First solo cross country today

[Veritas]

I don't think I've mentioned this on the board, but I've been working toward my private pilot's license for about a year now. It wouldn't have taken as long as it has but we've been blessed with some success in our business and I had to take February through August away from flying.

Anyway, I'm doing my first cross country solo flight today...flying from Lincoln to Kearney to have lunch with my mom, then I will probably stop in Aurora to see my favorite niece and nephew.

For those of you who know something about planes, I'm flying an 06 Cessna 172SP with a Garmin G1000. I actually prefer the old-fashioned steam gauges to the fancy glass panel, but that plane was already rented. And I've been doing lots of flights in a 172RG, but I'm not certified to fly solo in a 'complex' airplane (i.e., retractable gear, constant speed prop).

So, hopefully I'll post later on this afternoon. I'm filing a VFR flight plan, N14082.

[royalfan5]

If you could do a fly over of the Aurora West Elevator and tell me if they are piling corn on the ground yet, I'd appreciate it.

[Lott's Bandana]

If you could do a fly over of the Aurora West Elevator and tell me if they are piling corn on the ground yet, I'd appreciate it.


Awesome post.

[Veritas]

If you could do a fly over of the Aurora West Elevator and tell me if they are piling corn on the ground yet, I'd appreciate it.
If you're serious, yes, I can do that...where am I looking in relation to the ethanol plant?

[royalfan5]

If you're serious, yes, I can do that...where am I looking in relation to the ethanol plant?

It's part of the same complex on the west side of town as the new plant. They share the shuttle railroad loop track. I'd appreciate it.

[Soonerwake]

You have to buzz the tower. All the cool kids are doing it.

Oh, and good luck..

[Veritas]

It's part of the same complex on the west side of town as the new plant. They share the shuttle railroad loop track. I'd appreciate it.
Yeah, no problem. I'll even try to get pics. :)

[royalfan5]

Yeah, no problem. I'll even try to get pics. :)

Thanks.

[olevetonahill]

Its the Most fun ya can have with yer clothes on :D

Man when I got my ticket i fell in love with flying, 33 days after I started with Cleek Aviation I took me check ride
I bought My plane on a Wednesday, Took my Check ride that fri, took off fer Idaho and a 10 day bear hunt the following Monday.
WE dint have GPS back then still used the VORs

Some day Ima get back in the air , Havnt flown in around 20 years :O

[Lott's Bandana]

Its the Most fun ya can have with yer clothes on :D

Man when I got my ticket i fell in love with flying, 33 days after I started with Cleek Aviation I took me check ride
I bought My plane on a Wednesday, Took my Check ride that fri, took off fer Idaho and a 10 day bear hunt the following Monday.
WE dint have GPS back then still used the VORs

Some day Ima get back in the air , Havnt flown in around 20 years :O


This thread is a winnah!

[olevetonahill]

Oh and Yes I joined the CLUB ;)

[Veritas]

No grain on the ground, rf5.

olevet, I've trained pretty heavily using VOR/ADF and have only used GPS for backup. GPS is amazing but I want to be able to pilot a plane without it.

[royalfan5]

No grain on the ground, rf5.

olevet, I've trained pretty heavily using VOR/ADF and have only used GPS for backup. GPS is amazing but I want to be able to pilot a plane without it.
Good to know, and thanks for checking.

[olevetonahill]

No grain on the ground, rf5.

olevet, I've trained pretty heavily using VOR/ADF and have only used GPS for backup. GPS is amazing but I want to be able to pilot a plane without it.

Heh Good jorb , I wasnt sure if the VORs were still up and running
When I flew to Idaho I barely had my 40 hours in.
I got up there and When those needles centered I KNEW i was over the AP but damned if i could see it, From 85 hundred one blade of grass looks pretty much like all of em. Hell I bet i circled for 10 minutes or so before a coupla of Cesnas came in , I spotted em then watched where they landed. No prob then :D

Did ya have a smooth flight ?

[olevetonahill]

Oh and did ya have to buzz any water towers to see where ya were :D

[AlbqSooner]

Some day Ima get back in the air , Havnt flown in around 20 years :O

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the air.:D

[olevetonahill]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the air.:D

Hell I got to pass the flight physical 1st :(

[Veritas]

Oh and did ya have to buzz any water towers to see where ya were :D
Lol, no, this one was pretty simple...right down I80 and back.

[olevetonahill]

So what Plane ya looking to buy ?I trained in Pipers so I bought an Archer

[Turd_Ferguson]

Good on ya bro! Learn to use those radials and you'll never get lost with a gps backup. Used to fly a Piper PA28. Only had 12 hrs in it before I had to quit. I loved it. Hopefully someday I can pick it back up. I'm like OV though....gotta pass the medical...

[Veritas]

Good on ya bro! Learn to use those radials and you'll never get lost with a gps backup. Used to fly a Piper PA28. Only had 12 hrs in it before I had to quit. I loved it. Hopefully someday I can pick it back up. I'm like OV though....gotta pass the medical...
It's fun as hell, but holy **** is it expensive. The glass panel 172 I flew yesterday is $140/hr wet; the steam guage 172 is $125 and the 172RG is $127.

As far as buying, I'm not sure yet. We have to make sure that my wife is cool traveling in the small planes; to this point she's been stuck in the back of a 172 and has hated every single nanosecond of it. We've decided to do some traveling after I get the PPL and see if she can deal. If she can, I'll continue on to the IFR training with the ultimate goal being multi-engine/commercial. If not I'll probably go the aerobatics route. I'm not really wired to just get the minimum and stop there. :)

[olevetonahill]

It's fun as hell, but holy **** is it expensive. The glass panel 172 I flew yesterday is $140/hr wet; the steam guage 172 is $125 and the 172RG is $127.

As far as buying, I'm not sure yet. We have to make sure that my wife is cool traveling in the small planes; to this point she's been stuck in the back of a 172 and has hated every single nanosecond of it. We've decided to do some traveling after I get the PPL and see if she can deal. If she can, I'll continue on to the IFR training with the ultimate goal being multi-engine/commercial. If not I'll probably go the aerobatics route. I'm not really wired to just get the minimum and stop there. :)

WOW 140 an hour WET?
Hell when I trained it was 40 WITH the instructor :cool:
Bought my Archer for 55 K

[Veritas]

WOW 140 an hour WET?
Hell when I trained it was 40 WITH the instructor :cool:
Bought my Archer for 55 K
Yeah. Crazy, ain't it? And those prices are pretty reasonable for plane rental. The instructor costs $50/hour. So I'm burning between $175/$190 hour for training. It sucks but I'm blessed and thankful to be in the position to do it.

I'll fly the 172RG the most; it's the fastest and is "only" $127/hour to rent...but I have to wait until I get my PPL to get the complex endorsement. They have this thing about remembering to put the gear down to land. :rolleyes:

[StoopTroup]

Hey V....before you buy.....make sure you really look through the annuals and the maintenance on anything you're considering on buying. Just about the time you think you've found the right plane.....do some more research. Take your time...don't get in a hurry. There are plenty of those old planes out there.

Good to hear you are living the dream Bro.

Have fun...stay safe.

ST

[Veritas]

Hey V....before you buy.....make sure you really look through the annuals and the maintenance on anything you're considering on buying. Just about the time you think you've found the right plane.....do some more research. Take your time...don't get in a hurry. There are plenty of those old planes out there.

Good to hear you are living the dream Bro.

Have fun...stay safe.

ST
Thanks; if there's one thing I've learned through training, it's that being in a hurry is a quick way to an early end. I figure the same applies to buying.

[olevetonahill]

I just talked to My Buddy who i trained with . It was 40 an Hour WITH the Instructor. 25 just fer the Plane :cool:

Hell just Buy a NEW one then ya aint gotta worry about the maintenance records ;)

[StoopTroup]

Thanks; if there's one thing I've learned through training, it's that being in a hurry is a quick way to an early end. I figure the same applies to buying.

That's the fact Jack.

Yeah...check the prices of those new planes...LOL

You can take a drive up to Independence Kansas to the Cessna Plant. Tell them you are considering buying a new plane and ask for a tour of the Plant. It's really cool. They start with a box of parts on one end of each of the lines and at the end there is a fully built plane going out for QA and paint. You can then go outside and look at some of the newly manufactured planes. It's a good tour if they'll let you do it. I went with a group of Students when I got to go through. Do it if you have the time.

[olevetonahill]

See if they will Let ya take one fer a Test drive :D

[Veritas]

Hell just Buy a NEW one then ya aint gotta worry about the maintenance records ;)
Lol, yeah...even a lowly 172 is over $300,000 new. Business ain't THAT good. :)

[StoopTroup]

You might be able to fly in there to Cessna and do the visit though.

[Veritas]

You might be able to fly in there to Cessna and do the visit though.
Oh, yeah, def...that would be a good $100 burger trip. :)

[StoopTroup]

Always avoid the Will Rogers/Wiley Post runs though. :D

[oumartin]

I know some people that work at the Cesna plant. It's amazing they ever make it off the ground. :D

[KABOOKIE]

Really? I don't know anyone that works at Cesna.

[oumartin]

Really? I don't know anyone that works at Cesna.

no sh!t? ;)

[StoopTroup]

Whatever might be wrong with Aviation anywhere is the complete mismanagement of the entire Industry and the lack of real Regulation by the FAA IMO. These huge fines you see are Headline Stories to make people think the FAA is actually doing something with your tax money.

The money spent on the FAA would be better spent sending bevo to mars.

[KABOOKIE]

Oooook. WTF?

[Veritas]

Just got back from passing my written test. FAA oral test and checkride on the 28th.

[olevetonahill]

Just got back from passing my written test. FAA oral test and checkride on the 28th.

Great. When did they start an Oral Test?

[soonerbrat]

my uncle is a used plane salesman...you should give him a call.

[Veritas]

Great. When did they start an Oral Test?
Not sure. But it's a smart thing, IMO. The written test is so outdated it's ridiculous. We get questions on ADFs and VOR/DME when new planes don't even have the gear on them. And no GPS questions.

[Veritas]

my uncle is a used plane salesman...you should give him a call.
Yeah, where's he based out of?

[soonerbrat]

Yeah, where's he based out of?

he lives in Abilene

[soonerbrat]

i don't know what company he works for or anything, but i can find out.

[Veritas]

This was kinda cool...as I was driving up this jet pulled up and out hopped a couple of doctors who'd flown into Lincoln to check out some hospital opportunity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisrikli/5084131415/in/set-72157625170868996/lightbox/

It's an L-39, a Soviet-bloc trainer that's pretty popular among those that can afford the obscene rate at which it burns fuel. They're not real expensive to buy (relatively speaking) but you need to go ahead and get your own fuel truck.

[soonerboomer93]

Just got back from passing my written test. FAA oral test and checkride on the 28th.

STEP said you were great with the oral

[OKLA21FAN]

i don't know what company he works for or anything, but i can find out.

PlaneMax :pop: