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New CT In The Skies Over CT (as in Connecticut)


AGLyme

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***Lengthy***

Filled a 40 years long dream today.  Actually bought an airplane.  The great Tom P from Woodstock CT is my Dealer and now friend.  His handholding and patience were appreciated.  Had a great time today on Hour #1 just flying the pattern and practicing touch and go's at the Chester CT Airport (KSNC)… 521JW's new home.  Performed the obligatory "let's go over the house" lap.  Really fun.  It was overcast, but the air was smooth.  We have experienced terrible flying weather in New England over the last few weeks.  My story is a bit unusual as I am a PPL -- earned @ 17 years old in 1978 !... in sum, old as dirt.  Stopped flying at 21 after a move to New York City... and took it up again this past Spring re-learning in a Cub (tailwheel endorsement) and then Kappa.  Discovered the Rudder and pedals late in life...; ) 

Went to Sun N Fun this past year and looked at a bunch of airplanes.  I wanted to "buy new" for the latest avionics, efficiency ("i" Rotax), view, side by side seating, and legitimate ability to "go places".  I won't name names because that isn't fair, but the majority of the plane makers that I entertained during my fantasy phase (you know the period when life is hard and busy and the only things that kill the stress are a good Scotch and a half hour spent on Barnstormers)… were a letdown at Sun N Fun.  I paid $$$ to go demo flying in a couple and zero follow up by the Owners/Dealers.  I told them that I am a real buyer... One guy did tell me that I would get on his "waiting list" for 2.5 years... God bless him.  Glad someone is making money out there.

The CTLSi was always in the back of my mind but it was a stretch from a cost perspective.  I heard great things about it especially after watching LSA's #1 friend Dan Johnson's reviews.  Dan called the CT the "Cadillac" of the LSA flying world... but I couldn't see spending the additional $40-50k to get there.  One Dealer stood out as excellent in the follow up category and that was the AeroTrek guy… a very passionate pro who understands who his customer is.  The AeroTrek's fit and finish are superb.  Carbon Cub was another group who followed up well.  Really liked that guy however their products were all conventional seating which was a deal breaker as my oldest son requires attention (side-by-side). 

When I returned from Sun N Fun I contacted Tom Peghiny up in Woodstock and figured at the very least I would drive up and see what all the fuss was about.  He took me up and I was hooked.  Tom didn't "sell me", he kind of guided my decision making.  And he was honest about some minor tradeoffs that didn't bother me anyway... I reward honesty. 

The CT has a "solid" / "sporty" feel to it.  The flight controls were perfect.  The CT doesn't "Drive" like a C-172, but that's ok because the CT is in a whole different category... i.e. it feels like a small Audi (CT) vs a big Impala (C-172).  It kinda flies like a C-152 but (much) better... Suddenly the $40-50k psychological cost gap was closing fast.  The Avionics are astounding.  An Angle of Attack Indicator, bogeys on the screen (i.e. reveals other planes -- directly in front of our plane... but only need to worry when the plane icons turn yellow... very cool).  Avionics are mostly intuitive and not a S-show of psychedelic engineering for only the elite engineers among us.  I am a mere business person who is proud of himself when a Contact is successfully entered in the old iPhone address book... give me intuitive any day.  Well done Dynon. 

And the view... wow.  The photos below are half good... I hate photos of myself, Tom took the one of me.  I included it as proof of the newness of the plane.  The plastic is still on the head rests and sun visors... Full disclosure, I am way better looking in person... ; )  And I am not smiling... which is odd as it was one of the most fulfilling days of my life -- a few notches below the births of my kids and wedding day.  I have transition training to go yet, but soon I will be able to open the hangar door, start it up and just go...

I very much appreciate all of the posts and great advice from the fine folks on the CTFlier Forum.

Andrew

521JW first flight day.jpg

521JW.jpg

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Thank you all for the kind welcome.  There is a CT in the Philippines, awesome.

Kent, thank you for posting the Manhattan pics... Who (what kind of plane) took the pics of your CT?  Extremely cool.

I have three geo goals; 1) the Manhattan tour, 2) trip to Oshkosh, and, 3) Visit family in Idaho.  All 3 at this printing... totally daunting and months away.  As one of my instructors said not too long ago, "I am comfortable flying with you, you have the physical thing down... but your Tower work ?  that's another story".. Suffice, I have a lot to catch up on.  

As a way to pay it forward, my plan is to post here from time to time on my experiences especially the learning ones.  The vast majority of the posters on this site are absolute pros... very few newbies.   I am going to do so many touch and go's the neighbors will complain !  I have to gain control of my pattern work -- consistent airspeed and descent rate are the keys.  We didn't have much of a crosswind yesterday so that will be another chapter in this learning process. 

Fly safe y'all… Andrew

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Excellent story Andrew!   Congratulations on fulfilling a lifelong dream!

As to radio work , what helped me was buying a handheld and going to a fairly busy airport and tune in ground, approach, tower, etc.  it starts to make more and more sense. There are even some good YouTube videos on radio work.  

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Andrew, great story, keep'em coming!

You're right about Rob Rollison, the AeroTrek guy. I bought my 2012 A240 from him, and he's been supportive of the product.  I bought my CTLSi in July 2018 because while the AeroTrek is a wonderful airplane, I needed a Light Sport plane with longer legs, a bit more speed, and my wife loved the idea of the BRS.

After purchasing, and after only a few flights, I wasn't sure I'd made the right decision. I'd loved everything about my AeroTrek so much, it just made it harder for me to adjust. However, my last several flights have convinced me that I absolutely made the right choice - the CT is outstanding in every way, and just as much fun to fly. 

I still wince when I think about the $$$, but I'm consoled by reminding myself that I now own one of the best aircraft in the sky and, besides, it's only money, and when my days on earth end, it won't make a damn bit of difference. 

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Cluemeister, yes I spend a fair amount of time listening to "nicoswings" on YouTube which reveals a lot of radio chatter... a bit over my head for now but I'll get there... thanks for the tip.  I am learning that the faster everyone speaks, the less I understand so just saying everything really fast seems to work...; )  One change I made is a kneeboard and write everything out, i.e. what I need to say, etc... then jot down what I am supposed to do after the Tower reports back… and finally, jot things down after landing re taxiing instructions, etc.

EB3... yeah you articulated pretty much the way I feel about the money. I guess working 80 hour weeks with no/little vacation for 35 years pretty much pays off - at least from buying a plane perspective...  This is my first plane so I don't have a point of reference other than the standard rental fleet.  I solo'd in a Grumman AA1B, PPL'd in a Cherokee 140 then flew 152's/172's for a few years... then the Cub and finally the Kappa... Flying this CT machine is different and better than the other planes in a good way.  As I said above, it is like transitioning from a Chevy Impala to an Audi A4... quick response in everything.. power on/power off... roll, yaw, up/down... not in a squirelly way, rather in a controlled, strong way.  Tough to explain.  there is no latency in anything... press, pull or push and something is going to happen immediately.   Just feels like a high quality experience.  Kudos to the Designers... And it really is designed for the American market (read..."wide")  In the photo, Tom took it... and you can barely see Tom... it really is a wide cockpit.  Decieving actually.

I go up again on Tuesday weather permitting.  Touch and Go's for now until I get the speeds/flaps/approach/flare mojo embedded in my brain.  Then I'll venture on to a hamburger perhaps on Martha's Vineyard or up in New York State... then a second soul on board!

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Thanks Andrew. The Manhattan pics were taken by fellow CT owner Jossi who lives in NY. He was in his Diamond DA-40 this time, since he’s getting a new engine in his CTsw (you may have seen his airplane in Woodstock). 

He’s a wonderful guy and a good friend to meet up with for lunch anywhere. I’m sure you’ll meet him.

Kent

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3 Hours of Transition Training Completed... observations:  (These notes are more for people like me, the FD beginners among us)

The first one hour session was a solid introduction to the CTLSi and my alleged flying skills...; )… I am a low time pilot so still in the gee whiz stage.  This I will say, I am absolutely hooked on the 3 screen Dynon.  Going back to Steam Gauges would be like abandoning Netflix and firing up the VHS.  In addition to the coolness and fun factors... the avionics build a significant safety margin into the experience.  ADSB in/out is one of the best Government regulations inventions to come along since the GI Bill.  The ability to "See" traffic is awesome.  My landings were of the C- variety, however, I thought the CTLS landing gear was super strong and the plane "fixed" a bunch of my approach mistakes after we hit the ground. 

Second session was today... 2 hours.  Two things I did pre-flight --

1) I prepared myself with a knee board matrix of speeds and flap settings on take off and landing (d-wind, base, final, etc.), and,

2) I learned a great trick lifted from the FD manual regarding the centering of the nose sight line... in a C172, one finds the end of the propeller spinner, bingo, that's the center.  The frontal visibility is so excellent on the FD, there is nothing to obstruct the frontal views... nothing.  Good for seeing things, bad for getting a bead on where the middle of the runway is... alas, the FD manual suggests creating a vertical line up from the right hand side of the outboard pedal to the windshield... so, when I jumped in the plane today, I drew my imaginary line up from the pedal and as luck would have it, there is a screw near the top of the dashboard.  That screw was my"prop spinner".  Done, no more problems, I was on the center line for the rest of the day.  I read articles about this alleged "CT Problem, i.e. nose centering"... If I can get the center dialed in within 10 seconds, anyone can.

Before the flight, 2 other CT owners showed up.  One guy just bought his CTLS... after his first CTSW was crushed in a hangar collapse.  He told me he wouldn't buy anything else and he has owned several models of airplanes.  The 2nd CT owner flew in from New Hampshire to install a new ADSB antenna.  We had a great time talking about the airplane.  I asked about cross wind landings and evidently they are a non event in the CT.  Today the wind was calm so we didn't have any cross wind action... I am looking forward to getting some soon.

I used my speeds/flap angles kneeboard matrix for many TO's and Landings today.  Glad I did... They say that good golf is all about a solid consistent stance.  Achieving a standard landing and t.o. approach is a good platform for everything else.  I dialed in a standard approach during the flight and my landings and t.o.'s forcing me to fly with more control.  Today's performance was definitely a "B".  The plane is amazingly agile and sensitive.  We ( "I"..; ) had only one "bad" landing, I did the dreaded stall drop and to my relief the landing was anti-climactic.  Almost Cub-like.  Note, I have the "Tundra" tires, perhaps they helped?  Anyway, suffice, the CT lands with a level of forgiveness found in the trainers I have flown in.  No big deal.

Finally... on our way out of the practice airport, I wanted to see if the fuel injected Rotax really does sip fuel... the winds were light, and we dropped the RPM down to 4,300... and the plane was flying at a solid 90-92 Knots.  The Gals per hour were 2.9 during this test.  Amazing.  I wanted an economical airplane and it really is.  I forgot to the do the cruise and WOT tests, will do that next time.

In short, I love this plane, it is easy to see why it is a big seller.  It is comfortable, fast (for its class), the panel is out of this world amazing, the fuel mileage is outstanding, the seats are comfortable, the visibility is great and the "Perils (landing and sight line)" found on the internet are not perils at all if one is properly trained.  Thus far, the FD Dealer has addressed all in the training syllabus and my training is working... I am gaining confidence that I can fly a high performance airplane.

I have MUCH to learn... over and out.  Andrew

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Kent what does the Rotax achieve for fuel burn in the CTSW @ 100 mph -- Your plane is a 100 lbs lighter than the CTLSi so it is probably similar ???

PS, Jossi's plane was being worked on yesterday, they are almost done.  I took photos of the gizmo Jossi made to keep his passenger's feet away from the rudder pedals as my oldest son has Special Needs and I needed something similar to keep his feet away from the pedals... Jossi's simple, light design is ingenious.

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CTsw with small tires:

100 kts indicated/4400 rpm/3.7 gph

122 kts indicated/5400rpm/6.3 gph (WOT)

And then a super leisure setting:

93 knots/4200 rpm/3.2 gph. 

 

I’d love to have a CTsw with a 912is in it. 

All figures at 1500’ density altitude (32 degrees) with two people on board and full fuel. 

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Third Training Session... 3 hours.  "this close" to solo...; )… great day, little to no wind, sunny... cold.  9 gals in each side + 2 humans for weight.  Never felt cold or drafty in the plane , the heat and wind sealing work fine.

Practiced 15, 0 and -6 degrees flaps T's and L's at both Chester and Wyndham airports here in Connecticut.  Uploaded the Seattle Avionics software (Sectional, Airport Plates, etc.) into the (3) Dynons… very cool information.  Helpful.  Learning the Dynon, to me it is a whole new language but fairly intuitive.  I wish Dynon had a better online training course, lack of formal online training is the ONLY negative I have discovered about Dynon.  The online videos are meh and do not represent the quality of the Dynon product.

Stand out training takeaways today: When taking off, a little immediate back pressure helps with the directional control while barreling down the runway.  This is a stick and rudder airplane.  It isn't your Grandfather's 172 or Cherokee.  Coordinated turns - always.  If one can dial that into one's brain, this plane is a cinch to fly.  If one (like me...; ) forgets that golden rule occasionally, then the landings aren't as smooth.  Nonetheless, I did some "Student" style landings today and the plane handled them fine... at no time did I feel out of control in the least.  The plane auto-corrected a few doozies.

Next session... 30 degrees flaps T's and O's... and possibly a solo.

Kent W... @ 5000 rpm, level flight (autop engaged) @ 2,500' @ no wind = 113 knots, 5.1 Gals/hr. 

Lastly, A ferry pilot arrived in Woodstock to take my plane's "Container Mate" down to North Carolina this AM for delivery to another customer.  Stunningly, it is only a 5.5 hours flight from Woodstock.  No fuel stop, Amazing !

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When someone "Down votes" I am guessing that is a bad thing?  I wish people would take the time to explain why they disagree or are uncomfortable with a post instead of hiding in the weeds... This is exactly why I am not a big Social Network guy... too many "anonymous" cowards out there.  CTFlier can be a fun and educational site... perhaps this is the reason why so few people actually post here, they get "down voted" away I guess.  Shame.

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Yeah, neither did I BF... I think my point is this... there is too much stress in this nervous breakdown world of ours... to allow cheap shots and anonymous "down voting"... it's not like I (or anyone else on this Forum) am selling a product or service, I am just a civilian who is on an adventure not unlike so many of the other CT fliers.  And I want to pay a little forward to the next guy like me who comes around seeking information on the CT.  So, I will keep posting as I get through this phase of transition training... and I have no issue with real debate.  That is why they call this a "Forum" after all.  And, I like learning so if there is something someone has an issue with, bring it on. 

That's it... let's go back to the flying machines shall we?  thanks.

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Since I see nothing in your post that is even slightly inflammatory, I have to think (hope?) that somebody clicked the wrong button...

There are others who can provide better guidance than I can, but if you are 113kts/5.1gph and 5000rpm, that seems over-pitched.  There are some good posts about this.  FWIW, with my '07 CTSW w/ Tundra tires, my "normal" cruise is at 4500', 5200rpm, 110kts, about 4.8gph.  WOT is about 5600RPM in level flight.

Being early in the learning phase of your CT, if you haven't already done so, I would also encourage you to read some of the posts about fuel management/trimming/transferring fuel from side to side, especially if you plan to do long cross country flights.

Good luck and enjoy the process!

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I will research those early posts... and adjust the fuel, trim, side to side transfer.  As soon as I learn the Dynon system cold and adjust to the euphoria of actually flying without expert help sitting to my right... can't wait.  Owning an airplane is a mega responsibility, hat's off to all on the forum who have achieved that.

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I agree with JLang. I cant find anything wrong with the post so without a written reason,  I just assume wrong click.   However,  I have also learned to ignore thumbs down clicks - there are some very unhappy people out there and I am just happy I am not one of them.     Back to RPM - yeah,  there have been many posts the best WOT should be 5600-5650.   I am currently getting only 100kts IAS with a WOT of 5800.  (sea level avg 32 degree temp, tropics).    I do like my current setting for the takeoff but I lose a bit on the cruise speed.  (probably 3-5kts)

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Congrats on getting back into flying. I took a 20+ year layoff from flying after selling my Mooney in 1994. Figured I would never own another airplane till I was visiting a friend who owns an FBO in Idaho. He had a 2007 CTSW that just wasn't as popular in the rental market as he thought so he figured he would sell it. I looked at it, sat in it, fired up the glass panel, went for a ride in it and to my surprise, bought it. Best thing I have ever done. It was my 70th birthday present to myself! Oh what the hell, its the kids money anyway. Enjoy and report back with plenty of pictures. 

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