Test Hop Runs into Bad Wx

[BillD22]

Here are some randoms of a brand new Vision Jet SF G2 on a pre-delivery test flight from the Cirrus Maintenance, Training, and Delivery center at McGhee Tyson Airport (KTYS) in Knoxville,  Tennessee.  The airplane encounters today's RW weather northeast of Knoxville while climbing to the service ceiling of 31,000 feet.

 

In a shiny new, snazzy paint scheme on the Cirrus ramp.

 

 

 

Going thru the Before Start and Start checklists on the MFD.  The right split-screen chart shows our position at the airport.  Our custom leather seats in the cockpit have that "new car" smell.

 

Taxiing out

 

Initial climb out

 

Going up to the service ceiling of 31,000 we hit solid IMC.  The MFD split screen shows the NEXRAD weather overlay on the map display on the left and our onboard weather radar on the right.  The yellow on the NEXRAD indicates a wide area of moderate precip along our flight path.  Our radar is not showing anything directly ahead in our climb.

 

Passing FL250 the question at this point is are we going to make it above this stuff at 310?  We can't go any higher.

 

Just leveling off at FL310 it looks like we're going to be just in the tops.  What the shots don't show is the turbulence.  The airplane was bouncing around all over the sky.  Maybe we should have picked a better day?!

[PhrogPhlyer]

Great pics Bill. And nothing is prettier than climbing out to CAVU on top. Flying an instrument training hop as a student in a T-28, under the bag (was an actual curtain that went over you blocking the canopy), my instructor had me tune the NDB to a local music station and lower the bag... "Color my world" in my headset, and gorgeous blue skies over a cotton candy layer. An experience I'll never forget.

[BillD22]

On 2/20/2023 at 3:06 PM, PhrogPhlyer said:

And nothing is prettier than climbing out to CAVU on top. 

Thanks, Phrog - I agree 100%

[Rupert]

Phrog got it right again.  Although in my era in So. Cal, the NDB was usually either playing the Beach Boys or Jan and Dean.  Or if the CFI was from the South, it was probably something recorded in Bakersfield.

 

Having said that, the real star of this post is yours Bill.  And what a sweet little bird as well.