Dave Siciliano
Final Approach
Flew the P Baron for the first time in the left seat yesterday.
This plane is really smooth and quiet!!
Idles at 800 rpm if need be, smooth as can be. Lots of power (I guess 650 qualifies as lots of power—don’t it)?
Took off yesterday with full fuel and two of us up front; climbed over 1,000 fpm at 140 knots with all CHTs under 400.
Air conditioning makes a real difference when it’s nearly 100 out.
Very solid feel. In the afternoon bumps that develop here low, the plane just tracked right on course with minor movements. In the A-36, I would have been bumping around pretty good.
Flying IMC, the plane stays right where you put it. In the B-55, I was dropping a wing pretty quickly if not paying attention or when fiddling with other equipment. This plane stays pretty close to where it was last aimed with hands off the controls for more than a second or two.
Lots of systems to learn: the Sandel interface with the Garmin 530/430.
Traffic info from the 330 is a little annoying when out of a TIS area when you get the audio—no traffic available.
KFS auto pilot is really smooth in here. Smooth, clean turns.
It’s gonna be a lot of fun to get used to this thing (until I have to fill it up again!!).
Best,
Dave
This plane is really smooth and quiet!!
Idles at 800 rpm if need be, smooth as can be. Lots of power (I guess 650 qualifies as lots of power—don’t it)?
Took off yesterday with full fuel and two of us up front; climbed over 1,000 fpm at 140 knots with all CHTs under 400.
Air conditioning makes a real difference when it’s nearly 100 out.
Very solid feel. In the afternoon bumps that develop here low, the plane just tracked right on course with minor movements. In the A-36, I would have been bumping around pretty good.
Flying IMC, the plane stays right where you put it. In the B-55, I was dropping a wing pretty quickly if not paying attention or when fiddling with other equipment. This plane stays pretty close to where it was last aimed with hands off the controls for more than a second or two.
Lots of systems to learn: the Sandel interface with the Garmin 530/430.
Traffic info from the 330 is a little annoying when out of a TIS area when you get the audio—no traffic available.
KFS auto pilot is really smooth in here. Smooth, clean turns.
It’s gonna be a lot of fun to get used to this thing (until I have to fill it up again!!).
Best,
Dave