It is with a heavy heart to announce that N173CD will leave the PlusOne club fleet at the end of this month.
I want to thank all of the loyal pilots who flew 3CD regularly. You will be most disappointed about my decision, especially since you tried your best to make it work. Your support over the years is much appreciated. Overall, the number of pilots and hours has not been enough to justify the high cost of club insurance, MYF tie downs and repair costs.
That is what I said when I thought about upgrading the cabin interior and giving 3CD a fresh look, transforming the interior design from a G1 to a G5 SR20.
It turns out, it’s pretty hard! But luckily I had a lot of help from loyal pilots and friends. And for that parts that I couldn’t do myself, I found a few really good shops around the county. If you are looking for upholstery work, I can recommend Encinitas Custom Upholstery and Jim’s Auto Upholstery.
The upgrade includes new pilot, co-pilot and passenger seat covers and foam, new carpet throughout, alcantara-wrapped headliner, door panels and pillar trim, leather armrests and glareshield trim. I also painted the remaining cabin plastics to match the color of the other panels.
The result speaks for itself:
A couple of things I would like to mention:
The seats have a shock-absorbing cushion that will save your spine in the unlikely event of a CAPS landing. Please NEVER step on the seat cushion during entry or exit. It will compress the cushion and render it useless.
The best way to enter/exit the plane is to step with one foot into the plane, hold onto the grab handle, sit down and then pull the other leg in (reverse for exit).
Absolutely no drinks or food, other than water. I found significant latte/cappuccino stains on the carpet and inside the center console. Use the cup holders. That’s what they are there for. Also, it keeps liquids away from electronics.
New door locks
Someone really tried to get into the plane. I don’t know what they used, but the door locks were basically broken. Anything incl. a toothpick would move the locks. So we had to replace them.
The ignition lock is still (and will remain) on the old key.
Replication of the new door key is prohibited. Please use the key from the lockbox and put it back after your flight. Never take the key further away than 10 feet from the plane.
Thanks.
Maintenance update
50hr inspection completed, incl. exhaust AD. Received compliments from Blackstone for the best oil sample this engine has ever produced. Lean-of-peak operation on cruise segments seems to make a significant difference. It is encouraged to anyone who understands how to set LOP correctly in cruise. Reminder to NEVER lean in any climb.
(Still) Troubleshooting erroneous analog RPM readings. Replace the tach sensor. JPI-711 continues to shows accurate RPM readings and should be used for primary indication.
Oil
Oil consumption is at about 0.25 quart per hour. While this is perfectly fine and well within the OEM limits, please take that into account when you leave on 6 quarts and plan to fly multi-hour legs.
Please report your oil addition by scanning the QR code inside the oil box. If you add more than 1 quart, scan the code twice after finishing the first report.
Do not overfill the engine. Between 6 and 7 quarts is best!
Thanks for helping me tracking the oil consumption and changes in trend.
Rumor
There is a rumor that I am about to take the plane out of the club fleet. I want to address that the best way I can:
There are some changes in my life that will include a new job and relocation to the Los Angeles area. However, I have not decided to move the plane to another airport and/or to remove it from the club fleet. Until at least the end of August 2021, nothing will change.
I will obviously not be able to attend to the plane the way I do right now, but I have received offers for help from a few pilots that will help me keeping GPS databases up to date and coordinate any maintenance should it become necessary.
So for now, I don’t plan on changing anything. If I do, I will announce it here and with ample notice.
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
Last month was exciting. The new MTV-12 propeller was finally delivered, after spending a month on trucks in Europe and transitioning through all of my favorite cities that I haven’t been able to go to due to COVID-19, including (but not limited to) Munich, Cologne, Paris and London before being flown to the U.S. and arriving for installation in San Diego.
Our trusted maintenance partner Aeromechanix was able to install it right away and everyone who has flown the plane so far is in love with the new propeller and the difference it makes to the performance of the aircraft.
There are a couple of things about the new prop that are noteworthy:
The weight and balance has been updated. A new version can be found here and in the binder in the aircraft. The center of gravity shifted back by 1.4 inches. This is a huge improvement for missions on full fuel without passengers in the bag or lots of baggage. The full-fuel useful load should now be a new record for any Cirrus SR aircraft in the club.
The take-off performance tables are not revised by this STC, however you can expect better performance. There is notional test data stating improved performance in ground roll, climb and static thrust. I have also noticed about 30F lower CHTs with the new propeller. For flight planning purposed, the POH tables remain valid.
The noise and vibration is significantly reduced with the new prop. The plane is also more responsive to taxi at 1,000 rpm.
Please take good care of the propeller. Inspect it thoroughly and report any damage to me before you fly.
Upgrades
We are expecting production of the new cabin interior this month. The aircraft will likely be out of service a couple of days early in July to put in the interior. Since all of those items are ‘preventative maintenance’ as defined in FAR Part 43 Appendix A (c)(11), you are invited to volunteer for some help in removing and replacing some of the decorative furnishings. Just text or email me, and I will keep you updated on what days I will need help. Thanks in advance!
Maintenance update
50hr inspection completed, incl. exhaust AD
Resolved G5 HDG drift by recalibrating both G5s
Troubleshooting erroneous analog RPM readings (JPI-711 shows accurate RPM)
Checkout procedure / Quiz
If you haven’t completed your initial or 12-month recurring quiz, please take it before your next flight. PlusOne won’t enforce this as part of the checkout. But if you want the plane to remain part of the fleet, you are highly encouraged to complete the quiz. Thanks!
Oil
Oil consumption is at about 0.25 quart per hour. While this is perfectly fine and well within the OEM limits, please take that into account when you leave on 6 quarts and plan to fly multi-hour legs.
Please report your oil addition by scanning the QR code inside the oil box. If you add more than 1 quart, scan the code twice after finishing the first report.
Do not overfill the engine. Between 6 and 7 quarts is best!
Thanks for helping me tracking the oil consumption and changes in trend.
Discount program
I will have to discontinue the 15/90 discount program effective July 1st 2021.
Instead, I will adjust the regular rental rate for all pilots and reduce the rate to $225.00 per hour. Hopefully this will allow some pilots to return to fly 3CD, who have been priced out of the aircraft by the most recent pricing structure changes.
For those pilots who do plan to fly 3CD a lot, I am offering an option to ‘buy down’ the rate. For a monthly fee of $200, I will offer a $50/hour discount with no limits/caps.
Since ScheduleMaster does not allow for this different billing model, you will have to enroll/cancel this ‘over-the-top’ offer by contacting me at info@n173cd.com for details. Discount refunds will be processed in the same cadence you have been receiving the 15/90 reimbursements.
I am happy to answer any additional questions you might have.
2021 PlusOne Board Election
I have been a member of PlusOne since September 2012. The time I have been a member includes my very first flight in a single-engine aircraft, my first solo, passing my private and instrument check ride as well as completing several checkouts and taking many short and cross country trips. I have flown all of my over 300 hours in PlusOne aircraft and don’t have a single hour PIC in any non-club airplane. PlusOne has been my home for all of my flying.
For the last three years, I have also been an owner, leasing my plane to the club and it’s members. I bought the aircraft so that I can ‘give back’ to the club that has provided me with so much opportunity in the past – by making the best selling single engine airplane of this century (Cirrus SR series) accessible to most club members and lowering the barrier of entry into the #cirruslife.
Having seen both sides of the membership, I have a very good sense of the imperfections that exists in the ‘one-size-fits-all’ operation for classic trainer aircraft (172s, PA28s) and other planes, e.g. high-performance, complex or TAA aircraft.
While I don’t think that PlusOne needs to change much about the way it operates, there is a lot that can be improved. So I have decided to announce my run for a ‘owner’ seat on the Board of PlusOne in the upcoming election. If elected, I intend to focus my work on the board on two major areas:
Transparency & Accountability
The current process how PlusOne deals with pilot error that results in aircraft damage is fundamentally broken: It does not follow objective decision criteria but is an arbitrary and random decision process that basically depends on how the participating board members ‘feel’ about an incident in the board meeting where the issue is discussed. I will work on making the decision process more transparent, e.g. making it an obligation for PlusOne to provide owners a reasoning WHY a claim was pro-rated or denied – and on which basis.
It’s baffling to me that a member who is checked out in 172, PA28, 210 and SR20 only has to perform an annual check in a 172 to extend all checkouts for another year. Ultimately, this practice is leading to a small number of marginal pilots that drive an over-proportional risk and burden for the insurance cost and insurability of the entire club. Closing those gaps in the operating rules is in the interest of both members and owners as it will improve the safety of our operation, reduce damage/IDP cost and allow owners to lower rental rates (if they choose to pass on the savings). This might happen at the cost of loosing some members (and their club dues) but PlusOne should have more skin in the game for the club fleet operation – and not just optimize around number of members and club due revenues, as they do today.
There should be some limits on how many aircraft board members can lease to the club or if board members can also be salaried employees. Non-profit organizations should set a high standard for themselves to prevent conflicts of interest in their leadership.
Overall, I will focus my efforts on making the operation more efficient and safe and attract more modern aircraft to the club and help owners to improve their financial performance and allow them to pass on savings to members in exchange for commitment. There can be more than one commercial operating model and owners should have the choice between options and not be pressed into a one-size-fits-all operation that is largely optimized for trainer aircraft.
So, now you know what you’re voting for (or against) in the upcoming board elections. PlusOne can do a much better job at being transparent with it’s members about how decisions are made and hold their members and owners accountable by a common standard.
I would sincerely appreciate your vote and your support!
Thanks, Phillip
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
Effective 05/17/2021, the rental rate will be adjusted to $265.00 per hour. This is to account for the increased operating expenses:
The FBO change from Gibbs to Crownair immediately increased the fuel cost per gallon by 12%. The tie-down lease is going to increase by 15% in July 2021. Further increases are to be expected due to rising oil prices and demand as well as planned infrastructure upgrades for the ramp, which will be paid for by leases.
The insurance cost increased by appx. 15% in March 2021.
The 15/90 program will continue for now. The new discounted rate for members flying 15 hours or more in any 90-day period is $215.00 per hour. Refunds are processed on a monthly basis, starting in the month after reaching refund eligibility.
The rate increase also adjusts the necessary reserves to cover repairs for damage/excessive wear&tear caused by members that aren’t covered by insurance or IDP.
Unfortunately, this will increase the cost for all pilots. You are free to send your comments/feedback to PlusOne or make yourself heard at the General Membership meetings, once they resume.
It doesn’t have to be this way! There is a path towards lowering the rate, but this would require a few things to change within PlusOne that are outside of my control – but inside the control of the PlusOne member- and leadership. A comprehensive reform of the IDP program and a more nuanced scheduling/pricing policy, which incentivizes high-quality decisions, could reduce cost and maximize aircraft utilization, leading to more efficient operation and allow owners to give back to the pilot community by reducing the rate. The one-size-fits-all operating model is largely built around the classic trainer aircraft (172s, PA28s) and leaves much to be desired for complex, multi, TAA or high performance aircraft.
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
Not much to report this month. Plane is flying great and most of you do a great job of treating the plane like it was your own – and not a rental car. But I do have a few quick reminders:
Don’t walk outside the wing-walk (never!) and don’t use the wing for storing/loading flight bags, luggage or other items. Luckily, the scratches came out without a paint job.
Also, make sure your blue pen does not smear the seat cushion. It happens over and over again. For the 21 year old seat covers, I don’t care too much. But please get rid of the habit so that I won’t regret putting in some more work on the interior updates this summer.
Gibbs is no more. The ramp is now called “Executive Airpark” and fuel can be ordered through Crownair at (858) 292-1181. Fuel prices have already gone up and I expect the tie down fee to increase soon, too. With the insurance premium hike a few weeks ago (March 2021), I will have to adjust the rental rates as of June 1st, 2021. I’m finalizing the numbers and will try to keep the increase mild, both for the regular rate and the discounted 15/90 rate.
Upgrades
I’ve pulled the trigger on a new propeller. We are going to replace the (great) Hartzell 3-blade with a MT composite prop (picture below for illustration).
Major benefits are:
Best vibration damping characteristics for almost vibration free (1/2 P) prop operations – Bonded on stainless steel leading edge for best erosion protection of the blades
Take-off distance over 50 ft obstacle reduced by 300 ft.
Climb performance improved by 5%
Cruise performance is improved by up to 3 kts depending on altitude and power
Approx. 33 lbs less weight than the original metal propellers
Unlimited blade life
FOD repairable blades
I will send out another news flash when the install is complete with the new W&B. Useful load is expected to increase and the C.G. is expected to shift back by 1-2 inches. This will make a meaningful difference to a lot of missions on the edge of the envelope.
If you are reading this and wondering what’s happening with the ‘old’ propeller – it’s for sale! It’s in great condition and comes with all logs. It will fit on SR20 that are equipped with the 2-blade prop and provide more ground clearance and better cooling performance than the 2-blade.
Maintenance update
50hr inspection completed, incl. exhaust AD
Troubleshooting a sporadic HDG drift issue on the G5s
Checkout procedure / Quiz
If you haven’t completed your initial or 12-month recurring quiz, please take it before your next flight. PlusOne won’t enforce this as part of the checkout. But if you want the plane to remain part of the fleet, you are highly encouraged to complete the quiz. Thanks!
Oil reporting procedure
In order to get a better and more accurate reading on the oil consumption, as well to manage the stock better, I have placed a sign (see below) in the oil box. Just point your phone camera at the QR code and open the link in your browser to report the current oil reading (from your preflight check) and the quantity you added (if any) as well as the remaining stock.
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
Last month was eventful, and sadly not in a good way.
We are running oil analysis on every oil change and noticed a specific wear metal trending up over the last samples. Paired with some unusual temperature patterns of one cylinder, a bore scope inspection was ordered and revealed a cracked exhaust valve and excessive heat damage to one cylinder. That cylinder had been operated significantly outside the normal range during a flight earlier in 2021 for a period of time that was apparently long enough to take hundreds of hours of useful life out of the cylinder in a matter of minutes. The only positive about this story is that we were able to diagnose and mitigate the issue before it developed into potentially catastrophic inflight engine failure.
The cylinder needed to be replaced at 700SNEW – at roughly one third of the TBO of this engine. I can’t stress enough that the hourly rate of $235.00 is not provisioned to support extra overhauls or repairs that are outside of normal wear and tear. I have submitted the repair cost to the PlusOne IDP program and currently wait for approval or a status update.
Engine management (temperatures, leaning procures, etc.) are crucial and need to be followed exactly as prescribed by the POH in every phase of flight.
The trend of non-routine maintenance expenses over the last two quarters is concerning. I hope we can break the trend and avoid rental rate adjustments or changes to the discount offer.
Checkout procedure / Quiz
In light of the recent IDP claims for all PlusOne Cirrus aircraft, the club has mandated a change to the checkout procedure that will also affect the checkout for 3CD.
Any new pilot seeking a checkout in 3CD will now have to complete a transition course following the VFR/IFR syllabus from the Cirrus FOM. This includes a minimum of hours and landings as well as a final evaluation flight that can only be done a limited number of PlusOne CFIs. Pilots that have completed a Cirrus transition before or have hours in make/model can get credits, but still have to pass the final evaluation flight. Existing checkouts remain valid.
While not part of the club mandate, I have created a quiz that tries to emphasize special areas of concern and highlights frequent mistakes. I would ask that all pilots flying 3CD complete this quiz before getting checked out and every pilot on an annual basis as a refresher.
I appreciate and support the checkout policy change, because it will lead to more proficiency and (hopefully) less damage to the club fleet. I have encouraged PlusOne Safety to consider annual checks in make/model to ensure ongoing proficiency, improve safety and reduce IDP/damage repair expenses.
If you have more questions about the new checkout process, feel free to ask or touch base with PlusOne Safety or your CFI.
Oil reporting procedure
In order to get a better and more accurate reading on the oil consumption, as well to manage the stock better, I have placed a sign (see below) in the oil box. Just point your phone camera at the QR code and open the link in your browser to report the current oil reading (from your preflight check) and the quantity you added (if any) as well as the remaining stock.
Maintenance update
Recently completed: – 50 hour inspection, incl. bore scope (break in oil for 25h) – Cylinder #5 replacement – 50 hour inspection and oil change to normal oil (break in completed)
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
Last month closed out with good and bad news around 3CD. Let’s start with the good news first: GPSS is fixed (for real, for good!). After some more diagnostics it was determined that a few wires were missing between the GPS and autopilot unit. Although the access to the back of the radio stack is particularly difficult in a Cirrus, it was worth it. The plane will now respond to pressing NAV twice when a GPS flight plan has been loaded and the CDI mode is set to GPS. I have flown multiple entries and holdings using the autopilot and it works very well.
So, now about the bad news. Somebody sprayed something corrosive onto the interior of 3CD. I can only assume that it was some type of aggressive COVID spray or Clorox wipes. Whatever aggressive chemical was used, it destroyed the paint finish. And just to be clear: Yes, the plane has some years on it and the interior was by no means “new”, but this type of damage is far beyond normal wear&tear and clearly the use of come unapproved chemical. The person was very thorough and also wiped the transponder display. You will see in the picture, how the person missed the edges of the display and only removed about 90% of the protective coating. ?
Nobody has owned up to their mistake. So the person who did it missed the opportunity to redeem themselves in helping me fixing it. I was able to perform the repair as preventative maintenance and without involving expensive shop labor. It’s not perfect, but better than before. This is how it looks now:
I’m disappointed that whoever did this, could not find the courage to call me and admit the mistake. After all, the financial damage was rather negligible and I could have used some help in removal and installation of the parts. But that ship has sailed. We are checking with the FBO for security camera footage, and should I find out who did it before the person admits their mistake, they will be banned from flying 3CD.
As far as COVID spray-downs go, here is my unambiguous guidance how to handle COVID and 3CD:
If you are worried about contracting COVID through surface transmissions in my plane, please consider wearing PPE (e.g. nitrile gloves).
There are NO APPROVED chemicals, sprays, wipes etc. for use in 3CD.
If this does not work for you, call me and we figure out a solution.
That Elusive $100 ?
If you’re looking for a breakfast, brunch or lunch destination with some country character, as well as a rich flying history, then look no further than Hemet-Ryan Airport (KHMT). Back in the 1940’s HMT was the training location for over 14,000 Army Air Corps cadets learning to fly the PT Stearman, one of the early biplane primary trainers. Imagine what the skies must have been like back then… nothing but planes everywhere, and not one radio among them!
Hangar One Cafe, the name of the on-airport eatery at Hemet, offers not only a wide selection of food options, but the service there will be prompt, and it will come with a smile. It’s open daily 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, with both indoor and outdoor seating options available.
Just north of MYF about 60 nm, 3CD can easily get you there in less than 40 minutes. And you might even be able to cut a little time off that if you request a north bound Miramar transition… oops, now they call it a Foss transition, reflecting the true name of the airfield, Foss Field. Don’t forget to request flight following from SoCal when you exit the north side of the Miramar bravo… that can be a busy area.
So brush up on your untowered procedure skills, like 45 degree entries, and keeping a close eye out for mic-shy traffic. And be sure to let others know where you’re at and what you’re doing as you approach the airport. Hopefully, others in the area will be doing the same. If you’re an IFR type, remind yourself what a VOCA departure is… HMT is one of the few airports that offers one. And don’t forget to add the flight time to the cross-country column in your logbook. That’s it…. Let’s go fly!
Stay safe… and fly safe, Ken & Gerard
Tell us about your favorite lunch spots! Send us your recommendations and stories (food pictures included!) to info@n173cd.com and we will publish them here as inspiration for others.
15/90 club
Most of you are aware of the discount offer that provides a (uncapped) $50/hour kick-back to anyone who flies more than 15 hours in any 90 day period. You can always check your refund statement, showing eligible flights and refund status by clicking the link in your refund status email. If you have not received a link, let me know and I’ll send it to you.
I do understand that with the increased popularity of 3CD, it may appear difficult to get the hours in to qualify for the discount. Please make sure to make your reservations ahead of time. Over the last months, 3CD has booked out for about 2 weeks in advance. So if you plan your trips with 2 weeks notice, you should have no problems getting the qualifying hours in.
I’m sure everyone understands this, but I want to remind everyone that this offer is ‘best effort’ and does not come with any guarantees or preferred scheduling privileges and is always subject to aircraft dispatch availability (maintenance) and change. It’s first come, first serve.
Since inception of the 15/90 club a few months ago, I have refunded more than $4,000 already. I appreciate the loyalty and take this as proof that the program is working well for the members that took advantage of it. Their increased proficiency leads to lower maintenance expenses, and I am happy to share those savings with the pilots that contribute to them.
Maintenance update
Recently completed:
Scheduled replacement of CAPS line cutters
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
“Pull early, pull often” is the secret battle cry for all Cirrus pilots – and always the right response when being challenged by a fellow Bonanza driver who might disagree about the usefulness of the “Special Purpose Equipment” as the POH refers to CAPS. There are without a doubt two sides to the argument: Does CAPS lead people to abandon the plane too early? Are the situations in which CAPS is being used avoidable – through more careful flight planning? Does CAPS encourage pilots to make close calls and fly into marginal conditions they wouldn’t dare to fly into without it? Or is it just the type of life insurance that is absolutely worth having when the engine quits on a night flight, let’s say at the JLI VOR? Kidding and controversy aside, the numbers speak for themselves. I came across the attached photos in another message board. There were probably more interesting pieces in the presentation that weren’t part of the (leaked?) screenshots, but I couldn’t find a full publication from Cirrus will release this at some point. I’ll keep my eyes open for it.
That Elusive $100 ?
Having trouble finding that $100 hamburger with covid shutting everything down? Take heart, there are still some local options available… including French Valley, Hemet, and Riverside Muni, to mention a few. Yesterday we flew 3CD up to Riverside (KRAL) in about 40 minutes to fight off some of that covid fatigue. It’s a great airport with a friendly tower, an ILS option if you want to get in some practice, and a challenging ODP if you’re really looking to exercise those IFR skills.
Not surprisingly the on-airport café is called the Riverside Airport Café, open daily 6:30 am to 2 pm. Friendly and prompt service, both inside and outside eating options, and a wide variety of menu items will put a smile on your face. We each had one of the Senior Pilot specials…. guaranteed to get you closer to that max gross take off limit on your return home. When you drop in, say hi to Caitlyn for us.
Stay safe… and fly safe, Ken & Gerard
Tell us about your favorite lunch spots! Send us your recommendations and stories (food pictures included!) to info@n173cd.com and we will publish them here as inspiration for others.
Maintenance update
Recently completed:
50hr inspection, including oil change & analysis
LH magneto overhaul and exchange (500hr IRAN)
Fixed the lower wing root fairing delamination
Replaced battery
Friendly reminder
Please familiarize yourself with the noise abatement procedures and restrictions when departing early or coming back late in the day. We’ve received a “Noise Violation Notice” from the MYF airport manager. 3CD clocked in at 72.7dB during a early morning departure before 0630am. Future violations will come with a fine up to $250.00 that will be the responsibility of the pilot in command.
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
With 2020 in the rear-view mirror, not everything is back to the ‘old’ normal yet, but a ‘new’ normal is on the horizon. Where 2020 went worse from month-to-month, I think a lot points towards 2021 being the year of the rebound – and things getting better on a month-to-month basis. I am certainly looking forward to taking trips again, either for lunch or for weekend get-aways. N173CD is a fantastic platform for your cross-country trips to Hemet, Palm Springs or Santa Barbara (1-2 hours), Las Vegas, Grand Canyon or Sedona (2-3 hours) or to the Bay Area, Napa or Sonoma (3-4 hours). And it is especially, if you want to avoid crowded airport terminals and middle seats.
If you fly N173CD for at least 15 hours in any 90 day period, you are eligible for a refund of $50 per hours (hobbs). There is no signup or upfront fee required and also no limit on how much refunds you can earn. The only thing you need to do is fly – and ask for the refund to be processed. With this discount, your effective $/nm will be 25% more affordable than other comparable club planes – allowing you to take more trips, be more proficient or work on a new rating and be a better pilot.
$100 ?
Tell us about your favorite lunch spots! Send us your recommendations and stories (food pictures included!) to info@n173cd.com and we will publish them here as inspiration for others.
Things you didn’t know
After more than 2 years of ownership, I still find things about the plane that I didn’t know before. Some things can be really useful to your mission, so I thought I share them here.
Did you know that the back seats fold over and allow for transporting bulkier cargo, e.g. bikes for your trip to Catalina or golf clubs for your trip to Palm Springs?
The procedure to fold over the seats is quick and simple. From the baggage compartment, locate and remove the detent pins that secure the backrest and push the seats forward. Also make sure that the bolts are installed after you return from your trip. And always make sure the bolts are installed during your pre-flight if you carry passengers in the back seats, in case a previous pilot forgot to reinstall the bolts. This is not a maintenance task, so any PIC can perform the removal/installation of the bolts. Here are some pictures for illustration:
CAUTION: Detent pins must be installed when occupants are seated in the passenger seats.
Please exercise maximum caution when loading bulkier items through the passenger door and don’t scratch the inside or outside of the plane when loading/unloading.
Friendly reminder
..to not walk outside the wing walk area – and to never step on the flaps. It’s called “wing walk” for a reason. Thanks!
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
We are truly thankful for the support that 3CD has already picked up after moving to MYF only a few weeks back. We hope this trend continues throughout this month and into 2021. It will help us to afford some rather significant unplanned and unfunded damage repair expenses we incurred earlier this year, which did not get (fully) reimbursed by the club’s IDP program. It will also allow us to continue to invest into making 3CD your most economical and comfortable choice for IFR training and cross country flights.
Here are the most recent upgrades and improvements.
MFD is back from the shop and received a CMAX (geo-referenced charts) upgrade. With the charts cycle not being in sync with the navdata cycle, we will try our best to keep them current. For IFR missions, make sure you bring your own set of current plates – just in case.
We are happy to announce that the carpet mats have reached their designed useful life. They will be replaced on 12/5 with these beauties. The team at SCS Interiors has done fantastic work and impressed us with the attention to detail and consulting about colors and scheme options.
Charity
Over the last couple of days, a very generous member of PlusOne has chosen 3CD to perform charitable flights for Angel Flight West. Angel Flight West is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges free, non-emergency air travel for children and adults with serious medical conditions and other compelling needs.
We want to do our part to incentivize and increase use of 3CD to donate to this cause and have adjusted the terms for our loyalty offer (see below) to give special terms for members conducting charitable missions.
New loyalty offer
We try to reward loyalty and encourage proficiency. This is why we are offering a new discount to any member flying 3CD for at least 15 hours over any 90 day period. No signups, no annual fee. Just fly and email info@n173cd.com when you have reached the minimum and we will process the refund check.
Terms and conditions (updated):
ScheduleMaster can only handle one rate. Since we have no crystal ball, everyone needs to pay standard rate and request a refund if eligible
Refunds processed within 30 days after request
Offer subject to change at any time with or without notice. The best way of keeping it valid is to make a lot of use of this offer.
Members conducting charitable flight missions (e.g. Angel Flight West) in 3CD will receive 2.0 hours credit towards the 15 hour minimum requirement for every hour they fly a qualifying charitable mission.
CFI’s instructing in 3CD will receive 0.5 hour credit towards the 15 hour minimum for every hour they instruct in 3CD. CFI’s need to reach out to us to get that credit.
Both, the special terms for charity and CFI flights, will require the member/CFI to reach out and request the credit. There will be no automatic credit.
Maintenance update
FAQ: Why is there no (reserve) oil in the plane?
Answer: Because people tend to overfill the engine if we make it (too) readily available.
The IO-360-ES requires, according to the POH, at least 6 quarts of oil for proper operation. The filler cap indicates the sump capacity of max. 8 quarts. Unfortunately, the lid doesn’t say “max. 8 qts” but just “8 qts”. Due to the (some Lycoming owners will say “poor”) design, any oil in excess of 7 quarts will simply blow out the overflow tube during initial climb (Vx) or other maneuvers that result in high pitch attitude. This is the long way of saying that any oil added beyond 7 quarts on the dipstick will be drained from the engine during the first 5 minutes of the next flight. Some of it can be found on the underside of the fuselage, as the drain tube is located in the front, just next to the fuel drain underneath the engine. We have found our “oil bill” coming down significantly since we stopped keeping oil the back.
Even though our guidance is to keep the oil “above 6 quarts and below 7 quarts”, we encourage you to make your own decisions about oil levels during your pre-flight. If that includes adding oil beyond 7 quarts, that’s fine. You can get a quart of 20W50 either through the FBO or from the ‘stuff box’ that will be located on the tie down. Please make a record in the oil log if you use some from our box. It will help us to track the consumption accurately.
Happy holidays
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
