RV-8 transition training

I'm only a few months away from finishing my -8. I have a trip to Houston planned in a few weeks to work with Bruce on transition training.

I got my insurance quotes back today and while the rates were reasonable, the requirement was 10 hours dual instruction in make/model. This feels high to me. I'm proposing back to the insurance company 5 hours make/model and then some additional either dual tailwheel time (in another aircraft) OR additional PIC time in make/model but not dual instruction. Those are a lot easier to obtain.

I'm just curious for any of you who didn't have a lot of tailwheel time to begin with, what your insurance required in terms of make/model training. I know I can get them to substitute instruction in another Vans tailwheel plane, but even then I have to travel somewhere to get that instruction. I just think it's going to be asking a lot to get 10 hours of RV-8 training in in a roughly 3 day span, and I'm not sure compressing it is really worthwhile.

ctennis said:

I'm only a few months away from finishing my -8. I have a trip to Houston planned in a few weeks to work with Bruce on transition training.

I got my insurance quotes back today and while the rates were reasonable, the requirement was 10 hours dual instruction in make/model. This feels high to me. I'm proposing back to the insurance company 5 hours make/model and then some additional either dual tailwheel time (in another aircraft) OR additional PIC time in make/model but not dual instruction. Those are a lot easier to obtain.

I'm just curious for any of you who didn't have a lot of tailwheel time to begin with, what your insurance required in terms of make/model training. I know I can get them to substitute instruction in another Vans tailwheel plane, but even then I have to travel somewhere to get that instruction. I just think it's going to be asking a lot to get 10 hours of RV-8 training in in a roughly 3 day span, and I'm not sure compressing it is really worthwhile.

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I was in a similar boat. Insurance co wanted 25 hrs of tail wheel time and 5 hrs make/model with either CFI or previous owner.

Transition Training

When I finished my RV-3B I had many hundreds of RV hours but very low
tailwheel time. Underwriters wanted 10 hours dual in a tailwheel RV.
At the 8 hour point Mike Seager wrote in my log-book that I was
"competent". The insurance people heard that said I was good to go.
Sometimes it matters who will vouch for you .

-Dan B.
Repeat offender

ctennis said:

OR additional PIC time in make/model but not dual instruction. Those are a lot easier to obtain.
.

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Really? How are you going to do that? Do you have a really good friend with an RV-8 who will let you fly the plane, and charge absolutely nothing for 5 hours? Must be a really good friend, because, if his insurance company finds out about it, they may not be very happy.

10 hrs dual seems to be standard for pilots that the insurance company thinks of as having "low" total time or "low" tailwheel time. But each company defines "low" differently.

While I was looking to buy an RV-8, I called Jenny at Gallagher and asked her what they would require.

She advised at a minimum I would need 10 hours dual with a qualified instructor in an RV with a tail wheel.

I did my transition training at 05S Vernonia Oregon with Mike Seagar in an RV-7. Best training money I've spent. Learned so much about RV's. Box checked. I did a little over ten hours in three days back to back. We flew twice a day.

I had just got my PPL and had a little time flying Citabrias in an effort to get my TW endorsement.

Consider giving Gallagher a call. They advertise here on VAF. They're big supporters of the RV community and they're awesome folks.

Chkaharyer99 said:

While I was looking to buy an RV-8, I called Jenny at Gallagher and asked her what they would require.

She advised at a minimum I would need 10 hours dual with a qualified instructor in an RV with a tail wheel.

I did my transition training at 05S Vernonia Oregon with Mike Seagar in an RV-7. Best training money I've spent. Learned so much about RV's. Box checked. I did a little over ten hours in three days back to back. We flew twice a day.

I had just got my PPL and had a little time flying Citabrias in an effort to get my TW endorsement.

Consider giving Gallagher a call. They advertise here on VAF. They're big supporters of the RV community and they're awesome folks.

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Jenny is who I use. I've had hull coverage the past year or so while building through them as well. She told me I can propose a training plan back to the insurance company, was just curious if anyone had succeeded in doing that!

My experience is that the insurance companies will work with you. I had tail wheel time. Initially the insurance company wanted 5 hours in an Rv8. At the time, that was not an option. The insurance company counter proposed 5 in any RV. I proposed 5 in a locally available Super Decathalon and they agreed.
However, I suspect you will never regret 10 hours with Bruce.

Zero tail wheel time.

10 hours dual for the tail wheel endorsement.

10 hours dual in an RV-8

That was what the upinsurance company approved for me.

After all that I got into my -8 and it was nice and comforatable.

I did my transition training for my RV-8A in a RV-6A with Jan in Florida. Perfectly acceptable to the insurance company (after a call from Jan.) The insurance broker was the precursor of Gallagher. Not a big deal.

Transition Training in Florida with Jan

I just returned from Florida where I spent three days flying with Jan Bussell. Jan is a life-long teacher...from teaching shop (aka "industrial arts"), drafting, & architecture in public school, to aviation courses community college...he's very good at transferring his knowledge and techniques. As a CFII he does a variety of flight instruction, including flights in his self-built RV-6 or -6A based at River Acres, outside Okeechobee, Fl. While his home strip can easily be described as "rustic", we hopped over to Okeechobee County (KOBE) with its 5000 x 100' paved runway to practice dozens of touch and goes. Long and wide, so you have plenty of room to work on establishing a full stall, 3-point landing with just a little power, keeping it straight, touching down, keeping it straight, bouncing a little, keeping it straight, adding power, keeping it straight, lifting the tail, keeping it straight, and rotating without hurrying. It also has a nice restaurant to take a break between flights.
His demonstrations of how the RV will develop a good (bad?) sink rate when you decelerate under a specific speed was eye-opening, and is lodged deeply in my head for when I start flying my -8.

All in all, I felt I got what I came for; a thorough refresher in tailwheel ops, and confidence to slip some surly bonds in my new -8 in the near future.

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What the insurance company wants and what you may need are not always the same and sometimes the insurance company is low.

I had over 100 hours tail wheel in a wide variety of aircraft. The insurance company wanted "5 hours dual in type" which was later adjusted to "5 hours dual is tail wheel RV" so I could do the transition training in an RV-6.

Ultimately neither I nor my instructor were 100% confident in transitioning me at 5 hours. We were both happy with my performance at 7 hours.

I would ask for clarification from your insurance provider but I wouldn't sweat the little details. If you are rock solid after 5 hours then use the rest for additional training in upset recovery, engine/out on take off, the "dreaded turn back", etc. it's all good.