Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Piper. Model: PA-34. Nickname: Seneca
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Multi-engine Land
> Engine Description: Twin piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 2
> Number of Times Flown: 2
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Seneca I, Seneca II

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 140
> Date First Flown: 9/9/2003
> Location First Flown: Roswell, NM (KROW)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Great Southwest Aviation, James.

Recollections:
While on an FAA flight test detachment to Roswell, NM (which–owing to it’s LONG and Part 25-required SMOOTH/UNGROOVED runway–is used by many manufacturers to test their airplanes’ “field performance”–braking, landing distance, etc) I decided I wanted to do some personal flying when testing was either cancelled or we were on a day off.  So, I went to GSA at Roswell and got checked out.  I’d flown quite a bit in the Beech Baron and I distinctly remember thinking “the Senecea does not handle nearly as nice as a Baron”.  I believe this may just be that the Seneca is a bit lighter but, even then, it felt loose and slightly unstable in the pitch axis (a combination of what felt like lower static longitudinal stability, coupled with light pitch forces).  I guess I didn’t have the spare time I thought I’d have, because I never rented from GSA after that checkout.  My second flight in a Seneca was at the National Test Pilot School some 13 years later, and I remember thinking “yep, I remember this feeling in pitch”.  

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Piper. Model: PA-32. Nickname: Apache, Aztec
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane multi-engine land (and Sea!)
> Engine Description: twin piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 6
> Number of Times Flown: 6
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: PA23-250, PA-23S-160

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 148
> Date First Flown: 6/26/2004
> Location First Flown: Col James Jabara Airport, Wichita, KS (KAAO)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Bill Johnson

Recollections: My first flight in the Aztec (nicknamed “Aztruck”, for it’s impressive useful load and sturdiness) was with a friend, Bill Johnson.  We went out for a Familiarization flight, conducting stalls and Vmc demo, etc and I was impressed by the Aztec’s handling qualities and the quickness with which the airplane was comfortable in all phases of flight.  Bill was a patient (no, “fearless” is probably a better word) right seater as I flew his airplane doing several test pilot techniques.

I later earned my Multi-engine Seaplane rating (courtesy of the FAA) in a twin “Apache” (same model as Aztec but smaller engines) in San Andreas, CA, with instructor Ray Arcnaeux as we flew in the gorgeous foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Angel Aircraft Corportation. Model: AAC 44. Nickname: none?
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Multi-engine Land
> Engine Description: Twin piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 6/25/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 1.4
> Number of Times Flown: 1
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 137
> Date First Flown: 6/26/2003
> Location First Flown: Orange City, Iowa (KORC)–now closed?
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Carl Mortenson, CEO of Angel Aircraft

Recollections:
This was another amazing experience given to me by the FAA.  I went to Orange City, IA (in a Beech 58 that was unknowingly out of annual…but that’s another story!) to visit the Angel Aircraft Corporation.  Google this company for more, but what an amazing place and family.  The Model 44 received type certification and was intended by the Mortenson family to be a twin engine missionary aircraft.  Sales unfortunately didn’t materialize.  My mission during this visit was to validate their production flight test procedure as part of the AAC’s application for a Production Certificate.  I flew with the Model 44’s designer and company owner Carl Mortenson in serial number 1.  As nice a man as ever walked the earth, Carl had an engineering acumen that matched.  We prayed before we flew and then flew the Production profile on this unusual twin-pusher design that was capable of landing and taking off from extremely short and rough jungle strips, with room for a stretcher behind the two pilots.  The machine handled very well and passed all of it’s checks.  I left Iowa feeling lucky to have flown this unusual machine and to have met Carl and other members of his family.