Recent S FL trip report

[FastEddieB]

Here's a quick trip report of my trip to S FL to renew my CFI certificate.

On the trip down, I had 5 to 10 kt headwinds. They increased with altitude so I stayed low, below the bases, mostly between about 1,200' and 2,500'.

Chose KAMG (Alma, GA ) for a first fuel stop based on fuel prices, but since I was just getting under 1/4 tank I figured it couldn't hurt to stop just a little short at KAZE (Hazlehurst, GA) for fuel:



On the way to Daytona, there were some showers to circumnavigate. My avionics are pretty crude compared to some, but I am still amazed at the amount of info I have at my disposal. Compare the 496 view with the view off the right wing:





KDAB (Daytona, FL) for fuel, which was pretty hectic, then down to X59, (Valkaria) just south of Melbourne, where we stayed with friends.

Some pretty views:



But some IFR (I Follow Roads) as well:



In this case I-95!

Best not to neglect obstacles!



Anyway, got down to HWO (Hollywood, FL) and did the check ride on Monday, then headed home yesterday. Had about 5 kt tailwinds but a scattered layer with pretty high cumulus tops again kept me low.

Chose FIN (Flagler Executive) as a less hectic stop for fuel on the way back. Got a nice view of Daytona with its track as I flew by:




Stopped again at AZE for fuel on the way home. Convective Sigmet along my route and had to detour east over Athens, GA to get around storms. One of the smaller storms provided a nice rainbow as I went by:



Hard to see here, but I love it when the mountains just come into view, near Gainesville, GA:



And, again, the joy of arriving home:



In summary, I averaged about 82-85kt GS going down and about 95-100kt GS coming back, with a TAS of about 95k @ 5,200 rpm and about 5.5 gph.

Logbook entries:



There's also a certain satisfaction when virtually everything on the plane works as intended, especially since I've been doing just about all the maintenance and inspections on it for quite some time - I think the last time a mechanic other than myself worked on it was Roger after the CT Fly-in in 2012.

[FastEddieB]

Sounds like lots of fun. Eddie, where/how does the 496 get it's weather data?

It was fun, but tiring.

Via an XMRadio puck and a subscription. It also gives me satellite views, METARS and TAFs, winds aloft and the like. If I'm not using flight following, then it also gives me nearest altimeter setting.

[MackAttack]

Great pics and trip report!

[FastEddieB]

Great pics and trip report!

Thanks, guys!

1) For the first time, I used my GoPro for the stills from the cockpit instead of my iPhone. Pretty pleased with the results.

2) Again, want to stress what isn't needed for a successful, and fun, crosscountry flight. No autopilot. No huge glass panels. No 3-axis trim. No fuel totalizer. No engine monitor. No traffic alert system beyond my eyeballs. Stipulated that some of these would be nice to have, but simple is good too.

3) I do, however, find wx in the cockpit invaluable. Especially the NEXRAD display on the 496. As an aside, below 3,000' I was getting good cell coverage on my iPhone, so WingXPro7 also painted radar returns. Higher, not so much.

4) I am going to consider ADSB-In for my iPad. Would pay for itself over time - I'm currently paying $34.95/month for the XMRadio service. Open to suggestions, though looking more for "Plug-and-Play" over homebrew.