Post by jetcat3 on May 18, 2016 19:37:14 GMT
Hey y'all,
Let me first say how much I love airplanes! This last weekend was pretty special and the main reason was because I got to experience it with my Dad. My Dad and I have loved airplanes ever since we can remember and we got heavily into Remote Control airplanes and I think that has fueled us into the direction we are in now. Flying Remote Control airplanes is almost as good as being in a P2008 turbo.
With that said, we had a great weekend in Mankato, MN and Lincoln, NE. I flew up to Mankato to ferry the P2008 with Mark Gregor. The flight lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes. That drive from Mankato to Lincoln is five hours and twenty eight minutes according to Google. Pretty impressive right there! What was more impressive to me was pulling the power back to 5100 RPM and settling in on 113-114 KNOTS indicated at 2,000 ft. I noticed on Rotax's website for engine performance that the most torque is developed at 4900 RPM. We had a crosswind component the entire trip but a little bit of a tailwind component as well anywhere from 7-11 KNOTS. We were averaging 124-128 KNOTS ground speed the entire trip burning 5.5 GPH of 91 Premium Unleaded gasoline. According to my calculations we burned about 9.9 gallons total in that trip totaling about $23.61. 91 Premium unleaded was going for $2.39 a gallon in Mankato. $23.61!!! Amazing! Now, unless you're driving in a Prius you're not going to beat that economy. Never mind that the Prius would take you an extra 3 hours and 45 minutes!
We took off from Mankato Regional airport and then set the autopilot after about 10 minutes. Garmin's autopilot is pretty darn amazing. Those are some high power brushless servos! We became very familiar with servos in Remote Control airplanes and the way these can take bumps and gusts of wind is remarkable. With the autopilot set and our altitude set at 2,000 ft because of the low ceilings we were on our way to Lincoln. The obstacle and terrain warnings that came through the headset were piercing. They were never obnoxious and never got in the way of communicating with Mark or ATC.
One thing my Dad and I are starting to notice, is that this airplane handles turbulence and wind gusts differently we feel. The P2008 just hits these gusts and updrafts as if they are small speed bumps. It happens so fast that it doesn't really bother you. Ultimately what we feel is an important factor with this airplane is that it doesn't make us sick. Every time we've flown this bird it has been in less than ideal conditions. My first couple of minutes up with Mark on our way to Lincoln were quite bumpy and I was getting really nervous that I was going to get really sick on that trip. All of a sudden we landed in Lincoln and I forgot about it all! I couldn't believe I didn't feel sick at all after not flying for 3 weeks. Unless I was flying every week, I would get sick in the Skycatcher.
Another aspect of the airplane is just how comfortable it is. Not only does the airplane absorb all of these bumps with ease, but it does so in comfort and style. The longest I've been in the Skycatcher was about 3 hours and after I got out my butt hurt pretty bad. This airplane's seats and legroom make it feel as if you're in a car with more than enough legroom and shoulder room. Because of all these aspects, I noticed that I wasn't tired at all after making that flight to Lincoln. In the Skycatcher, even a 2 hour cross country makes me very tired. Now granted that airplane didn't have autopilot, but I think the engine noise, absorption of turbulence and bumps, autopilot, seat and cabin comfort all contribute here. It really is the ultimate little cross country airplane in my opinion if you only need two seats!
All in all, a wonderfully enjoyable trip in the new P2008. A BIG thanks to Mark Gregor for all of his help along the way. He is great guy and I'm grateful for all that he did to help us get to this point. I'm really excited for my Dad and I think we'll be enjoying this airplane for a long time to come! It's such a pleasure to fly and the speed of this bird is quite staggering. It's definitely a clean airframe.
I love technology and I also love reading technological device reviews online. I know this extremely hard to quantify and is really more personal preference than anything, but I'll say it anyways. Maybe it makes me feel better about the choice my Dad made to purchase this airplane.
I think the P2008 turbo is the best overall light sport aircraft out there! Of course it has its weaknesses just like any airplane, but overall it is quite amazing indeed. It's gorgeous, fast, easy to fly, has rocket like power, and is extremely comfortable in the cabin. What else do you want out of a small two seater?
Drew
Let me first say how much I love airplanes! This last weekend was pretty special and the main reason was because I got to experience it with my Dad. My Dad and I have loved airplanes ever since we can remember and we got heavily into Remote Control airplanes and I think that has fueled us into the direction we are in now. Flying Remote Control airplanes is almost as good as being in a P2008 turbo.
With that said, we had a great weekend in Mankato, MN and Lincoln, NE. I flew up to Mankato to ferry the P2008 with Mark Gregor. The flight lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes. That drive from Mankato to Lincoln is five hours and twenty eight minutes according to Google. Pretty impressive right there! What was more impressive to me was pulling the power back to 5100 RPM and settling in on 113-114 KNOTS indicated at 2,000 ft. I noticed on Rotax's website for engine performance that the most torque is developed at 4900 RPM. We had a crosswind component the entire trip but a little bit of a tailwind component as well anywhere from 7-11 KNOTS. We were averaging 124-128 KNOTS ground speed the entire trip burning 5.5 GPH of 91 Premium Unleaded gasoline. According to my calculations we burned about 9.9 gallons total in that trip totaling about $23.61. 91 Premium unleaded was going for $2.39 a gallon in Mankato. $23.61!!! Amazing! Now, unless you're driving in a Prius you're not going to beat that economy. Never mind that the Prius would take you an extra 3 hours and 45 minutes!
We took off from Mankato Regional airport and then set the autopilot after about 10 minutes. Garmin's autopilot is pretty darn amazing. Those are some high power brushless servos! We became very familiar with servos in Remote Control airplanes and the way these can take bumps and gusts of wind is remarkable. With the autopilot set and our altitude set at 2,000 ft because of the low ceilings we were on our way to Lincoln. The obstacle and terrain warnings that came through the headset were piercing. They were never obnoxious and never got in the way of communicating with Mark or ATC.
One thing my Dad and I are starting to notice, is that this airplane handles turbulence and wind gusts differently we feel. The P2008 just hits these gusts and updrafts as if they are small speed bumps. It happens so fast that it doesn't really bother you. Ultimately what we feel is an important factor with this airplane is that it doesn't make us sick. Every time we've flown this bird it has been in less than ideal conditions. My first couple of minutes up with Mark on our way to Lincoln were quite bumpy and I was getting really nervous that I was going to get really sick on that trip. All of a sudden we landed in Lincoln and I forgot about it all! I couldn't believe I didn't feel sick at all after not flying for 3 weeks. Unless I was flying every week, I would get sick in the Skycatcher.
Another aspect of the airplane is just how comfortable it is. Not only does the airplane absorb all of these bumps with ease, but it does so in comfort and style. The longest I've been in the Skycatcher was about 3 hours and after I got out my butt hurt pretty bad. This airplane's seats and legroom make it feel as if you're in a car with more than enough legroom and shoulder room. Because of all these aspects, I noticed that I wasn't tired at all after making that flight to Lincoln. In the Skycatcher, even a 2 hour cross country makes me very tired. Now granted that airplane didn't have autopilot, but I think the engine noise, absorption of turbulence and bumps, autopilot, seat and cabin comfort all contribute here. It really is the ultimate little cross country airplane in my opinion if you only need two seats!
All in all, a wonderfully enjoyable trip in the new P2008. A BIG thanks to Mark Gregor for all of his help along the way. He is great guy and I'm grateful for all that he did to help us get to this point. I'm really excited for my Dad and I think we'll be enjoying this airplane for a long time to come! It's such a pleasure to fly and the speed of this bird is quite staggering. It's definitely a clean airframe.
I love technology and I also love reading technological device reviews online. I know this extremely hard to quantify and is really more personal preference than anything, but I'll say it anyways. Maybe it makes me feel better about the choice my Dad made to purchase this airplane.
I think the P2008 turbo is the best overall light sport aircraft out there! Of course it has its weaknesses just like any airplane, but overall it is quite amazing indeed. It's gorgeous, fast, easy to fly, has rocket like power, and is extremely comfortable in the cabin. What else do you want out of a small two seater? Drew
