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  #31  
Old 08-26-2020, 08:16 AM
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vfrazier vfrazier is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mount Vernon, IN
Posts: 1,270
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I learned in a C-152. 50-ish hours in that under-powered, sweat hog. Then I had the next 50 hours in Cubs, Champs, and Cessna 170s. Compared to any of those, flying my new RV-4 with about 100hr TT under my belt was a piece of cake. Just listen to those that have actually flown them and heed their words.

That was over 800hours ago. While I still stink at many aspects of flying, handling the RV isn't one of them. A credit to the design, not the pilot.
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  #32  
Old 08-26-2020, 08:44 AM
andrewtac andrewtac is offline
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Friendswood TX
Posts: 218
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Hersha View Post
Brian,
You’re in the Texas panhandle, a good thing. You have an excellent RV taildragger instructor in Houston - Bruce Bohannon. Bruce has an RV8 with full dual controls, and he’s one of the best for your tailwheel training. Training is the only thing separating you from safely operating an RV4.

I should have mentioned this to begin with. By no means do my upcoming statements discount any other RV instructors....

When I bought my 8 (almost 2 years ago) I had flown around 30 different aircraft, had primary and advanced training from the navy, instructor pilot in the AV8B, USN test pilot school graduate, flown a cub, beaver, otter, MiG15, several fighters, helos, trainers, and so on, had type training from both American and United (Airbus and Boeing), USAF T38 training, and probably more I am forgetting. I have (and still am) been very fortunate in my aviation career, my timing has been impeccable. I needed transition training in order to get insurance. Well, someone mentioned Bruce as he lives close to me. He came recommended, but I didn't really do any research or look into him, I was trying to check the box and he fit the requirement. I wanted to be ready and I wanted to be able to safely fly my RV8 at my airport (which has a 23' runway that seems to always have crosswinds and more burbles than all CVNs combined). Hands down, best instructor I have had, both in and out of the cockpit. His knowledge of physics, aerodynamics, and how things work is incredible; but more importantly his ability to explain them was even more incredible. In the plane, he could feel accelerations long before I could (I always thought I had a well tuned ability to do this from my Harrier time). He doesn't sugar coat, doesn't pass people who aren't ready, and will not let people take him beyond his limits. He learned most everything he know about flying by application and doing, and living to fly another day. He is not free, but cost far less than it would to replace my 8.

I made a post with a review of my training here https://vansairforce.net/community/s...d.php?t=165770
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  #33  
Old 08-26-2020, 06:42 PM
meadows120 meadows120 is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Marion, OH
Posts: 2
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Brian,
I recently bought a 4 and by recently I mean 2 weeks ago! I am a very low time pilot with just less than 150hrs. I have owned a Cessna 120 for the last two year so most of my time is tailwheel, but still low time. My insurance required just 1hr of dual instruction, which I received about 1.5hrs and I was off on my own. I have put about 20hrs on it solo, and have been changing weight out in the back seat (throw a bag of concrete in, take it out, throw two in, take it out) which I think has helped get the feel of the controls. Big hurtle for me was sitting in the center of the plane, I kept trying to land right rudder heavy just because my sight picture has always been from the left side. Once I got my mindset right and lined up the nose with the center of the runway everything got a lot easier. I still have a ton to learn, but I am so glad I made the step to the 4. It will take me places I could only dream about in the 120.
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