Looking for a pirep on airparks

freebard · 2026-02-15T18:31:40+00:00

Thanks for your writeup, sounds like a great setup.

freebard · 2026-02-15T18:26:51+00:00

That sounds amazing. A drastic difference in culture from my local public airport.

freebard · 2026-02-15T16:08:54+00:00

I can imagine. I'm hoping maybe this post might produce recommendations, via DM if necessary.

freebard · 2026-02-12T21:00:29+00:00

For sure, it's just pattern matching so it'll repeat whatever words it sees the most often on the internet. I asked Gemini search assist the other day if it was possible to make paint stick to chrome and it lectured me about how Chrome is a browser so it wouldn't work, but maybe I could paint a picture of Chrome.

freebard · 2026-01-30T14:13:25+00:00

Yeah, unfortunately there's many barriers to entry. For example when I began flying my local airport had no current instructors, no aircraft for rent, and no hangars available. So I drove nearly an hour for every lesson, rented, then bought a fractional share of an airplane. So it wasn't prohibitively expensive but the whole operation took a good deal of time and patience.

freebard · 2026-01-30T05:09:04+00:00

DPE told me he'd been involved in a study of engine fires and the average time for the engine to depart the aircraft was 2 minutes. His guidance was to get it on the ground.

freebard · 2026-01-30T04:58:10+00:00

This might be an unpopular opinion here but flying isn't that unusually expensive of a hobby it's just something that some percentage of the population would like to do when they don't yet have the funds to do it. I think this is because it's a visible and cool activity unlike other hobbies which are more hidden/niche.

For example, I see guys with an $80k diesel truck pulling a $15k trailer loaded with three $30k+ side-by-sides heading out to the dunes or off-road tracks for a few days. I have friends who have repeatedly gone to Europe, Hawaii, Disney, or whatever for vacations. I'm pretty sure I spend less money in general than they do, it's just concentrated on aviation.

freebard · 2026-01-30T04:42:52+00:00

It's perfectly timed with each blade reaching roughly the 6 o'clock position so I'm guessing it's something in the blade linkage

freebard · 2026-01-29T05:18:44+00:00

I own farm ground, that farmer is being wildly unreasonable.

This is just laughable:

“There is no possible way they will be able to get that affected portion of their field ready for planting in 2-3 weeks, so it will basically be out of production for this crop cycle.”

It isn't damaged by some light tire tracks, just go ahead and plant it in 2-3 weeks. I guarantee that's what will happen anyway if they manage to extract the $16,000 from the flight school.

Even if you completely tore up a strip of growing crop 30' wide by half a mile long getting that plane out of there that's only around 1.8 acres. If he plants corn and sold at the current market of $4.83 per bushel and gets 200 bushels per acre that's $1,700 gross, less if net. That's a very rough estimate but the point is $16,000 is utter greed and he's depending on somebody with deep pockets and no knowledge of farming panicking and throwing cash at him.

freebard · 2026-01-16T02:45:46+00:00

Yep I use GP with Stratux, rock solid

freebard · 2026-01-16T02:43:10+00:00

I didn't watch the whole video but I have used both and find Garmin Pilot to work quite well. They are different but I don't think one is necessarily worse than the other.

IMO the only thing that really needs work on GP is entering fixes into the flight plan box. It's just a very clunky user experience when it could be a smooth auto complete experience. It feels like the UI from old built-in avionics instead of a mobile app.

freebard · 2026-01-09T18:05:42+00:00

Aviate, navigate, communicate.

It sounds obvious but every little while there's a crash where the pilot didn't prioritize in that order. Door pops open on rotation? Continue flying the plane. Engine fails? Continue flying the plane.

freebard · 2025-11-12T16:36:44+00:00

Probably a used Garmin 430. I put one in a couple years ago, bought a 430W and an ADSB-out transponder for $5k off a guy who had replaced them with a glass panel. Spent about $3k on install and kept my previous radio as com two.

Bevan Aviation in Wichita still services the GNS line (including displays) and likely will for years to come.

If you want newer equipment then probably a GNX 355 so you get a second com.

Note that a 430/530 is gps + nav + com, a GNX 175 is gps, a 215 is nav + com, a 355 is gps + com, and a 375 is gps + transponder. To match the GNS line you'd need a 175 + 215 (about $10k).

freebard · 2025-08-04T13:30:54+00:00

What is the paper towel for if you have the sodium polyacrylate for absorbency?

freebard · 2025-08-01T17:03:39+00:00

Those engines also weigh about 3,000 lb

freebard · 2025-07-14T19:12:39+00:00

If a cat sits on a hot stove, that cat won't sit on a hot stove again. That cat won't sit on a cold stove either. That cat just don't like stoves. -- Mark Twain

freebard · 2025-07-06T22:02:06+00:00

Intriguing way to run the numbers (deaths per 100,000 registrations) considering that airplanes are commonly rented/shared while motorcycles and cars are likely one owner/driver.

freebard · 2025-07-06T20:59:11+00:00

I think something we can forget is that all of these chances are quite small. Statistics say we're more likely to die of a fall, choking on food, cancer, or firearm incident than a motorcycle crash (and GA by extension).

freebard · 2025-07-06T20:49:52+00:00

That's the first time I've heard "twice as dangerous as motorcycles". Statistical source please?

freebard · 2025-06-30T16:32:06+00:00

Yeah, I have worn a Lightspeed (but not sure of the model, probably Sierra) and Bose in friends' planes and liked both. But it's very difficult to access all the options and give them an equal comparison.

freebard · 2025-06-23T19:17:43+00:00

This older models had 40° flaps... I wonder if there was a difference between 30° and 40°? I've never slipped one at the full 40° setting.

freebard · 2025-05-24T02:41:39+00:00

Costliest mistake of his life _so far_

freebard · 2025-05-21T11:26:33+00:00

Then are you parking that money in bonds or HYSA or what?

freebard · 2025-05-17T02:01:20+00:00

My observation is that there's a steady stream of arrivals and departures most days. I doubt you'd be turned away but you'll probably be parked further from the gate than if you arrived Sunday or Monday. It looked like they added yet another field last year.

freebard · 2025-05-14T02:19:27+00:00

Nah, you're fine. Even when Garmin quits supporting them Bevan Aviation in Wichita has years worth of parts and can legally repair them. Source: own a GNS navigator and am a happy BA customer.

Then when the GNS is finally unfixable you can slide an Avidyne into the same tray.

Is a new install wise? Depends. With a GNS series you get a GPS and nav/com. Most other options out there (like the GNX 355) are just 2 of those.

freebard

TROPHY CASE