When the Epic E1000 was finally certified in the spring of 2020, there was much celebrating across the aviation world. Epic Aircraft expended a lot of time and energy getting the E1000 certified and into production (more information on that journey here and in Flying Magazine here).
The airplane is amazing. In the single engine, 6 seat turboprop market, it easily blows away the competition. With it’s 1,200 SHP PT6-67A, it has double the horsepower of the M600 (600 SHP), and 350 more horsepower than the TBM 940 (850 SHP). It’s 60 KTAS faster than the M600 and, even though the TBM can keep up (both airplanes have equal top cruise speeds of 330 KTAS), the Epic E1000 can carry a payload of 1,024 pounds with full fuel, while the 940 can only carry 584 pounds with full fuel. The TBM carries about 15 minutes more of fuel, but to me, that’s pretty negligible.
Did I mention climb rates? The E1000 climbs at an average of 1500 FPM at Vy (it’s capable of 4,000 FPM), making it to 25,000 feet in 10 minutes. The TBM climbs at 1000 FPM, taking 13 minutes to climb to the same altitude, while the M600 settles in at about 800 FPM, reaching FL250 in 21 minutes.
If you expand the comparison to include the Pilatus PC-12, the two airplanes have 1,200 SHP, but the Epic is 50 KTAS faster and they both have about the same weight carrying ability.
In the most important arena, price, the E1000 is around a million dollars cheaper than the TBM 940.
The one drawback to the Epic E1000 that immediately was noticeable was the autopilot. Epic originally installed the STEC 2100 autopilot to pair with the G1000 (and later the G1000 NXi). Epic decided to stick with the STEC 2100 through certification for the plane since that autopilot was on all of the E1000s paperwork going through all the levels of FAA approval. To change to the GFC 700 during the certification process would have been a massive undertaking that probably would have delayed certification.
The STEC 2100 is a good autopilot, but, as any G1000 pilot can tell you, the lack of integration between any STEC autopilot and Garmin panel leaves some to be desired. Not all the bugs talk, which often requires dual data entry, which can lead to forgetting to do both the bug and the autopilot when things get busy. Hello, altitude deviation.
The goal for Epic was never to leave the STEC autopilot in the airplane. The first E1000s were rolled off the line with the STEC, but Epic didn’t take long to change the autopilot to the much more integrated Garmin GFC 700. That took place this winter (2020), and the E1000 received it’s first upgrade, with Epic dubbing the airplane the Epic E1000 GX.
I expect the innovators in Bend, OR, where Epic is based and where tons of innovation in aviation happens (Lancair/Columbia started in Bend while RDD is based there as well), to quickly come out with more avionics upgrades for the airplane. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a G3000 version at some point, complete with auto throttles and the new Garmin Autoland. Epic would be smart to follow in the steps of Daher and offer two models, one with the G1000 and one with the G3000 (the TBM 910 has the G1000 NXi while the TBM 940 has the G3000).
I have yet to fly in an Epic E1000, but I would certainly jump at the chance to do so. Someone asked me yesterday what airplane I would buy if I had a blank check. With the GFC 700 now in the Epic, it would absolutely be the E1000 GX.
A couple of months ago, I had a life-threatening experience while flying. Thankfully, with my flight training, along with a lot of luck, I am here to talk about it.
One of my many piloting jobs is as a glider tow pilot. For those not familiar with gliding, since a glider doesn’t have an engine, every time a glider pilot goes and flies, it’s a team effort. A powered airplane (anything from a Super Cub to a turbine powered Air Tractor) is attached to the glider via a tow rope, which is about 200 feet long. Once the glider pilot gives the go ahead over the airport’s CTAF, then the tow plane begins it’s takeoff roll, pulling the glider along behind it.
The glider becomes airborne prior to the tow plane, then the tow plane will circle the airport environment till it get’s to the pre-determined altitude to release the glider. Some tows are pattern tows and some are higher (not usually above 3,000 AGL), depending on the request from the glider pilot. Once the altitude is reached, the glider pilot pulls a handle in the glider to release the tow rope, then begins his glide. The rope stays attached to the tail of the tow plane, which in turn descends back down to the runway and lands. The tow plane also has a tow rope release handle in case of emergency.
On this particular tow, the plan was to tow the glider up to 3,000 AGL. Upon reaching 2,500 AGL, the glider pilot called me on the radio and stated that his rear canopy had opened up. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough, the rear canopy was fully opened while he was still in level flight behind me. I asked him if he wanted me to tow him closer to the field, but he didn’t reply.
Now, as an experienced tow pilot, I know a glider canopy popping open should not be an emergency situation. It’s definitely abnormal, but would be similar to a door or window popping open in a powered airplane. Not a big deal. If too much force from the relative wind is applied to the canopy, it would snap off; however, a glider can easily land without a rear canopy.
About 5 seconds after I radioed the pilot (and received no reply), I felt my tail instantaneously lift up into a completely vertical position, which caused my nose to go straight down. The next thing I knew, a whole lot of earth suddenly filled my windscreen and I was in what’s known as a graveyard spiral.
A graveyard spiral (as defined from the Airplane Flying Handbook pg 4-23), “is a descending turn during which airspeed and G-load can increase rapidly….the airplane is flying very tight circles, in a nearly vertical attitude and will be accelerating since it isn’t stalled.” It’s also known as a spiral dive.
Back to the story. At this point, I tried to reach for the glider release handle. Unfortunately, due to the shoulder straps holding me against the seat, plus the g’s, and also the quart of oil and tow bar that flew forward and hit me in the back of the head, I couldn’t reach it. I was semi-upside down at a certain point, which dislodged the oil and tow bar from the floor of the baggage compartment. They sailed over the seat and nearly gave me a concussion.
At this point, 2,500 feet above the ground, I had a choice to either fight for my life at a very low altitude or to sit back and become part of a big explosion.
I decided to fight for my life.
As I was spiraling to the ground, I felt the tow rope snap. Up to this point, I had still been attached to the glider. The rope snapping was a good thing, as my airplane was now under my control, not attached to, and being affected by, a glider (more on that later). I now had a lifeline, no pun intended.
After I felt the rope snap, my instincts and training kicked in. I initiated the spin recovery procedure using the PARE acronym. This task was difficult to do as I had a lot of debris flying from the rear of the plane to the front, blocking my view out of the windshield. There was also debris around my feet, hampering my ability to use the rudder pedals. The spiral finally stopped and I recovered approximately 500 feet above the tree tops. It took my heart a lot longer to stop spinning.
After barely regaining my emotions, I tried to evaluate the condition of the plane. Were all the pieces of the plane still there, was the engine damaged, did my control surfaces still work?
Once I advanced the throttle and saw an increase in my engine RPM, I started an immediate climb to give me altitude to get back to the airport. I had engine power but I wasn’t sure how long it would last if I had damage. Now, what they don’t teach you during spin training is that when this happens unexpectedly, you will become very disorientated. You have just been spiraling unexpectedly and your equilibrium will be out of whack. As I leveled out just over the tree tops, I was too low to visually see any landmarks, nor could I see the airport. Once I was able to climb, I was able to orient myself and figure out where the airport was.
I had to be very careful getting back to the airport and landing without radio communication, since my radio was knocked out with all of the FOD from the baggage area. Thankfully, the landing was uneventful. After I landed, I saw the glider limp in over the trees. The rear canopy was totally gone, while the front canopy and other parts of the glider had suffered major damage. Miraculously, my airplane wasn’t damaged, except for the wire from the radio which came loose during the spiral.
So, how did all this happen, you ask? Well, the glider pilot made 2 huge mistakes. First, in gliding, the moment the glider pilot loses visual sight of the tow plane, you are supposed to release the tow rope. He did not do that and almost killed both of us.
Second, as pilots we are taught to always fly the airplane first. Everything else, no matter what it is, always comes after flying the airplane. As I stated previously, the loose canopy is not an emergency situation, but since the glider pilot did not aviate first and was distracted, it was almost a fatal day for 2 people and 2 airframes.
So, what caused this chain of events? By getting distracted by the open canopy, the glider pilot inadvertently pulled back on the stick while trying to close the canopy. Then, by not releasing the glider from the tow plane, the glider pilot climbed rapidly with an excessive rate of climb while still being attached to me. The rapid climb is what pulled my tail up, causing my nose to drop and put me into the spiral. The tow rope snapping set into motion my recovery, since up till that point, I literally had no control. An extremely high lift wing was attached to my tail, pulling it up, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
We all spend time practicing and demonstrating emergency maneuvers during our flight training and during flight reviews. Many times you might think, I’ll never need to use this stuff. Thankfully, some of the procedures I learned in the past kicked in at a time of need, even though my heart was beating out of my chest.
At some point in every pilot’s career, some type of spin training or Upset Recovery Training would be highly recommended. Then, when things go wrong, remember to always aviate first, then handle all the other things that need to be handled.
Interested in spin training or Upset Recovery Training (UPRT)? Check out the list of Malibu & M-Class Owner’s and Pilot’s Association (MMOPA) approved UPRT vendors and schedule UPRT training today.
Want to make it better than a Cirrus or a Cessna TTx?
Meet the team at RDD creating the LX7. Just make sure you are sitting down as you are about to be blown away.
RDD (Research. Design. Development) is a professional building company for the Lancair line of experimental aircraft (Lancair unveiled the Mako at Osh Kosh this summer, which performs slightly less than the advertised values of the LX7, but is available as a new kit). For those unfamiliar with the experimental world, when an experimental kit is bought, the owner/builder can build the entire aircraft himself, partially build it then send it to a completion center, or have a professional build company put it together. This last option is what RDD did with Lancair aircraft before Lancair moved from Oregon to Uvalde, TX.
Once Lancair was sold, RDD started thinking on how to make the IV-P better. Boy, did they. What resulted is the LX7.
The LX7 is a retractable gear, single engine piston, pressurized aircraft that sits 4. See it on the ramp and it looks like a Lancair or a Columbia. Sit in the cockpit and you’ll know something is different.
Starting with the power plant, RDD put a Continental TSIO 550-E engine in the IV-P airframe, giving the airplane 350 HP. They redesigned the wing to hold 180 gallons of usable fuel and a much better stalling envelope (anyone who has looked at a Lancair IV or IV-P wing knows that there isn’t much wiggle room with angle of attack on those airplanes), lowering the stall speed to 62 knots dirty.
The cabin is roomier and the panel is beautiful. Equipped with 2 or 3 Garmin G3X Touch panels (the experimental equivalent of the G2000), plus a GTN 750 and a fully digital backup flight instrument from Grand Rapids, plus ESP technology built in to the autopilot, this plane seems like a pilot’s dream.
I haven’t even gotten to the best part: the speed. Being pressurized, the LX7 has a 25,000 foot service ceiling where it can achieve cruise speeds of 260 knots at best power (24 GPH) and 250 knots at best economy (18 GPH).
Yes, I did just say 250 knots at 18 GPH in a single engine piston.
Worried about an experimental? The airframe is equipped with a full BRS system similar to the Cirrus SR22, keeping everyone safe and sound.
There is one flying LX7 currently and RDD is working on 3 more. The price tag for the full conversion is $550,000. The kicker is, the owner has to provide the Lancair IV-P airframe. There are currently 10 Lancair IV-Ps for sale on Controller, varying in price from $200,000-$400,000, bringing the total price of the project to $750,000-$950,000. Owners who already have a IV-P or a IV-P kit can send it on over to RDD to get started on their project.
Recently, I was training a customer who had a brand new instrument panel installed in his TBM 700. The avionics shop that did the work (Abilene Aero, who I highly recommend for any panel installs, located at KABI) told us when we picked the plane up that the new Garmin GTN 750Xi had the most recent software update, which included the Garmin Smart Glide.
I had never used the Garmin Smart Glide before, so I was eager to check it out during our training. When we got to engine failures, we pushed the Emergency button on the Home page of the GTN 750Xi, and then the magic happened.
The plane was also equipped with a Garmin G600TXi PFD and the Garmin GFC 600 Autopilot. In order for Smart Glide to work, there has to be either a GTN 750Xi or GTN 650Xi installed, along with a G500TXi or G600TXi and a Garmin Autopilot. Garmin is working on getting the legacy G500 as well as the GI 275 and G5 to work with the above GPS units for Smart Glide as well.
Here’s what happens. The plane loses it’s engine. The pilot’s workload and stress level suddenly goes way up. Trim the airplane for best glide, find the nearest airport, attempt restart. Do it quickly so you have time to focus on the glide. Oh yeah, squawk 7700 and declare your emergency. All the while plummeting toward the ground in a somewhat controlled crash. Yikes.
Garmin Smart Glide takes over the flying part, allowing the pilot to handle the restart, while making it much easier to squawk, talk and plan the engine out landing. On the home page of the GTN 750Xi/650Xi, the pilot simply taps the Emergency icon on the bottom of the screen. The Autopilot comes on and goes into IAS mode and maintains best glide while descending. The GPS immediately analyzes the Glide Advisor, and turns to the nearest airport in the glide ring (if there is no airport within gliding distance, the GTN 750Xi advises the pilot). Then, the Autopilot flies directly to the Nearest airport, allowing the pilot the ability to take attempt a restart.
Once it is determined that the engine won’t start, the Garmin Smart Glide has excellent situation awareness tools. On all screens, the pilot is constantly being advised of how high AGL the plane is currently, while advising also of how high AGL the plane will be over the airport that the glide is set up for. There is also a short cut on the screen to tap to squawk 7700 as well as runway length information at the airport.
The Garmin Smart Glide Button wasn’t installed yet in the TBM, but that will make things even easier when it is (it will be certified in January). This is amazing technology that all Garmin GTN 750Xi pilots should have their software updated to. Remember, you have to have a Garmin Autopilot and a Garmin PFD for it all to work.
On March 30th, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order mandating that all travelers (including Texas air travelers operating or traveling in private aircraft) from the following designated areas were to self-quarantine for 14 days (or the extent of their stay in Texas, whichever was shorter) upon entering the State:
California
Louisiana
Washington State
Atlanta, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois
Detroit, Michigan
Miami, Florida
If you traveled to Texas by air from any of the above designated areas, you are required to fill out the Arrivals from Areas Designated for Mandatory Self-Quarantine Form. Failure to do so could lead to a $1,000 fine or 180 days in jail, or both. For private aircraft owners/operators, put your Tail Number in for Flight Number and “Private” for Airline.
Aircraft owners, stay away from the designated areas listed above and you won’t have any worries. A lot of you reading this are from Texas, so make Louisiana a fly over state for now and don’t make any landings in Cajun country.
Some of a pilot’s favorite words are heard on the ATIS: “Winds, Calm.” These words set off all sorts of happy bells and hallelujah choruses. Most pilots spend their lives fighting the winds. On those rare days when the winds are calm, great happiness ensues.
But, are calm wind landings more complicated then everyone thinks? Well, they can be if the proper planning doesn’t go into them.
Let’s think about wind. We have surface wind and we have winds aloft. Sometimes the surface winds are calm. When this happens, certain airports have preferred calm wind runways which are supposed to be used in these conditions. Winds aloft are almost never calm. 95% of the time, there is some kind of wind even 100-200 feet above the surface.
Here is the question pilot’s face when coming into an airport with calm winds: which runway do I use? Do I use the calm wind runway? Do I use the runway that is easiest to enter the pattern for? Do I use the one with the shortest taxi?
A lot of technologically advanced aircraft have a wind indicator on the PFD. This tool is often forgotten in calm surface wind conditions. On the contrary, this is probably the most important tool a pilot can have when figuring out which runway to use when the winds are reported calm.
Here’s why. That wind indicator is showing the pilot what the winds aloft are. The winds aloft should determine what runway is going to be used. If the wind indicator is depicting a south wind, then a south runway should be used. Even if it is a 5 knot wind at pattern altitude, it’ll still be a headwind coming in on final approach. If the north facing runway is used, that same 5 knot headwind can blow an airplane halfway down the runway before the ground speed drops off enough for it to land.
So, the next time you are coming into an airport and the winds are reported calm, take a look at your wind indicator on your PFD when deciding which runway to use. It’ll probably save a few go arounds!
Note: For this article I am comparing a 2008 Cirrus SR20 G3 and a 2008 Diamond DA40 XLS.
Aircraft shopping can be a tedious process. First, a buyer needs to know what the mission is. How far will flights typically be, how many people will be on board, and how fast does the airplane need to be. Then, the buyer has to figure out what the budget is. Finally, a prospective owner needs to figure out how much airplane he or she can handle.
Two very good airplanes for newer pilots transitioning from a flight school 172 who need a faster airplane to build experience in, but also want to experience a glass panel, are the Cirrus SR20 G3 and the Diamond DA40 XLS.
Cirrus SR20 G3
The 2008 Cirrus SR20 G3 is a good airplane. The G3 is equipped with the 6 cylinder, Continental IO-360-ES, 200 HP engine. Performance-wise, an owner can expect 135-140 knots true at 9 GPH (Lean of Peak) or 145-150 knots true at 11.5-12 GPH (Rich of Peak). The 3 blade propeller equipped models have better takeoff and climb performance than the 2 blade propeller equipped planes, especially in high density altitude conditions.
The airplane is equipped with the Avidyne Entegra EX 5000 glass panel system. Most models out there will have Avidyne’s CMAX (Chart View) and all will have the Avidyne EMAX (Engine Monitoring). All came from the factory with the STEC 55x autopilot (though a handful will have the STEC 55 SR, which doesn’t have glideslope functionality). They also came from the factory with dual Garmin 430s. Most units have been upgraded to WAAS.
Some owners have upgraded the autopilot to the Avidyne DFC 90, which is a nice upgrade. The STEC 55x is a rate based autopilot which takes it’s commands from a hidden turn coordinator that is behind the instrument panel in front of the co-pilot’s seat. The STEC has some crosswind limitations on approaches where the pilot can actually fly better than the autopilot.
The DFC 90, however, is an attitude based autopilot that takes it’s commands from the attitude indicator on the Primary Flight Display (PFD). It also adds a Straight and Level button as well as an Indicated Airspeed hold button, adding safety and functionality. It does much better in crosswinds on an instrument approach then the STEC.
A select few SR20s have been upgraded to a single (or dual) Garmin GTN 650 touch screen GPS unit. The GTN 650 is a very nice upgrade. The Garmin 430 is a great unit, but the learning curve with the GTN 650 is much less. The touch screen setup makes a little more sense to the new user.
Values on the 2008 SR20 G3 with 1,000 hours or less run somewhere between $220,000-$260,000, depending on total time and equipment.
Diamond DA40 XLS
A handful of 2007 XLS DA40s were made, but not many. Most XLS models you will see are 2008 and later. These are equipped with the Lycoming IO-360, 4 cylinder, 180 HP engine with the Powerflow Exhaust STC. Due to the Powerflow Exhaust, the performance is equal to the SR20. At 6,000-8,000 feet, you will routinely see 140 knots true at 10-10.5 GPH. Higher altitudes will give slightly better performance and lower fuel burn. Like the SR20, the Diamond DA40 XLS comes with either a 2 blade or 3 blade prop. Go with the 3 blade as the takeoff and climb performance is much better.
Where the DA40 XLS has a leg up on the 2008 SR20 G3 Avidyne is in the avionics. Diamond got on the Garmin G1000 train a little sooner than Cirrus did and the XLS is equipped with the G1000 and GFC 700 autopilot. The Garmin GFC 700 autopilot is the best GA autopilot I have flown with. It is an amazing piece of equipment.
Most, if not all, DA40 XLS models will have both WAAS and Synthetic Vision. Cirrus didn’t get Synthetic Vision till they put the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin in their aircraft in the middle of 2008.
The DA40 has great visibility due to the massive amount of glass surrounding the pilot. The big glider wings give it excellent pop off the runway, but quite a different climb pitch attitude than most other piston single engine airplanes. The airplane does like to float on landing if the pilot doesn’t get the speed right.
Values on the 2008 Diamond DA40 XLS equipped with the Garmin G1000 are around the low-mid $200,000 range.
Comparison
Performance wise, the airplanes are about equal. Rich of peak, the Cirrus out performs the Diamond, but uses more fuel. Both have about 5 hour ranges (though the Cirrus has bigger fuel tanks, 56 gallons usable compared to the Diamond long range tanks of 50 gallons usable). Useful load is slightly better in the Diamond due to the fact that the Lycoming engine has 2 fewer cylinders than the Cirrus. The Cirrus does have a roomier back seat, a larger baggage area, and a side stick instead of a center stick, but the DA40 has a back door. The Cirrus also has the CAPS system, though an owner has to do a $15,000 repack every ten years. Airplane values are about the same.
I give a slight edge to the Diamond, though, and here’s why. For about the same price, a purchaser can get the Garmin G1000 system complete with the GFC 700 autopilot in the DA40 XLS. The Avidyne and STEC system is great, but the Garmin system is definitely above and beyond. To get the Garmin G1000 in an SR20, you’d have to look at the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin, which came out in late 2008, and you’d be paying $300,000 or more for a single engine piston with 200 HP (though you do get Air Conditioning!).
So for my money, I would go for the Diamond DA40 XLS. I believe you get a little bit more bang for your buck and you don’t lose anything with the DA40 XLS. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Cirrus, but comparing the two, I think the Diamond DA40 XLS rates a little higher.
One Comment
If Epic adds the g3000 and the auto land system it will be the ultimate personal aircraft.
If Epic adds the g3000 and the auto land system it will be the ultimate personal aircraft.