MrNomad
Well Known Member
I fly my 9A just about every day the Tucson winter winds permit.
After 180 hours in a Cessna 150, the 9A offers a new experience every time I fly it and conduct the flight tests.
Your control increases & your familiarity with the capabilities of the plane gradually improve. You learn its sounds, you experience its bumps, and you realize the controls require only fingertip pressure versus pulling a yoke with two arms.
The snazzy new radios and glass panel offer their own learning curve. One by one the features begin to make sense and you expand their utility. Yes, I had to read the books 10 times.
And to think that two old men could build this thing in 18 months. Given that we were first time builders we decided to ask every experienced pilot and mechanic we could find to visit our project and critique our work. Let's face it, we don't have enough time left on the old Hobbs meter to learn from our mistakes.
I minimized the risk of first flight with two hours of transition training in a 7A. Know that we built the O-360 Superior kit engine in my garage, in addition to the 9A, so all of this stuff was new, and all at the same time.
First flight went great. Totally uneventful. It flew very similar to the trainer 7A. I waited for the perfect day, after a good night's sleep, and I didn't tell my wife before I left. I called her when I was back on the ground.
The tower eagerly coordinated and was very helpful. They cleared the adjoining runway before takeoff... just in case.
I keep repeating, old men like Chet and me are not supposed to have this much fun, feel this sense of accomplish, and meet so many nice people.
We're talking about another project now for Chet.
Barry
Tucson
After 180 hours in a Cessna 150, the 9A offers a new experience every time I fly it and conduct the flight tests.
Your control increases & your familiarity with the capabilities of the plane gradually improve. You learn its sounds, you experience its bumps, and you realize the controls require only fingertip pressure versus pulling a yoke with two arms.
The snazzy new radios and glass panel offer their own learning curve. One by one the features begin to make sense and you expand their utility. Yes, I had to read the books 10 times.
And to think that two old men could build this thing in 18 months. Given that we were first time builders we decided to ask every experienced pilot and mechanic we could find to visit our project and critique our work. Let's face it, we don't have enough time left on the old Hobbs meter to learn from our mistakes.
I minimized the risk of first flight with two hours of transition training in a 7A. Know that we built the O-360 Superior kit engine in my garage, in addition to the 9A, so all of this stuff was new, and all at the same time.
First flight went great. Totally uneventful. It flew very similar to the trainer 7A. I waited for the perfect day, after a good night's sleep, and I didn't tell my wife before I left. I called her when I was back on the ground.
The tower eagerly coordinated and was very helpful. They cleared the adjoining runway before takeoff... just in case.
I keep repeating, old men like Chet and me are not supposed to have this much fun, feel this sense of accomplish, and meet so many nice people.
We're talking about another project now for Chet.
Barry
Tucson
