Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

[cvavon]

This is my girl friends first solo landing this fall. All her training so far in 26658 soon will need spam can to finish her up for her privet ticket have a grate Christmas !! Chuck And Shannon

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Best of 2010 Taylorcraft photos

WAY TO GO SHANNON!
Don't you hate it that you have to finish up in a nose dragger?
Hank

[cvavon]

Re: Best of 2010 Taylorcraft photos

Hey Hank

Thanks and yes it sucks. I have gotten used to the t-craft and the idea of getting into another plane is a pain in the butt. But the up side is once I finish it up I don't have to fly anything else if I don"t want to.
Chuck and I have started the brake conversion on the old girl and we are close to finished. We decided that since the floorboards had to come out temporarily we would repaint them so we dressed her up a bit . The brake mod has gone exceptionally fast and easy and getting the paperwork took no time at all. I'm attaching a pic of the floorboards with the master cylinders attached enjoy.

Shannon

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Best of 2010 Taylorcraft photos

Can't we find you a full panel tail dragger close? REAL airplanes have one small wheel AT THE REAR! I hear a Texas Tail Dragger modded Cessna 152 Aerobat is a blast!
I try not to log time in "Nose Draggers". Lowers the value of my log book.

Hank

OK, some have a skid.

[lfries]

Re: Best of 2010 Taylorcraft photos

I just finished a student in a Luscombe with the venturi vacuum system for the T & B. It took a little effort but an examiner was found that would do the instrument portion with only the T & B.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Best of 2010 Taylorcraft photos

What is the normal minimum? My 41 has a T&B and a ROC.
Hank

[lfries]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

PTS is pretty much bring an AC that allows you to do all the required
manuvers. In my opinion the person who can fly in simulated instrument conditons and recover from unusual attitudes with just needle ball and airspeed is demonstrating a lot more proficiency than some one with a full panel. It took a little effort to find an examiners but one was found. Some didn't want to do the check ride in a Luscombe and some wanted the 2nd AC with a full gyro panel for the IFR portion.

[RobertP]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

Hank,

You seem to forget that Taylorcraft made some really good "nose draggers" In particular the F22A! Don't Kick it until you have tried it? Even us Pilots flying civilized Taylorcrafts Can be passionate about them!

Happy Christmas and New Year from The Principality of Wales in The UK.

[cvavon]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

Hey guys

I guess I started something. Oh well!

My instructor knows a lot of examiners but none will do the check ride in the old girl because there is no transponder and no panel with the what they call the appropriate instruments.
I'll tell you with all the attitude flying and x-wind training he has given me and all the flying by compass and using the E6-B when I am finished i'd probably be able to fly out of Hurricane. LOL
For the last month he won't take me up for a cross country unless there is heavy cross winds as well. He says you never know what the weather will do and you could leave in perfect weather and end up hitting some bad weather on the other end. He's got a good point. But boy I HATE flying in a heavy wind, and landing in it JEEEESH!

The one guy who might do it in the old T-craft is 6 foot 5 and won't fit into the plane. Go figure.

But I didn't mean to insult anyone's plane so sorry UK.

Shannon

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

I don't think it was you who insulted Robert Shannon, it was me. I HAVE flown a few "nose draggers", but really didn't get much of a kick out of it. The first plane in my log is a NASA B-200 King Air research plane, at night, in weather and I didn't use the autopilot (hey,for what THAT sucker costs per hour, why would I let the electrons fly her?) I was a project manager at NASA and the test pilot who was flying the plane back was also an instructor. I was just starting my pilot lessons and had JUST gotten my logbook. Makes for a REALLY interesting first entry! First entry on the SECOND page is a Stearman for formation flight training. Now THAT WAS FUN!!! You wouldn't believe how big an airplane can hide behind that top wing and how CLOSE it can get before it starts to peak out at the edges!
Got to try an F-22A someday. If any plane can make me happy with a little tire up front, it will probably be a Taylorcraft.
Sorry if I hurt your baby's feelings Robert. All Taylorcrafts are beautiful, even the ones with that funny growth hanging from the front. Got to be a WEIRD feeling on landing when the nose starts to drop as you slow down!

Hank

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

Sure made me sit up and take notice... I flew the first trigear done by Mrs. Feris My father, Al Barber had flown the tandem tri gear back in the early 40's. I like them all. Actually the private test can be done with only primary instruments. Depends on the Examiner, WE have done them in two parts around here. something to look into for the future. WE did 4 LS in one day here with an Examiner out of Mich.. He did a ground school, oral examination the Evening before and the then the check rides the next day.

[cvavon]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

Hello to you Mr. Barber.

I have checked around here pretty thoroughly and for whatever the reason they won't do it in the old girl. If I lived closer there I would come to you all for it but living in Tennessee it is too far to go at the present.

My instructor here is still putting me through my paces as far as making me do lots of navigation calculating and cross wind. Personally I think he gets off on the cross wind stuff. LOL But I know that when he finally sends me for the check ride I'll be a sound pilot, and a safe one. I'm the first woman he has instructed in a tail wheel plane. And the only woman he has instructed that has come this far. Most quit before they solo. So he is being very careful, since his exact words were a tail dragger can bite you in the butt if you stop flying it before it is in the hangar. So never get complacent when flying one. He's really good with students and very very patient.

Perhaps if he waits til spring to cut me lose, I just might contact you to see about an examiner to give me a check ride in her instead of a spam can. I would actually prefer it.

Thanks again.

Shannon

[lfries]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

You might try checking the age of the examiner and how long they have been a DPE. The older and the longer probably increase your chances of getting to take the check ride in the Taylorcraft.

[cvavon]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

Thank you LFries, Most of the examiners here have been doing this for 20 years or more not too many young guys doing it around here. But the examiners we have around here are pretty much set in there ways and don't like change too much. A lot of them have no tail wheel time either.

Shannon

[crispy critter]

Re: Shannon's first solo, Taylorcraft

Shannon,check your PM's.