy which paints a GPS generated three dimensional image of the actual terrain outside your aircraft providing even more situational awareness and giving pilots more information and resources to make the safest and best decisions.

Though my enthusiasm for these new avionics is strong, there is still a part of me that will find it difficult to say goodbye to the "steam gauges" of yesteryear. Having completed my private pilot certificate and my instrument rating in a plane that had the "old panel" avionics makes me somewhat proud of that heritage, and seeing that technology disappearing makes me worry that new pilots will not fully grasp the scope and wonderment that these new avionics packages offer. I have no doubt that pilot skills will still include dead reckoning, pilotage and intensive study of charts, approach plates and weather reports necessary for accurate and complete flight planning, I just hope that having all of this information displayed in color and 3D in front of pilots won't make them lazy (*cough* Northwest flight from San Diego to Minneapolis).

The significance of having this kind of technology available on one of the world's most used training airplanes means that most new pilots will have no exposure to the kind of instrumentation that has been around since the 1930s. I just hope they won't become the kind of "instant gratification" people that a lot of kids are these days being able to get information on pretty much anything anywhere, anytime. So in homage to my early training days, I've included the pre G600 and post G600 panels of the Diamond DA20 C1. For more pictures and information about the DA20 C1 please visit the Diamond Aircraft website.

Another trip down to the airport

Well, I went down to the airport on a whim today. I was feeling like I needed to DO something. So I did. Michelle and I drove down with 4 of the 5 kids and I went to do some PR with people. The first contact I made was with an old acquaintance. Not only did this person remember my name, but he was very encouraging as to my unique situation. I had forgotten how much I enjoy being at the airport. This person and I talked for a while and then I left feeling much better about things.

As we drove away, I noticed the white truck belonging to another pilot friend of mine was parked in front of his company hangar. We drove over and I boldly walked into the open hangar door. This friend was more of a distant acquaintance, but after a few minutes he remembered who I was and we got to talking. In the hangar were two planes. One was of course the Cessna Citation CJ3 that I had seen before. The other was a Cessna 425 Conquest.

The conquest is a formidable aircraft. It weighs less than 12,500 pounds so you don't need a type rating to fly it. It is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines throwing out 450 shp each. This friend was telling me the joys of flying the Conquest and how it handles in the air and during landings. I'm a big fan of the trailing link main gear, and the Conquest is apparently no disappointment there.

The cockpit is comfortable and wide. Standard instrumentation (old school steam gauges) but a comfortable addition of three GPS devices (two Garmin and one Avidyne). And the seats were deep and plush. I've flown an airplane with leather seats, several times in fact, but these seats were absolutely COMFORTABLE.

I have not ruled out any opportunity of flying as a career whether it's with the airlines or with a private company. Today's excursion was sufficient to whet my appetite for getting into the cockpit of a turbine powered aircraft.

The two photos included are the Cessna Citation CJ3 and the Cessna 425 Conquest.

So close...yet so far away.

That's right, by the book I'm finished with my commercial multi-engine instrument pilot certificate. There's just one small hang up...the examination. Had I the money at the time and a decent instructor, I could have finished months ago. I have all of the required time. I am comfortable with all of the systems of the DA42 and am excited at the prospect of finishing.

Well, as rosy as that all sounded I haven't been in a cockpit for nearly 6 months. So I'll have to spend some time getting my chops back up. Cockpit time is ten times more valuable than car time. If you went 10 days without driving it's no big deal, you still remember how to drive and can do it well. If you went 10 days without flying it's like going 100 days without driving. You'd still be pretty good at it and things would come back to you, but you'd have to drive a bit to get used to it again. So now imagine going 6 months (approximately 180 days) without flying. That's like going 1,800 days without driving which is the equivalent of 5 years. Imagine how good you'd be driving then!

So, as an update to my adventures on my way to flying professionally, I'm still working hard at paying the bills, but don't have any excess money to pay for flight time (approx. $250/hour). But I know it will all work out in the end. I really prefer having a picture in every post so the one displayed here is a beautiful aircraft known as the Embraer E175.

Doctor or Captain?

It was a tremendously turbulent time in our lives when my wife made the suggestion of becoming a pilot. Up until that moment I had never even considered the possibility. My life had been full of concerts, recitals, choirs, orchestras, marching bands, jazz bands, pep bands, string quartets, vocal quartets...whew! I could go on, but I won't.

At the time of my decision to become a pilot I was also very thoughtfully contemplating going back to school for my Masters Degree from Boston University. I had planned of course to follow that immediately with my Doctorate. So instead of Dr. Findlay (as per the British drama 1962 - 1971) it's going to be Captain Findlay.

I have often heard being a pilot compared to being a doctor. I certainly believe the required knowledge base and familiarity with a great number of procedures and possible situations grants the comparison. "Use it or lose it" is an adequate phrase when describing the kinds of things you have to know as a pilot. Hence, in the airlines you are given a flight review every 6-12 months. Please understand that I don't speak from experience, but from what I've heard you jump into the simulator and they throw a myriad of possible emergency situations at you. If you don't perform well...well you can say goodbye to your job. That should make all of you travelers out there feel a little better.

For example, the emergency landing into the Hudson River. I don't mean to discount the quality of the captain or the crew in handling that emergency, but ANY PILOT should be able to do the same. We train, and train, and train, and train, and train for situations like that. We should remember the procedures. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. Those are the cardinal rules to remember.

With this purpose (use it or lose it) in mind, I have planned to complete my CFI, CFII, and MEI ratings and hopefully gain a teaching position at a flight school. This will enable me to practice my skills and continually refine my abilities. Teaching, as everyone knows, makes the teacher better much more than the student (this IS experience talking, trust me). When I have an active private violin studio, my violin skills go through the roof (in the most humble way of course), but when I go for a summer without teaching my skills regress...horribly.

Anyway, I've babbled on long enough. I just wanted to give my 3 readers a feel for where I'm coming from and what I expect to get myself into. And share my hopes of staying current with all of my newly-learned abilities. Of course, if I should happen to find a job flying a Gulfstream or a challenger jet who am I to say "no?"

The airport

Did you know that Salt Lake International Airport (SLC) is the number one airport in the country for on time arrivals/departures. Yes people, we should be proud! I had the opportunity as recently as earlier today to go up to the airport and drop off my sister-in-law and her family. What a treat it is to be in the immediate vicinity of such amazing aircraft.

Mark my words people, I WILL be the captain of a Boeing 787 one day. For those of you who don't know the significance of that last statement, allow me to enlighten you. The Boeing 787 is the latest in modern technology for commercial airliners. It's composite construction, new engines, unique nacelle design, and impressive (redesigned) passenger cabin are among the improvements coming with the 787. The part that interests me the most of course is the cockpit.

All you have to do is look at it to understand what I mean. I won't go into details about what makes it so great, but I will say that the technology that is becoming increasingly available for all aircraft (small as well) is monumentally increasing safety and situational awareness. I can't imagine how those guys flew back in the 60s and 70s with just the standard 6 pack, a few VOR receivers and NDB.

What do you think? Wouldn't you enjoy being seated in such an ergonomic passenger-friendly environment?

Green River

A friend of mine invited me to fly down to Green River with him. How could I pass that up? I mean Green River is such a hot spot for entertainment and fine dining. Ok, since sarcasm is nearly impossible to perceive through the written word, let me enlighten you. The airport is not continuously attended. There was no one there when we landed, and there were probably more people in their cars driving on I-70 than the entire population of Green River. But hey, it was a fun flight.

We flew a Diamond DA20 C-1 Katana Eclipse.

Please enjoy some short videos from my little jaunt to Green River, UT.

Air National Guard

I work with a guy who is in the National Guard. His enlistment is up in 3 months and he is going to re-enlist into the Air National Guard. We spoke for some time discussing the possibilities and I became somewhat intrigued. I did a little research (again) into the Guard. Considering the fact that I already have an Associate's Degree, Bachelor's degree and nearly 250 hours of flight time I thought that I may qualify to get into some kind of flight job with the Guard.

I spoke to a recruiter and yep, sure enough I'm too old. Yes people I am too old to fly planes apparently. One foot in the grave you might say. I was a little disappointed to be turned down flat like that, but I guess that's not the avenue for me. I'm still waiting to find out I have some rich relative somewhere who wants to pay for the rest of my flight training. If anyone reading this is rich, you DON'T have to be my relative to donate! I'm not that particular.

Well, things are kind of stagnant at the moment. I've been pushed around and ignored by my current flight school. I am in the process of pursuing some type of reconciliation. I have a member of the State Board of Regents on my side, so hopefully SOMETHING will come of it.

I miss the music I was involved with teaching. I miss my students, but as a whole I don't miss teaching. There are a lot of "behind the scenes" things in teaching that outweighed the joys for me.

If any of my former students are reading this, let me say "Hello" and "the metronome is your FRIEND." I still practice my violin, and the piano. I actually just did two gigs a couple of weeks ago. So I'm still involved somewhat. If anyone reading this is still in orchestra or choir please leave a comment. Let me know when your concerts are. Let me know if you need someone to come to Lagoon day with you.

"The Future. I gotta check this out Doc!"

If you don't recognize the movie quote, then your life is most definitely incomplete. Anyway, the future is here. All those dreams and fantasies that spawned from watching Back to the Future Part II (that's the movie quote) are finally becoming reality. On March 5, 2009 The first "street ready" roadable airplane took a test flight. That's right people, FLYING CAR! It's freakin' awesome! (pardon my French)

While I look forward with eager anticipation to be at the controls of a superior aircraft like the Boeing 787, I look forward with equally enthusiastic excitement at the possibility of commuting to the airport in my flying car.

Check out the video people!

Click here to see the Terrafugia Transition

Ah the future is bright folks! And that's because we'll be able to fly above that horrid commuter traffic!

January update

I thought that I needed to put up a short post and update both of my readers on how things are going. I met with the Director of Flight Operations down at the Airport today. He was very empathetic and quite accommodating. Things have not been finalized as of yet, but it looks as though I may be able to finish my training and be well on my way to acquiring my CFI, II & MEI.

I also learned that the flight school is going to sell all of its Piper aircraft. That will make it so you can only get your commercial certificate in the twin initially, and then get the single-engine add-on after that. It's actually cheaper to do it that way. That's why I chose to do it that way in the first place.

And I really like the Bombardier Challenger 850. Wouldn't anyone?