Ed_Wischmeyer
Well Known Member
After six days, I finally finished the three day trip from Savannah, GA, to Prescott, AZ. (Total logged time was 14.5 hours) Some observations and "thoughts":
* If my retirement plans are to spend four winter months in Savannah and the other eight in Arizona, I might not want to make this long X-C twice a year, in May and January. In other words, leave the plane in Arizona for four months. Maybe if I were younger and more energetic... and the plane should get used to it, eventually.
* Ideally, you should have all your last minute chores attended to days before you leave so that you're really ready for the trip (ha!);
* The RV-9A really needs a constant speed prop to be a good high density altitude airplane. Once it gets going, it's fine, but a fixed pitch prop is like getting a car moving in fourth gear. And I got real tired of constantly adjusting power in the west Texas up and downdrafts -- and they weren't even up to full strength;
* The sunscreen was indispensable, even in mild temperatures;
* Had a full set of sectionals for the trip (many of them old) but never touched them;
* I've got about ten inches between the G3X screens. That's too much for reading fine detail on the far screen;
* The full screen display is preferred for reading charts (always north up) when you're flying east or west.
* The autopilot made this trip so much easier than hand flying, especially with all the bumps, gusts, and wind changes. With a wind readout, you realize that the flight planning as taught is based on averages, but it's not what you see in the air;
* I hate bumps;
* Oxygen takes the edge off bumps, even as low as 6,500 feet;
* Instrument currency would have been nice, as long as the flight was above at least 1,000 foot ceilings;
* For VFR X-C, you really don't care about ceiling. You care about the lowest clouds, be they few or scattered;
* Cheap gas is nice, but the total package is gas, food, hotel, and ride to the hotel;
* Had some good meals, some not so good meals, but the most appreciated food was a half grapefruit one morning;
* I really like an occasional inflight sip or nibble. Preferred are bottled water, bottled soda (so you can close it again), and good chocolate chip cookies, and something salty;
* There's a balancing act between good hydration and bladder discomfort;
* If you carry liquids, like cleaning supplies or oil, good idea to have them in two containers. My bug cleaning bottle leaked big time;
* Frequent changes of destination are par for the course;
* Failures on this trip were the Dynon D2 and a stuck PTT, right after the last landing;
* With the weather delays and such, my average groundspeed was about a third of the speed of the Solar Impulse.
* If my retirement plans are to spend four winter months in Savannah and the other eight in Arizona, I might not want to make this long X-C twice a year, in May and January. In other words, leave the plane in Arizona for four months. Maybe if I were younger and more energetic... and the plane should get used to it, eventually.
* Ideally, you should have all your last minute chores attended to days before you leave so that you're really ready for the trip (ha!);
* The RV-9A really needs a constant speed prop to be a good high density altitude airplane. Once it gets going, it's fine, but a fixed pitch prop is like getting a car moving in fourth gear. And I got real tired of constantly adjusting power in the west Texas up and downdrafts -- and they weren't even up to full strength;
* The sunscreen was indispensable, even in mild temperatures;
* Had a full set of sectionals for the trip (many of them old) but never touched them;
* I've got about ten inches between the G3X screens. That's too much for reading fine detail on the far screen;
* The full screen display is preferred for reading charts (always north up) when you're flying east or west.
* The autopilot made this trip so much easier than hand flying, especially with all the bumps, gusts, and wind changes. With a wind readout, you realize that the flight planning as taught is based on averages, but it's not what you see in the air;
* I hate bumps;
* Oxygen takes the edge off bumps, even as low as 6,500 feet;
* Instrument currency would have been nice, as long as the flight was above at least 1,000 foot ceilings;
* For VFR X-C, you really don't care about ceiling. You care about the lowest clouds, be they few or scattered;
* Cheap gas is nice, but the total package is gas, food, hotel, and ride to the hotel;
* Had some good meals, some not so good meals, but the most appreciated food was a half grapefruit one morning;
* I really like an occasional inflight sip or nibble. Preferred are bottled water, bottled soda (so you can close it again), and good chocolate chip cookies, and something salty;
* There's a balancing act between good hydration and bladder discomfort;
* If you carry liquids, like cleaning supplies or oil, good idea to have them in two containers. My bug cleaning bottle leaked big time;
* Frequent changes of destination are par for the course;
* Failures on this trip were the Dynon D2 and a stuck PTT, right after the last landing;
* With the weather delays and such, my average groundspeed was about a third of the speed of the Solar Impulse.
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