Oahu Flight

One of my personal highlights from our recent family trip to Hawaii was when my dad and I took a flight around the island together. I decided to rent a G1000-equipped Diamond DA-40, because I like to splurge on vacation. I'd never flown a Diamond aircraft and I'd never used Garmin's G1000, so I was looking forward to trying something new. We went with Moore Air at Honolulu Airport. Our CFI, Robbie Navarro, was a really nice guy and a lot of fun to have along for the ride.

I ended up really liking the DA-40. The cabin was very comfortable. My dad reported good comfort in the back seat as well. The big canopy provided excellent visibility and, once we were in the air, the temperature in the cabin was quite nice. I was worried that it would feel like sitting in a greenhouse the entire time, but that wasn't the case at all. The aerodynamic composite body provided for very fuel efficient operation. With those spectacular Hawaiian views right outside that big, beautiful canopy, I didn't spend much time looking at the instruments, but I believe we were seeing over 140 kts at around 10 gph. Needless to say, I might have done some DA-40 shopping on Controller for iPhone when we got back to the house that day.

When we took off from PHNL there was a broken cloud layer at about 3,000' MSL, but that didn't bother us because we wanted to stay nice and low for sight seeing. As we were climbing out past downtown Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, I was confronted with the only aspect of the DA-40 that I didn't like: turbulence. The DA-40's wing has a very high aspect ratio (ratio of length to width) for a powered airplane. It's almost like a glider wing. This meant that I barely needed to pitch up the nose of the plane at all to climb, which was great. I imagine the glide distance would be fantastic as well. However, in bumpy air the light wing loading made me feel like the little feather in Forrest Gump. The wind pretty much tossed us around at will. I imagine my dad's ride in the back seat was even bumpier. Luckily the rough air only lasted for the first five minutes of the flight; after we got over to Diamond Head the air got much smoother.

As we were approaching Waimanalo, where we were staying for the week with my parents and my sister's family of six, my dad called my mom on his cell phone (no doubt busting numerous regs). When Robbie heard that the whole family was out on the beach watching us, he asked if we wanted to have a little fun. I told him I'd rather not, since I believe phrases like "do you guys wanna have some fun?", when uttered in airplanes, usually directly precede crashes. He reassured me that he regularly instructs aerobatics in gliders, so I reluctantly gave him the controls. He proceeded to get us into (and back out of) all kinds of unusual attitudes. Admittedly, it was a lot of fun. Sophie, being unaware that I was not the one at the controls at the time, did not appreciate our fun at all. I found that out after the flight.

When we reached the north end of the island, I circled the Laie Temple, BYU Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center a few times so my dad could snap some photos. We had just spent the previous day there and had a great time.

We flew home down the middle of the island, over farm land. This route took us right over Pearl Harbor on our approach back to PHNL. Sophie and I spent a few hours at Pearl Harbor the following day with Max, and we both wished we'd had more time there. As we got close to the airport the tower advised us of traffic at our 3 o'clock: three fighters! We got to watch three F-16s perform an overhead break approach right next to us and land on a nearby runway while we were landing. It was a great way to end a fabulous flight.

There's already talk of a repeat adventure in Hawaii next year for our family. If we go again, I will definitely be contacting Moore Air. My dad and I had a blast. I think the only thing we would do differently next time is to schedule the flight earlier in the week so that we could have time for two flights during our trip!

Second First Solo Flight

Over six months have passed since my one and only solo flight. I've officially been back in the saddle for over three months after taking a post-accident break. The time had come for another solo flight.

First, I should mention that I haven't really been back in the saddle for the entire three months. I got back in the saddle long enough to reaffirm my desire to fly, and to make sure that I wasn't entirely terrified of the whole pursuit. It took me a couple flights to feel comfortable again, but I quickly realized that I remained undaunted. At that point I actually started shopping around the used airplane market again. My attitude about aviation was most definitely changed by the accident, but my desire to own a plane and train in my own plane was not. So, I put my training on hold pending the purchase of an aircraft worthy of replacing N5779V. After coming close on a couple of very nice airplanes, I decided to heed the common advice doled out by expert BeechTalkers, and "buy my last plane first". The basis for that advice is that new pilots quickly outgrow the type of aircraft that are used for training, so it doesn't make sense to buy one. Buying an airplane is a pretty long-term commitment. Instead, an aspiring pilot should train in a rented plane and purchase a plane that they can grow into after earning their certificate. While I remain unconvinced that I would quickly grow unhappy flying a "trainer", and though more complex aircraft are generally more expensive, this became my new plan of action.

Having decided to pursue my PPL again, I resumed my training with vigor in mid January. Since then I've racked up 11 hours flying N4352G with Scott Statuer at WVFC. It's been a ton of fun and I've been learning a lot. Having been through an accident, I especially appreciate Scott's focus on practicing emergency procedures repeatedly.

This past Saturday I was ready to solo again. After a few landings, including a simulated engine out short approach and a trip around the pattern with the throttle stuck at 2,000 RPM, Scott hopped out of the plane on the taxiway. Once again I was all alone in a Piper Warrior. This time it was in the middle of the day, so waning daylight was not a concern. I executed three landings to a full stop, and everything went smoothly this time. I suppose that's not too surprising, given all the extra practice I've had since my first solo flight.

Sophie and Max were kind enough to accompany me to the airport and sit near the end of the runway to snap some fantastic photos. Here I am taking the runway before takeoff:

Coming in on short final:

And landing:

Just like last time, I left the airport with an incredible sense of accomplishment. Even after 40 hours of flying time, you're never entirely sure you know how to fly an airplane until the instructor exits and and you fly it on your own.

ATC Recordings

About a month after my accident I realized that it would be nice to have the Air Traffic Control recordings from the Palo Alto tower, as an audio record of what took place that day. I contacted the FAA representative in charge of my case, and she recommended that I file a Freedom of Information Act request.

My request was filled in the form of an audio CD containing 19 short tracks recorded in the tower that morning. I'm not exactly sure why the full two hour period wasn't available or why these particular tracks were, but from the letter included with the CD it sounds like the media used for the recordings had been returned to service and some of my communication with the tower had been overwritten. Thankfully, my most important call was found: when I declared an emergency. I have to admit that I was worried about how I might sound on that call and expected to hear something akin to the voice of a young girl.

I've cut together a short video including some of my communication with ATC. I didn't take any photos that morning before the accident, so I used some photos from the day the plane was delivered to me as stand-ins. ATC communication is often fast and difficult to understand for the untrained ear. Good luck!

Back in the Saddle

After I crashed my airplane I decided to take some time off flying. Many of my fellow aviators encouraged me to get back up in the air soon, but I was a little spooked and didn't want to make any rash decisions. I even considered never flying again. After about a week, though, I knew that wasn't the right thing to do.

I received a lot of support from pretty much everyone I talked to: the cops who arrived at the scene of the accident (several of whom were pilots, oddly enough); the FAA and insurance representatives assigned to my case; everyone on BeechTalk and Beech Aero Club; and friends and family members. Almost everyone encouraged me to continue my flying adventures and not to let the accident deter me.

I want to include a couple of Beech Aero Club forum posts from Jim Thurman, because what he wrote meant a lot to me. Jim was a previous owner of my airplane, N5779V.

Dear David,

First I'd like to say how deeply grateful I am that you and your instructor are fine. I also want you to know that you and I share a particular bond of sadness with what happened to 5779V. I had just finished reading your good news about purchasing the plane and had written a long post welcoming you to the line of happy owners of 79V. I hadn't seen the more recent posts until just this minute and deleted my message. I'll save it for you when you're ready. I owned the plane from 1996-97 when I bought her from the original owner since 1966. These are stories for another day. For now, it's wonderful that you are safe and can build on the lessons gained in finding the right plane, going through the purchasing process, and experiencing first-hand how well-built the Super IIIs are when they most need to be. Above all, keep the joy of flying in your heart. You are one member of a legacy of the few who loved N5779V as a cherished family member ... but most importantly, of a legacy of those who love to fly.

Clear skies,

Jim Thurman
St. Petersburg, FL (KSPG)

My response:

Thank you so much for your kind words, James. I have to admit I'm still very much struggling with this whole situation. I was so happy to own N5779V, my first airplane. It was so beautiful and I had so many plans to fly places in it with my family. I'm still in denial that it's not sitting at KPAO waiting for me right now. It's just hard to accept. I also feel bad that I've wrecked one of relatively few Super IIIs out there. I'm not sure what is the best way to move past this.

And his:

Hi David,

I can certainly understand how you may be feeling. I'm sure everyone would deal with a situation like this differently. And I'm sure everyone has some words of advice. I've never quite bought the idea that "time heals all wounds." Mainly because I see lots of folks who seem to stay stuck in the "time" without the healing. For what it's worth, if it were me, later this week I'd find the most experienced instructor (who really loves flying) at West Valley Flying Club there at KPAO, book him/her in one of the Archers, and fly over to KHAF in that gorgeous late afternoon light and shoot some touch and gos, then head down the coast. I'd let him do some of the flying so I could just savor the view, and then I'd head home to KPAO. And I'd keep doing it until I got my license...

Glad you're safe, grateful that you have a lovely family, happy that you loved the plane, too.

Clear skies,

Jim

I decided to do exactly that. My dad came down a couple weeks ago for a football game. I booked an Archer and some time with Dave Fry, the General Manager of West Valley Flying Club. We flew down the coast to Año Nuevo and did some ground reference manuevers around the huge flock of elephant seals. I shot a few touch and goes down at KWVI (KHAF was fogged in). My dad and I switched seats so he could fly home (his first flight!) and I just stared out the window at the gorgeous views. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful flight. I felt at ease and comfortable in the pilot's seat. It was good to be back in the saddle.

I also contacted Scott Stauter at WVFC and I've done a few lessons with him. Scott gave me my very first demo flight back in June; he's a great instructor. It feels great to be back on the path to earning my private pilot's license. Solo flight #2 is right around the corner!

How Much Does It Cost To Own An Airplane?

This question is much less relevant to me now that I crashed my airplane, but I thought other people might be interested. I've done a fair amount of research on this, so I think I have some information to share, but I'm certainly no expert. I only really owned my airplane for 4 days, so unfortunately these numbers aren't based on personal experience.

It makes sense to divide airplane ownership costs into two categories: fixed and hourly. When you buy an airplane you sign up to pay the fixed costs every year, even if you never fly the thing. The hourly costs vary based on how much you fly. Here's a breakdown of the fixed costs for my airplane.

These costs will vary based on where you live and what kind of airplane you own. The maintenance cost is pretty much a shot in the dark. On a good year you might spend a total of $1,000 on maintenance. On a bad year it might be $20,000. To me, this is the scariest part of owning an airplane. You never know what's going to break! However, if you budget about $3,000 per year you'll probably do alright in aggregate. I'm going to list $2,000 here as a fixed cost, and cover the other $1,000 as part of the hourly cost breakdown. Admittedly, that's a fairly arbitrary line to draw, but the fact remains that your plane will incur maintenance costs even if you hardly fly it at all.

The hourly costs are even more variable from plane to plane, but here's an approximate breakdown for mine.

My plane burns about 10 gallons per hour at cruise, and avgas (100LL) currently goes for about $6/gallon. The engine fund represents long-term savings for overhauling that important part of your airplane. Aircraft engines have FAA-approved TBOs (time between overhaul), which you should plan on adhering to. They often require minor overhauls between major ones as well. I covered the last $1,000 of our annual maintenance budget with a $10/hour charge, which assumes the plane will fly approximately 100 hours per year.

If we're asking the age-old "Owning vs. Renting" question, we can use some simple algebra to check out the financial aspects (see kids, this stuff really does come in handy in Real Life. Stay in school.). Assuming your flying club charges $50 per month and a plane like mine rents for $140 per hour, we have:

600 + 140x = 6100 + 85x

Solving for x (where x represents hours flown in a year), we can see that you will break even cost-wise if you fly the plane for 100 hours per year. Flying less than 100 hours means you'd be better off renting; flying more than 100 hours per year means you'd be better off owning. Of course, finances only represent one aspect of this decision, but it's an important one and it's probably the only aspect that is quantifiable.

The qualitative aspects of owning an airplane include moments like this:

It was fun while it lasted.