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Have any of you simply pulled back???

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Wheels hit concrete at the bottom of the green arc, what the problem?
 
Jumped in to a Saratoga once, as well as a nice Mooney MSE. The Saratoga trip was a disaster, but had nothing to do with the aircraft type. The Mooney trip was a blast. Yet neither of these voyages were my shining moment...I've made better decisions.

Most airplanes evolve...if you know a 152 you can figure out a 172, if you can fly a 172 a 182 should be manageable (as long as you don't bend the firewall), if you can fly an Archer a Cherokee Six won't embarass you (if you managed to get it started). Yet everything is easier, more stress free, and safer if you get some instruction in the airplane first, even if it's just in the pilot's lounge from somebody who's flown it.
 
UnAnswerd said:
The question is, how did you feel about flying something completely different after you got your license???

I mean, what if all you've ever flown is a PA-28. Did you think twice about taking off solo for the very first time is a high-wing Cessna??? Or did you grab an instructor just to make sure the aircraft wasn't going to break your balls??? Anyone ever just get in, accelerate, and pull back????
I wanted to rent our FBO's Katana for a long weekend and a long cross country from south central wisconsin to Green Bay and then on to FT Dodge Iowa. Since I was an experienced 135 pilot with the company and checked out in 6 makes/models of piston twins...from Aztec to Cessna 414...the owner said go for it.

I took an hour and half and read over the aircraft manual, noting differences and similarities of light singles that I had flown, then went out at night with a flashlight and the check lists. Familiarizing myself with every detail in the check lists. Before I did this, I got some real time fuel burn, performance and power setting information from the experienced CFI's at our place.

Once I felt it was time to untie the plane from the tie downs, I felt very much "good to go".

Since I had never flown a plane with only differential braking for ground steering, that was experimented with on the taxi out. I found it very easy to just use the rudder peddals, since thrust was flowing over the rudder, so I only used the brakes for tighter turns.

When it was time to line up on the runway, the night time visibility in the Katana was very new to me...having been used to 152's other high wing Cessnas and all the other typical GA fare. When the runway edge lighting went by and I was moving, my heart stired with anticipation...this was freaking fun! I had never flown a "stick" airplane before...and once again, the visibility was awesome.

As I climbed out, I couldn't get over how much fun this was...flying a plane not much larger than a gold wing with wings.

The flight to Green Bay was beautiful and I landed and parked at the FBO. The wife walks up to the fence and points at the plane and says, "You expect me to fly with you in that 'BUG'?"

We left together the next morning and flew in loose formation with a group of friends in a Cessna 205 that we hooked up with at Shiocton, all the way to FT Dodge and the wife totally enjoyed the trip.

Before I get beat on by the "puritans" of aviation, I spent quite a bit of time familiarizing myself with that plane and felt totally comfortable with checking myself out...however, I would warn anyone that is thinking of doing such a thing to seriously evaluate what they are contemplating doing and the consequences, both legally and liability wise.

I need to get back in the air with an Aztec soon, just to do some old fashioned piston multi flying. I'll be renting from the same FBO. If the owner throws me the keys and says, "You know what you're doing!" I'll proudly turn the offer down.

First of all, even though I have been flying piston single on the weekends, I haven't flown a piston twin in 5 years. Second of all, I don't want to survive an "accident" just to find out that I'm subject to charges for criminal criminal negligence regarding property damage, personal injury or death. I'll pay the FBO for time with the instructor and go up flying...it'll be fun and a great way to get my feet wet again. Plus, I'm not rich, but I do believe in sharing the wealth...which means, if you can afford to rent a twin, you can afford to put beans and biscuits on a CFI's table! It's the reasonable and prudent thing to do.
 
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UnAnswerd said:
FNFAL, sounds like you know what you're doing. Interesting to hear that some people have in fact done this.
In one way, it's no big deal...in another way, it's a big freaking deal. Everybody is your brother until the rent comes due...bang a plane up or injure someone, without a "rental checkout" and see who your brother is then. Probably the attorney you'll have to hire...if you can afford one.

It's all different now.
 
A couple of years ago, during the beginining of my still fledgling career, I was working for a charter/corporate outfit, building some sketchy time in a variety of piston and turbine twins. Got a call from the boss one morning. He asked me if I had any time in any Piper singles. "Nope, not an hour, but I've walked past them a few times." His response, "Well, you're gonna get some today."

He needed me to fly the chief pilot up to East Hampton to rescue a Chieftan that was finally fixed after being broken for some time. My "ground school" on the airplane consisted of him telling me, over the phone, that "it's no different than any of the Cessnas you've ever flown, except you just have to remember to turn on the fuel pump", and "just like any other light plane, your approach and landing speed is gonna be about 3 o'clock on the airpspeed indicator". (I had never thought about that, but it's actually generally true, at least for all the light planes I've ever flown, and as long as the mains touch down first I guess you're gonna make it out in one piece).

Granted, the chief pilot was with me for the first leg and there were no surprises. And I was liscensed and technically qualified to fly the thing (an Arrow? Archer? whatever Piper calls it's low wing, normally aspirated, fixed pitch, fixed gear 4-seater), but I can only imagine the field day the powers-that-be would have had if something untoward had happened on the return flight when I was by myself. Zero dual received in the type, and about 20 minutes of time to preflight, locate all the switches, find the POH buried in the backseat pocket (nevermind actually look it over), figure out the seat adjustment and seatbelts, and we're off.

The things we do when we are trying to fill our logbooks.
 
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Goose Egg said:
Yes, actually. I flew a 152 without a rental checkout after I had flown ~100 hours in a 172. I know, I'm a pretty big rebel.

You're regressing Goose.....
 
Kream926 said:
you have to get checked out if you plan to rent from an fbo. youll go with one of their cfi's and demonstrate that you can fly, like a mini checkride

What amazes me is that so many pilots belive that this is an FAA requirement, not so!

Your pilot liscense says "Private Pilot, airplane/single engine land" Than means provided you have the apropriate endorsements you can hop into ANY single engine airplane.

Get your PPL in a PA-28, get your HP & complex endorsements in Bonanza, hop right into a Caravan and fire it up. Never touched a turboprop before in your life? Not an issue in the eyes of the FAA.

Only when you start flying a few of the old WW2 fighters does the FAA step in requireing a letter of authorization (LOA) for anything bigger than an AT-6.
 

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