Test flying the G5 is catching on at BT Dr. Jim! It's aeronautically interesting and fun!
Here is my pirep on my flight yesterday.
First the impression of the airplane. It is well built. I have read a lot of criticism about this here on BT and in this thread. I find it unwarranted. The doors fit well in the fuselage. The paint is basically flawless. The interiors are ruggedly installed I'd say. When you open the doors they are substantial. When you close them they "thunk" into place. Frankly, they are a hell of a lot better than the doors on my A36 which are somewhat flimsy and have problematic locking devices (I've owned two and had multiple door issues with each). Everything I observed about the plane is solid and exuded quality.
It was 80 degrees when we closed the doors and fired up the engine. Quiet. Then turned on the AC. Cool. Now, I've had AC in my F33A from a famous manufacturer that cost $35,000 and knocked the edge off. This AC actually works like you would expect it to in a modern car.
The front office has a lot of room with no yokes in the way. Visibility is excellent except around the A pillar which is very thick. I complained about it. Moved the seat around and it really doesn't get better. The glareshield was upholstered, not some cheesy piece of plastic. The panel is overwhelming at first. It's like my G600 on steroids and blown way up. Lots of info here. For you button pushing haters there's lots of reason to hate it. But you'll have to admit you can't be stupid to operate it. It's complicated. But also logical. I found by the end of the flight I could find what I was looking for.
The front seats have plenty of room. You don't rub shoulders with your new best friend like in a Bonanza. Which is nice. But the seats are not comfortable. After an hour I was squirming around, wondering if I needed to gain weight and asking if it would be ok to add a piece of gel foam to my ass. I guess like a bicycle seat you get used to it but don't call it comfy.
The back seats are a helluva lot easier to get in and out of than my old F33A. Two big guys in the back and we had plenty of leg room, the seats recline and we weren't rubbing shoulders like you do with the fat lady on American. It should have a center console and does not.
Taxiing is easier than I thought it would be. Not much differential braking was required to stay on the line even with a little crosswind. By the run up area I felt comfortable. Did I mention it was quiet?
We lined up on the centerline, pushed the little toy T handle throttle forward (I HATE the throttle quadrant on my Bo- I've mentioned that many times - , wish it had verniers, but my throttle is a real one, the Cirrus feels small) and the airplane accelerates smoothing. It feels faster on the runway than the Bonanza, probably because the cowl is sloped. But we were off at 75 and climbing away as the first drops of rain hit. The airplane in the air immediately feels solid.
So, it was turbulent. The worst tornado in history was 30 minutes away. We were surrounded on 270 degrees by developing storms and building cumulous. It was warm. It was humid. Where were the bumps? They did not exist. I kept asking about it. High wing loading. A revelation. Later on an approach at 3,000 when typically I'd get bounced around it was like ripples. I think non pilots must like this.
As we climbed Jeff Sandusky the Cirrus Regional Sales Director set up the AP and was explaining stuff while we climbed. Drinking through a fire hose. We climbed 125 KIAS at a little over 1,000 FPM to 14,500 just because we could.
Then we leveled off and played with the plane. I don't know if you've read about ESP. Garmin's "exceedence correcting technology". It is A M A Z I N G. You have to work really hard to screw up. And then it fixes it. Read up. Go fly. Then tell me it's a POS. You'll be lying through your teeth. Get in the clouds. Get in a 20 degree nose up, 60 degree bank and climb til you stall, drop a wing and spiral out of the clouds to your death. In something else. Because you can't in this airplane. So, try to put it in a 20 degree nose down, full power 60 degree spiral and stay. Same thing. I rolled it from 60 left to 60 right so hard and fast we were slamming into each other in the wide, well appointed cabin. It's no big deal. I don't have the balls to treat my Bo that way.
Then we did stalls. Straight ahead power off. Banking 30 then 45 degrees power off. It just mushes. Pick up a wing with ailerons. You can fly the damned thing in a stall with your feet on the floor. So, we did power on stalls, straight ahead, 30 then 45 degrees. Won't drop a wing. Now, cross controlled it will but we had to work at it. So, I yanked and banked til I was laughing out loud. Then, I felt sick. I thought "I don't want to toss my cookies in this $724,000 airplane!". So I went to putting it in weird banks and taking my hands and fee off the controls. It just stays where you put it.
So, we put it in unusual attitudes and let it stall. The plane fixes itself. I don't know what the big deal about the blue "level" button is. You don't need it as far as I can tell. But it's there.
We tried to get the CHT's to drop too fast by pulling power and dive bombing. Rock solid. Followed by full power 20 degrees nose up climb. Rock solid. Pulled my headset off and so did Jeff and we discussed setting up an approach by talking like normal human beings. Did I mention it's quiet?
Along the way we played with the two gigantic screens. Reversionary. All that stuff. So, I asked "When you lose power how long can you run the avionics, etc. before the battery dies? (I'm thinking - I've got you now you sneaky SOB) -" Jeff say "Five hours" very matter of factly. FIVE HOURS! It has 3 freakin' batteries! Oh, and two alternators.
When I learned to fly my biplane my instructor made me land the damned thing with rudder and power. No ailerons. I may not be a sh!t hot pilot but you go try that. It's hard. But if you can and a cable breaks, or a cabane wire, you get to go home instead of heaven (you were already there - you were flying a biplane, right? But I digress). So, what happens in your Bonanza? In the Cirrus you just fly it with the trim hat because it controls the servos independently of the AP. And you get to go home.
This is impressive. There is redundancy after redundancy. In flight controls, avionics, electrical system, some other stuff I'm forgetting. Oh, like the parachute. But that's for wussies right?
No we are descending for the RNAV 35 at El Reno. The approach set up in the conventional manner. Except all that arming of the AP, flipping the GPSS switch, etc. you can forget about. Same with the ILS back to Wiley. And we're screamin' 180 knots to the FAF. Throttle back start slowing down, 150, dump flaps and in a mile we're doing 120. Right down the highway in the sky (well on the PFD. We're supposed to be looking at the screen remember?).
At the MAP we pretend we don't see the runway and decide to go around. So, it's pickle ap off, power up, pitch up, positive rate, flaps up, gear up (wait a minute....
), hit suspend, climb, FD on, AP on HDG on, GPSS switch up, etc. . Well, no.
At the MAP we just push that cute little power lever forward and push that little bitty "Go Around" button and the darned thing climbs to the preset altitude, goes direct to the holding fix and starts going around in circles like a confused dog just up from a nap. Seems like taking an IFR check ride in this plane would be cheating.
Well, I was having a hell of a lot of fun! Unfortunately for me the T storm had moved east of PWA and we had a chance to go home. So we did. At 2,500 feet (1,200 AGL) flying straight at a purple wall in the distance with our runway out front. Now, what do you think happened?
No, we did not get pounded all to hell!
We smoothly flew base and final. And Jeff, who I think must do this everyday, greased it on, just like...well, a Bonanza! I'm sure it's harder than it looks but it looks like it'd be fun to try.
So, I think the Cirrus is a well built, well engineered, well thought out, fast, safe, wait for it...hairy chested pilot's airplane! Dammit it's also fun to fly.
What really sucks is I'm going to have to quit making fun of it and all the Chlorox bottle loving wussies that fly it pretending it's a real airplane. 'Cause guess what? IT IS.
One last thing, because some people reading this thread may be upset. I am very attached to my Bonanza. It's a great plane. But it ain't no Cirrus. (of course a '57 Chevy ain't no S500 either. Both beautiful cars, of course, just like these airplanes, but they're a different breed of cat).
There.
Flame suit on!
