Sadly, Texas Top Aviation is having to cancel it’s 2020 Santa Fe Fly In due to COVID. New Mexico has continued to implement travel restrictions, making it difficult for Texas Top Aviation to complete the event.
Mark your calendars now, though, as Texas Top Aviation has scheduled is 2021 Fly In. We are returning to the Lajitas Golf Resort in the Big Bend area of Texas. The event will be March 24th-26th, 2021. Stay tuned for more information. We hope to see you there!
I’ve noticed that a lot of general aviation pilots tend to ignore the flight director on the attitude indicator. A lot of pilots don’t even know what it’s there for or how to use it. Talk to any airline pilot, though, and he or she will tell you how important the flight director actually is.
In most high performance airplanes, the flight director comes on when the autopilot comes on. Essentially, the autopilot is following the flight director, which tells the autopilot where to go. The flight director can also be used with the autopilot off, when hand flying an approach, for example. By turning the flight director on, it will show you where you need to fly to stay on course and on glide slope.
The flight director is most often controlled by the autopilot controller. The same buttons you use to put the autopilot in heading mode also tells the flight director to follow the heading bug when the autopilot is off. When you move the heading bug (or change course on the GPS, depending on which mode you have selected), the flight director will show you when you need to turn and when you need to stop turning. It directs your flight attitude, hence the name.
I recently discovered it’s a great backup when you have some instruments on the fritz. I went on a long flight in a steam gauge Piper Malibu and the attitude indicator started reading erratically. While flying straight and level, it would randomly indicate that I was in a 10 degree bank to the right, swing back and show wings level, then show a 3 degree turn left. This went on for a while. We were in VMC conditions, so legality wasn’t a problem, but it was kind of disorienting.
After a little while of this, the autopilot started acting up. It would start oscillating the pitch up and down, making it seem like we were going through a moguls course in the air. I ended up turning the autopilot off and hand flying the airplane.
This led to a conundrum, since my attitude indicator was unreliable. I could definitely look outside, since it was VMC, seeing when I was level and when I wasn’t. That would create a higher workload for me, which on a long flight like I was on, would lead to an increase in fatigue. The solution? The flight director!
I turned the autopilot off, but I left the flight director up. It wasn’t referencing the bank angle that the attitude indicator was showing since the KFC 150 goes off of the turn coordinator. So, if I just followed the attitude indicator, I could just keep scanning the instruments and relieve a little bit of my workload.
It actually worked really well. By just following the flight director, I was able to stay on course and on altitude with only minor attitude adjustments whenever we hit turbulence.
So, if you’re attitude indicator and autopilot decide to stop working on you, then bring up the flight director, push the same buttons you would if you were using the autopilot, and it works as a great backup.
I’ve noticed that a lot of general aviation pilots tend to ignore the flight director on the attitude indicator. A lot of pilots don’t even know what it’s there for or how to use it. Talk to any airline pilot, though, and he or she will tell you how important the flight director actually is….
Earlier this month, Cirrus announced the new Cirrus G6 SR20 and SR22. To the naked eye, they look like incredible airplanes. There is new lighting and the updated Cirrus Perspective+ avionics in both models, plus the SR20 is now a Lycoming powered airplane.
The Perspective+ in the Cirrus G6 is based on Garmin’s G1000 NXi platform. The keypad is updated to a QWERTY keypad, allowing for quicker inputting of data since our fingers are already used to the setup. A home button was added to the center stack to get back to the map page without having to hold down the CLR key. The bug knobs were moved down to the autopilot, while the display of the GFC 700 was altered slightly to match the Vision Jet setup.
The Perspective+ also boasts a 10-fold increase in processor speed, allowing the system to move quicker than the standard Perspective. The ability to wirelessly update databases has also been included.
The exterior of the Cirrus G6 SR22 and SR20 models has changed as well. Cirrus has added the Spectra wing tip lighting system to the Cirrus G6. It incorporates an entire light panel that runs the length of the wing tip. The LED dual strobe setup helps with aircraft visibility and ramp appeal.
The SR20 engine has been changed to the Lycoming IO-390, 215 HP engine. The Continental IO-360-ES 6 cylinder engine comes out of the SR20 and the 4 cylinder Lycoming goes in. 2 less cylinders will help with useful load and the extra 15 HP will help with takeoff and climb performance.
The new Cirrus G6 is available for order and delivery immediately. To read all the details and specs on the Cirrus G6, you can check out Cirrus’ website.
Earlier this month, Cirrus announced the new Cirrus G6 SR20 and SR22. To the naked eye, they look like incredible airplanes. There is new lighting and the updated Cirrus Perspective+ avionics in both models, plus the SR20 is now a Lycoming powered airplane. The Perspective+ in the Cirrus G6 is based on Garmin’s G1000 NXi…
The 2022 Fly In Season kicks off March 4th-5th with the US Aircraft Expo at the Addison, TX Airport (KADS). Cutter Aviation at KADS will be the host for the event. All the major and minor aviation manufacturers will have static aircraft displays. Come see all the new Cirrus innovations, the Piper M600, and the Diamond DA62. All the latest and greatest technology will be available for your viewing enjoyment.
If you are planning on flying in, the FBOs at ADS are Million Air and Atlantic.
The event will run from 10am-3pm on both days, March 4th and March 5th.
For more info, check out the US Aircraft Expo website.
Don’t forget to check out other big fly in events in 2022: Sun N Fun, the Texas Top Aviation Fly In at Santa Fe, and Osh Kosh!
The 2022 Fly In Season kicks off March 4th-5th with the US Aircraft Expo at the Addison, TX Airport (KADS). Cutter Aviation at KADS will be the host for the event. All the major and minor aviation manufacturers will have static aircraft displays. Come see all the new Cirrus innovations, the Piper M600, and the…
Congratulations to Monte James who, on July 31, 2014, completed his first solo flight! Monte is the owner of N565TV, a 2007 Turbonormalized Cirrus SR22. N565TV is a G3 model with an Avidyne panel. Monte was very excited to complete his solo flight. He reported very good landings during the flight (he even said the last landing, which was probably his best yet, caused him to break into laughter!). Texas Top Aviation’s Hank Gibson, Monte’s instructor, took pictures and continued the tradition of cutting Monte’s shirt tail to commemorate the flight.
Congratulations to Monte!
Congratulations to Monte James who, on July 31, 2014, completed his first solo flight! Monte is the owner of N565TV, a 2007 Turbonormalized Cirrus SR22. N565TV is a G3 model with an Avidyne panel. Monte was very excited to complete his solo flight. He reported very good landings during the flight (he even said…
Hank Gibson from Texas Top Aviation will be presenting a seminar on flying Garmin instrument approaches with the different Garmin GPS units. Whether you have a Garmin 530/430 unit, a Garmin GTN 750/650 unit, or a Garmin G1000, all will be discussed. You’ll walk away with some tips and tricks, plus a better understanding of your Garmin unit.
WINGs credit will be given for attending. The seminar is hosted by Redbird Skyport at the San Marcos Airport (KHYI) in Redbird’s large conference room. The seminar will begin at 10am on Saturday, June 30th, 2018.
It’s always quicker to fly than drive and Redbird has plenty of ramp space to accommodate seminar attendees.
Registration is required. Please visit the registration page on FAASafety.gov. Space is limited to 20 individuals, so please make sure you register if you want to attend.
Hank Gibson from Texas Top Aviation will be presenting a seminar on flying Garmin instrument approaches with the different Garmin GPS units. Whether you have a Garmin 530/430 unit, a Garmin GTN 750/650 unit, or a Garmin G1000, all will be discussed. You’ll walk away with some tips and tricks, plus a better understanding of…
Back in the old days, when flying an approach in an early Cirrus SR22 (circa 2004; yes, in airplane technology, those were the old days), performing a missed approach procedure was a lot of work. You were low to the ground and weren’t able to see the runway. Then, you had to start climbing so you don’t hit the ground, then push a lot of buttons in order to get the GPS and autopilot set fly the missed approach procedure. It was very easy to get distracted with button pushing, then forget to fly the airplane, putting yourself and passengers in very unsafe circumstances. The go around button has changed all that.
Let’s stick with our example of the 2004 Cirrus. The SR22 in 2004 was equipped with the Avidyne Entegra system, complete with dual Garmin 430 GPS units, and an STEC 55x Autopilot. A very capable IFR flying machine (we could use the same example of a 2004 or 2005 Lancair Columbia 350 or 400 that was equipped the same way, except the screens were vertical instead of horizontal).
We’ll use the ILS 15 at the Temple airport, KTPL, for our example. You pass TPL, the outer marker at 1,683 with the glide slope already centered. Everything is going well so far. The number 1 Garmin 430 is set to VLOC and the autopilot is showing NAV and APR for the lateral guidance and GS on the vertical, tracking the glide slope. The last weather report stated the clouds were Broken at 500 feet, so it appears like you’ll be able to get in on the approach.
As you get closer to the Decision Altitude, the clouds aren’t letting up at all. You hit 1,000 feet on your altimeter, 120 feet above the minimums, and you still can’t see a thing. Another 100 feet lower doesn’t change anything, so you elect to proceed with the missed approach. This means things are about to get busy.
Here’s the process:
That’s a lot of work, isn’t it? Plus, that’s an extensive amount of head down time in the cockpit, with your eyes looking elsewhere other than the instruments while hand flying. All very low to the ground, I might add. Can you see how this can be dangerous? (Note: The Avidyne IFD 550 has made this a little easier with automatically switching from VLOC to GPS and automatically engaging the missed approach procedure in the flight plan)
The advent of the Go Around Button has streamlined the process, leading to safer operations where it matters most. The functions of the Go Around Button vary based on the airplane, but here are three examples, the Garmin G1000 Cessna Corvalis TT, the Garmin G1000 Piper Mirage, and the Garmin Perspective Cirrus SR22.
We’ll take the above situation and swap out the airplanes. Gone is the 2004 Cirrus SR22. Insert a 2008 Cessna Corvalis TT, equipped with the Garmin G1000 suite and the GFC 700 autopilot. The go around button is positioned directly above the twist in throttle.
When you push the Go Around Button, here’s what the system does:
Here’s what you have to do:
Not too bad, eh? Makes the whole situation streamlined and safer.
Same situation, different airplane. You’ll notice the procedure for the Piper Mirage is almost exactly the same as the Corvalis procedure. The difference between the two airplanes is where the autopilot controller is. In the Corvalis, the autopilot controller is positioned on the left side of the MFD, making it easy to scan back and forth while pushing buttons on the autopilot.
The Piper Mirage autopilot controller is positioned below both screens and in front of the power quadrant. With this positioning, the pilot’s eyes have to go a lot further to see which autopilot button he is pushing. In this case, it becomes very important to get the airplane climbing and trimmed before going down to engage the autopilot.
As in the Corvalis, here is what the Go Around button does:
And here’s what you have to do:
This time, we’ll use the 2010 Cirrus SR22T with the Garmin Perspective and GFC 700 Autopilot. One thing I really like about how Cirrus configured their system is where the Go Around button is. It’s actually on the throttle itself, making it much more intuitive. This way, you can press the Go Around button while adding full throttle.
There is one major difference between the Garmin Perspective in the Cirrus and the G1000 in the Corvalis. When you press the Go Around button in the Cirrus, the autopilot actually stays on.
Here’s what happens when you press the Go Around button in the Cirrus:
All the pilot really has to do is add power, take the flaps up, then press NAV on the GFC 700 to get the autopilot following the missed approach procedure.
If you aren’t familiar with the Go Around button or haven’t used the one in your plane lately, it’s good to go up with a knowledgeable instructor and fly a couple of approaches where you perform the published missed approach afterward. That way, he or she can assist you through the first missed approach, then give you pointers until you get comfortable with the Go Around button.
Back in the old days, when flying an approach in an early Cirrus SR22 (circa 2004; yes, in airplane technology, those were the old days), performing a missed approach procedure was a lot of work. You were low to the ground and weren’t able to see the runway. Then, you had to start climbing so…
