Leg 15: Manchester Municipal, IA to Landing Condominium, IL 141 NM, 1:09:00 ETE
I (foolishly) decided to take the Staggerwing on it’s maiden voyage for this leg. Mr Toad’s Wild Ride was organized by comparison. My altitude hold was pitiful based on the vertical profile post-flight in Little Nav Map, lateral navigation was better. Modern concession was made to use the GTN750 in-cockpit from the Toolbar, while handflying and system-managing the aircraft expected. All in all, a different trip made enjoyable by the experience of true landmark VFR backed up by the Garmin for safety.
The Staggerwing is definitely an interesting bird, not sure I’ll continue to use it for this Coast-to-Coast but it was unique and a nice change of pace from the Glass Cockpit aircraft I’ve used to date.
Passed Dubuque IA, the Mississippi River, Rockord IL to a private strip just outside of Chicago. The thing about flying at or about 2500’ and a much slower speed of advance is you get to really pay attention to the landscape. Plus the trim button on my new VKB got a workout!
On approach,the Staggerwing is slick -really slick. I had full flaps and near idle crossing the threshold and I felt like a freight train headed downhill. And I forgot to lock the tailwheel lol. But number of t/o=number of landings, and I made the ETE by two minutes over, so it’s a decent ending and a good flight.
