usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
20 August 2020 - 5:19pm

I Bought a Plane!

50 replies • Last post
Click to show this thread's original post ▼

So last week I took the next step in my pilot career by purchasing an airplane! I have been renting an airplane for $80/hr plus paying gas, flying 2-3 times every week. That money added up, and I realized it was more advantageous to purchase my own aircraft. We had a few false starts looking at planes that didn't quite pan out (I'm 6 foot 2, and I can't fit in a lot of smaller planes), but ended up finding a plane that fit the bill perfectly down in Lacon, Illinois. That plane is a 1966 Cessna 172.

My flight instructor and I flew out commercially (he flies free and got me a buddy pass), and we went through Chicago to Peoria. We ended up taking the plane for a test flight after doing a walk through inspection. After landing, we asked the guy to fix a couple things and we grabbed lunch at a local small town diner. After coming back we did 5 minutes of paperwork and flew all the way back to Michigan.

It was a lot of fun flying back. We could see the scenery change and as we got closer there were storms in the air. We flew around a bunch of clouds at 9,500 feet and even went over South Bend, Indiana (the home of the University of Notre Dame). It was about 3 hours and change, which was much shorter than the nearly 7 hours it would have taken to drive.

I've done some work on the plane (oil change, spark plugs), and there's some left to do to get it perfect for renting out to others, but this plane is awesome! I know I'm going to have a lot of adventures with her over the years.

Oh yeah! I need to note that we named the plane Irene after my grandmother who passed in June. I pulled into an airport in Metro Detroit yesterday to pick up my son from his grandparents, and my aunt was there. I told her the plane's name and she got emotional hearing it. She said she went to the cemetery aftward to tell her all about the plane and its new name. 🙂

6 CL-Ed, coolsongss, blck, Matthew, adrianooo231, GordonnotRamsay

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
24 November 2020 - 4:05pm
#31

I did it! Today I got the opportunity to solo my airplane! It's a huge day and a big accomplishment for me. My instructor and I did a couple landings and he got out and told me to give him three. I managed to do it!

It's amazing how much faster the plane lifts off and flies when it's just you in the cockpit. Everything seemed to go faster. I even had a hair raising moment where the engine sputtered (it was like 25F here) and then kicked in and I started veering off runway for a touch and go. I aborted the takeoff and just did the safe thing and taxied back for another try.

Here's a couple pictures. I have more that are going to be added as I get them 🙂

solo_shirt.jpg
solo_departure.jpg

coolsongss

auCL-Ed
StaffStaff
CL-Ed's picture
Location: Sydney
Joined: 7 Sep 2007
Posts: 10400
Thanks given: 6286
Thanks received: 5350
24 November 2020 - 11:01pm
#32

Congratulations man that is so cool.

So ... er ... it appears that you ripped off your y-fronts to prove to everyone that you didn't soil them? 😂

barbadosslim93

Always play it safe! Consult our list of rogue casinos and warnings before depositing at a new casino.
Post in our forums to earn CLchips which can be used to buy real prizes in our CLchips shop.

auCL - klaw
StaffStaff
CL - klaw's picture
Location: Sydney
Joined: 3 Mar 2014
Posts: 2675
Thanks given: 3317
Thanks received: 580
25 November 2020 - 12:09am
#33

Well done Slim, amazing achievement!

barbadosslim93

krcoolsongss
High RollerHigh Roller
coolsongss's picture
Joined: 2 Dec 2014
Posts: 2832
Thanks given: 2119
Thanks received: 1417
25 November 2020 - 2:50pm
#34

Oh, great, I saw the video clip to the end. What a smooth landing, man, it was really good.

Please, share the hair raising moment, too 🙂

barbadosslim93

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
25 November 2020 - 3:51pm
#35

Thanks guys!

Ed, that's my shirt. The tradition here is to cut off the back of the shirt because in the old days the instructor would sit behind the pilot and yank the shirt to tell them where to go. Now that I'm solo, the instructor doesn't need to yank my shirt anymore. They very well could be my undies though after that scary part.

Coolsongss, I'm working to upload the full flight (it's a big one, like 30 minutes) and once I get it up, I'll share it with you. It's only a second and although I thought it was really bad, it wasn't nearly as bad on the video as I thought. Things just slowed down and I put everything down as I could feel it going sideways.

It is an awesome feeling though! I was literally buzzing with energy through dinner time. I was too excited after doing it.

coolsongss

krcoolsongss
High RollerHigh Roller
coolsongss's picture
Joined: 2 Dec 2014
Posts: 2832
Thanks given: 2119
Thanks received: 1417
25 November 2020 - 4:59pm
#36

This is the best landing scene in the movies, I think.

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
30 November 2020 - 4:44pm
#37

Coolsongss, here's the full video. I clipped in just before where I tried the touch and go. You'll hear the engine rev up and go left before I just kill it and taxi back for another try. Not nearly as bad as I thought when I was doing it live!

3 CL-Ed, coolsongss, vomvom12

krcoolsongss
High RollerHigh Roller
coolsongss's picture
Joined: 2 Dec 2014
Posts: 2832
Thanks given: 2119
Thanks received: 1417
28 December 2020 - 4:31pm
#38

Oh, barbadosslim93, I just watched it, man.
It is pretty cool to watch an aviation video from 1st person perspective. It is really nice with the real engine sound. If the camera could be placed a bit higher and a bit back for wider view, it would be even better, man.

Great and safe fight!!!

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
28 December 2020 - 6:01pm
#39

Thanks! I am playing with some different mounts here to find the best camera angles for filming. I have a mount on the wing that I'll try once too. Weather has been kind of crummy here with low clouds and snow recently, so getting up hasn't been easy.

Tonight I'm scheduled to do my first-night flight lesson. That should be wild. You lose almost all of your ground reference and just have to rely on those lights.

coolsongss

devomvom12
Slots FanSlots Fan
vomvom12's picture
Location: earth
Joined: 28 Jan 2018
Posts: 1238
Thanks given: 1043
Thanks received: 1120
29 December 2020 - 2:14pm
#40
barbadosslim93 wrote:

Coolsongss, here's the full video. I clipped in just before where I tried the touch and go. You'll hear the engine rev up and go left before I just kill it and taxi back for another try. Not nearly as bad as I thought when I was doing it live!

wow that is so cool...
I even get jealous with my fear of flying

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
29 December 2020 - 4:32pm
#41

Well, last night proved to be 2020 in a nutshell. I went to go do my lesson and while getting the plane prepped in my hangar, the avionics master switch decided to snap off in the cold. Technically you're allowed to fly without your radios, but it's not safe.

My instructor bought a plane earlier this month as well, and he flew in with his Comanche. We decided to go up and do a quick lap so that we could see how things are different at night. I snapped a quick picture, but there was a lot of turbulence, so it was shaky.

I'm hoping I can get a new switch quick so I can get back to flying!

134443836_10100879749078254_8010625999996704399_n.jpg
133753911_10100879749043324_3065755055447560640_n.jpg

2 CL-Ed, vomvom12

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
11 January 2021 - 6:25pm
#42

Well, I managed to get the switch replaced and got in my first night flight the other night. Caught a beautiful sunset, made four landings about halfway across the state and came home. Ended up greasing the smoooooooothest landing I've ever done. No bumps or anything. I walked away pretty pumped. Even my son (who rode in the back) complimented me on the landing. He also snapped a picture of the wing with the reflection underneath from the city lights.

sunset_42l.jpg
night_flight_42l.jpg
connor_wing.jpg

2 CL-Ed, vomvom12

devomvom12
Slots FanSlots Fan
vomvom12's picture
Location: earth
Joined: 28 Jan 2018
Posts: 1238
Thanks given: 1043
Thanks received: 1120
12 January 2021 - 6:03am
#43

beautiful !
thanks for the impressions

barbadosslim93

ieadrianooo231
Gold PlayerGold Player
adrianooo231's picture
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Joined: 17 Mar 2020
Posts: 626
Thanks given: 95
Thanks received: 218
25 January 2021 - 5:00am
#44

My Partner has dreamed of flying in real life and having a plane, this is amazing, i've only seen alot of Flight Sim, but thats amazing congrats on that beauty!

ieadrianooo231
Gold PlayerGold Player
adrianooo231's picture
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Joined: 17 Mar 2020
Posts: 626
Thanks given: 95
Thanks received: 218
25 January 2021 - 5:03am
#45
barbadosslim93 wrote:

I did it! Today I got the opportunity to solo my airplane! It's a huge day and a big accomplishment for me. My instructor and I did a couple landings and he got out and told me to give him three. I managed to do it!

It's amazing how much faster the plane lifts off and flies when it's just you in the cockpit. Everything seemed to go faster. I even had a hair raising moment where the engine sputtered (it was like 25F here) and then kicked in and I started veering off runway for a touch and go. I aborted the takeoff and just did the safe thing and taxied back for another try.

Here's a couple pictures. I have more that are going to be added as I get them 🙂

In awe of that, its goergeous! my partner is so impressed with this! 🙂
I've just shown him the post as hes using his flight sim

barbadosslim93

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
25 January 2021 - 2:51pm
#46

That's awesome! I log a lot of time in flight sim, too! I have been playing with a VR headset and it is VERY close to actually sitting in a cockpit.

2 vomvom12, adrianooo231

devomvom12
Slots FanSlots Fan
vomvom12's picture
Location: earth
Joined: 28 Jan 2018
Posts: 1238
Thanks given: 1043
Thanks received: 1120
25 January 2021 - 11:40pm
#47

come on slim don't lie to us...we know that it feels better
flying in our own real plane...we can take it...hahaha😉😎

ieadrianooo231
Gold PlayerGold Player
adrianooo231's picture
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Joined: 17 Mar 2020
Posts: 626
Thanks given: 95
Thanks received: 218
28 January 2021 - 12:57pm
#48

Its Amazing in VR i tried myself , i cannot fly an airbus for the life of me on Sim but i try haha i tend to crash alot, my partner has been flying on sim for over a decade, he knew more about one of the planes than an actual pilot we met before lockdown lol, super passionate, sadly the cost of 100,000 is a hard thing to come by in Ireland when your stuck at home because of a virus lol

usbarbadosslim93 Recently online: 2 min ago
Forum AngelForum Angel
barbadosslim93's picture
Location: Michigan
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 15155
Thanks given: 849
Thanks received: 2155
11 February 2021 - 12:36am
#49

Went on a cross-country flight (50 nautical miles or more) today. Was a real experience out there in the cold.

We hit a snowstorm in Muskegon on Lake Michigan and ended up being so cold that my transponder stopped broadcasting. We were about at 14F today for temp and in the air it was even colder with strong wind. We ended up diverting to a closer airport to home and did a landing there and came home.

147706147_215069580323814_7102976882971064531_n.jpg
148038865_215069483657157_3021648722499205499_n.jpg
148396556_215069533657152_6033807969166115090_n.jpg

2 CL-Ed, adrianooo231

ieadrianooo231
Gold PlayerGold Player
adrianooo231's picture
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Joined: 17 Mar 2020
Posts: 626
Thanks given: 95
Thanks received: 218
20 February 2021 - 3:58am
#50

That is breathtaking my partner is looking at this in awe! that is such an amazing experience to be able to do! it really is 🙂 congrats to you, and props on that imagery <3

barbadosslim93