A bit “middle of the week” case, but I had 2 IFR legs today in a DA40D with a fellow IRI in order to have the number of DEP and APP required to get my IRSE priviledge back in a few days. This specific IRSE priviledge is given when refleshing Multi engine type rating with IR – but you must have done 3 DEP and 3 APP as pilot in command of a single engine plane – which I hadn’t. Now it’s done :).
We did 2 DEP and 2 APP (VOR-A in LFTZ and RNP) between LFMD and LFTZ in a rough weather, a bit of turbulences and rain, just in 65 minutes, on a DA40D G1000. The IRI proposed me some landings and circuits to have my LFTZ qualification, but the wind was very rough down there (gusty 30+@ 1000ft AAL).
It reminded my how good these little DA40 are… just 4 USG of jet consumed in 65 minutes, climbing to 4000ft and cruise 110~115 KTS, a good position a bit too relaxed, and quite stable. It cannot be more different from a DR400, and pleasantly light on controls, low engine noise (especially with a A20). You just have to remind how poor the landing distance is… But temperature is still cold enough to be an issue here.
We would have done 9 to 10 USG of avgas with an archer.
Sticking strictly to the thread title, what I did with my plane was to continue to chase the engine shop to get my engine back, not to mention paying quite a lot of AUs trying to make that happen. And thought about it sitting dejected and engine-less in a hangar at Cuers.
But I did also do a very nice flight in a rented SR22 from Cannes LFMD to Ajaccio LFKJ, with an instructor (Alexandra from Orbifly). The plane is F-HBDY, which was quite appropriate since my birthday was on Sunday. Unlike my memories of the SR20 from over 20 years ago, the SR22 was very pleasant and easy to fly. This one has the Avidyne DFC100 autopilot, which did a nice job on coupled approaches (we did a couple to Calvi LFKC as well). Best of all, it figures out for itself when to go into approach mode and capture the GS – unlike the KFC225, which seems to do everything it can do avoid going into approach mode.
I also got to fly the RNP35Z into Cannes, which takes you straight into runway 35 rather than a complicated and nimby-arousing visual procedure to circle back to 17. It passes alarmingly close to the scenery on mid-final, but it’s very easy to fly.
Pictures show the aircraft, and the approach to Ajaccio (runway just visible on the right).
I had my parents visiting and took them out for a local flight to Santa Cruz (LPSC), from Cascais (LPCS). In Portugal summer has already started. Love it.
And on a different note, today it´s the 1st year anniversary of my ownership of this lovely Rallye. (Photo of the previous owner Mr. Yves and myself, said the dog).
