As a supporter of modern general aviation and in reaction to continuously increasing price of AVGAS, I decided on the 5th of November 2006 to fly FADEC equipped planes only for one year.

I wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to do the kind of flying I like with new generation engines and aircrafts. To ensure the same kind of flying, I fixed two additional objectives: 50 hours yearly and IFR renewal. The concept of the FADEC challenge was born !

By that time, the only FADEC plane I was trained on was the DA40 TDI, so I started my differences training on a C172 TDI so as to have more options. This went quickly as I was already familiar with the Thierlert engine.

After flying several hours VFR in DA40 and C172, the hardest part of the challenge started: IFR renewal ! As all the FADEC planes I could access in my homebase were VFR only, I had to find some external help. Finding FTOs offering FADEC planes on the net is very easy, so I was quite optimistic. After sending requests to some of them, all my optimism went away.

Some FTOs never reponded to my requests, other just offered their “standard” DA42 conversions… Luckily I’m using gmail. Because of the content dependent advertisment system in gmail, I got an advert for Cannes Aviation displayed beside my mailbox.

They answered quickly, and within days my first trip to Cannes was organised, in end of February 2007. The goal of this trip was to get familliar with the G1000. I got some simulator training, to also make an assessment of my remaining IFR skills. All of this conversion is describes in the “Plastic Flying” category of this blog.

After this first trainin by Cannes Aviation, I was convinced that it would be the place to renew my instrument rating. I went back there in April 2007, for the real thing. After some training flights and check ride preparation in the simulator, I passed my skill test on the 18th of April. The harder part was now behind me, it was only a question of time.

I was also given the opportunity to test fly a Liberty XL2. This plane is equipped with a FADEC controlled AVGAS engine. Even if I did not exactly enjoy the ride, it is definetly part of the FADEC family.

Despite the low number of FADEC equipped planes available compared to classical engine ones, I did finally reach the objective of 50 hours on the 22nd of September 2007 !

The only kind of operation I did not made with FADEC plane until now is night flying, but this is mostly because night flying in Europe is not so easy because many airports have night bans for general avaition.

Completing this challenge demonstrated that it is possible for an aero-club pilot to fly on FADEC planes only, while still meeting quite demanding yearly requirements. The only obstacle was the lack of such planes, but their number is growing quickly nowadays !

This is a good sign for the future of light aviation, as FADEC planes do burn less fuel, are more quiet, thus helping to diminish trouble wih airport neighboors and impact on the environment. They are also simpler to fly, and probably safer because of their simplicity.

I wish now long life to FADEC engines, and encourage all pilots to start converting to modern engine management technique !