Frank E. Dorrin Jr: Professional Flight Instructor


Commercial flight out there on 9/12/2009

....under construction  - - - - I'll update this as I go.

Once I decided to buy a twin, the next decision was what type to buy. Paul and Kamal introduced me to the twin comanche, and the more I learned, the more it was clear that this was the best bang for the buck.

The commercial flight out there on 9/12/2009 reminded me of the advantages you get flying your own airplane. While the flight down was uneventful, I landed in Houston and had to run for my connecting flight clear across the airport. What made it interesting is that I landed at the moment the next leg started boarding - - - 2 miles away. I got there in plenty of time, as my next leg was delayed an hour anyway.

Landing in Tulsa, Bob Parenti of Dan Howard Aircraft Sales picked me up at the terminal. He drove me to the airfield where N833DF was waiting, which took a good deal of stress out of the equation with regard to getting around. With a rental car reserved right there on the field, if I ended up buying the airplane I could just drop the car and go. Moving the vehicles around while traveling is always an interesting challenge.

Since I had arrived earlier on the 12th than anticipated, we attempted to arrange the test flight that afternoon.

Weather was coming in, but my instructor pilot was working his primary job in the control tower that night, and couldn't accomodate the change. I reviewed documentation at that point, and then Bob offered to lead the way to my hotel to get checked in.



I have a wonderful story around my insurance checkout when I picked the airplane up in Tulsa. Flew 3.5 hrs IMC with minimal time in the airplane, and lots of firsts on the way home.
 
This airplane is clean and fast. I've already spent around 9k upgrading the fuel system, and plan to spend more than that upgrading the avionics. Its already several shades above what we flew in Groton, but I'm looking forward to flying this for years to come, and investing accordingly.
 
I'll let you know when I hear from Garrett. We can continue talking about ideas for combining our twin flying too.

Later he would take me to the rental car agency on the field so that I could return the car prior to my departure
I have a wonderful story around my insurance checkout when I picked the airplane up in Tulsa. Flew 3.5 hrs IMC with minimal time in the airplane, and lots of firsts on the way home.
 
This airplane is clean and fast. I've already spent around 9k upgrading the fuel system, and plan to spend more than that upgrading the avionics. Its already several shades above what we flew in Groton, but I'm looking forward to flying this for years to come, and investing accordingly.
 
I'll let you know when I hear from Garrett. We can continue talking about ideas for combining our twin flying too.
 


fed 2009-12-01