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Airplane go zoom!

There haven't been any developments in the story of my airplane's engine. I'm still waiting for the shop to pull it in and take the engine off. While I'm waiting, I've decided that, if I can't fly my plane, I'll fly someone else's and get some training. Several weeks ago, I went up with an instructor to refresh my night flying knowledge and skill. Today I went up in a Cessna 182 and got my high performance endorsement.

The main differences between a 182 and a plane like mine or a 172 are that it's a bit larger and heavier, it has a considerably more powerful engine, and it has a constant-speed propeller. I've long known the basic operating principles of a constant-speed prop, but this is the first real practical experience with one. Well, I did go up with a former coworker in his 182 back around 2004 but that doesn't really count.

It was a lot of fun! It's definitely a different experience. And even though he signed off on my endorsement, I'd still want to spend at least a couple more hours with an instructor before I flew that plane by myself. Snohomish Flying Service requires at least five hours in the plane before they'll rent it to me so that problem would take care of itself if I decided I wanted to do that. But I can certainly understand why the 182, and similar aircraft, are so appealing. If I ever decide to sell my plane and upgrade to a larger one, a 182 will certainly be on my short list.

Snohomish Flying Service's 182RG is in the shop and will likely be there for a while. Once it's back in service, I could go ahead and get my complex aircraft endorsement. Or I could get my taildragger endorsement in their J3. That would definitely be a lot of fun, and it would also make me a better pilot.

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