Newest Aeronca owner - but I'm not sure about it...

softlanding1 · Post by **softlanding1** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 14:00

Looking for a good instructor to finish my tailwheel endorsement. Located in Northern Illinois. Aircraft based at 10C - Galt Airport. I didn't see anything posted in the services area of the board, so I'm starting here.

(Yes, the plane is finally "home". No more long trips to the desert to get in two hours of flying . I haven't thrown in the towel yet!)

The ferry trip took 24.5 hours, 1500 miles total. The plane made it without one glitch. Too bad I didn't get to go along...never would have cleared the mountains with two aboard. The thing quit climbing at 8000 feet in the heat out west last week.

Paul Agaliotis · Post by **Paul Agaliotis** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 14:08

Great news Bruce,
I'm sure there is someone in the Land of Lincoln can help you with the check out. You need to make a short cross country to Middletown in June. Solo or dual it would be good to see you there. Get going on that check out!
Paul

Post by **joea** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 23:32

Glad to see that you got the bird home. Did the mechanic get the heater working? Hope the photos I sent along helped.

Hope you can find someone who is experienced in an Aeronca, otherwise pls find someone with a lot of taildragger time.

A question. Could you take a few days off and travel a bit East? Tony Markl is a long time instructor and very good Aeronca pilot and would teach you everything needed. He lives in Maryland and might even be able to come to your location.

markl AT intercom.net (replace the AT with @)
www.tailwheel-and-fabric-spoken-here.com

Jody Wittmeyer · Post by **Jody Wittmeyer** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 09:09

Bruce, if you don't find an instructor over there, let me know. You can bring it to Kewanee, IL. (EZI) 30miles east of the Mississippi, 10 miles south of interstate 80. Dale Lindstrom is an excellent T/W instructor. He runs our airport and FBO. If you have a couple days and the wx. descent, I can help you get your champ over here. Dale can be reached at 309-853-8222 if you are interested.

softlanding1 · Post by **softlanding1** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 18:06

For those who have been following this adventure, here's the latest. I took my first local flight with an instructor on 4/12. The weather was good, but there was more wind that I would have liked. We flew for about 30 minutes, practiced the usual things, then headed back to the field. Missed two landings, so I gave the instructor the stick and asked him to get us on the ground. The plane weathervaned into a 20 degree crosswind, and we ended up in the mud between the runway and the taxiway. It was an interesting ride. No damage to aircraft or partcipants. We just rolled to s docile stop as if it was planned to happen. Ended up being a bit humorous, because it took six men and a tractor to pull the plane out of the bog. Poor thing was covered in mud! Spent the rest of the day washing the old bird.

Now the good news - I fired that guy, and found a true tailwheel instructor who loves to fly Cubs and Champs, and pretty much lives this stuff. We have flown twice, and I have now successfully landed the Champ by myself about 10 times. 8 have been on grass, two on asphalt. What a difference! I have enjoyed this to no end. This has been some of the most fun I've ever had flying. I'm totally addicted to the grass field landings! Now, I hope to have that endorsement in about three more hours.

Mnflyer · Post by **Mnflyer** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 18:21

Hi Bruce GOOD to hear, your on your way now

. Yes grass is great and very forgiving and it soo much quieter no tires chirping and they last forever on grass.

Post by **joea** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 05:40

Bruce,

Glad to hear it and glad that the first "instructor" did not hurt the airplane. After some of those landings you might do well to have a good mechanic to inspect the gear fittings and bolts if it happens too often.

Please get comfortable with grass landings, THEN work with hard surface runways. Also you can tailor the airplane/wheels to where you are flying. I run 12-14 psi in my main tires (NO MORE) for hard surface runways and you can use just a bit more for grass. You do not want to run more than 14 psi IMHO in the mains for hard surface runways as the airplane is more "skiddish" once touching down.

Grass is MUCH more forgiving and will let you get comfortable in the airplane where as hard surfaces will bite you on the rear from time to time. Remember on hard surfaces, ALWAYS keep the airplane going right down the runway in a straight line. If you have no choice and are landing on runway 30 and the wind is 270 degrees you can aim for the right side of the runway and angle the airplane a bit into the wind, but be careful. With grass this is a moot point...

Joe

David Johnson · Post by **David Johnson** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 09:40

AWESOME BRUCE!!! Having fun with the challenge means you have turned the corner and are on the right track! Remember, the endorsement means you are legal. The learning part never ends, ever. And we all screw up occasionally! I am proud you did not throw in the towel a while back. We all knew this would work out if you kept at it. When I started, I would fly just before dark, when the wind layed down. Not a puff of wind. Then worked my way up to more frisky stuff. Eventually got to fly in a good bit more wind, in time. Keep having fun. Come to Middletown in June! David J.

Jody Wittmeyer · Post by **Jody Wittmeyer** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 17:25

He he! Don't worry Bruce, you will probably do that once also. I did it early on in training, with my instructor with. Learned in champs and was getting checked out in his personal 140. Thought, oh no, never get to fly it. He got out. I asked what he wanted me to do. He said to go fly. Well, what about........Oh, you'll never do that again.
Glad you fired the instructor. Just curious, did he wheel it on, I'm betting. Great job!
We have a guy at kewanee now, from Colorado. Got his T/W sign off in an hour. Flew a citabria with an instructor there that told him funny things and taught mostly wheel landings. Told him he needed another 10 hours dual. He did 3 points great and had no problems.

softlanding1 · Post by **softlanding1** » Tue May 06, 2008 13:49

Update: I'm almost there. I'm so hooked on this plane now, I can't imagine selling it. What a fun time! Swooping in to a grass field with a short pattern, rolling onto the grass and letting the plane slow on it's own...

One more flight - we need to get some crosswind landings and takeoffs in before sign-off. The next flight should do it. I may make it to Middletown yet.

One thing - It seems to me that three-pointers are the way to go in these birds. I had a chat with my instructor, and he pointed out that you eventually have to put the tail on the ground, and if you can't hold the centerline at touchdown, you'll have the same problem when you slow. At some point, the rudder will no longer be effective anyway. (this may be a subject for another forum item...I can't wait to start this argument again!)

Paul Agaliotis · Post by **Paul Agaliotis** » Tue May 06, 2008 14:21

Great going Bruce,
It takes a pretty good pilot to make a perfect three point landing. Don't be afraid of the wheel landings they are good for a number of other conditions. I'm coming out from California and hope to see you and your plane there. I think you will be the one with the biggest grin.
Paul

Jody Wittmeyer · Post by **Jody Wittmeyer** » Wed May 07, 2008 01:48

Hey, don't forget Kewanee EZI the 16, 17 & 18 of May. We have north south grass and east west grass, along side the asphalt.
http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/aeroncafest/

Henry Wortman · Post by **Henry Wortman** » Sun May 18, 2008 21:40

Great series of posts Bruce. I have a L16 project that I am working on. My experience is about 350 hours in Quad City Challengers with most of these hours in a Challenger 1 Clip Wing Special. This is an "ultralight" that has been transioned to LSA. My experience in taildraggers is virtually nil with the experience being only with flying and no TO's and landings.

I have an instructor who has agreed to give me some training once I get closer to completing my project. He has told me to concentrate on keeping my Challenger on the centerline both in landings an TOs. I also add enough throttle to hold the nose wheel off of the runway and taxi to the exit ramps by using the rudder to keep the plane on the centerline. I feel that I am fairly competent in keeping the plane straight.

I have heard that since the Challenger is a rudder dominate plane I should have little problem in making the transition. Even though I can taxi the Challenger straight with the nose wheel off of the RW I still think about the CG being forward of the mains whereas the Champ CG is behind the mains.

Has anyone else made the leap from Challengers to Champs? Comments please.

Henry in South Georgia

softlanding1 · Post by **softlanding1** » Thu May 22, 2008 19:02

Hey, hey!!! You're lookin' at the your newest official tailwheel pilot. Got the official endorsement today and I'm ready to go! Suuuuweeeeeet!

Post by **joea** » Thu May 22, 2008 21:20

Bruce,

Congrats!

Now, pls remember that its a "license to learn" and do not push things.

See you in Middletown!

Joe

National Aeronca Association Bulletin Board

Newest Aeronca owner - but I'm not sure about it...

Need a good tailwheel instructor