what's a sub 1500TT Lakes dude to do?

[labbats]

There was a citabria at my old flight school. Once a year someone would ground loop it. I guess it affected me because I never flew it other than spin training for my CFI. When I'm retired I would love to try it. It's just that since then I've connected tailwheels with ground loops for better or worse.

 

[Jon Rivoli]

I had a '41 Chief, flew it for over 600 hours and got every penny back out of it when I sold it. Extreme climb prop resulted in 4.5 gph and a 500 fpm rate of climb at gross. TOC typically took about a minute.

When instructing, almost all of what I did was tail wheel endorsements. Every student, no matter how much time they had, had to learn how to taxi, takeoff and land all over again like a new student. The first takeoff in a C-140 was Humility 101.

A tail wheel requires you to use correct technique.

That airplane was the best investment I ever made.

 

[flyboyike]

You missed the "really learn how to fly part". If you fly with your feet on the floor of any airplane while landing, bad things will eventually happen. But don't let that get in the way of the fresh copy of USA Today....

Speaking of that, what did you get for 18 across yesterday?

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Speaking of that, what did you get for 18 across yesterday?

Chode, short for Genny Pee....

 

[Simon Says]

Some of you guys really need to learn how to relax. Pilots are the biggest bunch of d.b's I know.

 

[Freebrd]

says the self-confessed dork

 

[trip]

Bought a PA-20 for 8500$ (flat tires,dead battery, old fabric.) Flew it for 2 yrs and put 240hrs on it, sold for 12K (new tires, new battery.)
First T/O was a real eye opener as it careened from one side of the runway to the other, Flight instructor laughed his azz off all the way around the pattern. Wish I had kept it now.

 

[doh]

Loved my taildragger time! Some of the most fun I ever had in an airplane.

 

[Twisted Mind]

There is a prewar Cheif on Barnstormers for 11,500.

 

[livin'thesim]

Tailwheel pilots tend to be quicker and more accurate when flying a v1 cut, all things considered.

They are very tuned in to directional control.

 

[livin'thesim]

There is a prewar Cheif on Barnstormers for 11,500.

So if you flew off 500 hours in it, and then GAVE it away, your equity cost would only be $23 per hour.

Of course there is fuel, maintenance, and insurance, but the idea remains the same.

A quick check of airnav showed a bunch of fuel prices around $6 per gallon. Let's assume 5 gph.

So $30 per hour. Insurance, I got no idea. $3000 per year, maybe?

Maintenance? Another $25 per hour?

 

[Jon Rivoli]

So if you flew off 500 hours in it, and then GAVE it away, your equity cost would only be $23 per hour.

Of course there is fuel, maintenance, and insurance, but the idea remains the same.

On the cheap.

A quick check of airnav showed a bunch of fuel prices around $6 per gallon. Let's assume 5 gph.

Auto gas. Five per hour (73 octane min) $18

So $30 per hour. Insurance, I got no idea. $3000 per year, maybe?

What? Just don't bend it. No need for insurance. $0

Maintenance? Another $25 per hour?

Pfft. Do your own oil changes and save the annual for when you sell it. I did owner assisted annuals for $75. $1 per hour.

$44 per hour and that's if you give it away at the end.

 

[Twisted Mind]

Ok I just did a tailwheel endorsement for a guy that just purchased a 46 11CC a 85 hp Cheif. His insurance was $1064. $450 for liability and the balance for hull. He pays 45 a month to tie it down. (he is hangar hunting.) it burned 5 GPH while doing takeoffs and landings. He has a auto gas STC so it was all non-oxygenated fuel at $4.20. Came with a fresh annual. A continental A65 will burn 3 GPH if you fly slow. 4.20 x 3 = $12.60 hr. Oil changes are super easy and should be owner completed. 4 quarts is max but it seems like they always puke out oil until 3.5. So 3.5 x 8 = $28. Should change every 25hrs if you are running screens, but 50hrs is ok. So about a dollar an hour.

 

[Hollywood82]

go rent a 152 and build hours and get hired back once you reach 1500?

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2013/08/15/news/01top_08-15-13.txt

You could flight instruct or fly 135 like the rest of us had to.

 

[sstearns2]

Sim time counts toward total time. Why doesn't lakes just put these 1450TT guys in a frasca for 50 hours an put them back out online?

Scott

 

[acaTerry]

Some of you guys really need to learn how to relax. Pilots are the biggest bunch of d.b's I know.

Funny you should say that. I was just talking to someone how I like the GA crowd better than the pro crowd.

 

[Pattern-Master]

You could flight instruct or fly 135 like the rest of us had to.

What he said.

 

[35off]

How much of the ATP 1500 hours can be logged in a glider? I could see a small group of aspiring pilots (with rich parents) getting hold of an old Tri-Pacer or something, without so much as any IFR instruments or working comm radios and basing it at some remote strip out in the sticks and let them do touch and goes or fly around at long range cruise until they have the time. Serving no purpose whatsoever, of course.

Glider time is a fixed wing aircraft, and yes it counts. I had 600 hrs of glider when I got my ATP with 1500 hrs total (oh, and you can do cross country in a glider as well). Your statement of serving no purpose, I would have to strongly disagree. If you or anyone needs the total time I would suggest that going for your glider add on rating and seeing if you have the skill to stay aloft and build time would serve a great purpose. I guarantee you will be an far better pilot after the experience.

 

[35off]

To expand on this.. God forbid some of you kids fly a plane with no radios or IFR equipment, you would actually have to look out the window, fly and figure out where you are. Captains or past Captains, how many of this "new generation" get behind (on close approach on a VFR day) the plane as they are scrambling to type on the FMS or make adjustments via the autopilot. I would tell them to hit the disconnect and fly, that will fix it. Some of the responses, wow. Then turn off their director and tell them to fly.

 

[acpilot]

To expand on this.. God forbid some of you kids fly a plane with no radios or IFR equipment, you would actually have to look out the window, fly and figure out where you are. Captains or past Captains, how many of this "new generation" get behind (on close approach on a VFR day) the plane as they are scrambling to type on the FMS or make adjustments via the autopilot. I would tell them to hit the disconnect and fly, that will fix it. Some of the responses, wow. Then turn off their director and tell them to fly.

+1 big time.

If I were king, EVERY private pilot would need to make a single solo glider flight lasting at least one hour from a 3,000' tow and get a t/w endorsement somewhere along the line in their PPL training.

But tailwheels and gliders aren't shiny and sleek...