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I was going to post some pictures from my flight today, but because of incoming thunderstorms, my flight was cancelled. So to hold everyone over until I get some more pictures of what clouds taste like, here are some pictures from the Warbirds Museum at Space Coast airport in Florida.
My sister and I went over there after going to Kennedy Space Center, and if you like warbirds of all types, and are in central Florida, head over to Space Coast and check out the museum.
Just for reference, I am 6'3" tall when I stand up straight. That will provide some perspective on just how big these planes really are. I placed my hand on the fuselage about where my head would be if I was standing up straight next to the plane.

Myspace is geared to force the viewer to become a MySpace member. Not all of us are or desire to be.

(I have this discussion regularly with my father, who thinks I should join Facebook for some inexplicable reason)

I understand. I only joined myspace because my friends are there, and not all of them have regular email.

I will post the pictures on my Photobucket account to show them here.

Excellent! I have some fondness for warbirds.

Grumman A-6 Intruder


Vought A-7 Corsair


Douglas C-47 Dakota (Still being restored.)


Republic F-105 Thunderchief


Grumman F-14 Tomcat


McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom


Vought F-8 Crusader


Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15


Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star


Grumman Avenger Torpedo Bomber (Just got finished being restored.)

I do find it unusual that you seemed able to touch the airplanes with impunity. My experience is that most museums and owners usually don't want their birds touched by people they don't know. Or did you just sneak that in?

Is that the 114 of JAG fame?

I do find it unusual that you seemed able to touch the airplanes with impunity. My experience is that most museums and owners usually don't want their birds touched by people they don't know. Or did you just sneak that in?

There were a few planes with signs up that said "do not touch". Like the F4F Wildcat in the backround of the MiG-15 picture. For the most part, the museum doesn't mind if you take a closer look at their planes. I did ask first.

Is that the 114 of JAG fame?

I'm not sure, I've never watched JAG. So I, didn't ask.

Raptor_Pilot wrote:

I do find it unusual that you seemed able to touch the airplanes with impunity. My experience is that most museums and owners usually don't want their birds touched by people they don't know. Or did you just sneak that in?

There were a few planes with signs up that said "do not touch". Like the F4F Wildcat in the backround of the MiG-15 picture. For the most part, the museum doesn't mind if you take a closer look at their planes. I did ask first.

That's cool.

Around my area I'm known as a pilot so at the small airshows and local museums I sometimes get privileges non-pilots don't. Heck, a couple of guys have insisted I get into their machines. But I always respect those who say "don't touch".

By the way - you've mentioned flying yourself. What do you normally fly?

Right now I'm doing my MEL course, so I'm in the wonderful Piper Seneca. I think my school went back in time, and then bought them used.

I have almost 200 hours in a C-172 also.

Are they even still making new Senecas?

Had your fill of flying airplanes older than you are, yet?

I'd been flying over 10 years before I had a chance to fly an airplane that was actually new. The weird thing is, that morning I'd flown an antique. So in the morning I flew a 1942 biplane and in the afternoon a 2006 airplane. It was like going through a time warp. But a LOT of fun!

Broomstick wrote:Are they even still making new Senecas?

Had your fill of flying airplanes older than you are, yet?

To answer your questions in order:

No.

Yes.

All 6 of the Senecas at my school were purchased used. One of them needed 6 months of work in order to actually become airworthy again. The trouble is, there are not a lot of twin trainers on the market anymore. They're basically held together with duct tape and wire. As a result, my mechanical knowledge is growing rapidly.

I wouldn't mind flying a classic airplane, but what I really can't wait to fly are the two new Diamond DA-42's we just got in at school. When I go on to my multi-commercial course, I'm going to fly the Diamond. It's almost $150 more per hour, but they are just damn pretty airplanes, with full G1000 cockpit.

I flew the G1000 in the Cessina, and I can't wait to do it again.

Raptor_Pilot wrote:All 6 of the Senecas at my school were purchased used. One of them needed 6 months of work in order to actually become airworthy again. The trouble is, there are not a lot of twin trainers on the market anymore. They're basically held together with duct tape and wire. As a result, my mechanical knowledge is growing rapidly.

Yes, flying older airplanes will do that.

I came into flying via a group of homebuilders, which definitely provided some mechanical education. Most of the general aviation pilots I know can identify a problem, but are clueless about what needs to be done. In my earliest training if I found something wrong I got handed a tool and told how to fix it. Of course, beyond the few things permitted by regulation I can't do much with a certified plane, and most places would rather I not do even those, but it sure helps to have some clue how everything actually fits together and works. It also helps when talking to mechanics, who don't usually accept "it feels funny" as a valuable bit of data.

As well maintained airplanes last a long time, and there are many such out there, I'd say get used to flying old machinery.

I wouldn't mind flying a classic airplane, but what I really can't wait to fly are the two new Diamond DA-42's we just got in at school. When I go on to my multi-commercial course, I'm going to fly the Diamond. It's almost $150 more per hour, but they are just damn pretty airplanes, with full G1000 cockpit.

My experience with Diamonds is with the DA-20. Very nice airplane, excellent visibility. Wasn't fond of the ground handling, though - not as friendly as the Pipers and Cessnas, made me glad of my tailwheel experience. Average GA pilots raised on Pipers and Cessnas often have problems with it. The composite airframe also required slightly different preflighting - never flew an airplane before were you had to check the airframe for overheating prior to takeoff. Are the DA-42's also the same composite construction?

Haven't flown a G1000 cockpit yet, just the Garmin 400 series, and that not very often. As I do fly older airplanes they're mostly steam gauges, though over the past decade more and more are being upgraded. Don't think the Stearman I flew is going to be converted - a cockpit heavily dependent on electronics isn't terribly compatible with an open cockpit that gets rained on from time to time.

Yes, the DA-42's have the same composites.

I'm not too worried about ground handling or preflighting. Considering the DA-42's are more expensive, they get far less flight time than the Senecas, so I should be able to finish my commercial course much faster than normal. There is always at least one of the two Diamonds sitting on the ramp.

If you get a chance to fly the G1000 I suggest you take it. It takes some getting used to, but it places all of the instruments you need onto one big color panel. I went from steam gauges to the G1000 during my instrument course, and it was so easy to use I actually had spare time to open the window and taste the clouds.

Raptor_Pilot wrote:Yes, the DA-42's have the same composites.

I'm not too worried about ground handling or preflighting. Considering the DA-42's are more expensive, they get far less flight time than the Senecas, so I should be able to finish my commercial course much faster than normal. There is always at least one of the two Diamonds sitting on the ramp.

The DA-42's, having retractable rather than fixed gear, might well have different ground handling characteristics. Not sure who thought the DA-40's gear was a good idea, but if you ever find yourself in one be aware that it's not the same as in the Pipers and Cessnas with fixed gear. It's not a problem as long as you're aware it's different and don't get too cocky.

I've known pilots who only flew one model of airplane from first lesson to last flight, and while they usually become experts at that one, I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to fly so many others. Not only has it been fun, but when all the typical airplanes are busy I can fly the "weird" ones.

If you get a chance to fly the G1000 I suggest you take it.

Oh, I will - trying out new planes and systems is major part of my aviating. I've sort of specialized in fixed gear single engines. I have had some time in retracts and high performance but I find I like the small, simple airplanes. Basically, the smaller the better. It's a different type of challenge than moving to bigger and faster and not for everyone, but it's what I like.

It takes some getting used to, but it places all of the instruments you need onto one big color panel. I went from steam gauges to the G1000 during my instrument course, and it was so easy to use I actually had spare time to open the window and taste the clouds.

Bah - gauges! I've flown with nothing more than an altimeter and airspeed. I'm a VFR pilot, I don't need no stinking gauges! No, seriously, gauges have their uses, and I do use them but for what I do I don't need them. I still do most of my navigating with a map and compass, but then, I learned back before GPS entered the lower end of GA. I do worry at times that some pilots aren't properly learning map and compass, or even VOR, as a backup skill. GPS is not infallible, and particularly on older single-engines, electrical failures a real possibility.

I'm sure I'd adapt quickly, though - I was spending time riding right seat in a friend's Mooney a lot. He never did get full of use out of his Garmin (installed mostly for his partner's benefit) but after I took a FAA wings seminar on the more common Garmin systems I was making his do headstands. Wounded his pride just a bit.

Broomstick wrote:I do worry at times that some pilots aren't properly learning map and compass, or even VOR, as a backup skill. GPS is not infallible, and particularly on older single-engines, electrical failures a real possibility.

No kidding... I learned in a G1000 Cessna 172 (now THAT was a new airplane!), and it definitely leaves your other navigation skills rusty when you have that nice GPS available. Stepping down to a Cessna 152 that's older than I am was a bit of a shock (LORAN? WTF IS THAT?), and that was only flying VFR. I'd hate to have to make that transition for IFR! Though amusingly, more than the navigation issue, the thing that annoyed me most was the fact that the damn airspeed/RPM gauges wouldn't stop vibrating so much!


The irony is that my dream plane is a DeHavilland Chipmunk that's twice as old as I am and might, if I'm very lucky, have a single VOR/COM radio installed somewhere around foot-level.

One April Fool's a few years back AOPA ran a prank article about an upcoming requirement for a "steam gauge" sign off similar to a tailwheel sign off. Sure, it's a joke, a joke I tell ya! But then I got to thinking that in the future it may not be that far-fetched an idea...