My own airplane!

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Pascal
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun May 15, 2016 3:35 am
First Name: Pascal
Aircraft Type: DA20-C1
Aircraft Registration: CGSMT
Airports: CYJN
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 33 times

My own airplane!

Post by Pascal »

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
C-GSMT
C-GSMT
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Sandy
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 247
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 12:30 pm
First Name: Sanford
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N159PS
Airports: KPDK
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Re: My own airplane!

Post by Sandy »

Pascal,

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

Sandy
Antoine
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2043
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:00 pm
First Name: Antoine
Aircraft Type: OTHER
Aircraft Registration: N121AG
Airports: LSGG
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Re: My own airplane!

Post by Antoine »

Pascal

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

Antoine
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RMarkSampson
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2014 1:24 am
First Name: Mark
Aircraft Type: DA20-C1
Aircraft Registration: N966CT
Airports: KPCM
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Re: My own airplane!

Post by RMarkSampson »

I also have a '99 DA20-C1, C0066. How close were you on that production line?
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Charles
5 Diamonds Member
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Posts: 638
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:36 pm
First Name: Charles
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: C-FLEV
Airports: CYHU
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Re: My own airplane!

Post by Charles »

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.
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Joey
4 Diamonds Member
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Posts: 263
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 2:31 am
First Name: Joey
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N633DC
Airports: KJGG
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Re: My own airplane!

Post by Joey »

Congrats on your new "baby". :)
Joey Ritchie
DA40 XLS 40.940
JGG Williamsburg VA
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Pascal
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun May 15, 2016 3:35 am
First Name: Pascal
Aircraft Type: DA20-C1
Aircraft Registration: CGSMT
Airports: CYJN
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 33 times

Re: My own airplane!

Post by Pascal »

RMarkSampson wrote:I also have a '99 DA20-C1, C0066. How close were you on that production line?
Mine is C0075
User avatar
Pascal
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun May 15, 2016 3:35 am
First Name: Pascal
Aircraft Type: DA20-C1
Aircraft Registration: CGSMT
Airports: CYJN
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 33 times

Re: My own airplane!

Post by Pascal »

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?
Last edited by Pascal on Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Charles
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 638
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:36 pm
First Name: Charles
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: C-FLEV
Airports: CYHU
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Re: My own airplane!

Post by Charles »

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 :D )
User avatar
Pascal
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun May 15, 2016 3:35 am
First Name: Pascal
Aircraft Type: DA20-C1
Aircraft Registration: CGSMT
Airports: CYJN
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 33 times

Re: My own airplane!

Post by Pascal »

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