Fing you'd be surprised how many people don't understand "flying the wing" in this airplane. The CL65 has the same super critical airfoil and there have been a few shaker incidents I'm aware of. The FADEC in the two larger models is really nice though. I've never flown the 604 but my understanding is it's very similar to the CL65 in regard to the systems and avionics.

You guys need to get in the 21st century! Auto-throttles gents! :) They are standard on every Challenger and Global these days.

I flew a Challenger 600 for a bit and was really steam powered. Hey, it paid the bills so I did not complain. Agree with Michael that its a very good airplane but do you know who designed it? None other than Bill Lear, of Learjet fame. As usual he came up with the concept but did not get it much futher than that.

Bombardier then bought it and hired some engineers from Boeing to do the systems. Thats why the systems mirror the B-737.

The Gulfstreams are more of a "pilots airplane" but the Challenger has so much more room, especially in the cockpit, that its hard to beat. I have done two crossings and four seven hour flights from London to Africa in the 605 in the last couple of weeks and its really been refined over the earlier versions.

BTW, we use MedAir for our medical issues. Very good company and even if you are not a paid up member, if you are on a trip and need medical help, call them. They will take care of you.

Blue, the 605 is much better in the avionics department. Rest of the systems are pretty much the same.

Joe I am MedAire trained as well, the Tempus just allows us to uplink vitals and photos via sattellite to the MedAire doctors. I really enjoyed the training even though I'm not a fan of the blood and guts stuff.

We actually crank start the 601 and I have to put coal in the boiler on occasion :).

I remember back in my right-out-of-the-service days, pulling into the ramp at LAX (Garrett) in a 690B TurboCommander, and as usual having to kill half a day.

A semi with a flatbed trailer came thru the security gate and parked on the ramp.

On the back was a fuselage mockup of (what was to become) the Challenger. We all laughed our butts off. Yeah, like we weould ever get to fly such a plane with all that room. Somewhere, I have a pic of me sitting in the cockpit, smirking. My hair was brown in those pre-oceanic-crossing days.

Here's what I've been working on my certification in....


http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt10/idgtd/pw6e.jpg



It's a Swidnik PW-6.

Now that looks like fun! Boards up, short final.

I would take a picture of my couch with the computer in front and resume stuff all over... but u think you guys can picture it.

unemployment sucks.

Just for fun... a vid I took of a small bird I've always liked... there's a problem with the sound, so turn it off...

http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u...MOV00213-1.jpg

Networking. Took me less than 24 hours to find a new gig but then I have a bit more experience. The job was never advertised, in fact never really was open. Friend asked me to come over and help him out for a bit.

Flew the boss for several legs and after the final landing he asked if I would like to come on board the company. They were talking about hiring a local pilot but this sealed the deal and end of story. We now are looking at either adding another Captain or replacing a pilot who is not working out very well. That job will not be advertised and will go to one of our friends. After all, we know these guys, can get along with them and trust them. Why hire an unknown person when you can hire someone you know will work.

Network with the people you know. Its especially important the longer you stay in aviation.

This is one of my favorites, its not mine but one day.........http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1253644297.jpg

thanks for the advice joe. Called everyone I knew.. still not a burble. :(

This really happened. A friend actually saw the plane. Happened about 3 years ago East of Colorado Springs. Meadow Lake Airport. He has a couple pics.

They left it there until FAA could finish it's investigation.

I went down to look several weeks after he told me about it, but the plane had been removed. Tree took a hit, though.

It DOES offer a good view of the aesthetics of the hershey bar wings and horizontal stabilizer.



Update: just noticed that it's confirmed in this thread. Also Snopes says it's true. Outagas, landed in tree.

Grumman Traveller
 

I don't have a current picture but here's a stock pic.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1253655535.jpg

A Grummy! Fail-proof nose wheel steering. Hot day taxiing out? Put the top down. Great ride!

Not as sexy as many others posted here but, it is a pretty great little rig. Small fuel burn, little maintenance, decent performance fun to fly. I'm a fair weather guy and don't typically go to far. The canopy is nice on a hot day. My biggest expense is the lease on the hangar.

Sexy in an airplane is vastly overrated.

I'll take extra power or great brakes over looking sexy anytime.

Good point. I'd like to fly a P51 but wouldn't want to pay for it.

I remember teaching a guy for his instrument rating in a Grumman Tiger. It was a particularly hot summer and I'm sure being under the hood in a canopy aircraft was not enjoyable. Apparently it got a little too hot so he slid the canopy back inflight completely forgetting about his myriad of Jeppesen charts in the cockpit.

His excitement and disorientation as the chart tornado developed was good for laughs for a long time.

My first certified airplane was a Grumman AA1B. I flew out of a 2000' grass strip and it used nearly every bit of it on a warm day with full fuel and two people. Standard Grumman Yankee takeoff on firm grass was always nuetral elevator first third or so of runway then lighten front wheel a tad then start dropping in some flap during the last third while thinking warm fuzzy thoughts then lift off followed by slowly bringing flaps back up while still in ground effect. Looking back, it was probably not the wisest choice of airplane to purchase to operate off of a 2000 grass runway when I was a brand new C-150 trained pilot. ;):D

Great story!

My home strip where I trained is 2100' (My Dad trained there too 20 years earlier). Whenever I've had a STOL situation I'm always thankful to have trained on a shorter runway.