Tux (still on patrol)

Tux, the little stray cat that hangs out by shack in Aruba, showed up mere minutes after my arrival on the island. This morning, I found him on the patio chair, awaiting his rations. Here he is:

Tux on the patio chair.

This guy does a darn good job keeping the small varmints away. Hence, he’s in my good graces and entitled to liberal feeding and protection from his nemesis, Ashburn, another cat that prowls the area but is quite mean. Tux and Ashburn got into a few scraps back in March. The fur was flying. Seems like Tux has held his territory this time, with no dents in his small hull. Plus, Tux is a handsome bugger, friendly, too.

Published in: on June 22, 2012 at 12:55 pm  Leave a Comment  
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From 2500

Here’s a look from the starboard side of that Diamond DA-40, flying at about 2500 feet over Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA, looking to the south.

It was a beautiful, clear day over southeastern Pennsylvania, but from just north of Reading, there was a wall of clouds that blocked my flight into the hinterlands. Too bad. I was looking forward to a long flight, visiting some friends, and then winging back home. Ah well, still a good day. That Diamond is a nice cruiser.

Published in: on June 17, 2012 at 9:54 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Slippery Bird, (DA-40)

Here’s a photo of the Diamond DA-40 I mentioned in the previous post. This airplane is one slippery bird. It’s made of composite materials, which means no rivets, just a few screws here and there, and fairings to reduce drag around key components.

All that smoothness means you can get a bit more speed out of 180 horsepower as compared to the same amount of ponies in the front of a Cessna 172. Of course, there’s more to it than that, including a different wing design and so forth. Either way, the Diamond DA-40 is a great plane. I’ve flown it on a few cross country journeys now, getting used to the electronics and handling characteristics. Plus, the visibility through that canopy is amazing.

Don’t forget, ALWAYS do your checklist.

Published in: on June 16, 2012 at 10:30 am  Leave a Comment  
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Diamond DA-40

Recently, I was checked out in the Diamond DA-40 airplane. This is a great single engine aircraft. It has a slippery profile, which means it will easily cruise at 125 knots using its 180 horsepower efficiently. I’ve taken it on a few short cross county flights in anticipation of some longer trips. Stay tuned for photos and videos. Nothing just yet, because I don’t fool around with the cameras until I’m very comfortable handling the airplane. Soon, hopefully, the video archive will be augmented with some great footage from up there. Remember, ALWAYS do your checklist.

Published in: on June 11, 2012 at 11:03 am  Leave a Comment  
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