TB-20GT Checkout--PIREP

[spiderweb]

Good, complete checkout. One hour ground followed by two in the air. She flies very nicely and has lots of power and speed. Lots of things are very pilot friendly. I'm really happy she has the HSI, for example. Lots of room, and very comfortable.

We did short field takeoff, soft field takeoff, go-around, THREE engine outs (see below), steep turns, power-off stall, power-on stall, ILS, and VOR-A. CFII also showed me the 90/270 PT which I had never done. I liked that.

Those engine outs: CFI warned me that the thing drops like a rock. Essentially, if you get engine-out abeam the numbers, you have to do a power-off 180. The first one, I just would not have made it. Not even close. The second one was fine, but since I was rolling out about 50 AGL, I told him I wanted to go-around and not be rushed into a landing. The third one we did because CFI wanted to show me how pulling the prop BACK extends the glide--it really worked. I would only do that if I was sure I couldn't restart.

No brain farts on the instrument stuff. I was not holding altitudes like I wanted, but I was tracking well. I got better as I went along. I attribute the alt loss/gains to the heavy controls with which I have to remember to be more positive. The ILS was great. I felt like the plane was flying it for me, and it was within ATP standards. That's how you know it HAD to be the plane! The VOR-A is not a hard approach, and I did fine except for some drift-downs on the intermediate MDAs (see above).

The only downside is it gets real hot in there while you're waiting to go! Oh, and it costs a crapload of money. Well, I have a couple of new students, so that will help.

I met Jill today, and that was GREAT! Nice to see people from the webboard! Question for you and Tim: I forgot to ask the CFI--isn't there a stormscope in there somewhere?

 

[TMetzinger]

Stormscope is a sensor that displays on the MFD, as I recall. If I'm right, the softkey at the bottom (either WX or LTNG) gives you the stormscope display and then the right softkeys alter it and clear it.

My instructor and I JUST BARELY made the engine out from about 5 miles away at I forget what altitude - pulling the prop back made the difference. I swear we came over the edge of the runway at maybe 10 feet and we were JUST about to push everything forward when the runway edge went by. We just looked at each other and shook our heads.

You'll get used to being aggressive with the trim - use the wheel for fine adjustments, and you'll find that it will dampen out your altitude excursions. When you take it on a long cross country and get it to altitude, try flying by trim and rudder pressure alone - do that for a couple of legs and you'll be OWTA (One With The Airplane) and you'll only have altitude issues in fairly unstable air. PS the autopilot works great too - learn to use the altitude preselect and VS hold and you can pretty much manage the airplane the same way you would in one of the G1000 aircraft. The autopilot is a huge help when departing FDK to the west and you have to contact Approach AND level off at 3000 (OMG we're almost there already cause it climbs like a banshee) AND turn west AND so on...

Glad you enjoyed the checkout. If you're not going to the FlyBQ I've got a seat open in 169GT on the 20th and you're welcome to come along - no expense sharing requested as we're going anyway.

-Tim

 

[spiderweb]

Stormscope is a sensor that displays on the MFD, as I recall. If I'm right, the softkey at the bottom (either WX or LTNG) gives you the stormscope display and then the right softkeys alter it and clear it.

My instructor and I JUST BARELY made the engine out from about 5 miles away at I forget what altitude - pulling the prop back made the difference. I swear we came over the edge of the runway at maybe 10 feet and we were JUST about to push everything forward when the runway edge went by. We just looked at each other and shook our heads.

You'll get used to being aggressive with the trim - use the wheel for fine adjustments, and you'll find that it will dampen out your altitude excursions. When you take it on a long cross country and get it to altitude, try flying by trim and rudder pressure alone - do that for a couple of legs and you'll be OWTA (One With The Airplane) and you'll only have altitude issues in fairly unstable air. PS the autopilot works great too - learn to use the altitude preselect and VS hold and you can pretty much manage the airplane the same way you would in one of the G1000 aircraft. The autopilot is a huge help when departing FDK to the west and you have to contact Approach AND level off at 3000 (OMG we're almost there already cause it climbs like a banshee) AND turn west AND so on...

Glad you enjoyed the checkout. If you're not going to the FlyBQ I've got a seat open in 169GT on the 20th and you're welcome to come along - no expense sharing requested as we're going anyway.

-Tim

Thank you Tim!

I KNEW the stormscope was there somewhere! OK, it is one of the softkeys.

OK, another question: somehow I got the AP turned off and I couldn't get it back on. I just had the trim fault light on.

thanks for the ride offer. Unfortunately, on that day I have an out of town guest, and we've got other plans. Otherwise I DEFINITELY would be there, and of course I would share the cost.

 

[TMetzinger]

yeah you gotta hit the TEST button on the AP on the ground, before using it in the air, which may not have been part of the checklist or checkout - it's not an automatic test like the KAP140

 

[spiderweb]

yeah you gotta hit the TEST button on the AP on the ground, before using it in the air, which may not have been part of the checklist or checkout - it's not an automatic test like the KAP140

Ah, I see. I didn't know that, and it isn't on the checklist, I don't think.

 

[spiderweb]

So you push test, then leave it at that?

 

[555Juliet]

"Those engine outs: CFI warned me that the thing drops like a rock. ..."


Hee hee hee! I, too, wasn't prepared for the way it practically plummets, even though I have most of my hours in a TB9, and they don't exactly float in simulated engine-outs. Like you, I flat out would not have made the first one I tried. Second one was a keeper.


"The only downside is it gets real hot in there while you're waiting to go!"

Always have a water bottle. ALWAYS.


"I met Jill today, and that was GREAT!"

It was a pleasure to meet you, Ben. Glad to hear you had a good checkout and hopefully we'll get a chance to talk again at a fly-in or some such.


Question for you and Tim: I forgot to ask the CFI--isn't there a stormscope in there somewhere?[/quote]

I don't think so. I'll check the FFC Web site for "features."

 

[555Juliet]

Stormscope is a sensor that displays on the MFD, as I recall. If I'm right, the softkey at the bottom (either WX or LTNG) gives you the stormscope display and then the right softkeys alter it and clear it.

I told you Tim is your go-to guy!

 

[spiderweb]

Thanks! I am still on cloud 9 today. If I had the money, I'd take her up again right now. I must control these urges!

Since getting the IR, I have done quite a considerable amount of X-Cs, so I am really looking forward to doing them in this plane. I am tickled that FFC has such a fine X-C aircraft for rent!

 

[Len Lanetti]

I am tickled that FFC has such a fine X-C aircraft for rent!

Don't get too used to it...all the really good ones get sold off the rental line....just a matter of time.

Len

 

[Ken Ibold]

Don't get too used to it...all the really good ones get sold off the rental line....just a matter of time.

Typical leaseback scenario. Guy buys airplane, hoping it rents enough that he can afford to keep it. It either doesn't rent and the insurance costs eat him alive, or it does rent and the maintenance eats him alive. Disillusioned and many thousands of dollars poorer -- but wiser for the experience -- the owner takes it off leaseback or sells it.

 

[spiderweb]

Typical leaseback scenario. Guy buys airplane, hoping it rents enough that he can afford to keep it. It either doesn't rent and the insurance costs eat him alive, or it does rent and the maintenance eats him alive. Disillusioned and many thousands of dollars poorer -- but wiser for the experience -- the owner takes it off leaseback or sells it.

FFC is an exception. They are a very busy school, and they always have a primo bird for rent. Before this, they had another TB-20GT. They've also had a C182RG, a Seneca, and a C206. They always have something good there. Maybe this is because they are the flight school on the home base of AOPA?

I also hope my CFII gets the new bird he was talking about. . . .

 

[TMetzinger]

FFC is also pretty upfront with it's owners - if you don't own a 172, you're not gonna make the airplane pay for itself. If you do own a 172, you'll probably make enough to cover the cost of the airplane payments and the maintenance and more, but will soon have really knocked down the value of the airplane.

Leasebacks generally only work if you can take advantage of some of the tax benefits, and don't hang on to the airplane too long.

For the "bigger" airplanes, having it online means that it's likely to get flown more often and require less maintenance due to disuse, not get flown so often it's trashed, and end up not making any money, but maybe reducing the cost of ownership slightly.

Either way, if you couldn't afford to own the airplane yourself, a leaseback will not really help you.

 

[TMetzinger]

So you push test, then leave it at that?

Yep - it's in supplement 8 of the PIM - KFC150 autopilot - normal procedures.
Supplement 30 covers the VS/Altitude selector.

 

[spiderweb]

Yep - it's in supplement 8 of the PIM - KFC150 autopilot - normal procedures.
Supplement 30 covers the VS/Altitude selector.

Got it--thanks!