10.03.2014: We had to change the control cables on our Robin DR-400 fleet as part of the scheduled maintenance, which then requires a check flight before the planes can be released to service. I normally do these flights myself, as it gives me a good chance to work with the mechanics and to have a better insight into their work.
Each supplier defines a program for these flights, and the one from Robin requires turns at different angles in both directions (up to 60 degrees), as well as verification of the stall warning and stall speeds.
Today we did the first one, HB-KOF, which is the newest Robin in our fleet (built 2005).
12.03.2014: This morning it was so nice weather that I decided to take a day off and to fly to Locarno (LSZL), south of the alps, to have a Pizza. Below some impressions of the flight.
Visibility was essentially unlimited, except for the earth’s curvature…
As to be expected in March there is still a lot of snow. We took the more or less direct route from Lommis, passing the Tödi…
…where we saw traces from ski planes on the nearby glacier.
There was a bit of haze in the Tessin, but really only a bit.
Below the plane parked in Locarno, needless to say that there were only very few planes.
On the way back we did not take the direct route, but instead went to see Matterhorn…
…as well as the Aletsch glacier. I noticed how different it looks in winter. You don’t see the usual gray strips created from rubble carried by the glacier on it’s way down, as everything is covered with a uniform white layer of snow.
We flew for a long time at 12’500 ft…
…until passing the Jungfrau Joch.
The only clouds we saw during both flights were far to the west over France.
19.03.2014: We did the next control flight, this time with HB-KFW, one of the two older Robins (built 2002). Even though it is exactly the same plane as HB-KOF, with exactly the same configuration, the stall behaviour is quite different. HB-KOF is much crispier, where else HB-KFW is mushier. The actual stall speed are however practically identical. I did not expect the difference to be so noticeable.
29.03.2014: It was time for the last of the control flight, this time with HB-KFV, the sister plane of HB-KFW. As expected it was closer to HB-KFW than to the newer HB-KOF, at least there is some logic in the behaviour. We also tested the new FLARM collision warning device we installed in the whole fleet. Contrary to the pure FLARM device which I have in my plane we installed the newer PowerFLARM in our club fleet, which also detects Mode-S Transponders with ADS-B Out. The default configuration is however silly, as it indicates planes 20 or more miles away, as ADS-B has a much bigger range than FLARM. It is however possible to limit the range, which we did to 5 km as a start. Depending on experience we might reduce it even further, as FLARM should only warn from imminent risks and not be used by pilots as a kind of “radar”. There are still many planes which have neither FLARM nor ADS-B Out, so visual observation of airspace remains the most important measure to avoid collisions.