With two more big trips accomplished this year I compiled some simple statistics for my flights in my 601XLB.  Some numbers are approximate.

  • 8 years and 5 months of operation
  • 760 flights
  • 161,700 statue miles
  • 1,800 hours
  • 6,840 gallons of fuel
  • 23.6 statue miles per gallon (average)
  • 90 statue miles per hour (average)
  • 3 countries operated in
  • 19,800 max altitude reached

Its been a great airplane so far. A map of the GPS tracks is below. Along the way I have taken thousands of pictures. Many have been uploaded and can be viewed here.

Steve

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Comment by Stephen R. Smith on November 16, 2015 at 4:33pm

Sorry Doug,

I often fail to give credit where it is due.  Shame on me.

Yes the airplane was built in Coverdale California at Quality Sport Planes.  I often take it up there for maintenance.

Quality Sport Planes helps builders who want to speed up some or all of the build process so they can go flying sooner.

Steve

Comment by Stephen R. Smith on November 16, 2015 at 4:28pm

Joe,

I have a Garmin 495 GPS.  The 495 comes with software called Trip and Waypoint Manager, also known as Map Source.  Garmin also offers a program called Base camp that is a bit fancier and is free. 

After each flight, as I update my log book, I also use the Map Source software to pull the GPS track from the 495.  I have a single data file with all the trips in it.  The file can be viewed in Google Earth etc. The screen shot above was taken from my custom version of some open source software (gMap.NET) I use in the Microsoft Windows Surface tablet I have built into the panel of my 601XLB.  The open source software can show various moving maps using only data already in the tablet - no internet connection required.

Steve

Comment by Doug Dugger on November 16, 2015 at 4:14pm

well its absolutely  fantastic  that a plane built by Stephen with a little help from QSP has traveled so far.  May Steve have many more adventures. Maybe a trip to Cuba now where did I hear that. Steve keep up the good flights

Comment by Joe Hopwood on November 16, 2015 at 3:56pm

What tracking tool did you use?  I just got a Cloud Ahoy subscription and have been using Spidertracks for years.

Comment by Zenith.Aero on November 16, 2015 at 2:07pm

Wow! Impressive! Thanks for sharing!

Comment by Alberto Martin on November 16, 2015 at 11:10am

Congratulations !! I really whant to finish my XL once and for all. I "only" have to finish the right wing and then no more riveting... LOL

Take care.

AM

Comment by Joe Harrington on November 16, 2015 at 10:16am

That's impressive, Steve! No moss is going to grow under your wings. I would really like to hear a trip report of your flight around the Baja Pennisula (I would like to do that trip someday.). Looking at your map, I see have a few more states to visit..., and then a bunch of provinces. Time to warm up that trip planner...

Cheers,

Joe

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