Are we there yet TomTom?

For those of you wondering why my most recent post isn't about flying, it is because I havent flown since the last post, we had a scheduling conflict so I am waiting to get up again. But that is not what this post is about....the post is about my totally awesome GPS system. The otherday I ordered a Bluetooth GPS from this seller on ebay. It connects to my Palm Zire 72 to make an extremely powerful GPS system. I recently aquired a copy of TomTom navigator for the palm. Holy God is this an awesome piece of software!!! You can program Points of Interest, it has maps from allover Canada and can plot a rout for you, it gives you audio prompts, it can divert, it is amazing!!!!! I love it, and it will help me get up to Algonquin park on the weekend of the 8th so that rocks too! Another great thing is all the software available for Aviators with Palm based GPSs. PalmFlying.Com is an awesome site devoted to many tools for the AV8R with a PDA. Click on navigation and Voila! a mountain of resources. Everyone must get a copy of CoPilot and it's database. It is an extremely versatile flight planning tool that will do weight and balance, make a flight plan you can print out, everything. It also interfaces with the Aviation GPS program I am planning on getting called FlightMaster. Flight Master is great because it interfaces with the database in CoPilot and it uses the flight plan you made aswell. So it carries it over and lays it on the moving map. It also has a HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator) that is great for providing alot of information in one simple screen. I also am planning on getting Fugawi Mapping software so I can load my VNC and have a more visual flight. These toys.....er tools are extrememly handy to anyone who flys and drives. This palm can really clean up a cockpit, and make everything much more organized. Before your trip you can enter information from your CFS so its at the tip of your fingers enrout, you can get a program to make it a fully functional E6B so there is no spinning the WizWheel midflight, it can (almost) replace your maps, and it can replace your logbook with many of the Transport Canada recognized logbook programs. I reccomend anyone who owns, rents, flys a plane go out and get one right now....you wont be sorry!!! Up Up And Away!!!!!

Aviate or Aviaint?

If you casted your gaze upon the skys of Barrie today you might have noticed something. You might have noticed a little 140 in the circuit slowly climbing up to 200' above circuit altitude. You might have noticed that little 140 careen through the center line and try to get back on. Or you might have seen UBC slam into Terra Firma. If you were my instructor you saw all of it. He assured me that every student hits a block where they feel like they cant do it, and I know thats true because I have read many accounts from a students perspective. But none the less, to do it is never fun. He also assured me that I still am doing great, I know exactly what I am supposed to do, I know the theory and I have done these before. While I do not yet feel that I am at the end of my rope, and I recognise that today was just a bad day, it is hard to accept. I was proud of my momentum and was hoping today to go at the forced approaches again. Unfortunatly my "finess" demonstrated in my regular circuits wouldn't allow it. I am sure that tomorrow will be much better but this has still dealt a blow to my confidence. After coming in either too high, then too slow, or too low, then too slow, 4 times it really takes it's toll on you and makes you question weather or not you will get this. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. If you are in Barrie tomorrow come say hello, I will either be the guy with a confident grin on his face or the poor bastar picking up pieces of his plane after the struts shoot through the wing. Uniform Bravo Charlie.....Out

Got My New Travel Journal!

It came today! It may not seem like much to you but I am exited. It is a leather bound journal I ordered on Ebay. It is 5X7 and absolutly wonderful. Great paper great leather great feel! I bought it so I could keep a journal of when I go camping, traveling, hiking etc. I think it will be a great way to keep track of all the memories. I lent out my digicam today so I will have to post better pics another time. http://www.jennibick.com/romano-leather-journal.html Im off like a prom dress.... Niss

Back In The Saddle Again!

Well, it has been 20 days since my last flight as of yesterday. First time back up in such a long time! I felt allright as far as knowing what to do, but for the first circuit or two it just felt wrong. It was alos my first time being exposed to that much rain. I encountered a bit in the past while cruising but never on landing or TO. It was an interesting experience and i hope to do more. Something interesting we noted yesterday and today. There was a decrease in the ambient temperature of roughly 15 degrees C and the power was phenominal! She climed like a rocket, usually we barely scrape the roofs of houses and get ~500 ft/min climb, and struggle to keep her at the Vy of 75mph. Yesterday and today I was struggling to get UBC down to 75-80mph and I was getting ~750 - 1000 ft/min! My instructor assures me it's because of the colder weather but I am positive it has more to do with my Max Performance Hula Dancer. Yep this baby when properly installed will tune that Lyc. O-320 like nobodys buisness! 150 ponies under the hood, she flies, baby she flies! Today was fun too, it was my first time being exposed to forced approaches. While I enjoy doing them, I was rather dissapointed with my performance. This was my first time so I will get better with time, but I still feel like I wasnt where I normally could be today. Oh well weather permitting I will be up again Tuesday & Wednsday having my power pulled out from under me.. File it under "R" for Arriverdercci! Niss

Got My New Toy!

Well if any of you own a plane you probably have left the master on overnight only to realise the next time your out there that it wont start......I have personally done that at least twice.....in a week........I know stupid mistake but now I am getting it.....dont you worry. You also know that if you are not in a heated hanger, the winter may cause your battery to die. Its a pain in the ass hauling that heavy mother out of the plane and putting it on a trickle charger overnight, so I decided I would purchase an ever usefull battery pack. A few things I requred for my A/C was a battery pack, and a compressor. I have on several occasions had to top off my tires and had to borrow a portable compressor from work. That is not the way to go as its a pain trying to get it some days. I bought a little compressor from Canadian Tire that I could plug into the cigarret lighter but this can be a real pain reaching the left main from the cockpit. I needed something cordless. I saw a few of the units I wanted at Canadian Tire that fit the bill, had the battery pack w/ compressor etc. but usually ran $100+. Since I am kind of cheap I decided to hold off on this investment....untill today! I saw this one at CT the other day and it was reduced from $99 to $49.99! I couldnt resist the bargin, especially since my girl friend works there........EXTRA 10% OFF!!!! BOO YAH! This one seems to be able to do the job, it has the booster pack, compressor, 12V plug, and a flouresent light. That would come in handy especially at the dusk till dawn drive-ins (Last time we were there the battery on the van died and we borrowed a pack like this without a light, we had to use our cell phones just to see). Since the battery is underneath the rear seat in UBC there is no worries of having anything outside when starting the engine or having to get out with the engine running! I also have a Tanis Engine Pre-Heater in my plane and requires an external 120V connection, a few of the other units at CT had this but were not $50! I will try connecting my inverter to it and see what happens come winter time, Ill keep you posted. Anyway, I think this bad boy will really come in handy, a great tool for anyone especially A/C owners. Till later, Niss

My Fundraiser!

I decided that I really need a new flight jacket.....and this is the one I decided I want to go with. Pretty sweet huh? I have fallen in love with this jacket since I first saw it and decided I must have it. Unfortunatly I can not get it right away and it requires a little bit of saving. I decided to set up a worthy fundraiser. If 120 people each give me $5 that will be enough to get my jacket. So if you are interested feel free to click the donate now button or send me an email. Your help is greatly appreciated! If you dont feel like donating I highly doubt you are alone (after all I probably wouldnt give you $5 even if you had a blog) and I wont hold it against you. LOL Cheers.

Day one.

Well this is the first entry into my blog, and unfortunatly there is not much to post at the moment. I will try to keep this blog mainly aviation themed but it will stray off into my personal life a bit. I guess I might as well introduce myself. My name is Niss Feiner and I currently reside in Barrie, Ontario. I am one out of two owners of a 1966 Piper cherokee 140 bearing the ident C-FUBC, hence the address of my blog. I am currently training towards my pilots license, and work in the family business. I hope to one day fly part time as an instructor. I love to hike and camp and you can probably look forward to me showcasing some of my equipment here too. Anyway that is enough for now I guess.... Cheers