diamondaviators.net

Hi All,

I finally purchased C-GSMT, a 1999 DA20-C1 from a gentleman in southern Ontario. Thanks a lot to all the fine people on this board who took the time to answer my questions. I flew it yesterday from southern Ontario to CYGK in Kingston, Ontario. I could not bring it all the way to its future home base at CYJN Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (south of Montreal) as fog was forecasted later in the day.

Originally I had planned to take the route north of Lake Ontario to fly it to CYJN, but the clouds were too low all day, so I went through U.S. airspace via Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Rockcliffe, Waterford, and Kingston. I think they made me switch frequencies at least seven times during the flight, being handed over from one control zone to another, and I also had to change my transponder code three times as well.

My father had driven me from CYNJ to southern Ontario (7 hours drive) and when I launched from southern Ontario he left to return to Quebec and picked me up at Kingston for the remaining 3 hour drive to my homebase.

Best Regards,

Pascal

Pascal,

Good luck with your new (to you) plane!!

Sandy

Pascal

Wishing you many happy flights and safe landings. This is a beautiful aircraft. Enjoy!

Antoine

I also have a '99 DA20-C1, C0066. How close were you on that production line?

Pascal, congratulations! It's a beautiful aircraft. Your profile indicates you're based at CYHU, my own home base. Let's get together at some point!

If CYJN is your base, make sure to look up Norm. He has a DA40 based there (C-FNAC) and he knows a lot about our Diamonds.

Congrats on your new "baby".

RMarkSampson wrote:I also have a '99 DA20-C1, C0066. How close were you on that production line?

Mine is C0075

Charles wrote:Pascal, congratulations! It's a beautiful aircraft. Your profile indicates you're based at CYHU, my own home base. Let's get together at some point!

If CYJN is your base, make sure to look up Norm. He has a DA40 based there (C-FNAC) and he knows a lot about our Diamonds.

Hello Charles,

I indeed had originally planned to base it at CYHU but the tie downs are 1850$ in CYHU vs 810$ per year at CYJN which is only ten more minutes away. Also, at CYHU the FBOs require that the maintenance be performed by them, something I cannot agree to since I have found a very knowledgable person, Enrick, which many of you know here, in Alma, QC, and we`re going to develop a three year upgrade plan for this baby which will include the following items:

Replace all hoses
Replace the valve seals
Repaint the interior cowl with heat proof paint
Replace the Sensenich prop with an MT prop (that might happen soon as I find the current speed underwhelming)
Replace the rudder cables
Repair the composite
Maybe also reupholster the seats and replace all placards if there is some money left in my bank account

And early 2020 Install the cheapest ADSB-out solution for the few times I fly in U.S. airspace every year and maybe splurge for an Aspen Avionics VFR PFD (Having to constantly readjust the DG drives me crazy)

Quick question. At 2500 RPM, is it normal that the DA20-C1 needs full down trim to fly level?

Sounds like you'll have a very nice plane in a few years!

I had no idea that tie-downs had gotten so expensive at CYHU. I'll bring it up at my next meeting of the board of directors. We have a lot of land available to put in airport-owned tie downs if that's what it takes to restore normal pricing.

If anyone can provide the going rate for tie-downs at their airport, I'd like to assemble a few data points (sorry for hijacking Pascal's thread, but it is for his own benefit after all )

Charles wrote:Sounds like you'll have a very nice plane in a few years!

It`s already very nice!

Charles wrote: I had no idea that tie-downs had gotten so expensive at CYHU. I'll bring it up at my next meeting of the board of directors. We have a lot of land available to put in airport-owned tie downs if that's what it takes to restore normal pricing.

If anyone can provide the going rate for tie-downs at their airport, I'd like to assemble a few data points (sorry for hijacking Pascal's thread, but it is for his own benefit after all )

Beloeil has one tie-down spot available at 75$ per month. Bromont is 80$ per month if I`m not mistaken.