FYI Transition Into EX-3

[lrobichaux]

Wanted to provide an update to the group. Tomorrow, I will complete my last insurance-required dual instruction (15 hours dual required) in my new EX-3. Gotta say that I friggin' love the plane. It's a 2025 EX-3 with IFR panel, 31" ABW, Acme Black Ops shocks and an ABW baby bush wheel / stinger tailwheel. Compared to the PA-18s I've trained in previously, flying the EX-3 with that landing gear set-up is like cheating. It's almost impossible to bounce a landing. My transition has been helped greatly by the 125 hours I've flown in the NXCub over the past year hitting every short grass strip I can find in the N. Texas area. The NXCub turned out to my my "gateway drug." Once I became highly proficient in the NXCub, I longed to join the TW pilot club. In the air, the planes fly very similarly (including flying a steep stabilized approach way behind the power curve) and the IFR panels in both planes are basically identical. The EX-3 is lighter and quite a bit slower in cruise. After tomorrow, I'll have ~ 35 hours TW and subsequently plan to fly a mix of solo / additional dual for a while. Couple of observations from a pilot with ~ 1,000 hours in a Cirrus with a yaw damper. Flying Cubs / tailwheels makes for a much better stick-and-rudder pilot (this is generally well-accepted, but I'm confirming it's true for me). Second, one's overall wind awareness and crosswind landing skills improve dramatically ... this was true even in the NXCub and even more so in the EX-3.

I'll update the group in a few months with my progress.

 

[Waldom]

I'm happy to see someone enjoying their airplane so much. For a variety of reasons, there seem to be a diminishing number of pilots actually having fun in an airplane.

Sadly, the number of pilots that have the passion and dedication to truly master an airplane is also diminishing. Part of the reason for that is that they do not realize how substandard their skills actually are. That attitude usually lies at the feet of a primary flight instructor that lacked the dedication and requisite skills themselves.

 

[Neal]

Congrats @lrobichaux. I said the same thing, I wish the Air Force would have had cubs for us to fly as it does make you a better pilot. Watching Trent Palmer's videos and seeing him progress as a private pilot, he doesn't realize, as others that do the backcountry flying, the skill they have developed (how good he is). It is not easy and they truly have become great aviators as a result as these planes make you. I have plenty of hours and have flown challenging aircraft in the Air Force yet this cub challenges me every time I fly it, there is no time to be complacent or think you're too good for a plane like this. We've all read the stories and those chasing YouTubers trying to do what they do, it is not easy. While these shocks help, as you develop your skill you'll realize you no longer need those training wheels and could fly just as good on Bungee's. The point is don't rely on them but they are nice to have for sure.

The other part of flying a plane like this is decision making, knowing when there's risk and when it's time to wait for another day. The same applies to cross country flying such as when I brought my cub home to VA from Yakima in selecting fields paying careful attention of the winds and diverting to a field that has more favorable winds if needed. Minimizing the risk.

I enjoy my cub and also learning about it and maintaining it, that's equally as fun. Sadly in my area there aren't many others to fly with or fun places to go without traveling at least an hour. I need to stretch my legs more and go find better places to enjoy the cub and hope that is coming in the year ahead.

 

[lrobichaux]

and also learning about it and maintaining it, that's equally as fun.

As others will surely agree, @Neal I really appreciate the extent to which you dig into ownership / maintenance / modification issues and post up your findings here and on YT. It's helped me immensely since getting my NX. Yesterday, I reviewed your video on updating the G3X system software, downloaded the most current software from Garmin, and just walked back in the house after updating the system early this morning.

 

[Neal]

As I've mentioned before, my experience in the Air Force is in depth systems knowledge before ever flying and it is reinforced routinely, tested, and evaluated. That is completely lacking with GA ownership, at least for my CubCrafters experience. It has been extremely uncomfortable flying a plane I don't intimately know so that has been my focus since taking delivery and I feel I've come a long way in learning many thanks to those here as well. I like to share what I've learned as it may help others. It's amazing, in my opinion, how many own planes they know very little about and that's just scary to me.

Glad it's helped you out @lrobichaux and thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience here so others can learn from it. @Tsquared and I used to call/text a lot when I first got my plane, he couldn't hide from me, but what we were learning from each other was a closed loop and not benefitting others and I hope more will share for others to learn here as well.

We're coming out of the cold winter and I hope to get some good time flying this weekend. It's getting to be that time of the year thankfully, let the flying resume.