Just another day at the office

[driller]

Sometimes work can be too much fun.

Today I left for work earlier than normal and took a different mode of transportation.

My morning commute was not quite the usual 10 minute drive.

We left WV early in the morning to a business meeting in Indianapolis, IN.

Flying over Columbus, OH...

... it was a few minutes later we came to the Indianapolis Speedway. There were a few cars on the oval but I couldn't make them out.

The approach and landing at Indianapolis International Airport...

After the meeting and lunch, we returned to the airport to our plane on the tarmac where the pilot was patiently waiting.

A couple short hours later(we were traveling over 200 mph ground speed), we descended back to Morgantown.

Back at home base less than 12 hours later.

Now, if I can only talk the boss into a chauffeur. :laugh:

 

[maxmk8]

Business doing well I see ...

How loud is it inside one of those? Quieter than a Mark at WOT?

 

[driller]

It's quieter than my Mark at WOT.

Actually I wore a headset so I could talk to the pilot and hear the radio transmissions.

The pilot was real cool and showed me everything and answered a 1001 questions. I used to be a flight sim geek, so I was somewhat aware of most everything except the newer technology.

Some trivia...

The engines are turbo powered inline 6 cylinders with 200+ HP and the plane is fully capable with just one, though obviously slower. They are good for only 2000 flight hours before a complete rebuild is in order and typically need rebuilt after only 1000 hours! Even worse, I think he said a rebuild job is in the order of about 25 grand.

"Aviation fuel" is unleaded 100 octane and 'only' $5 plus change per gallon.

The autopilot module had just returned from the avionics shop at a repair price of over $5000!

The de-icers on the leading edges of the wings are inflatable bladders that blow out and busts the ice off the wings.

There are prop heaters on the engine props. But only for the first 12 inches or so. The remainder of the prop never ices because of the 'ram air' heating effect due the higher velocity of the leading edges of the prop further from the center.

In mid-summer heat, at 8000 feet, it was only about 45 degrees outside air temperature.

Oh, and the leather seats were a dead match for my '93 Aquamarine interior.

 

[steve]

Wow, you are a big time player now

 

[Roadboss]

Great way to get those long distance 1 day business trips handled. Especially if you can sit back and enjoy the view. Oh by the way--- did you see us waving at you??? Nice pics

 

[mlschultz]

Very Cool JP

 

[driller]

Great way to get those long distance 1 day business trips handled. Especially if you can sit back and enjoy the view. Oh by the way--- did you see us waving at you??? Nice pics

I missed the wave.

You're right, it is a great way to get those long distance 1 day business trips handled, but I wasn't so sure at first.

I make frequent solo trips out to the midwest that basically start with a half-day at the office followed by an 8 to 12 hour drive arriving late at a hotel. Then it's a few hours on the job and then a return trip the next day(or worst case the following day). So it's typically 2 or 3 days for a few hours field work.

With commercial flights, anything within 10 hours or so drive time can literally be driven in the time it takes to drive in traffic to the airport, arrive a hour plus ahead of departure time for security, the flight time and any delay time and the time at the arriving airport, car rental counter and then the drive in the rental car to your destination. Now add up the costs, especially the price of today's 'last minute' flight tickets. And I can tell you any 'last minute' ticket purchase automatically flags you for additional security checks by the TSB costing more time and aggravation. I would rather drive myself than go through all that hoopla for any short term business trip.

In this instance, the way the boss looked at it, he needs to send 2 people to a 2 hour meeting in Indianapolis which would've inevitably meant an overnight stay and the associated driving costs. He valued the time of the two of us being out of the office for only one day vs. two days to offset the cost dividend of the business charter flight.

At first I was skeptical, but after the experience I was sold on it.

 

[scotty96lsc]

Thanks for talking to us Goose.

 

[johnaec]

The engines are turbo powered inline 6 cylinders with 200+ HP and the plane is fully capable with just one, though obviously slower. They are good for only 2000 flight hours before a complete rebuild is in order and typically need rebuilt after only 1000 hours! Even worse, I think he said a rebuild job is in the order of about 25 grand.

Actually, I believe the engines are 6 cylinder horizontally opposed engines, (flat, with 3 cylinders per side - think Corvair...). And while 2000 hours is the recommended TBO, many users can stretch much more out of them if they're careful. And did you notice the "Hobbs" meter? Engine running time on airplanes is based at 100% power, so if it's being run at 50% power for 10 minutes, only 5 minutes running time shows up on the Hobbs meter, so at 50% power, that 2000 hours actually equates to 4000 hours running time. Note - most general avaition planes cruise at about 65% - 75% power - continuously! And that's air-cooled! How many car engines do you think could run at 75% power for hours on end, and last 2000 hours!?! (2000 hours at 70 mph, which is MUCH less than 75% power, is 140,000 miles...).

'Nice trip, though! I love flying. When I win the lottery, I'm getting a jet! ;-)

John

 

[driller]

And did you notice the "Hobbs" meter? Engine running time on airplanes is based at 100% power, so if it's being run at 50% power for 10 minutes, only 5 minutes running time shows up on the Hobbs meter, so at 50% power, that 2000 hours actually equates to 4000 hours running time.

Now see, I learned something again!

I think we were flying at 75% power?

Another thing, note the boost!

 

[johnaec]

I think we were flying at 75% power?

Another thing, note the boost!

At that rpm and manifold boost, I'd say at least 75% power. Note - the Hobbs meter is sometimes in a little window on the tach, or else it'll be a separate little "window" instrument that looks like an odometer. Check it out the next time you're up.

John