Greg is a Platinum CSIP - Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot - which means that he is factory trained and regularly audited by Cirrus to … read more
Strong Turnout for Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program in Lakeland
CPPP attendance in Lakeland, FL this past weekend was impressive. The group was so large, we filled the security and boarding lounge at KLAL with tables for the Saturday night dinner. The terminal ramp (usually reserved for regional airline flights) was the expanded flight line and there were several rows of Cirrus airplanes of all vintages parked for the weekend of training.
If you fly a Cirrus and haven’t yet attended one of these weekends, I urge you to do so. You’ll learn a lot, make new friends, and you’re guaranteed to be a safer pilot afterward. You can get your Flight Review (BFR), work on crosswind landings, abnormal procedures, emergency procedures, instrument approaches… or whatever else is on your list of recurrent training goals. In addition to the flying, there are excellent ground courses taught by the best CFIs in the Cirrus instruction business.
I regularly teach at these events, and look forward to meeting you. Check the annual calendar for the location nearest you, and make plans to attend. You’ll be glad you did.
Garmin 430 Card Programming Made Easy
Programming your Garmin 430 or Garmin 430W Obstacle and Terrain data card is a different process from using Jeppesen Skybound for the NavData.
Jeppesen Skybound card programmer is used for programming monthly NavData into the card in the left slot. This database is required to be current for IFR flight.
The Obstacle and Terrain databases are stored on the card in the right slot. These databases must be purchased directly from Garmin, and programmed with Garmin’s proprietary card programmer (“USB Aviation Data Card Programmer”) – the Jeppesen Skybound programmer will not work.
In addition to the high cost of the Garmin card programmer, the task can be tedious – Windows installation problems, data card serial number problems and snafus with Unlock Codes, etc.
The Obstacle and Terrain databases are not required for IFR flight, but it’s a good idea to update these cards periodically so that you’ve got current data. Aircraft with two Garmin 430 or Garmin 430W radios will need to buy each database twice.
Costs: Expect to pay your Avionics shop their regular shop rate (e.g. $90 per hour) to perform the updates for you… it will take about an hour. The databases cost $50-100 each depending on the geographical area you choose.
AOPA Fly-In Planned for Salinas in May
So glad to hear that one of the 2015 AOPA fly-ins will be in our backyard… Salinas (KSNS)! I am looking forward to visiting vendor booths and seeing some cool airplanes.
Here’s the AOPA Salinas fly-in information: “…scheduled for California’s Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS) on May 16…” Read the AOPA press release.
Top of my mind is finding a cheap solution for my Cirrus regarding the “ADS-B Out” mandate coming in 2020. Sounds like a long way off, but as the deadline looms, avionics shops will be slammed and lead times will be long. If I adopt early and get ADS-B out compliant, I could still get some dollars for my old mode C transponder…someone will want it for a few years! So I’ll be visiting the vendor booths of Avidyne, Garmin, and maybe L3 who is rumored to be working on a solution for SR22/Avidyne aircraft.
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