althepal

RCU Tower... Alpha Juliet Charlie with you...

I started flying when I was in my 20s, but had been invilved with models since age 9
Flew Robin Dr 400, soloed after 7 hours( was lucky?). Moved to US, get PVT, Inst, Com, CFi, CFII, IGI, AGI and MEI ( Mei was initial flight instructor). Anyway, do not fly anymore for health reason. BUT, having said that, I want to outline the point that flying models was a great learning tool for understanding aerodynamics, principles of flight.....I did use models, in classroom, to explain a lot of those to students...Hell, it is easier to carry a 18x6 prop in your bag than a a real full size one!
Passion for aviation still intact...now I try to apply my experience in full scale to models...the circle is complete!
By the way....anybody from Georgia, USA? I remember two designated examiners I had check rides with...JACK B SCOGGINS, from Valdosta...the Scoggmonster... and BOB HOWELL!

Any informations about them would be refreshing

A J Carrette

otterdriver

Hey Guys Great thread allot of full size pilots on RCU I am a bush pilot here in alaska I am 45 and have been flying since I was 12 in my dads PA12. Now days I fly a beaver most of the time a little cub work every now and then I havn't flown down in the lower 48 much a little around the Tuson area you guys have allot of MOA's to dodge down there but I had fun. Mark,

Lowlevlflyer

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Hey guys, glad to see so many full scale pilots here. I started flying when I was 15, in a local CAP squadron. Got my private in 89, and commercial in 91. Got a little over 3000TT now (there were several years that I didn't fly for a living), with about 1500 of that being Ag time. Cropdusting and pipeline patrol constitutes the biggest part of my time in the air. I've been working on my instrument rating as of late, and multi next. Now, if I could just figure out how to handle an R/C model like I handle a real aircraft, I'd be happy! Any other ag pilots or aerial patrol pilots onboard?

cummings66

Here's a picture of our plane. I'm in the leather jacket next to it, and my wife is in the leather jack further forwards. We're at Miami County airport K81 near Paola KS. We flew in for lunch and met some friends there. If you're ever in the area they have very good BBQ and awesome cheesecake. Right now I am debating going to a warplane fun fly tomorrow or flying to Miami County. It's a tough call...

Got my certificate in 1999 after deciding to go for it. I'd been flying models for probably 10 years prior to that and never did have a bug to fly full scale until I was a base commander for a local CAP Flight Encampment. Being around it for 7 days all day long kind of got to me and the day after the encampment ended I was training to be a pilot. 88 days and 44 hours later I made it. Shortly after that we bought this plane to fly around in, it's been fun.

h-ray-RCA

Damn!! Just logged my 8,000 hour and was feeling pretty smug, then I read your resume.


Wish we were all on an overnight together so we could get the beer flowing and the stories going.

:cheers:


Steve

Shoe

I fly hornets during the week to pay the bills and Discuss Launched Gliders on the weekends for fun.

dabigboy

Ooooh, cool thread.

I "officially" started flying in '98 when I soloed, although with my dad being a pilot, I had lots of time riding in planes before that. Just finished a 2-year degree in aviation technology at a local college. Got my commercial and instrument, was going for the CFI but decided not to take the checkride (although I did officially complete the course). I felt I just got too burnt out of the school and training stuff to be "with it" enough to even pass the CFI checkride, much less be a competent instructor. Not sure what kind of flying I'm going to try for........I got really tired of "normal" training maneuvers and cross-country oriented stuff (although actually going places is pretty fun). But I took a 10-hour aerobatic course a couple months ago, and LOVED IT!!!!! Used a Decathlon, that's probably the most fun flying I've ever had. Even when we just cruised around and practiced takeoffs & landings it was great, that plane is fun for short hops.

Got a little over 200 hours now. At the moment I'm kinda taking a break and sorting out what I want to do. With just a part-time job to take care of, I *do* have a lot more time for R/C now. Might try to find some sort of service-flying, like pipleline patrol or perhaps bush flying of some sort............doing aerobatics professionally crossed my mind, but I don't have the funds to get into it and I don't think I'd be committed enough to practice sufficiently (I just want to go have fun when I do aerobatics ).

-Matt Bailey

iAlex

Private Pilot Glider. About 90 hours of flight time so far. Been flying for almost 3 years now. Longest soaring flight has been a little bit over 4 hours, and I have reached a max altitude of 14,000 feet while thermalling. Been involved in Radio Control for close to 15 years.

airbatic

My F-15 searing towards targets gives me tingles in the spine. And seeing the target disappear
charges me to no end.

Kraus

Reverett

Kitfox Model IV N4273A

Reverett

Kitfox Model IV N4273. Sorry, I didn't get the pictures attached on the last post.[img][/img]

Reverett

Oops meant to attach pictures of before and after test flying a Kitfox Lite that ended in near disaster. The models are a whole lot safer to fly.[img][/img]

iAlex

What kind of engine are you running in your Kitfox? I've thought of building one, but I'm also finding myself drawn to the Murphy Rebel.

Reverett

The Rebel is a great airplane and a wonderful choice of homebuilts.

I am running a Great Planes 2180 VW engine. It has plenty of power and runs very smooth. Takeoff from a paved runway is less than 400 feet. I built the engine from the Great Planes kit and it is the 80hp version.

I'm still recovering from my crash so I only have 5 flights on my Kitfox IV. All flights including the first have been trouble free. My test flying days are over or at least testing an airplane I didn't build. Since the sportpilot rating is approved I have had some folks asking if I would consider selling the Kitfox. I haven't given much thought to selling but if the right offer comes along I might put it on the trailer and send it home with someone.

I think if I build another plane it will be the Sonex. I have been watching it for the past several years and it is most impressive.

Good luck on whichever airplane you decide to build. It is a very rewarding experience and the first flight is really a thrill.
Bob

IFlySlowPlanes

Add me to the list...haven't flown much this year but renewed my medical just in case ;-)

PPL with Instrument (not current however) and that's about it. If I had the money to get the ratings, I'd drop it all to be a freight dog in a heartbeat.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Ev:

I didn't realize you meant you had crashed the plane until you said you were recovering from it. Can you tell us what happened? Morbid curiosity is part of it, of course, but maybe by telling some one else might avoid the same mistake. From your post I gather it was a construction error.

Bill.

taildragger21

My Feedback: (197)

I had been looking at used kitfox's and other homebuilts but most of them have those horrid rotax engines.......Yuk. Me and my full scale flying buddy mess with volkswagen's. Thats the engine of choice for me. Like the one you have with the great planes coversion. I seen a rotax on a eros at the field and it idles so darn fast it looked like it was ready to fall out of the mount. Why would you want a 300-400 tbo hour engine anyway. So much more out of vw's for less. Heck, I dont even trust two strokes on my rc planes!! So what would be a great offer on your kitfox?? HInt hint!! Later fellas btw...........heres a pic that will make even the mighty rotax cringe!! And a pic of my first solo

Reverett

Hi Guys
Thanks for the follow up messages. I'll be glad to share the morbid details especially if it prevents someone else from repeating my mistake.

I have a 1200' strip on my property and picked up the Kitfox Lite to fly off of my field until I flew the hours off of my Model IV. The Lite was built and had about 8 hours on it when I got it. I went completely over the plane from spinner to tail following the assembly manual to make sure everything was okay. It hadn't been flown in a while so I checked all the rigging and made a couple of changes per the rigging instructions and confirmed the CG was correct. The airplane was well built and I thought it would fly similar to my Model IV. It turns out that in the stock configuration with the 2SI 35hp engine and 60X28 prop it is under powered and under prop'ed. After my accident I heard of numerous other accidents similar to mine in the Lite. The most spectacular was at the Skystar flyin in Idaho when a guy spun in from 300 feet and didn't survive the crash.

I don't remember anything about the crash or the entire day for that matter. I was testing the Lite on a 3900' turf runway when I crashed just after takeoff. I was told that I made several hops to check out the controls then made a takeoff. The climb out was wings level and shallow then just above the trees it broke into an apparent stall spin. I have about 1500 hours and an instrument rating and have flown numerous aircraft types so I find it hard to believe that the accident was totally pilot error. I suspect I was flying the airspeed indicator and I should have detected any control problems before I broke into a stall.

It turns out the stall characteristics in the Lite are extreme and undetectable prior to the event so recovery from treetop level would have been imposible. Remember that the Lite falls under the Part 103 ultralight rules so completely novice pilots could legally fly it. Anyway I survived with both legs broken a boken right hand and finger on the left hand. I was wearing a helmet and had the harness very snug so I was fortunate to avoid any head,neck, or back injuries. I woke up a about a week later in the ICU at Grady Hospital in Atlanta.

I have spent my entire career as a Hospital Pharmacist but that was the first time I was ever a patient. I learned the indignities of being a patient but after five or so surgical adventures and two years I am on the road to recovery. I have had my ratings back since last September and have flown over 50 hours since then. I never lost my medical but it expired not long after the crash and I didn't have any problems getting my 3rd class medical renewed last year.

Hope I didn't bore everyone with my long winded disertation. I wish someone would have shared a similar account with me before my crash.
Bob

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Ev:

Thanks for the explanation. When I looked at the wreck I thought someone had flared maybe ten feet too high and stalled it in, or even a really nasty ground loop. But spinning in from 150'? You were fortunate to have the trees to cushion your fall. Glad you have mostly recovered. Has your wallet? Haw.

Your dissertation has certainly removed all my desire for a Kitfox Lite version. Sounds like it needs a different airfoil, or at least some washout if the wing is built flat.

Still fascinated by the BD-5, but I detest the Hirth engine and the turbine version is too expensive.

Bill.

Jeepindog

Student pilot here. Just starting out- joined the local flying club and have had five lessons so far. We will be working exclusively in the pattern at the next lesson. If I could just keep going and end up flying for a living...

Lachlan

flyinrazrback

My Feedback: (69)

I have been flying since 15 or so. Flew corporate for a while. Be-400s, and flew my fathers Citation II for a while as well. Got bored with the corporate world and decided to try the military. Currently fly B-52s down here in Louisiana. Also been flying acro for about 10 years. Had a Pitts S2-A for 3 years and then sold it and bought an Edge with a partner. Nice to have an office with a view.

xlr82v2

My Feedback: (1)

Started flying full scale in the fall of 1988 at Parks College. By Spring of 1989, I had my private ticket. Did the fly a little, work a lot routine for quite a while and finally got all my tickets (comm, multi instrument) in the summer of 2000.

So far I've flown C152, C172, C182, TB-9, PA28-180, PA28-181, PA30, M20J, LR35, LR55, and C750. The Citation X is FAST but the Lears are a lot more fun to fly.

Still trying to get enough time built up to get a real flying job. Damn terrorists aren't helping a bit. It seems that things are starting to move a bit in the industry again though.

FormerCA.

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Johnvh,

In case your really looking for a "real" jet ride-here it is-

www.flyamig.com

$8500.00 U.S. for a Mig29 seat-that's about as real as it gets-

I'm going next june.

RJCapt.

My Feedback: (5)

Well, I'm taking a break from breaking in my new yellow aircraft a-4 and ran across this post. Excellent pics and stories!! Well, I started flying at 16 and here I am 16 years later flying for Skywest Airlines out of salt lake city. just a couple years ago got into r/c. But here are a couple pics...the one with the ugly guy in it is me on departure out of san francisco and you can see alcatraz in the backround, the other is my a-4 that i'll be doing a first flight on here in a couple days. the last pic is of the rj i fly to make the money to fly the plane in the first pic!

chris

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Chris:

I'd swear that bird has "United" painted on it, and the fin logo can't be missed. Is Skywest a subsidiary of UAL?

Bill.