Comments on: Airplane versus Minivan

By: Mark Brooks

Mark Brooks — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:30:33 +0000

I have flown with my SR-20 in Northern Canada ( C-GOPX, 2002 ) and with full fuel, full kit and a co-pilot we are at max gross wieght. The real killer is the aft center of gavity… thats were the real issue is and the reason you do not want to overload the Cirrus. Try removing the rear seats for extra wieght savings.

Check out my blog on last years flight north:

http://www.fctx.com/blog/_archives/2006

Happy flying!

– Mark

By: Mark M

Mark M — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 00:39:43 +0000

If you are very good in this life and rack up A LOT of karma, you will come back as Philip Greenspun’s dog in the next.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Mon, 13 Jun 2005 20:21:00 +0000

Perhaps a TR182 or C206. Are they that much slower than the Cirrus? I know the TR182 has a all glass cockpit now.

By: Peter Gottlieb

Peter Gottlieb — Mon, 13 Jun 2005 02:04:29 +0000

A more apt comparison would be a Honda Civic to the SR20. If you want a better comparison to the minivan, perhaps a Cessna Caravan or Piper Cherokee 6 would do?

By: Jason Borschow

Jason Borschow — Mon, 13 Jun 2005 00:22:06 +0000

Phil,

I’m sorry that the weight and balance realities of the SR20 made it difficult to take almost any type of passenger along (including my 155lb frame, plus say 25 lbs of luggage/etc.). That only leaves one option: ONe very hot, very petite twenty-some year old to really help you survive if your plane goes down . . .!

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 22:25:16 +0000

When I read “That’s why he’s taking Alex”, I thought maybe you meant dogs is good eatin’ if you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere!

By: Philip Greenspun

Philip Greenspun — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 21:38:13 +0000

Michael: the survival kit should be adequate for a month or so as long as there is fresh water nearby. I have an EPIRB and the airplane has its ELT. I will be filing flight plans. I think the authorities would find me pretty quickly. In very remote areas like that I tend to follow roads or rivers so that it is easy for search and rescue to find me in the event of a mishap.

By: Bill McDonald

Bill McDonald — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 20:05:14 +0000

Michael – That’s why he’s taking Alex. Make sled and harness for Alex, mush back to civilization…

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 16:18:23 +0000

I’m not trying to scare you, but worst case scenario, your plane goes down in a remote place like Inuvik. Or worse, en route to a remote outpost like Inuvik. What do you do? Do you have a satellite phone? Live off Science Diet for a few days or so?

By: Philip Greenspun

Philip Greenspun — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 14:12:13 +0000

Bill: I’m not worried about buying dog food, or anything else, in Anchorage, land of Walmart, REI, etc. But it will take me two weeks to get there so that means taking at least 8-10-lbs. of food. I don’t expect to find a Petsmart in Inuvik (north of the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories).