This is the story of owning and operating a 1993 Beech Bonanza A36 in the UK and some of its adventures and flights. I have owned this plane for over six years now.
Our first trip of 2006 in the Bonanza A36 was a full load 2 adults and four children and the pushchair, nappies, baby wipes, snacks, toys, games and baby seats etc (you know the score if you have children) to Wales for a quick day out. The Bonanza A36 soaked all this up with room to spare.
Because I have not managed to do my night rating and because we are so slow at getting out of the house in the morning we were limited to a trip to Caernarfon but what a lovely day we had.
The journey started in not great grey skies at Blackpool and with a low winter sun dazzling me through the dirty Bonanza windscreen. I always forget to clean it!
As we passed Liverpool this trip became a full blown IMC trip with almost zero visibility followed by a spell on top of the cloud but I felt confident that my training for the IMC would stand me in good stead. In fact it made the day because G-FOZZ can almost find its way to EGCK in good weather on its own, it has been there so many times but this added another dimension. A little more of a challenge is good to help you improve your flying skills and get some practice in flying on the Flight Director which I still maintain is the best piece of learning I did in 2005. Flying a Bonanza in IMC with a Flight Director and the other equipment such as dual Garmin 430's is very reassuring. I think I have been spoilt now.
A lovely day was had by all in Wales because predictably when we got there it was dazzling sunshine and a bit of stone throwing on the beech and some icecream meant that it wasnt only me that enjoyed the day.
A return trip again in IMC capped off a perfect day and a lovely first flight of 2006 in the Bonanza A-36.
Thats 1.5 hours in my logbook in the Bonanza A36 in 2006. Only 98.5 to go to my target.
A lovely day was had by all in Wales because predictably when we got there it was dazzling sunshine and a bit of stone throwing on the beech and some icecream meant that it wasnt only me that enjoyed the day.
