Howdy all,
I thought I would write up a quick trip report for my time in Texas flying with Bruce Bohannon. For some background, I am a 2000 hour Air Force Test Pilot with about 800 additional hours in civil planes. I have been lucky to fly several types of tailwheel airplanes (Cessna 140, Champ, Extra 300, T-6, P-51, DC-3, etc) but I’ve only got about 40 hours overall in taildraggers. So, when applying for insurance for my almost finished RV-8, I needed to get a CFI sign-off and 5 hours in an RV-8.
Bruce Bohannon (https://m.facebook.com/Flyin-Tiger-Flying-School-371630299514622/, message me for his phone number), came highly recommended from another 8 builder on my field. I gave him a call and had the training set up for two weeks later. Bruce was extremely accommodating- I needed to do the training over a weekend because of my job, and he had no issues with that.
Be ready to be jealous when you get to his airport. I had to drive, but you could fly in if you want. Bruce has a beautiful grass strip just south of Houston, and his hanger is full of awesome planes (pictures below).
Show up with a good attitude and be ready to learn. Bruce does not charge for ground time, just prop spinning time. We started off with an hour or so of ground school before hopping into the 8.
This was my first flight in an RV, and I’m glad it was with an experienced instructor. The plane is extremely responsive making over-control an issue until you have some time to get used to it. Bruce was adept in providing instruction at key points without being overbearing.
We started by just flying around for a bit to get the feel of the plane, then moved on to landings. We would have done more area work first, but the ceilings were a bit too low. We spent several hours on landings, exploring flap settings, approach angles, emergency procedures, and wheel vs 3 point. Bruce is a big proponent of 3 point landings, and he has me convinced after a weekend. My opinion is that wheel landings are prettier, but 3 points are safer. Happy to have that discussion over a beverage sometime, but it’s not the point of this write-up.
After two days of training, I feel way more confident in my upcoming first flight. The time and money were well spent, and it was a very enjoyable experience. If you have the opportunity and means, I highly recommend transition training with Bruce!
-Memphis
I thought I would write up a quick trip report for my time in Texas flying with Bruce Bohannon. For some background, I am a 2000 hour Air Force Test Pilot with about 800 additional hours in civil planes. I have been lucky to fly several types of tailwheel airplanes (Cessna 140, Champ, Extra 300, T-6, P-51, DC-3, etc) but I’ve only got about 40 hours overall in taildraggers. So, when applying for insurance for my almost finished RV-8, I needed to get a CFI sign-off and 5 hours in an RV-8.
Bruce Bohannon (https://m.facebook.com/Flyin-Tiger-Flying-School-371630299514622/, message me for his phone number), came highly recommended from another 8 builder on my field. I gave him a call and had the training set up for two weeks later. Bruce was extremely accommodating- I needed to do the training over a weekend because of my job, and he had no issues with that.
Be ready to be jealous when you get to his airport. I had to drive, but you could fly in if you want. Bruce has a beautiful grass strip just south of Houston, and his hanger is full of awesome planes (pictures below).
Show up with a good attitude and be ready to learn. Bruce does not charge for ground time, just prop spinning time. We started off with an hour or so of ground school before hopping into the 8.
This was my first flight in an RV, and I’m glad it was with an experienced instructor. The plane is extremely responsive making over-control an issue until you have some time to get used to it. Bruce was adept in providing instruction at key points without being overbearing.
We started by just flying around for a bit to get the feel of the plane, then moved on to landings. We would have done more area work first, but the ceilings were a bit too low. We spent several hours on landings, exploring flap settings, approach angles, emergency procedures, and wheel vs 3 point. Bruce is a big proponent of 3 point landings, and he has me convinced after a weekend. My opinion is that wheel landings are prettier, but 3 points are safer. Happy to have that discussion over a beverage sometime, but it’s not the point of this write-up.
After two days of training, I feel way more confident in my upcoming first flight. The time and money were well spent, and it was a very enjoyable experience. If you have the opportunity and means, I highly recommend transition training with Bruce!
-Memphis