First Solo......again | FerrariChat

First Solo......again

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by LouB747, Aug 20, 2014.

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  1. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

    Apr 8, 2009
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    Huntington Beach, CA
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    Lou Boyer
    #1 LouB747, Aug 20, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Well, I just looked at my logbook. My first solo was 8/5/83 in a Cessna 152. I believe it rented for $34/hr if memory serves correctly. I was 17 years old. Today, over 30 years and 16000 hrs later, I sorta soloed again. I started flying a Christen Eagle about 2 months ago. I flew it 3 times for about 3 hrs and got my tailwheel endorsement in 2 days. I haven't flown it since and had yet to fly it solo. Well, this morning at about 8am, I made 3 full stop takeoff and landings at KLGB. It felt great. Honestly, the Eagle is a bit squirrely on landing and probably isn't the greatest first tailwheel airplane. All that said, it felt pretty good!

    Good times to come......
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  2. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Jim Pernikoff
    Now that's a far cry from a 747. Just don't try those maneuvers in the big bird! (After all, you're not Tex Johnston.) Have fun, Lou!
     
  3. FERRARI-TECH

    FERRARI-TECH Formula 3

    Nov 9, 2006
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    awesome mate...I feel that Catalina trip coming on soon, but if we can do it with the little black round rubber things pointing down that would be great ;)
     
  4. kylec

    kylec F1 Rookie
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    Jun 9, 2005
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    We need to see that GoPro video!
     
  5. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Gotta have your feet wide awake and home in on the target at the end of the runway and keep it in the center. I wondered why my instructor before my solo ran me through the wringer doing rudder exercise stalls until I was exhausted. I never had trouble with ground loops in anything after that, Stearman included.
     
  6. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Terry H Phillips
    Lou- Always something new to try piloting. Next you will be ready for a WW-I replica Dr.I or Camel with a rotary. Familiarity with the rudder helps on those two.
     
  7. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    Lou Boyer
    #7 LouB747, Aug 20, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Yeah, if I think I can land on that runway! Funny, I've never really flown a plane I had to worry about landing before. Not being able to see over the nose can be interesting! And a 60 ft wide strip like Catalina poses a few more challenges for that short coupled Eagle. But I'll work my way up to it and we'll go. Other than the landing rollout, the plane is an absolute dream to fly. I don't think I've ever flown a plane that stable before. You really don't feel like you're using the controls. Just think about what you want to do and the airplane does it.

    GoPro video, forgot to start it for the solo flight! But do have some acro flight video from the day before when I was in the front seat. My first real acro. I can see some good times ahead. I do need to build up my G tolerance though. 4.3 and I started to blackout. Strange feeling!

    When we arrived at the new hanger in LGB, they rolled out the red carpet for us. The carpet was almost bigger than the wing!
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  8. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    I'd love to fly those! Maybe some day.
     
  9. joker57676

    joker57676 Two Time F1 World Champ

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    So cool.


    Mark
     
  10. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
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    Are you going to put spades on the ailerons?

    The one I helped a guy build had them on upper and lower, and it made the roll control very light...
     
  11. Nurburgringer

    Nurburgringer F1 World Champ

    Jan 3, 2009
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    Awesome!

    What does it cost to rent a Christen Eagle these days? Or is this one yours?

    The pilot of the PT-19 I rode in a few months ago also flew a 747 as his day job. Bipes seem to be popular “weekend” toys for jumbo jet pilots.
     
  12. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    Thinking we will leave it as is. Coming from the 747, the roll control is so light. I couldn't imagine it any lighter.
     
  13. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    1/2 owner. Not sure if you could rent one. First off, it's experimental. So it can't be used for hire. Also I think the insurance rate to rent it would be very high.

    I was surprised at our insurance rate though. About 2500/yr. That's for 2 guys with no tailwheel time. Of course we are 16000 hr ATPs and maybe that helps.

    I guess a small biplane is such a departure from flying the bigger planes. That's the allure. It's funny to see people pointing at you as you taxi by. Sort of like driving a Ferrari.
     
  14. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
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    I understand completely. The example I was talking about was (to me) in fact TOO LIGHT.

    But the hard-core aerobatics guys claim that you cannot get them too light.

    Incidentally, if nobody has mentioned it before - this kit (the Eagle) was very probably the absolute highest quality homebuilt kit ever made...just like a great big model airplane to put together. I got to help building the wings with my friends - the original owner for some reason built the fuselage first and had not finished the wings when they bought it.

    I believe most people built it in reverse order - wings first.
     
  15. Nurburgringer

    Nurburgringer F1 World Champ

    Jan 3, 2009
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    Sharing a fun plane always sounded to me like a great set-up. Split the costs and just have to work out the timing (and legal contingencies, probably).

    edit: I meant PT-17, not 19.
    Was wondering if any Eagles had open cockpits, and found this:
    Open Cockpit - The Biplane Forum

    Could be a lot windier in Eagle than a Stearman though :)
     
  16. RWP137

    RWP137 Formula 3

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    Now that looks like fun...
     
  17. Nate2046

    Nate2046 Rookie

    Oct 15, 2006
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    That's awesome! I really need to get out there and do some flying like that. I feel like the last 3 years on the 747 has really eroded my skills. On the CRJ we did tons of flying, but now, I'm lucky to get a few minutes of real stick time a month.
     
  18. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    #18 LouB747, Aug 22, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  19. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    #19 LouB747, Aug 22, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  20. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Lou- Makes perfect sense to me. Assume the rear seat solo only is for CG?
     
  21. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

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    Yeah, it is. I meant the red placard.
     
  22. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Looking back on old stuff that I used to fly and the PT-19 and PT-26 were front pit solo, the Stearman was rear pit solo. Ryan PT-22 was rear. That Eagle sounds like a lot of fun.
     

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