News
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!
Happy Landings!
Phillip