Interesting Eclipse Conversation

[Amadeus]

I was at an Illinois/Indiana state line airport a couple Monday's ago (path of total eclipse) and a guy there in a brand spanking new Diamond DA-50 made the comment:

"Experimental, huh? I refuse to fly something that is trying to kill me."

I was taken aback by such a brazen statement and admittedly it took a couple minutes to gather my thoughts. Had I spoken my initial reactionary thoughts I'm certain the conversation would've ended (hopefully peacefully) then and there. However, given a minute to regroup, my thoughts were that HE is the one flying an airplane that is unproven. The RV12 has over 15 years of history and nearly 1,000 of the model flying now. HE is the one flying the truly experimental airplane in that the DA-50 has less than a year in the air and only THREE DA-50 flying in the United States. To me that is unproven. It also has a diesel powerplant recently transitioned from automobiles to this airplane that has only 1200 hour TBO and cannot be rebuilt. The Rotax is a proven aircraft engine with more than 50,000 912 series engines produced. I suppose if I had just dropped more than $1.2MM on an aircraft that has a wingspan requiring an expensive private box hangar I would be working overtime to justify my purchase, too.

 

[Paul 5r4]

I've heard it said there are those that don't know and don't know that they don't know.
I think you're right about the $$$ angle too. I will fly off into the sunset in my 7A looking like a fool... a happy fool.

 

[Draker]

I don't know about you all, but I assume every airplane I get behind the controls of, no matter who made it, is adversarial and trying to kill me. I try to make every minute of my flying defensive against the machine and physics, and am amazed and grateful when I am able to step out of it alive.

 

[Roadjunkie1]

One of those in the US flies out of my airfield. Interesting-looking airplane. Sounds different. Engines have a 1200 TBR.......Time Between Replacement!!!!

 

[jaradtke]

I don't know about you all, but I assume every airplane I get behind the controls of, no matter who made it, is adversarial and trying to kill me. I try to make every minute of my flying defensive against the machine and physics, and am amazed and grateful when I am able to step out of it alive.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[Roadjunkie1]

I don't know about you all, but I assume every airplane I get behind the controls of, no matter who made it, is adversarial and trying to kill me. I try to make every minute of my flying defensive against the machine and physics, and am amazed and grateful when I am able to step out of it alive.

Hmmmmmmmm..... I guess I have a much friendlier approach to the airplanes I am familiar with. My preflight 'walk-around' allows me the time to reconnect with the craft that is about to take my skinny butt flying and me looking after her tells her I am doing all I can to make her a safe airplane to be in. It is a rare flight that she doesn't teach me something, even if it is something I was already aware of. She, on the other hand, is allowing me to climb into the cockpit with us knowing full well the most dangerous element in our flying together is ME. If something happens with her, she is relying on me and my constant attention to details, practice, review and my maintaining her to keep us out of danger in the first place but also to get us back on the ground if something does happen. Which is why I practice, among other things, slow flight and emergency procedures. I don't think I have ever had an adversarial relationship with my airplanes. WE fly as a team. She has her job to do, I have mine. Together we make a pretty reliable team. When I step out of my airplane, after a few minutes of just sitting there and absorbing what it was that we just did, I am amazed and grateful she was able to provide me the experience so few on this Earth are able to enjoy. IMHO YMMV........

 

[Amadeus]

One of those in the US flies out of my airfield. Interesting-looking airplane. Sounds different. Engines have a 1200 TBR.......Time Between Replacement!!!!

Beautiful airplane and I would LOVE to have one (or a DA62 for that matter) despite the 1200hour TBR. I guess if you can afford the purchase you can afford the replacement.

 

[rocketman1988]

Beautiful airplane and I would LOVE to have one (or a DA62 for that matter) despite the 1200hour TBR. I guess if you can afford the purchase you can afford the replacement.

For what those airplanes cost, there are better, more capable options available.

 

[Amadeus]

Hmmmmmmmm..... I guess I have a much friendlier approach to the airplanes I am familiar with. My preflight 'walk-around' allows me the time to reconnect with the craft that is about to take my skinny butt flying and me looking after her tells her I am doing all I can to make her a safe airplane to be in. It is a rare flight that she doesn't teach me something, even if it is something I was already aware of. She, on the other hand, is allowing me to climb into the cockpit with us knowing full well the most dangerous element in our flying together is ME. If something happens with her, she is relying on me and my constant attention to details, practice, review and my maintaining her to keep us out of danger in the first place but also to get us back on the ground if something does happen. Which is why I practice, among other things, slow flight and emergency procedures. I don't think I have ever had an adversarial relationship with my airplanes. WE fly as a team. She has her job to do, I have mine. Together we make a pretty reliable team. When I step out of my airplane, after a few minutes of just sitting there and absorbing what it was that we just did, I am amazed and grateful she was able to provide me the experience so few on this Earth are able to enjoy. IMHO YMMV........

Beautiful relationship!

 

[Amadeus]

For what those airplanes cost, there are better, more capable options available.

Which aircraft are you referring to?

A friend of mine that DOES have the means to buy high priced machinery has been asking me what the best option is for him. He flies from Central Kentucky to South Florida a couple times a month and wants to reduce flight time. I have been steering him toward the Cirrus as his wife likes the parachute and is a more proven platform but that the DA50 is retractable and has the "new kid on the block" wow factor (as long as he doesn't take on the attitude of the guy at the eclipse). He is even considering a Vision Jet because it has the Auto Land feature (yeah, he has the money).

 

[bonefishdave]

Which aircraft are you referring to?

A friend of mine that DOES have the means to buy high priced machinery has been asking me what the best option is for him. He flies from Central Kentucky to South Florida a couple times a month and wants to reduce flight time. I have been steering him toward the Cirrus as his wife likes the parachute and is a more proven platform but that the DA50 is retractable and has the "new kid on the block" wow factor (as long as he doesn't take on the attitude of the guy at the eclipse). He is even considering a Vision Jet because it has the Auto Land feature (yeah, he has the money).

he’d be better off with a TBM or the new Piper turbo prop with auto land over the vision jet. As a jet he would need a 61.58 ride every twelve months, and unlike a turbo prop that can be maintained by annual inspections, the flying egg has to be maintained by factory approved maintenance schedule. That usually involves 6 month, 12 month, 24 month 48 month calendair checks, then there are the flight time hourly checks, then there are the cycle checks. Jet aircraft maintenance is a whole lot more than recips and turbo prop aircraft.

 

[71459]

Hmmmmmmmm..... I guess I have a much friendlier approach to the airplanes I am familiar with. My preflight 'walk-around' allows me the time to reconnect with the craft that is about to take my skinny butt flying and me looking after her tells her I am doing all I can to make her a safe airplane to be in. It is a rare flight that she doesn't teach me something, even if it is something I was already aware of. She, on the other hand, is allowing me to climb into the cockpit with us knowing full well the most dangerous element in our flying together is ME. If something happens with her, she is relying on me and my constant attention to details, practice, review and my maintaining her to keep us out of danger in the first place but also to get us back on the ground if something does happen. Which is why I practice, among other things, slow flight and emergency procedures. I don't think I have ever had an adversarial relationship with my airplanes. WE fly as a team. She has her job to do, I have mine. Together we make a pretty reliable team. When I step out of my airplane, after a few minutes of just sitting there and absorbing what it was that we just did, I am amazed and grateful she was able to provide me the experience so few on this Earth are able to enjoy. IMHO YMMV........

Airplanes are like horses. Yes they will take you for a ride if you insist, but they are much happier when YOU are in charge and tell them with no uncertainty exactly what you want them to do. The whole relationship goes much smoother that way.

 

[rocketman1988]

Which aircraft are you referring to?

A friend of mine that DOES have the means to buy high priced machinery has been asking me what the best option is for him. He flies from Central Kentucky to South Florida a couple times a month and wants to reduce flight time. I have been steering him toward the Cirrus as his wife likes the parachute and is a more proven platform but that the DA50 is retractable and has the "new kid on the block" wow factor (as long as he doesn't take on the attitude of the guy at the eclipse). He is even considering a Vision Jet because it has the Auto Land feature (yeah, he has the money).

What are his qualifications? Single or twin? Piston or turbine?

At that price point, there are a lot of options.

Note that there is a correlation that tends to be accurate when maintaining different aircraft:

Look at a piston single and it’s $100’s

Piston twins, $1000’s

Turbines, $10,000s

Jets, $100,000’s

 

[wirejock]

I was at an Illinois/Indiana state line airport a couple Monday's ago (path of total eclipse) and a guy there in a brand spanking new Diamond DA-50 made the comment:

"Experimental, huh? I refuse to fly something that is trying to kill me."

<SNIP>

Simple response. Same one I give any time someone says, "I aint flying in that"

"I don't recall offering"

Sorry, my sense of humor is sometimes like a sharp sword.

 

[Webb]

Hmmmm, guess he’s never rented a spam can……..

 

[rv7boy]

This thread is now locked because it has wandered into Class "Non-RV" airspace.