Sweat dripped into my eyes. I tried to ignore the stinging sensation. Mickey Chadwell and I had just pulled closed the canopy and were starting to understand how it must feel inside a microwave on high power. Mickey continued reading through items on the checklist as I tried to use my hand as a funnel to send small parcels of air into the cockpit through a small opening not a whole lot bigger than an open wallet.

I was checking out in a beautiful, 2003 Diamond Eclipse at Check Six Aviation. A month ago I learned that Check Six had a new Diamond airplane available for rental and from that moment on I was eager to get checked out. This would be a checkout flight full of new experiences. The experience of flying a low-wing airplane. The experience of flying an airplane with a T-tail. The experience of flying using a stick instead of a yoke.

The Diamond's 125 horsepower Continental engine was purring as we taxied out to do an engine run-up. Oh yeah, no steerable nose wheel like the Skyhawks I fly. A castoring nose wheel requiring the use of differential braking to taxi the airplane left and right. This proved to be an easy adjustment.

With the run-up complete, we were soon on the takeoff roll on Stinson Airport's Runway 14. As Mickey had advised me during our preflight of the airplane, the Eclipse is eager to fly. At just 44 knots we rotated and were soon free of the bonds of earth - defying gravity as we climbed skyward. Passing through 1100 feet we removed takeoff flaps and felt the surge of the Diamond's clean aerodynamic design slicing through the hot, humid air. Soon we were at 3000 feet and doing a good 110 knots with little effort.

Mickey gave me some headings to fly and watched as I turned the airplane. In doing so we bumped left and right, up and down. I almost blamed the erratic flight on turbulent summer air but Mickey soon pointed out that I was overcontrolling. He took the controls for a second and suddenly all was calm. I soon learned that it took very little control movements - at cruise speed - to control the airplane. Movement left or right, up or down was more a series of stick pressures rather than movements.

Time for some maneuvers. Mickey entered a 45 degree steep turn and demonstrated just how stable the Eclipse is. With just a couple of clicks on the electric trim, we were hands off in a 45 degree turn. I then noticed with great appreciation the INCREDIBLE visibility - the view out the canopy was breathtaking. The ground rushed by us in the turn and we were rewarded with an almost 180 degree, unobstructed view outside. I was able to complete two steep turns and soon it was time for slow flight and stalls. This went well and it came as no surprise that the Eclipse fights stalls to the very end. It's glider heritage results in an easy break and almost instant flying control after a full stall.

With flight maneuvers completed, it was time to head back to Stinson for some pattern work and landings. Mickey had already briefed me on the potential difficulty of slowing down such an aerodynamically clean airplane. We entered the traffic pattern and I made my first landing - maintaining a final approach speed of about 60 knots. Over the numbers, it feels like you're coming in a lot faster. I think this is due, in part, to the unobstructed view in the cockpit. I think your peripheral vision picks up some of the fast movement close to the airplane on either side. As I flared the Eclipse, we floated a bit since I had given her too much back pressure. With that corrected, the touchdown came quickly.

Full power, flaps to takeoff setting. Mickey helped reconfigure us for takeoff as we performed a touch and go. The application of full power made the Eclipse spring to life and back into the air in mere seconds. We did a second landing with flaps and then it was time to do a no-flaps landing. I remembered Mickey's words about keeping the airplane's airspeed under control. I was at 60 knots on base and turned final at 60 knots. I soon realized that we were too high and grabbed the throttle. I discovered that I was already at the idle position. The airplane had been practically gliding in the pattern. This left me no choice but to lower the nose. Such an action meant only one thing - AIRSPEED. As we zoomed over the numbers and entered the roundout at 80+ knots, it was no surprise that a go-around was in order.

Determined to get us down the second time, I maintained the 60 knots on my next approach but again realized that I was a bit too high. Mickey suggested a forward slip which I found was easy to oblige. This enabled me to drop some significant altitude without picking up too much airspeed but was not nearly the same feeling one has in a Skyhawk. You see, the Diamond has almost no fuselage to use as a large aerodynamic brake in a forward-slip. It's fuselage is a slim, tubular design. The forward slip worked and while we used a decent amount of runway, I was able to get us down without a hitch. It felt great...I was really developing a relationship with this airplane!!

The flight was over but the new experiences were just beginning. Soon I'll go up on a second orientation flight with Mickey to earn solo privileges in the airplane. A third hour will grant cross-country rights to fly the airplane. I'm looking forward to it!! The airplane is beautiful and is fully equipped with modern avionics including a Garmin 430 GPS and a MODE-S transponder.

A big thanks to Mickey Chadwell for his great instruction today. He did a superb job and made flying the Eclipse a real joy. If you live in San Antonio, give the folks at Check Six Aviation a ring and earn your right to fly this amazing airplane. You won't be sorry!!