Commercial XC cruise question

[Jedi_Cheese]

I am planning on doing my Commercial XC this summer. I have a range of aircraft to choose from. The three main aircraft in the running are a Long Range C152, a Piper Lance (PA-32R-300) and a Piper Dakota (PA-28-236).

I haven't flown either of the Piper Aircraft so I am wondering what a realistic cruise speed is for them. Book says that the Lance gets 160kts cruise and Dakota makes 140kts, will they come close to that or not? What would be a more realistic cruise speed?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mmmmmm Burritos]

If that's what the book says, that's what you'll get. That'll be in true airspeed, not indicated. And if you don't know the difference, you need to if you're working on commercial.

And what is a "long range" 152?

Just because one plane goes faster doesn't mean it'll be cheaper. I'll bet the 152 will be the cheapest AND you'll log the most time. And that's what counts.

since you'll be solo you can just sit in the middle on both seats and stretch your legs out. Left leg on the left set of rudder pedals, and right leg on the right side.

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

A "long range" 152 has the 39 gallon fuel tanks (37.5 usable). 6-7 hrs in a C152 isn't something I am looking forward to.

Of course, the book is god But the figures are for a brand new aircraft, not one that has bugs splattered on the wings, 1000 SMOH on the engine and 5k TT.

I want a high performance signoff too so I will need ~3 hrs of dual in the Dakota if I go in the C152. After that cost (assuming a realistic C152 cruise and book Dakota cruise) the Dakota only costs me $150 more and I lose 2 hours of TT flight time, but gain 5 hrs more of high performance (plus complex if I go in the Lance). Plus I get the benefits of better equipment (A/P, IFR GPS, DME, Glideslope, and 2 radios) that are helpful if I get some actual.

 

[midlifeflyer]

The numbers should be pretty close, within 10 Kts or so.

Which you use depends on what goals you have for the solo cross country flight itself (if you're talking about the dual ones also, the same considerations apply). Other than the cross country, what other qualifications do you need to work on? Remember that, at least according to AFS-640, these all have to be post-private.

The overall category/class solo requirements for the commercial SEL are
o 10 hours total
o 300 NM XC (since most of us tend to go out and come back, it tends to be a minimum 500 NM round trip)
o 5 hours night VFR
o 10 night takeoffs and landings at a towered airport

Do you have all of them? A lot of the 10 hours solo can be taken up with practice, but a lot of applicants are short on the night stuff. Using that as an example, as much fun as a faster airplane is, would a slower one allow you to say, knock out any remaining night requirements during your cross country?

 

[labbats]

I've been logging high performance since way back when an old instructor told me to. Now I don't see a reason in the world to log it. No one cares. Complex yes, but not High Performance. Does anyone know of any insurance company or flight department that cares about anything beyond the HP signoff?

 

[dmspilot00]

The overall category/class solo requirements for the commercial SEL are
o 10 hours total
o 300 NM XC (since most of us tend to go out and come back, it tends to be a minimum 500 NM round trip)
o 5 hours night VFR
o 10 night takeoffs and landings at a towered airport

Question: You say 10 hours total.. total what? Won't most people already have 10 hours?

 

[Mmmmmm Burritos]

Question: You say 10 hours total.. total what? Won't most people already have 10 hours?

10 hours solo working on commercial stuff. 4-5 hours of which will probably be the long comm x/c. The other 5 hours night solo. Pretty easy to add up to 10 hours solo working on commercial requirements.

Dasmith is wrong about the actual. You can fly IFR in IMC on your long commercial X/C if you want to. You just have to be solo. No passengers. On the two dual cross countries, (daytime and nightime >2hr >100nm) those have to be in VFR conditions.

You can also do the long comm X/C partly at night. Then you can knock out two requirements at once (long comm X/C and 5 hrs solo night VFR).

 

[Iceman21]

Don't log actual on your long, solo Commercial X/C, then it doesn't meet the requirements.

ds

Nothing in the regs that I can remember every states that the long commercial X/C has to be done in VFR conditions.

If that is the case then I shouldn't have gotten my commercial becuase my long X/C wouldn't have been valid. I would think that an ILS down to minimums would be sufficient experience for a commerical applicant.

*peels rear end off seat to look for FARs*

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

I have almost all my solo requirements. Missing long XC and TO/LDG @ night @ controled airfield but I will pick them up this summer. I will have ~235 hrs when I start my commercial. Only requiremets left after this summer would be 10hrs complex, the dual XCs, and the TT (will need ~15 hrs flight time).

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

New question about commercial XC:

I am going from KMSN - KSTC - KFLD - KMSN. But, at KFLD I am planning on giving some rides (and thus it isn't solo) but the cross country parts are all solo. Can I log the whole thing as one cross country or will I have to split up the KMSN - KSTC - KFLD flight from the KFLD - KMSN flight?

 

[Iceman21]

Cheese_man,

You could not log it as the long cross country if you gave rides at the airport in the middle.

The intent of the requirement is so that you have some decision making processes tested, and that all be done under the guise of one flight.

 

[Mmmmmm Burritos]

New question about commercial XC:

I am going from KMSN - KSTC - KFLD - KMSN. But, at KFLD I am planning on giving some rides (and thus it isn't solo) but the cross country parts are all solo. Can I log the whole thing as one cross country or will I have to split up the KMSN - KSTC - KFLD flight from the KFLD - KMSN flight?

I am assuming the >250nm leg is KMSN to KSTC. If you want to be all legal about it, just land at another airport between KSTC and KFLD. That would make it three airports and satisfy the requirements. You just have to make sure the total distance is 300nm. Then you can give all the rides you want.

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

Thanks! Now to go hit up weather again and file At least I got a wonderful day to go flying (looking out the window and from what FSS said in the outlook).