Ha! I’ll take your hastily painted PC-12 and raise you one rapidly painted Do 228 
Good to see the FO Kai is making the trip this year.
Leg 04: KICT - KFNL (Wichita, KS to Fort Collins, CO)
Thanks to the miracle of flight simulation, and because all kinds of naval aviation is about to rain on my world, the PIBCO crew is choosing yet another aircraft for the next few legs, a most excellent rendition from Carenado of the Dornier 228-100. The beer must get through!
With all of its links to aviation past and present (Lear, Boeing, Cessna), we thought that we would spend more time checking out Wichita’s various manufacturer’s tours. But brother Bill was still pretty much on a honeymoon with his Gibson ES-175D reissue that he picked up during our Memphis stop, and I had a Harrier AV-8B manual to study. So we loaded up a Dornier with 9 kegs (1445 lbs) of brew and departed for our next stop, Ft. Collins, CO. Weather looked probably the best of the trip so far. Clear with a light breeze in our face from the SW.
Our Dornier is rather special in that while it doesn’t have all of the glass from the NG, it is equipped with a cool little gadget from Garmin, the GTN 750. It didn’t take long for one of us to utter, “This thing totally rocks.” The 750 sits nicely in the pedestal right where the GNS 530 usually rests.
The texturing from Carenado in the Do 228 pit might be their best ever.
As well as a larger moving map GPS, the GTN handles NAV/COM. audio panel, intercom, and transponder duties with ease.
Entering the flight plan is made incredibly easy with its highly intuitive touchscreen. If you don’t buy one GTN, buy two.
Which leaves more time to enjoy the view along the way. Approaching Cedar Bluff Reservoir and park.
Another example of the rich detail presented by ortho photos. I might have missed this dam had I been using the default scenery.
One of the ways that a pilot can pull up charts on the GTN is use the Waypoint Info function.
Perhaps I was Bronco driver in a previous life, but I do seem to gravitate toward high wing twin turboprops.
Tuning radios is a piece of pumpkin pie, by again pulling up Waypoint Info and clicking on the desired entry.
As we pressed further west, we passed over a vast expanse of patch quilt landscapes.
Perhaps it’s his new ax, but brother Bill has taken on the look of a Red River Vally Rat member in good standing, sporting a Thud driver moustache extraordinaire. I wonder if he is tired of riding shotgun. Must give him the reins on the next leg.
At last the view is defined by the rise of mountains in the distance. Thank goodness we are not in a wagon being driven by oxen.
You are correct if you assumed that the Do 228’s airfoil is in perfect harmony with the ailerons slightly depressed.
Why Fort Collins you ask? To visit the birthplace of Fat Tire ale of course.
We considered calling New Belgium to see if they were interested in hosting a tap takeover by a little whippersnapper like PIBCO. Upon further thought, we decided that it would be far better to deliver all of the suds to Christmas Island, than to be shot down by one of our idols. That wouldn’t keep us from visiting their tap room though.
The beer light is on gentlemen. Bill is stressing over leaving his guitar at the hotel. Should have bought an Epiphone I say
Another leg down. Looking at our track revealed our usual SOP of missing TOD and having to do some creative descending near our destination. A gold star if you can tell me what shutdown checklist item I missed in the image above.
