Nice shots.  I know what you're flying, but I won't spoil it for anyone who can't figure it out (for some reason ).

Did that 430 have WAAS?  If it did, did you notice any increase in the update speed of the map and course indicator?

I only know what it is because I was sitting right next to you.   I wouldn't be to proud of flying around in the "plastic wagon" (A hint for those of you who don't know what it is) there Bret.    Should be pretty easy to id for most people in this forum, however.   Glad to see you finally posted your shots though!  Not a bad shot of the Waco skyscraper.

This 430 is not WAAS enabled.  The airplane itself is not even certified for flight into IMC (another hint  if it's not blatantly obvious already).

I enjoyed the flight though. Thanks for asking me to go!

Mobius wrote on Oct 30^th, 2007 at 11:56am:


They have all the equipment, they just lack a way for static electricity to be dissipated back into the atmosphere because the airplane has a composite airframe.  Airplanes that are certified for IMC typically have bonding strips that allow static to flow through their metal airframe and then the static is dissipated back into the atmosphere through static wicks.  Composite airframes on the other hand usually have a metal mesh that is built into the airframe which allows a path for the static electricity to flow.  This particular model does not have that metal mesh.  So, if you were flying in the vicinity of a thunderstorm in IMC, you would likely pick up a static charge on the radios, commonly known as St. Elmo's Fire.  And that is why the airplane is not certified for IMC.  You can still fly on an IFR flight plan, from what I am told anyway, but it would have to be severe VFR and clear of clouds.

That'll be $15 for ground instruction for each time this post was read.  If you want I can just bill McLovin's flight account. I'm sure he'd be ok with that. 

No prob.  We joke around a lot that if the airplane were to enter a cloud it would explode. 

ha, I guess you're right.  i didn't look at the photo all that closely, obviously.

Awesome shots!

beaky wrote on Oct 31^st, 2007 at 12:09pm:


I wasn't going to say anything, but I'm glad to hear someone else point it out.  Be glad I'm not your instructor Bret, I would have had to give you a hard time on that... a much harder time than I am now anyway.  Maybe I should suggest to your instructor maybe removing the GPS cards and have you go back to good ol' pilotage and deadreckoning. 

I guess it's safe to say now that it's a Diamond DA20-C1 Eclipse, a.k.a. "plastic wagon", aka, "sperm with wings."


I hope I didn't steal your thunder by posting a full shot of the Diamond McLovin.  If so let me know and I'll get rid of it.