Ed_Wischmeyer
Well Known Member
When I bought my RV-9A, it had a primitive UAT out transmitter, the kind that, if I recall correctly, had a non-approved GPS position source, the aircraft N# code (in hexadecimal) and transponder code had to be set before each flight with a cell phone app, and no barometric altimetry. I flew with that a while, but it got 86ed when I did the big panel rework.
So along comes the rebate program, and the first step of the web application was rejected because my plane was previously ADS-B equipped. I wrote to adsbrebatehelp.gov and explained the situation. They saw no evidence of any earlier flights with ADS-B so we’re good to go.
Then that evening, they wanted make and model of the removed equipment. No problem, as fortunately, I found a photo of the data plate of the removed unit with the serial number written in magic marker. That was satisfactory, we’re good to go.
I also asked what I needed to do on the acceptance flight, and they referred me to a web page that said what airspace I needed to fly in, and for at least 30 minutes, but nothing more specific. That web page referenced AC 20-165B, which calls for an hour long flight, but not as restrictive in the airspace. I called AOPA, and they said two 360s each direction, plus flying over a fixed point N/S and E/W. OK, can do, we’re good to go.
Then adsbrebatehelp wanted a copy of the bill of sale and a copy of the 337 documenting installation. Ain’t no such thing as a 337 for experimentals, and I had bought the Garmin GTX330 from a private party, so there was no bill of sale. However, I had emails documenting the sale and had the paperwork from Garmin documenting the upgrade to 330ES. That paperwork didn’t have my name on it, of course, but I also sent them a picture of the dataplate from the 330ES. And in response to a later email, I sent them a copy of the work order from the avionics shop that did the installation. So we’re good to go.
There were three abortive attempts (weather, mostly) to do the rebate flight in Class C airspace, which is, conveniently enough, my home airport. This morning, I filed IFR, just in case, as there was a forecast of scattered clouds at 2,000 feet. Driving out to the airport, the sky was clear. As we taxied out, though, a cloud mysteriously appeared at two o’clock. Then another at eight o’clock. Then the two o’clock cloud had a partner, all appearing as quickly as you can read this. We talked to clearance about whether it would be easier for them for us to go VFR, and that’s what we did.
After takeoff, we were vectored for the ILS 10, but despite multiple earlier phone calls, the controller didn’t know what we wanted, most specifically, that we *had*to* stay inside Class C airspace. We did two 360s to the right to check that off, and used those turns as opportunities to play with autopilot gains for final tuning. Then we did one more 360 for spacing and were cleared for the ILS 10 approach.
Well, mostly cleared for the approach. On short final, but still a thousand feet up because we weren’t landing, tower told us to go around because of two F-18s waiting to take off. We were 30 seconds from the runway intersection, which we wanted to fly over, but, oh, well. We then got vectored for the ILS 1 approach, and approach asked us when we wanted to do our *four* 360s to the left. We did our *two* left 360s to get those checked off. Then, as we were about to start the ILS 1 approach, they changed runways to 19 and 28.
Okay, we can do the LPV to 28, but don’t call it an LPV approach because controllers don’t know what an LPV approach is. Call it an RNAV or a GPS approach, please. Approach control wanted us to go to an initial approach fix and asked us if that fix was inside Class C airspace. Really? C’mon now. Vectors to final went well enough, but by now we were playing dodge ‘em with the clouds. After that approach, we went back to IFR and did the LPV 19 approach over the runway intersection, then circled back and landed on 19.
After we put the plane away, I got out the cell phone to request the data from the flight, and found that adsbrebatehelp wanted a copy of the bill of sale and the 337. Again. Somehow, I must have gotten into their system twice. A half hour later, waiting for my buddy at the restaurant, I successfully (apparently) filed for the rebate.
Lessons learned, or maybe they were learned:
* The word on what we needed didn’t get to they controllers, but they were very accommodating. Then again, some of them know this airplane and I think I have a history of being helpful and cooperative when it makes a difference to them;
* We were extremely busy flying the airplane with two well-qualified pilots. It gets busy, what with doing the 360s and making sure we stayed inside Class C airspace and such. Moving maps are great for hazard avoidance, such as traffic, terrain, weather, and in this case, airspace boundaries;
* After looking at the FAA’s flight report documenting the performance of the ADS-B system, it’s not clear to me that we had to do any of the maneuvers we did. I strongly suspect, but do not know, that 30+ minutes of just plain old flying around in Class C airspace would have sufficed.
And now, the check is in the mail. The email came ten hours after the flight.
So along comes the rebate program, and the first step of the web application was rejected because my plane was previously ADS-B equipped. I wrote to adsbrebatehelp.gov and explained the situation. They saw no evidence of any earlier flights with ADS-B so we’re good to go.
Then that evening, they wanted make and model of the removed equipment. No problem, as fortunately, I found a photo of the data plate of the removed unit with the serial number written in magic marker. That was satisfactory, we’re good to go.
I also asked what I needed to do on the acceptance flight, and they referred me to a web page that said what airspace I needed to fly in, and for at least 30 minutes, but nothing more specific. That web page referenced AC 20-165B, which calls for an hour long flight, but not as restrictive in the airspace. I called AOPA, and they said two 360s each direction, plus flying over a fixed point N/S and E/W. OK, can do, we’re good to go.
Then adsbrebatehelp wanted a copy of the bill of sale and a copy of the 337 documenting installation. Ain’t no such thing as a 337 for experimentals, and I had bought the Garmin GTX330 from a private party, so there was no bill of sale. However, I had emails documenting the sale and had the paperwork from Garmin documenting the upgrade to 330ES. That paperwork didn’t have my name on it, of course, but I also sent them a picture of the dataplate from the 330ES. And in response to a later email, I sent them a copy of the work order from the avionics shop that did the installation. So we’re good to go.
There were three abortive attempts (weather, mostly) to do the rebate flight in Class C airspace, which is, conveniently enough, my home airport. This morning, I filed IFR, just in case, as there was a forecast of scattered clouds at 2,000 feet. Driving out to the airport, the sky was clear. As we taxied out, though, a cloud mysteriously appeared at two o’clock. Then another at eight o’clock. Then the two o’clock cloud had a partner, all appearing as quickly as you can read this. We talked to clearance about whether it would be easier for them for us to go VFR, and that’s what we did.
After takeoff, we were vectored for the ILS 10, but despite multiple earlier phone calls, the controller didn’t know what we wanted, most specifically, that we *had*to* stay inside Class C airspace. We did two 360s to the right to check that off, and used those turns as opportunities to play with autopilot gains for final tuning. Then we did one more 360 for spacing and were cleared for the ILS 10 approach.
Well, mostly cleared for the approach. On short final, but still a thousand feet up because we weren’t landing, tower told us to go around because of two F-18s waiting to take off. We were 30 seconds from the runway intersection, which we wanted to fly over, but, oh, well. We then got vectored for the ILS 1 approach, and approach asked us when we wanted to do our *four* 360s to the left. We did our *two* left 360s to get those checked off. Then, as we were about to start the ILS 1 approach, they changed runways to 19 and 28.
Okay, we can do the LPV to 28, but don’t call it an LPV approach because controllers don’t know what an LPV approach is. Call it an RNAV or a GPS approach, please. Approach control wanted us to go to an initial approach fix and asked us if that fix was inside Class C airspace. Really? C’mon now. Vectors to final went well enough, but by now we were playing dodge ‘em with the clouds. After that approach, we went back to IFR and did the LPV 19 approach over the runway intersection, then circled back and landed on 19.
After we put the plane away, I got out the cell phone to request the data from the flight, and found that adsbrebatehelp wanted a copy of the bill of sale and the 337. Again. Somehow, I must have gotten into their system twice. A half hour later, waiting for my buddy at the restaurant, I successfully (apparently) filed for the rebate.
Lessons learned, or maybe they were learned:
* The word on what we needed didn’t get to they controllers, but they were very accommodating. Then again, some of them know this airplane and I think I have a history of being helpful and cooperative when it makes a difference to them;
* We were extremely busy flying the airplane with two well-qualified pilots. It gets busy, what with doing the 360s and making sure we stayed inside Class C airspace and such. Moving maps are great for hazard avoidance, such as traffic, terrain, weather, and in this case, airspace boundaries;
* After looking at the FAA’s flight report documenting the performance of the ADS-B system, it’s not clear to me that we had to do any of the maneuvers we did. I strongly suspect, but do not know, that 30+ minutes of just plain old flying around in Class C airspace would have sufficed.
And now, the check is in the mail. The email came ten hours after the flight.
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