Flying like the big boys!

This past Wednesday, I had the thrill of getting to put a new model type in my logbook. Until now, it had been all C172's for my training and brief rental flying, then TRIN TB-20 since my purchase of the Trinidad in August 2007. (There was one flight in a Piper PA-28 Archer during training).

Well not anymore. While on business in Houston, a new friend agreed to fly me from Hobby airport (HOU) to San Antonio (SAT) in his Piper Malibu. He flew the takeoff, but at 200ft AGL, I took the controls and flew to 14,000 feet. I was PIC for the next 1.2 hours and finally return control to him at 500ft & 1 mile final on the ILS 12R approach to KSAT. What a fantastic airplane. My first flight in a GA pressurized plane and my first time as PIC above 11,000 ft MSL. So now, in the model column of my logbook is "PA-46 "-- very exciting! Another great logbook memory topic has to be that first flight in a new model. For me, this flight is one I will not soon forget. Can't wait to find out what the next model will be!