More Wiring HOBBS 1955.0 hrs

As I cross the 1950 hr threshold, a couple things are becoming clear...#1, it will take more than 2000 hrs for me to finish this beast...and #2, the wiring of one of these airplanes, even with the help of Vertical Power, is a big task. I didn't realize going in, the amount of work involved in this process. So, if you are a newbie to wiring like I was, get ready to expend a lot of brain cells and spend a fair amount of time during this phase. The good news is I am taking big bites out of it!!

Doing the wiring under the seat, this is what my work area looks like. I am doing all of this while leaning over the fuse sidewall...bottom line is, even this relatively young back was sore after doing this for 6 hrs straight. This is where a fuse on a rotating stand would be a huge plus. I am almost done however, so it wasn't too bad. In this pic, you can see I am terminating my stick wiring harness to the terminal blocks.

On the topic of the Infinity grips...I, being very unskilled in all things electrical didn't realize that when I combined my ground wires into one...I missed three of them. I have six switches on the Infinity grips, consequently there are six grounds...one for each switch. Even though the wiring diagram doesn't say there are ground wires for each, there is. Duh..after the fact, but lesson learned. Bottom line is I have extra ground wires I don't really need. Not a big deal, I tied them together at the terminal block...build on.

Here is my Infinity stick wire harness. This terminates at the terminal block. Both the pilot and co-pilot sticks go to the same terminal block. I have read that I might have to separate the PTT functionality between the two sticks...but we'll see. I will have a switch on the co-pilot ground wire so I can disconnect all button functionality when needed....i.e., small kids that want to push buttons.

To give my aching back a rest, I moved from cockpit wiring to tying up loose ends in the FWF wiring. One of was wiring the P-mags. Here is one of my wiring harnesses...I was proud of this until I realized I already had a power wire coming from the Vertical Power...so I had to pull one the pin #5 wire and replace it.

Although I don't show it here. On the left P-mag I added a tachometer wire to pin #6, which will go directly to pin 32 on the SkyView DB37 connector. Dynon calls out a right and left tach...I contacted them via the forum and they said only one is needed. Two would be nice for redundancy though...I only have one...may rethink this?

I had to come up with a way to secure my SCAT blast tubes to the P-mags. There are several clever ways posted on VAF, but I settled on this particular one for the left P-mag. Just use safety wire running inside the tube and then tie it off on the P-mag itself. Looks like it will work just fine.

How it looks when completed...

On the right side, I was able to use an Adel clamp. Also notice the strain relief on the P-mag wire. You don't want these wires moving...also, from VAF posts, don't over tighten the small screws that hold each wire or you will smash the wire and they will come loose later.

I went around and around about whether to add an Avionics Master switch on my plane. After a lot of research and even asking Stein about it, the consensus is that with today's avionics it is really not needed and could be eliminated. In the end though, it came down to convenience for me...its easy to leave your Comm's alone (volume, squelch, etc) and be able to switch them off with the flip of a switch. So...I had to find room for this bugger since I hadn't originally planned on it. This is what I came up with. The starter switch is a "disable/enable" switch, the actual start switch will be on the stick. It will take two deliberate actions to engage the starter. I also wanted this switch up high on the panel so I could see at a glance whether is was disabled.

One last thing, notice the white spot on the AM switch...that is where a chunk of paint came off when I installed it...nice robustness huh?! Fricken CRAP! I like the look and feel of these switches, but the painted on finish is shit! It should be molded in color. I may experiment with a clear coat to protect these b/c I cant live with that.

More details coming together on the panel as I get the last components located...I am in a mode right now where I am just saying screw thinking about it anymore, just start mounting stuff. "Paralysis by analysis"...I am the king of this trait! I've agonized over placement and switch selection long enough. So, notice the small rocker switches next to the Garmin...picked those up at a local electronics store. They will be "Co-pilot stick disconnect", "Map light" and "Baggage dome light". The two dimmers on the left will control the "panel lighting" and "floor lighting". The middle red button is a "PTT button" separate from the co-pilot stick. The right two dimmers control the "Seat heaters".

Last night, I worked late and spent the night at the hangar. It was a perfect opportunity to finalize my interior lighting strategy while it was dark. Here is a shot of my baggage area accent lighting. I will tell you, I am probably going way overboard with my interior lighting...but I am fanatical about good lighting and with LED's, they are cheap, weigh nothing and have very little current draw so why not?? On top of all that, its darn fun! This looks cool. I'll unveil more of my strategy later.

Methodical March HOBBS 1937.0 hrs

I've used the mountain climbing analogy several times while building my plane. It is such a great metaphor for talking about the emotional ups and downs you go through during the build. When climbing a mountain, its an emotional high when you finally, after a long climb, catch a glimpse of the summit. Being inexperienced at mountain climbing, much like plane building, I remember thinking...its so close I can touch it, I'm done...its right there for criminy sakes!

Not so fast I learned, let me tell you, that last push for the summit is usually the hardest part of the climb. The altitude is high, oxygen thin and energy reserves are low. The good news is you can see the end goal, the bad news is you are not quite there yet and it seems to go agonizingly slow. I found out I still had plenty of hard work to conquer that last small distance to the top. My approach was to stop looking at the summit, put my head down and just focus on one step at a time. Eventually I will get there...

Right now, the project is feeling just like that push to the summit. I am methodically marching up the mountain, without focusing my gaze on the summit. I work on the plane pretty much every day these days and I'm making slow, steady, measurable progress...one step at a time.

In a previous post I showed you the start of a fiberglass cap that will transition my arm rest to the throttle quadrant. Here is the evolution of that cap...I will sand this a little more and eventually it will be covered with a vinyl wrap possibly so the surface doesn't need to be perfect. The red leather is just a sample piece Luke at CAD sent me when I was picking out my seats...just to give me an idea what it will look like with leather. I will probably not go with red on the armrest however...black or gray most likely.

I really think this is going to a pretty sweet looking interior when I'm done...I know, I might be biased...but I like the way its all coming together.

Fiberglass and 407 West systems filler (rust color) on the bottom rudder cap is pretty much done. Some light sanding and then I'll throw a coat of filler primer on it and call it good. Here I test fit it with everything installed...wiring to the tail strobe and trim motor in place. It wasn't exactly an elegant install with the wiring...but not too bad either, I can live with it. Again, tired of dealing with it.

My goal is to get all of the cockpit wiring done before mounting the wings. I moved my attention to the seat heaters. It took some research and thinking about how to wire these up, but I think I have it finally figured out. I am not using the switches supplied, but adding a 7A dimmer instead. I got this idea from Jason Beaver. I thought about a clever disconnect for the wires like he did, but decided it wasn't worth the effort as I don't expect the co-pilot seat to be removed very often. This setup will suffice just fine. Unplug the two connectors and both seats come out fairly easy.

I got a little sidetracked here...as I was doing the seat heaters, for some reason wanted to install the Velcro that holds the seats in place...and the stick boots. Sidetracked or not...this was fun as I got a glimpse of the 'summit.'

These are my dimmer switches for the seat heaters. I decided to add the two LED's, which I will wire in series so you can a visual indication that the seat heaters are on. They will also dim along with the seat heat...kinda cool.

Here is the backside wiring as I was doing some bench testing of the LED's and the seat heaters with the dimmer. If you go this route, make sure you get the appropriate dimmer switch...its a higher amp rated version from pilot lights.

Early in the project, I bought a glareshield strip from an aviation company and paid about $60...which I thought was a little ridiculous. I have changed my interior lighting scheme since then (more on this later)...no glareshield light for me now, but I am using these LED strips somewhere else so I needed to buy another one. I found this website shown in the pic...got what looks like an identical version for $12.99 plus $3 for shipping. It should work just fine...don't pay $60 for these, they are not 'flight critical' and dont justify that kind of expense.

Here is a pic of where my stick grip wiring will attach to the large (actually two) terminal block. From the terminal block I will distribute wires throughout the plane. The white wires you see will attach to terminal block, on the other end are DB15 connectors that go to each stick. I don't know if this is the most elegant way to do this...but it should work fine and I'm tired of trying to be clever about this, I'll leave that to you.

My terminal block on the right wing...I also ran my seat heater wires to this for what I think is a nice clean solution.

Left wing terminal block...notice my wires running up the side of the fuse, these will be covered by the side panels. The holes in the spar carry through for wiring runs are pretty inadequate for an airplane with as much wiring as this one. I didn't want to start drilling more holes in spar carry through...so I went around it.

As you can see...the wiring runs are "maturing"...I am getting the routing finalized and the loose wires are slowly disappearing. I will do a complete test fit and eletrical system test, then disassemble for final painting and then riveting on the top fuse panel. We're getting there.

Ah Yes, Airplane Work HOBBS 1918.5 hrs

 

You are probably thinking, "when was the last time you posted something about building an airplane??" That is what this blog is all about, right? Well, you're right, its been awhile...and as you know I have been very busy with other stuff. But...don't fret, progress is being made in the shadows.

 

I am so obsessed with the finish line right now, that I have been forgetting to snap pictures and post about my progress. Whoopsy...hopefully you can understand? I am putting in more hours now than I ever have (19 hrs this week and I missed all day Saturday because of Pitts flying and a cocktail date with a young lady), so it makes for long days.

 

This first pic shows the finishing touches on my oil door. Adding the latch and the cross pieces for structure. Many guys put two latches on this door...I cant help but think that with some structure, one latch will suffice against it bowing in flight. Time will tell.

 

 

I mistakenly cut my rockrack switch holes too big in my carbon fiber panel. I was pretty upset that I did this as the switches had some play in them...and that was just unacceptable. My solution was to mix up a batch of flox with black dye, put a piece of box tape on the front for a barrier (not shown)...lay in the flox and back it with a piece of fiberglass tape for support. Voila...now I just need to re trim to size.

Re trimmed...and it worked like a charm, switches are nice and tight and you don't even see my patch job behind the bezel.

 

Now, focusing on finishing up my center console. I had bought a automotive snap latch and I needed to make this fit into the overall design. This is what I came up with.

 

Next I started playing around with the "feel" and size of the armrest pad. I didn't like it extending too close to the throttle quadrant as it made my hand/wrist feel cramped. So, I decided to design and create a fiberglass "cap" that will transition downward and give it a nice finished look. I used modeling clay to create the desired shape and then later laid it up with fiberglass tape...more on this later.

 

I have about five fiberglass projects going on at once. I do some layups and then move to the next one so I can keep them all in a rotation. Here is another one of those projects. Finishing up the rudder cap. Its now bonded in place, and here you can see I am adding some nice curved transition pieces...purely for cosmetic reasons. I saw it posted on VAF and really liked it. I used a piece of scrap left over from my cowling...bonded it with flox.

 

Add some fiberglass tape...or the seam will crack.

 

Followed by your choice of micro...this is West Systems 407.

 

Sand, sand, sand...until it looks nice

 

Lastly, as the fiberglass is drying on each of these projects I am filling my time with wiring. Mostly just coming up with routing strategies. Here is my wing terminal block...I went back and forth over a cannon connector or no connector...and then decided on just a terminal block. May not be the most elegant, but it will be robust and easy to troubleshoot if needed.

Registration Card Arrives HOBBS 1899.5 hrs

I have good news and some gotcha's for you on getting the paperwork done. Good news is, I just received my registration card yesterday so we are a green light for my DAR visit once I am done. I started this process on 3/13/13...and got it all actually mailed on 3/25/13. All told, from start to finish, just about 60 days. But, here is the caveat...it would've been even sooner if I had filled out my paperwork properly the first time.

 

Let me explain, because these are easy mistakes to make....

 

 

This is how I signed my 8050-1 the first time...notice the date. This is exactly how the example is shown on the FAA and EAA guides on how to do this...hmm, thats odd? Whats missing is the fine print that says to ALSO print your name along with the signature. Of course, there is no extra space for this either which adds to the confusion.

 

This is what it looks like when done correctly...notice the date again. The FAA sent everything back to me to fill it out properly so I had to restart the clock.

 

Ah but we are not done yet! Again, it comes back to me with an apology that they didn't catch this the first time. This notice was included with the returned paperwork, which would've helped me avoid all of this so take note. I had blacked out some lettering in my first attempt....which is a 'no-no' if you read this. Make sure you don't cross out or otherwise alter the document...it must be 'clean'. So, again the clock restarted as I mailed this back in for a second time.

 

And alas, here is the golden ticket, all obstacles are now clear. If you avoid the mistakes I made, it could take about 45 days for the whole process and only 30 days with the FAA. I was being told 60-90 days with the FAA alone, so this wasn't too bad. Just plan ahead so you aren't waiting on it. Luckily for me, I wasn't held up so its all good. Lets get this thing finished!

More Pitts Flying HOBBS 1899.5 hrs

 

When I developed my training plan for getting ready for my first flight, I had a goal of 200 hrs total time, 25 hrs tailwheel, transition training, aerobatics and unusual attitudes. Well, I am closing in on checking off almost every bullet point. I am now at just about 198 hrs TT, 37 hrs TW, 5.5 hrs transition training and 5.9 hrs aerobatics. The only one missing is unusual attitudes and I have read Rich Stowell's book on the topic, which will suffice for now.

 

So, last Saturday I flew with Dagmar again after about a six month hiatus from Pitts flying. The break did me good, I felt much more comfortable in the airplane this time around. She also gave me my CFI spin endorsement in the ol' logbook, which is always cool to add stuff to the big book.

 

 

We did some refresher stuff, loops, emergency spin recovery and then worked mostly on hammerheads. The first time I did HH's six months ago, they seemed oh so easy and a ton of fun. Well, they are still a ton of fun, but I learned just how to botch one and what happens when you do. For the first couple, I was trying to hold my upline too long and my pivot came too late...which results in very nice inverted spins. I gotta be honest, even the screwed up HH's and inverted spins were fun! After a couple, I got it dialed back in, it was a good flight.

 

I have committed to flying my first aerobatic contest with Dagmar in the Pitts in Sterling, CO the weekend of July 12th. I am seriously thinking of flying my RV in some contests and this will be a great introduction to how it all works with Dagmar as my guide. Lastly, this training is getting me ready to fly aerobatics in my RV.

 

Here are some pics I snapped with my GoPro2 camera...it really does take very nice still photos, along with great video. I told Dagmar to fly for a minute while I snap some pics...she went hog wild flying several maneuvers over the course of several minutes while I enjoyed the ride and snapped about 50 shots...I don't know about you, maybe I am biased, but I think these are cool as shit! :) Life is grand.

 

Flying With Alex HOBBS 1899.5 hrs

 

I just finished up my transition training with Alex De Dominicis at his airpark home just south of Dallas, TX. This wrapped up one of the most memorable two week stretches of my life. The Tiger Cruise, followed immediately by my transition training. Both of which were amazing experiences all by themselves, let alone doing them back to back.

 

I want to walk you through what its like to do this training with Alex in his RV7. As anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows, I am definitely on the 'safety and training' band wagon. I also realize some might be put off by a 180 hr pilot preaching about 'how' you should fly, but I'm ok with that. I know from email correspondence that my blog posts have influenced some people to do training they may not have otherwise done and that makes it worth it to me.

 

First, lets talk briefly about Alex. I spent a little over 5 hrs (I needed 5 for insurance) flying with Alex over two days and three flights. In that short time I actually felt like Alex and I formed a little bit of a connection. I think he's a good man and a good pilot and I enjoyed flying with him. As he likes to say, he is now woven into the fabric of my 'RV life' and I am grateful for that, I felt like I left Eagle's Nest with a new friend.

 

Alex lives on an airpark that had me drooling, its called Eagle's Nest and its located just south of Dallas near Cedar Hills. Texas does airparks right. There is nothing like this in the Denver metro area which is a shame, and if there was it would probably be twice the cost of what Alex paid for his home and hangar. My first dream is to build my own airplane...soon to be crossed off the list, and then I will focus on dream #2, living with my airplane.

 

 

The 2200' runway at Eagle's Nest. It certainly doesn't look like much from the air.

 

Walking the roughly 100 ft from the house to the hangar, you'll find a nicely built RV7 and an RV10. Alex does training in both. He recently gave up his RV7A for an RV14 replacement that is being built, and should be coming online by the end of the year.

Alex is adamant about flying 'his' airplane, not a factory plane. As you can see, this includes a very nice panel and CAD upholstery, which sadly you rarely see in a Van's factory plane (although the RV14 factory plane is an improvement in this regard). I was appreciative of this fact. Not only am I learning a new plane, but I am also learning to fly 'glass'. Most of my flying time is behind steam gauges since most rentals are way behind the curve incorporating new avionics. So, learning new 'scan patterns' and getting comfortable with the glass is always a good thing. You know, the whole "two birds with one stone" idea.

 

Again, its so cool to just push your plane out of the hangar and be ready to taxi onto the runway. Airpark living is the bomb! It also is really convenient for Alex's training...no driving to the airport, no tower to deal with, nothing to keep us from getting in the air quickly for some flying.

 

Alex and a handful of guys at the airpark chipped in money to buy a fuel storage tank. They buy their avgas in bulk ($4.70/gallon...which is pretty good!) and share the expenses as part owners. A real nice setup.

 

So, now you have an idea what its like at Eagle's Nest and the training environment. Now, lets talk about the training itself.

 

I am going to purposely leave out some of the details of exactly what we did. The reason being is, that each pilot is different and what you cover in your training may not be the same as what I did. I don't want anyone saying to Alex, "how come we didn't do the same stuff that Ron did?" Which leads me into how we got started. First thing you do is sit down and talk about your flying experience...hours, training, planes flown, what you want to get out of the training, etc. From there, Alex and you will develop a training strategy that fits your goals.

 

I'll tell you that all three of my flights were quite windy, we were seeing anywhere from 30-50 mph winds at pattern altitudes! Bad enough, that we considered not flying. Fortunately, the crosswind components were manageable so we slogged through it. I mention this not as an excuse for bad aviating, but just that it added an element of challenge that didn't help the cause one little bit.

 

First flight (Saturday afternoon) was mostly just a RV familiarization flight and, believe it or not, my first in an actual RV7. We did some slow flight, stalls and some very basic airwork (turns, climbs, descents, etc) to get a feel for the airplane. We ended the lesson doing just a few touch and goes to whet my appetite. Alex teaches a different landing approach with the RV7 with a constant speed prop than what I was used to, so that took a while to wrap my head around. It is pretty similar to how Dagmar lands the Pitts...a steep approach using the prop as a sort of 'drag chute' to manage overspeeding.

 

Second flight (Sunday morning) was basically all pattern work. I got a good workout on this one. Every pilot knows how intense pattern work can be in a new airplane, it is 'drinking through a firehose' to be sure. We covered a lot of topics while doing the circuit. I had very mixed results with my landings, a couple were very good...some were ok, and some were pretty atrocious! I remember as I climbed out after one particularly bad bounce landing, Alex says to me in a calm voice over the intercom, "I'm not going to lie to you, that was shit. It was safe, but I want to see you do better."

 

I was in complete agreement. At the time, I was so focused on everything that was going on and generally frustrated with my performance that it didn't strike me as funny. After reflection, I was working on my plane yesterday and I just busted up laughing thinking about that statement!! That was a new one for me...of the 6 or 7 CFI's I have received instruction from, no one ever said something like that...so matter of fact and to the point. As Alex says, "I'm hard on you because I care so don't take it personal." I certainly didn't. He was also quick to tell you "nice job" when you earned it. He was tough but fair, exactly what you want from your CFI...and quite honestly, his assessment was right on...it was "shit!" haha

 

After our second flight, as much as I was frustrated with my flying, Alex said he thought I was proficient and safe and would sign me off and feel ok at that point with me safely doing my first flight. I suppose I could've saved some money and took him up on that offer and been done with it. I obviously didn't as I won't take shortcuts with training, I definitely wanted to do the third flight regardless of his assessment that I was safe.  

 

The third flight (Sunday afternoon) was more of the same. Pattern work and some engine out scenario's. I thought for sure, this flight was going to be my best...again it was hit and miss as we got some interesting crosswinds on this flight, I didn't have it mastered that's for sure. The positive was that the last landing was by far my best, really perfectly executed all the way around. At least I know how it is supposed to go, the proper approach and sight picture...it will just take some practice to do it more consistently.

 

My takeaways from my experience:

1. Flying the RV is vastly different than my previous experience in Skyhawks, Diamonds and the Citabria. Best thing you can do is get most of what you learned from those planes out of your head. It was much more like flying the Pitts...although I only have 5 hrs dual and one landing and just a couple of takeoffs in the Pitts, most of it has been aerobatics.
2. Everything is going to happen much faster in the RV. Your climb rate, your approach speed, all of it contributes to you being "behind" the airplane. You need to think ahead much more in this plane than you are used to.
3. The constant speed prop is soooo cool! I am so happy I decided to go this route on my plane. Being able to use that prop as a sort of 'speed brake' is HUGE when landing these planes.
4. Because of the short wings, the ground effect is closer to the ground than you are used to. I kept flaring too high...don't be afraid to let it settle down closer to the runway before flaring.
5. Control inputs are sensitive (scratch that) responsive, that is no surprise if you've read anything about RV's. I had no problem in cruise, but when I got into my flare, I was all over the place until I calmed down on the stick movements. Three inches of stick movement in the Citabria is vastly different than three inches of stick movement in the RV. Using very small 'pulse' type movements of the stick to feel when the plane has dissipated enough energy and is ready to land really helped me smooth out my roundout/flare without overcorrecting.
6. Getting on the backside of the power curve in an RV is much more pronounced. I could see this getting pilots in trouble...the bottom would drop out in a hurry from what I could tell. Energy management (think low and slow vs. high and fast) is huge in these planes and Alex preaches this fact a lot in his training.
7. I liked Alex's steep approach strategy...it feels much more smooth and natural than trying to drag the plane in with power, low on energy. It also minimizes your exposure to losing an engine on final. Alex called it our "safe zone." When I got "slotted" into the proper approach angle and airspeed, the plane really kind of landed itself. Now, of course, that isn't easy when you are used to coming in at the standard 3% glideslope we are all taught in the Skyhawk. Adjusting my sight picture was a challenge...I was reluctant to get the nose down and seemingly "dive" for the runway like Alex wanted.

In reflection, I have had time to think about my 5 hrs with Alex. It was intense, I'm not going to lie.

 

Here is what a typical circuit was like...from my perspective to give you a feel for it. During a touch and go, the takeoff was always a nice surprise...be ready with right rudder and the acceleration was pretty thrilling. I kept overcorrecting with left rudder and swerved left and right. Climbing out was fast, this plane climbs like a beast. Quickly dial back the throttle or you'll blow past pattern altitude before you know it, prop reset to 2400 rpm. There is a hawk at 500' right off the end of the runway diving for field mice. I jink to the right to dodge him as I prematurely start my right turn to crosswind...watch the airspeed. Another power correction as we are already at pattern altitude and the airspeed is starting to run away from me. Check the windsock and cross check with what the EFIS is telling me. I have a crosswind coming from my right pushing me away from the runway...so a crab into the wind is warranted. All the while this is happening, Alex is giving instruction.

 

We very briefly discuss what I did wrong on the last landing, but I have little time to process this as we are now already abeam the numbers and I need to set up for the next one. At 100+ mph, we get around the pattern quickly. Oh, by the way, there is a Skyhawk in the pattern ahead of us and I need to create spacing with him so I delay my turn to base as I keep an eye on him. Now I am out of rhythm but can't worry about it. My brain is working hard as there is a lot going on...keep the nose down, you are climbing...watch the airspeed, don't get too fast for flap deployment...check the airspeed...under 100mph? add the first notch of flaps...where is that damn Skyhawk? I lost sight of him, there he is...don't get too close to him, he is much slower than us so plan accordingly...hold that crab angle, you're drifting away from the runway. Oh, and by the way, Alex is still giving me instructions.

 

Ok, deep breath, relax, now turning base...another notch of flaps...more throttle adjustments to manage airspeed as the nose goes down and I pick up my aim point...I'm not on centerline, adjust with some bank...watch the airspeed. Diving for the runway now...watch the airspeed...add some more flaps...aim point looking good. Watch the crosswind, you're drifting...get the airplane straight with some rudder input...roundout, getting some wind shear from the hangars, flaring too high...ease off the stick, dang, overcorrected and we ballooned...easy does it...bring her gently back down...easy...still too high, airplane is getting slow..I am 'feeling' for the runway and getting that feeling of dread where you are in no man's land...a small bird comes out of the corner of my eye and I swear impacts the airplane as I hear a small thud...ignore that for now...I am out of energy and still flying and Alex lets me know it...approaching a stall now...we hang in the air, the airplane is confused as to whether to fly or land...bam, we bounce...crap! Get it under control and on the runway...stick full back to keep the tail on the ground. No time to feel sorry for myself now, time to firewall it and takeoff again...right rudder, right rudder...stay on centerline!! 

 

Wow, I'm exhausted again just writing it! I was wiped out Sunday night after two flights. There is nothing else I do in my life that is as intense as learning to fly...tell me what you ever do in an hours time quite as action packed as that?? Definitely much of the allure of flying for me is not only that intensity, but also when it finally all slows down and you are master of your aircraft...that is an amazing feeling when it all clicks.

 

Parting shot...logbook signed off and a big smile on my face as another great aviation accomplishment is in the book.

In summary, as frustrating as it was at times, I had a blast and would recommend Alex for your transition training. Don't skip this before your first flight, its important! An RV is a different beast. Several of my friends asked me when I said I was going to Dallas to fly with Alex, "you couldn't find anyone local?" No, there is no one in Colorado that is set up  to do this kind of instruction like Alex does. Alex has about 4400 hrs of RV time, all but 1200 of which is dual...let's just say he know's how to teach RV flying, what to emphasize, what to watch out for, what gets pilots in trouble with the RV, that is a big deal. Flying with 'Joe Blow' RV pilot most likely will not be the same, even if he/she is a great stick/rudder guy or gal...knowing 'how' to teach is crucial, Alex has 3200 hrs of practice in this arena. The added cost of hotel room, rental car and a plane ticket to Dallas was well worth it to me.

Enjoy the journey my friends! We are fortunate to live this life.