All About Light Sport Aircraft: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group My Trip to Moline [4 Attachments]

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group My Trip to Moline [4 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from Robert Rankin included below]

I wanted to give you a quick recap of how I spent my Saturday. I was invited by Dave Graham of Gobosh to come out and test fly some of his airplanes. I had spoken to him at Sebring and of course since I learned to fly in a G700S I am considering purchasing one someday.

So I bought a ticket last Wednesday for $150 and got on a plane at 6 AM Sat bound for Chicago then Moline IL. I arrived at 9:00 and Dave met me at the terminal. Gobosh maintains a hanger at the airport so it was a quick 10 minute ride to the GA side of the Class C facility.

As soon as he raised the door I knew I was in Candyland! There sat two G700S and a 800XP. I had made the trip to fly the 800 but since I was there for the day, we flew all three.

The first flight was in the 800XP. This is one Hot BIRD. Dave was kind enough to handle the radio duties so I could just fly. We were cleared after the wake from a 717 had subsided and off we went. The 800XP is all carbon fiber and is much lighter and sleaker than it's brother the 700S. The climb rate was well over 1000 fpm and since it was 34 degrees the planes wing and 70 pound advantage nade it feel like a rocketship. This plane was equipped with dual Dynon Glass panels so it took me some time to adjust. The slighest touch on the stick brings immediate response so Cessna Driver beware. The cockpit was wide and low and it was very quiet. GoBosh really does a nice job with its panels. I would compare its handling to the 700S like a Corvette versus a sport sedan. Landing was a bit tricky since the plane has a 18:1 glide ratio and it is hard to slow down but I managed to make 5 landings and I'm still here to type this note.

Afterwards, he asked if I wanted to fly N701GB the plane shown on Plane and Pilot and the FAR AIM Guide as a comparison to the 800XP. We went up for 40 minutes and I was surprised how much different it flew than the one I trained in for 7 months. It had the 6 pack instruments.

Finally, after lunch, we took his new Garmin Equipped 700S out for spin...well, ok, stall. This is a new package for them and one of only a handful of Garmin Glass equipped LSA in the country. The plane flew similar to the earlier one but the Garmin glass is off the hook! Both screens side by side and very bright in even direct sun. Add a TruTrak auto pilot and I could seriously see some road trips in this plane.

After everything was tucked away we drove over to their offices in Iowa. Tim Baldwin met us and we talked airplanes and finances. It was very informative and these guys really know their business. Their love of the light sport is evident and it comes across when they talk about their business and how many planes they flew before choosing theirs.

It was getting close to my 7 PM flight back so we wrapped up and Dave took me back to the terminal. I was getting tired logging some 3 hours of flying and that 4 AM wake up. Dave was flying the 800XP back to it's owner in CA on Sunday so he had a bit of planning ahead.

It was a great day and I will seriously consider purchasing one of their planes when that time comes. Both are dedicated to light sport and seem to be in it for the long haul. Dave really knows his products and loves to show their prowess. If you are in the market, consider a trip to the Moline and check these guys out. Customer service is everything and these guys seem to have figured it out.

Bob

Attachment(s) from Robert Rankin

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