If you are a pilot, you have likely heard of the "hundred dollar hamburger." If you don't know what this is, read on and learn what I did last weekend.
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| 'CHAD' C. AND THE CESSNA 182 SKYLANE |
I was visiting my friend Chad C. in Round Rock last weekend, and he was about to take a practice flight in a Cessna 182 Skylane he shares with a group of ten pilots called Dessau Aviation in Georgetown. We went to the Georgetown airport where his friend R. L. Quinn was doing some routine maintenance and housekeeping on the aircraft. He greeted us cordially and we chatted informally while the plane was made ready for its morning flight.
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American built four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. More details can be found at:
While Chad was doing his preflight walk-around and check, I also inspected the airplane. It was obviously well used but clean and in good repair. I had some misgivings about some cracks in the wing tips but nothing seemed urgent or dangerous.
Mr. Quinn asked Chad to take care the propwash didn't hit the open hangar and cautioned us about some issues with the autopilot losing altitude and we buckled in to our seats in the cockpit. Chad gave me a headset to wear so we could talk over the engine noise and we were on our way.
It was a mostly cloudy day with gusty winds so we were flying IFR and therefore filed a flight plan. It's a fairly complex procedure involving planning the course and contacting both the FAA and the respective airport tower controllers. However, Chad is quite proficient at it and the agents at the FAA and the control towers were professional and efficient so it went quickly.
The takeoff was uneventful and soon we were headed to the airport in College Station. By highway it's about a 2-1/2 hour’s drive of 102 miles. From the Georgetown Municipal Airport (KGTU) Easterwood Airport in College Station (CLL) it’s 65 nautical miles (about 75 statute miles) and the trip took about 35 minutes from takeoff to landing. Our airspeed was typically about 130-140 knots (about 150-160 mph).
It was a routine flight so Chad let me pilot the airplane part of the way. It had been over a year since I'd piloted a 182 so this was a real treat. I like the smooth, forgiving control and robust power (for a single engine airplane) of this plane. I still prefer gliding though, since that's as close as I've been to true flying.
At the FBO (Fixed Base of Operator - the administrative building at the airport) we borrowed a courtesy car (yes, pilots are treated well!) and drove into town. The tradition is to have a burger on the outbound leg of the trip. A practice flight like this burns about $100 in fuel, hence the term "Hundred Dollar Hamburger!" So we drove to a local hamburger restaurant and each had a hamburger platter and drinks (non-alcoholic of course!). At Fatburger I had a buffalo burger that was quite good. The receptionist recommended next time we try the Koppe Bridge Bar and Grill.
We had some time to kill, so we drove around the Texas A&M College Station campus. It was Spring Break, but there was still some activity. It's a large campus in terms of acreage so bicycles were everywhere in large quantities. In spring the campus is quite attractive and it would have been nice to stroll about - but we didn't have that much time. I decided it would be worth a return trip to see the George H. Bush Presidential Library and Museum sometime.
Near the airport we also saw the Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel which would be an interesting tour someday too.
Although the sky was clearing when we returned to CLL, the wind was picking up. Chad filed another flight plan and we took off on the return trip to KGTU. It was a pretty routine flight back, except the controller in Houston chided us for dropping low from our assigned altitude. Apparently the autopilot didn't hold altitude well. We took turns flying manually and watched the altimeter closely the rest of the way.
It was pretty gusty with a strong crosswind when we finally had the Georgetown airport in our sight. I was glad to let Chad land since my student training wasn't up to these conditions yet. He's an experienced, IFR rated pilot and brought the plane down safely, though with a bit of floating and a few small bounces. That just added to the excitement of the trip!
Before returning the plane to the hangar Chad filled up and sure enough, it was nearly $100 for the fuel. At about $4.50 a gallon for Avgas, that's not all that much fuel really. The 182 is an efficient little plane quite suitable for short commutes like this. I look forward to the day when I can hop in my own plane and go out for a $100 hamburger!
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