Flying First Class
Slipping the surly bonds of earth
And dancing the skies on laughter-silvered wings
August 14, 2010

I've been flying for almost 44 years - my first flying lesson was September 15, 1966. Almost all of my time has
been in sedate Cessna 150s and 172s. I have never flown left or right seat in an autopilot equipped airplane,
and certainly never in one with a Garmin 430, 530, and 696. So when my instructor, mentor, and friend Larry
offered a chance to fly safety pilot while he did a little currency work in his A36 Bonanza, I jumped at the chance.

For over 50 years the Bonanza has been the airplane pilots dream about. It is gorgeous even on the ramp.

Larry runs through the checklists and gets ready to go.

We departed Rwy 20 at KJQF enroute to KEQY and KVUJ for a few approaches and holds. Here we are climbing
through 2600 and already Larry is hands off. Just doesn't seem fair to those of us without a George to help.

Right now we are direct EQY (beautifully displayed on the 530) but we are about to turn left to LOCAS for the
RNAV (GPS) RWY 23 approach.

The 696 adds a huge amount of situational awareness on a beautiful display. Sweet.

With the 530 feeding the 696 the approach is shown in lovely detail. We're making the turn at LOCAS to
join the published approach course.

With all that screen space Larry can assign the 430 to keep an eye on traffic, including verbal alerts. As we
approach KEQY there is one target just inside the 6 mile ring, 1300 feet below us.

On final to RWY 23 at Monroe (KEQY).

Larry really looks the part of someone who deserves to fly a Bonanza, doesn't he? I think he personifies
professionalism in a pilot. His experience and wisdom and ability to instruct have had a positive effect on
the flying community far and wide.

Now this part really isn't fair to those of us who sweat it out figuring nuances of holding patterns on
steam gauges and KX170Bs. The 530 not only showed the hold at ZOPOC, but it flew the hold, picking the correct
entry (Parallel) and compensating for wind (7 kts, see lower RH part of screen).

We did find a little IMC, between 3200 and 4000. Here are about to enter the cloud.

Back on the ground, I demonstrate that the back seats in a Bonanza do have legroom for someone 6'5".
Your passengers could get spoiled pretty quickly back here.

Video of our final approach, ILS Rwy 20 back into KJQF.

What a great day to be flying in a beautiful airplane. For a lot of pilots this is the normal way they fly. For me,
it was a look into a world that I just don't get to experience. My thanks to Larry for sharing his airplane.
I'll now go back to N64328 and dream.

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