The Malibu & M-Class Owner’s and Pilot’s Association recently released their MMOPA Vision Video. It is a great video detailing the history of the Piper PA46 & the history of MMOPA. The PA46 would have ceased to exist without the founding of the original Malibu Coalition.
Checkout the video above (and Texas Top Aviation’s Hank Gibson even gets a cameo!).
You just bought your Cirrus SR22. You do some flying, and soon find yourself with a brake temp sticker that isn’t white anymore. You remember from your transition training that any color other than white is a no go. You now ponder…. I don’t remember getting on the brakes hard, or riding the brakes while taxiing, but sure enough they aren’t white anymore. You now start thinking that all the horrible rumors of Cirrus brakes are true. They overheat so fast!
I would like to share some little-known facts about the Cirrus factory equipped braking system. Following the procedures below can help make the brakes last a little longer. There is also a very popular STC that allows upgraded brakes to be installed on all SR series aircraft. More to come on that.
Above is a photograph of an SR22 G1 braking system with turned brake temp stickers. The first things you may notice is that there are in fact two brake temperature stickers. We can only see the bottom blue sticker from the inspection port on the wheel pants. The other is higher on the caliper; in order to see it, the wheel pant must be removed. This isn’t common knowledge because there is no mention of this additional indicator in the POH.
Now you may be asking yourself, what can I do to extend the service life of my factory equipped Cirrus brakes? Here are some tips. First, always taxi at 1000 RPM and use the rudder as much as you can while only tapping the brakes. This is not fool proof, since sometimes, depending on the grade, you will have no choice but to utilize brake tapping to keep the aircraft going straight. Taxiing is not typically where the brakes get overheated, though, but this is still a good practice to follow.
What we tend to see is that the Cleveland brakes are generally overheated on landing. We always recommend to make sure your final approach speed is not excessive, land in the first 1/3 of the runway, and let the aircraft rollout to a smooth stop. What tends to happen is that the aircraft is too fast, and the pilot tries to exit at a certain taxi way, or brakes hard and continues to ride the brakes after landing during taxi. If you do your best to avoid these habits, it will serve you well.
This braking system remained unchanged all the way until the 2016 G5 Cirrus SR series. Starting in 2016, the factory equipped G5 and G6 Cirrus SR series all now come standard with a single piston hydraulic braking system from Beringer. The Cirrus Beringer brakes far exceed the braking power and durability of the old system. The new system is more robust, withstands heat better, and is is very well built. There is also an option for an upgraded dual caliper system to increase durability and stopping power. A braking system STC for the older Cirrus G1 through early G5 models was created to upgrade those airplanes to the better stopping power and cooling of the Cirrus Beringer brakes.
One other difference for a pilot to note is that once upgraded to the Cirrus Beringer brakes, there is only one temperature indicator and it changes color at a whopping 450 Degrees Fahrenheit! Needless to say, it can handle some heat! The new temperature indicator is now Orange in color and turns grey/black when overheated.
The Cirrus Beringer brakes upgrade is quite a step up in the world of slowing down. However, this doesn’t mean that they are completely issue free. There is one little-known problem with Beringer brakes that is not that big of a deal and can be fixed with relative ease.
The rotor on the Beringer braking systems is “free floating,” meaning it is not necessarily “fixed” in position when secured down to the spindle. It is “keyed” into the wheel rim with the male and female side interlocking.
The brakes occasionally will get noisy, causing a “knocking” noise when brakes are applied. This noise is caused by the small metal tabs that tighten up the space between the wheel and the brake rotor. This is so the small tabs wear with use instead of the aluminum rim that they are fixed to. So, if your Beringers are making a knocking noise when brakes applied, this is most likely your culprit.
It is highly recommended to upgrade your original Cirrus factory brakes to the new Beringer braking system. You will deal with less maintenance, less chance of a brake overheat, and less confusion on whether or not your brakes are airworthy. For more info, you can check out the Cirrus website for the single or dual caliper Beringer brakes.
Zach Anderson is a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP) for Texas Top Aviation. Zach comes from a auto mechanic background and is very familiar with the ins and outs of maintenance. He started working for Texas Top Aviation in December 2020.
Late last year, the Diamond Aircraft Corporation announced a brand new twin engine, the Diamond DA62. At first glance, this is a pretty cool airplane. It seats 7 passengers, spread out amongst 3 rows, with 2 massive doors, leading to an “SUV” type feel, according to Flying Magazine. That is only one of the “neato” features of the Diamond DA62.
The thing that will make pilots believers is the fuel burn. According to Flying Magazine, which did a test flight of the airplane, at 14,000 feet and 60% power, the airplane was only burning 12 GPH, but still doing 170 KTAS. Remember, this is a twin. That’s about the same as a normally aspirated Cirrus SR22 at the same altitude.
How does Diamond do it? Jet A. The company put two Austro AE330, 170 Horsepower, Jet A burning piston engines on the Diamond DA62. You may say, well, yeah, at 60% power, that’s great, but I want to go places. How much fuel does it burn then? Even at max continuous power of 95%, it’s still only burning 18.5 GPH total and cruising at 195 knots. Paying Jet A prices, that’s pretty sweet.
The range on the airplane is quite nice too. Again, according to Flying Magazine, the range with full fuel (86.4 gallons with aux tanks) is about 1,300 miles. You can carry the whole family too, as the full fuel payload is 1,000 pounds. Golf clubs? No problem. Just stick them in the nose.
The Diamond DA62 is probably one of the easiest twins to manage, engine-wise, too. The Fully Automated Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system that Diamond installed leaves the pilot with only 2 power levers, instead of 6 on the typical piston twin. All that needs to be done at cruise is set a percent power and the FADEC computer does the rest.
Need air conditioning, built in oxygen, and TKS? Diamond can set you up. The G1000 system complete with digital backup instruments is standard in the airplane. What more can you really ask for?
If you haven’t figured it out, I really like this airplane and would be aching to fly it. I enjoy the DA40 and have a good amount of DA42 experience, but I’d really like to hop in a Diamond DA62.
Read the whole Flying Magazine article here.
Sources: Flyingmag.com
The FAA has decided to discontinue the dedicated En Route Flight Advisory (EFAS or Flight Watch) frequency 122.0. The effective date will be September 24th, but Flight Service will continue to monitor the frequency for an additional six months to direct pilots to Flight Service Station frequencies.
EFAS services will still be provided by Flight Service, though, on the published Flight Service Station frequencies (and 122.2).
To me, this makes some sense. In the past, if I accidentally contacted Flight Service on one of their frequencies to issue a pilot report or get a weather update, they would send me over to Flight Watch on 122.0. More than likely, the Flight Watch operator was sitting right next to the Flight Service operator, but I had to flip frequencies. This will help alleviate some confusion for pilots.
The deactivation of Flight Watch had been coming for years since the advent of Foreflight and other iPad and tablet apps giving pilots much easier access to weather, both in flight and on the ground. With Nexrad and Stratus, there isn’t much need for Flight Watch anymore (though you still can’t file a PIREP over the XM Weather!).
For more information, check out AOPA’s website.
When I was working on my instrument rating back in 2007, my instructor and I did a lot of unpublished holds. In ground school, I heard a lot about holding for weather or holding due to a traffic delay. At my first job, my chief flight instructor was also a Continental (now United) captain and he told me a lot about having to hold for weather going into different places.
I heard all this, but I figured it would never happen to me when I’m flying GA airplanes.
Boy was I wrong!
I was flying a Piper Malibu into Phoenix with two passengers for Super Bowl weekend and the weather was awful. No thunderstorms, but moderate precipitation and low ceilings. We were coming into Deer Valley (KDVT) on the north side of Phoenix and about an hour out, ATC advised me that arrivals into DVT were having to hold and to expect a delay. The controller said the delay would be about 30 minutes, so by doing a quick calculation, I determined the delay would probably be all cleared up by the time I got in the area. At the time, I didn’t know if the delay was due to weather or traffic congestion.
Twenty minutes later, the controller advised me that there was still a delay. I queried what it was for and he informed me it was due to weather. He asked me if I wanted to hold or divert. I listened to the ATIS and heard the ceilings were variable from just below the minimums to just above. I told him I would hold as the TAF I saw predicted the ceilings to go up.
“Malibu, hold present position, hold east, expect further clearance 2140 Zulu.” Gulp.
At this point, my autopilot had gone out, it was turbulent and I was definitely in the soup. This was going to be fun.
After recovering my wits, I read back the clearance, then set about setting up this hold without getting too far from my present position. The Malibu I was flying had a Garmin 530 which I was using as my primary means of navigation. I was on V190, but I didn’t have all the fixes in my flight plan. What to do? And what to do fast?
The 530 has a rarely used function called a User Waypoint. It comes in handy in situations like these. On the moving map, you can turn the cursor on, move the cursor to any point on the map, and, by pressing enter, create a User Waypoint. This is what I did on V190. After I created it, I had to go to my flight plan, find the right spot, and input the User Waypoint just like I would any fix. Just a note here, when you create a User Waypoint, make sure you remember what you named it so you can find it again.
After I input the User Waypoint in the flight plan, I had to go back and activate the leg that the User Waypoint was the end point on. Then, to make sure the flight plan didn’t go to the next waypoint once I crossed my User Waypoint, I had to press the OBS button on the 530 in order to put the GPS in suspend mode.
Keep in mind, my autopilot wasn’t working, so this involved a lot of multi-tasking!
That’s how to do a present position hold using the Garmin 530. Got all that? Here’s a concise review:
In the realm of buying airplanes, navigating through the complexities of the market can be as challenging as piloting through turbulent skies. Whether you’re a seasoned aircraft owner or a new pilot looking to acquire your first aircraft, enlisting the expertise of an airplane broker can significantly streamline the buying process. Here are some compelling reasons why engaging an airplane broker is a smart move for buyers:
While purchasing an aircraft can be a daunting endeavor, enlisting the services of an airplane broker can turn the journey into a smooth and rewarding experience. With their expertise, industry connections, and commitment to client satisfaction, brokers empower buyers to make informed decisions, secure the best possible deal, and embark on their aviation adventures with confidence. So, whether you’re in the market for a single-engine propeller plane or a luxurious corporate jet, consider partnering with an airplane broker to navigate the skies of aircraft acquisition with ease.
Texas Top Aviation, LLC has 10 years of experience helping our customers purchase amazing airplanes. We specialize in TBM, Piper PA46, Cirrus and Columbia aircraft, but have extensive knowledge about a wide variety of piston and turbine aircraft. Contact us today to discuss our services for your next airplane.
When I was doing my instrument and multi-engine training, we did a lot of circle to land approaches. As a student, I could never figure out why these types of approaches would ever be practical when you could an approach straight in to another runway. But, as a good student, I never asked my instructors the purpose of them, I just did them to the best of my ability.
Now, having been flying in the IFR system for almost a decade, I’m finally beginning to fully understand the practical purpose of a circle to land approach. I have actually elected to do an approach where I had to circle to land on several occasions in actual IMC conditions.
One important note to remember on circle to land approaches is that the minimum descent altitude (MDA) is always higher than on a straight in approach. The reason for this is that you are basically joining the pattern for a different runway and you have to be able to visually keep yourself clear of towers and other obstacles. So, you need a higher visibility and a higher ceiling than if you were just lining up to come straight in.
Here are a couple of practical circumstances where it would make sense to do a circle to land approach.
This one is easy. There are a number of airports scattered around the US that have only 1 straight in instrument approach published for it. Around my part of Texas, the first one that pops into my mind is the RNAV 31 at T85 in Yoakum, TX. Most of the year, the prevailing wind is out of the south, so 13 is the favored runway at T85. During the winter is when most of the IMC weather happens in South Texas, so that is why the approach is for 31.
Of course, especially this year during the summer, there are some IMC days where an approach to T85 would be necessary. When there is a strong wind out of the south, landing on 31 is impractical, so a pilot would fly the approach to 31, then circle to land on 13.
Take a look at the RNAV 19 at KBMQ, Burnet, TX. The two initial approach fixes (IAF) are IXANY and JIBAJ. If a flight is approaching BMQ from the west or north, this is an easy approach to join. If a flight is coming from Austin (directly the the east and a little south) or San Antonio (almost directly south), it would be a bit of extra flying to get configured properly for the approach. Especially coming from Austin, because the degree of turn to join at JIBAJ wouldn’t make the approach practical.
Well, how about vectors? Unfortunately, Houston Center doesn’t have this approach depicted so vectors aren’t a possibility. Center can give you vectors north to make the angle a little easier to join at JIBAJ, but they can’t vector you onto the approach.
Direct DLORA to join is another option, but again, if you are approaching from the southeast, the angle is wrong.
Insert the RNAV 01 approach with a circle to land. AMUSE is right on V163, so it’s really easy to join the approach there coming from the south. Coming from Austin, joining the approach at SUBIE works out great. Fly down to the MDA, join the left downwind for 19, and everyone is happy.
Every instrument pilot has had an instructor “force” them to do a VOR A or VOR B approach and no one enjoys them. I personally think they are good practice. With the number of RNAV systems and RNAV approaches out there, though, VOR approaches are becoming a bit archaic.
They do have a place in this discussion, though. A VOR approach is given an A or B designation when the angle of the final approach course is greater than 30 degrees to the runway (VOR A KLZZ), or the final approach course is lined up with the runway, but the MDA is too high to practically descend and land (VOR A KGRK or the VOR/DME C KASE).
So, there are practical uses for a Circle to Land approach. The next time you do some IMC work with an instructor, ask him/her if you can include one.
