John Courte
Well Known Member
There is no person I'm more grateful to at this moment than Mike Seager. Last week I had some of the most intense days of flight training since getting ready for my PPL checkride back in 1998.
I am not a very experienced pilot, and there are those who might justifiably argue that the RV-7 is too much airplane for me. On Tuesday morning, I would have agreed wholeheartedly. Constant speed props are new to me, using an EFIS in flight is new to me, and the RV-7 is about as far from the 115hp Citabria as the Model T is from the AC Cobra. At least that's how it seemed at the time.
it soon became apparent to me that flying a Citabria through a lot of power-off approaches at Compton airport is not the same thing as working the RV-7 by the numbers, and the first day left me with an impression of "wow, I suck at flying." Everyone said, "oh, you're flying a Citabria, the RV will be a breeze, it's much easier than the Citabria." I didn't find that to be the case at all.
This is why I can't thank Mike enough. He got me up to speed with not only the basic airmanship skills that had degraded over time, but with getting out in front of the rapid succession of tasks and checks the RV demands in pattern work.
Once I was able to get ahead of the airplane, the experience was much more enjoyable. I could appreciate the way it flew and the way it felt to be the one flying it.
I won't say or pretend that by the time we were done, I had it nailed. I can operate the RV-7 safely enough, but there is room for improvement: I tend to overcontrol, which is a big problem with something as responsive as the RV. I still need plenty of practice doing takeoffs and landings. I spend more time inside the cockpit than I'd like, but that will decrease when I learn my engine's sounds at various power settings.
Like Mike says, never be satisfied with "good enough." Always do better. Thanks to Mike, I now have the opportunity to do better in my own airplane in the very near future. And Mike, if you're reading this, I promise to remember the flaps on base and not to try to land by looking over the nose.
It wasn't all a constant stream of testing Mike's patience with my ineptitude; we stopped at Van's Aircraft to drop off some paperwork and I got the nickel tour of the Mothership! And flying over NW Oregon in the fall on a sunny day is one of the most breathtaking experiences I've ever had. The countryside is amazing to see. I wish I'd been able to take some pictures, but I had other things to attend to just then.
I am not a very experienced pilot, and there are those who might justifiably argue that the RV-7 is too much airplane for me. On Tuesday morning, I would have agreed wholeheartedly. Constant speed props are new to me, using an EFIS in flight is new to me, and the RV-7 is about as far from the 115hp Citabria as the Model T is from the AC Cobra. At least that's how it seemed at the time.
it soon became apparent to me that flying a Citabria through a lot of power-off approaches at Compton airport is not the same thing as working the RV-7 by the numbers, and the first day left me with an impression of "wow, I suck at flying." Everyone said, "oh, you're flying a Citabria, the RV will be a breeze, it's much easier than the Citabria." I didn't find that to be the case at all.
This is why I can't thank Mike enough. He got me up to speed with not only the basic airmanship skills that had degraded over time, but with getting out in front of the rapid succession of tasks and checks the RV demands in pattern work.
Once I was able to get ahead of the airplane, the experience was much more enjoyable. I could appreciate the way it flew and the way it felt to be the one flying it.
I won't say or pretend that by the time we were done, I had it nailed. I can operate the RV-7 safely enough, but there is room for improvement: I tend to overcontrol, which is a big problem with something as responsive as the RV. I still need plenty of practice doing takeoffs and landings. I spend more time inside the cockpit than I'd like, but that will decrease when I learn my engine's sounds at various power settings.
Like Mike says, never be satisfied with "good enough." Always do better. Thanks to Mike, I now have the opportunity to do better in my own airplane in the very near future. And Mike, if you're reading this, I promise to remember the flaps on base and not to try to land by looking over the nose.
It wasn't all a constant stream of testing Mike's patience with my ineptitude; we stopped at Van's Aircraft to drop off some paperwork and I got the nickel tour of the Mothership! And flying over NW Oregon in the fall on a sunny day is one of the most breathtaking experiences I've ever had. The countryside is amazing to see. I wish I'd been able to take some pictures, but I had other things to attend to just then.