Colin McG
Member
It all started a couple of years ago when I flew some kids at a local summer camp in the RV-7A. Another pilot was there with his Yak-18 and Mike, the owner of the camp, was giving rides in his Nanchang CJ-6. We had a great day flying kids and doing low and overs at Ottawa?s international airport. It?s probably my own fault for not taking more precautions but I made the mistake of sitting in the Nanchang cockpit. I?m not sure whether the Nanchang virus (sinisvolomorbovirales) is airborne or spreads through contact but I?d accidently become infected.
Ready for Take-Off in the RV-7A
About 18 months later I flew Mike down to Sandford (MA), in the RV, to pick up a Nanchang for a friend (http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=65518&highlight=nanchang). It was a great day of flying and, although I didn?t realise it, the infection had spread.
I?ve been flying RV?s for a little over three years and, for the last two of those, flying Matt Pearson?s beautiful 7A. We often flew together and spent many a Saturday morning sharing a flight to one of the local Ontario airfields. The more Matt and I flew the more I thought it would be even more fun to have my own RV. Going places with another aircraft, rather than one of us playing co-pilot, can turn a good $100 hamburger into a great $200 hamburger. However, as buying an aircraft and renting a hanger wasn?t something I could entertain on my own, I realized that I needed a partner. It didn?t take long to discuss the idea with Tom, an ex work colleague, and we hatched the idea of partnering in an RV-4.
C-GIME
The 4 seemed ideal as it was relatively small, cheap to run and the two of us could probably beg, borrow and steal enough money to buy one. We looked at a few, both in Canada and the US, but nothing really caught our eye(s). Tom is also interested in aerobatics and, after looking at a few, it dawned on us that this really wasn?t the right aircraft. Tom has some friends who have eaten one too many pies and aerobatics with someone in the back is who anything but svelte isn?t really an option. The only other possibility was an 8 but that was beyond our respective budgets. Sadly we abandoned the idea and I continued to enjoy the 7 while Tom went back to renting.
Fifty was looming and it was probably the birthday I was looking forward to the least. One bright spot was a present, from Matt, to fly the Harvard at Vintage Wings in Gatineau. It was almost 6 months before I was able to fly the aircraft but what a treat it was. The occasion was even more fun as Matt and I flew across to Gatineau in the 7. The Harvard was impressive in its size and we looped and rolled on what was a gorgeous September evening. Little did I know the smell of oil and the sound of the radial engine had caused the virus to awaken from its dormant state.
A few days later I emailed Mike, the Nanchang owner, with a picture of me sitting in the Harvard. I thought he might like to see that I wasn?t addicted to flat engines. Mike immediately emailed back and said, coincidentally, that he was thinking of putting a Nanchang group together and did I know anyone that might be interested! At this point the mind control parasite was fully in charge and my destiny was no longer in doubt.
I immediately called Tom as you could probably fly aerobatics in the Nanchang with a sumo wrestler in the back seat. Tom wasn?t sure what a Nanchang was but agreed to come and take a look. Tom lives only a 30 minute drive from Rockliffe (CYRO) where the CJ is located but we thought it was much more practical to drive 30 minutes in the opposite direction to Carp (CYRP), where the RV is hangared, spend 30 minutes getting it ready before flying 10 minutes back the way he?d just come to CYRO. You have to love the convenience and practicality of light aircraft.
The Nanchang wasn?t hard to spot as we landed and taxied along the apron. Resplendent in Chinese markings she dominated the other GA aircraft on the ramp. Unfortunately we couldn?t fly her as the prop had decided to revert to fixed pitch. Still, Mike fired up the engine and the noise and the smoke were intoxicating.
As any used car salesman will tell you, once you have them behind the wheel you have them for good. A tactic not lost on Mike and Tom was soon sitting in the front with a broad grin on his face. ?I just gotta get me one of these? was all he kept muttering.
As we started to hatch a plan and plot how we might get a Nanchang, somebody yet to be infected asked ?why a CJ and why is it better than the RV?? To help make sure we were looking at this objectively, I was aware that a symptom of the virus is a rose coloured tint to one?s vision, I painstakingly put together the following chart.
Although the chart took some time to prepare it provides a clear cut and unbiased analysis of the two aircraft types. It was fundamentally obvious, that despite some initial concerns, the CJ comes out hands down as the better aircraft.
It wasn?t long before the two of us were four and all we needed was an aircraft. A few months were spent trawling Barnstormers and a trip was made out West to look at a couple of promising examples. In the end we negotiated a deal with Mike when our four became three. Mike agreed to be the fourth and it had the huge benefit of retaining knowledge of the aircraft within the group.
So what?s it like to fly? I?ve only just completed my training and I have to say it?s a challenge as well as a delight. The transition from RV to CJ was harder than I was expecting, that just might be me of course, and I do miss those dual EFIS. It?s still a little intimidating, which is probably a good thing at this stage, and it?s big! Really big.
Checked out in the CJ
So, I?m off, at least for a while, and in the immortal words of Douglas Adams, ?so long and thanks for all the fish?.
Colin
C-FTGZ Nanchang CJ-6A (well, part of one)
Ready for Take-Off in the RV-7A
About 18 months later I flew Mike down to Sandford (MA), in the RV, to pick up a Nanchang for a friend (http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=65518&highlight=nanchang). It was a great day of flying and, although I didn?t realise it, the infection had spread.
I?ve been flying RV?s for a little over three years and, for the last two of those, flying Matt Pearson?s beautiful 7A. We often flew together and spent many a Saturday morning sharing a flight to one of the local Ontario airfields. The more Matt and I flew the more I thought it would be even more fun to have my own RV. Going places with another aircraft, rather than one of us playing co-pilot, can turn a good $100 hamburger into a great $200 hamburger. However, as buying an aircraft and renting a hanger wasn?t something I could entertain on my own, I realized that I needed a partner. It didn?t take long to discuss the idea with Tom, an ex work colleague, and we hatched the idea of partnering in an RV-4.
C-GIME
The 4 seemed ideal as it was relatively small, cheap to run and the two of us could probably beg, borrow and steal enough money to buy one. We looked at a few, both in Canada and the US, but nothing really caught our eye(s). Tom is also interested in aerobatics and, after looking at a few, it dawned on us that this really wasn?t the right aircraft. Tom has some friends who have eaten one too many pies and aerobatics with someone in the back is who anything but svelte isn?t really an option. The only other possibility was an 8 but that was beyond our respective budgets. Sadly we abandoned the idea and I continued to enjoy the 7 while Tom went back to renting.
Fifty was looming and it was probably the birthday I was looking forward to the least. One bright spot was a present, from Matt, to fly the Harvard at Vintage Wings in Gatineau. It was almost 6 months before I was able to fly the aircraft but what a treat it was. The occasion was even more fun as Matt and I flew across to Gatineau in the 7. The Harvard was impressive in its size and we looped and rolled on what was a gorgeous September evening. Little did I know the smell of oil and the sound of the radial engine had caused the virus to awaken from its dormant state.
A few days later I emailed Mike, the Nanchang owner, with a picture of me sitting in the Harvard. I thought he might like to see that I wasn?t addicted to flat engines. Mike immediately emailed back and said, coincidentally, that he was thinking of putting a Nanchang group together and did I know anyone that might be interested! At this point the mind control parasite was fully in charge and my destiny was no longer in doubt.
I immediately called Tom as you could probably fly aerobatics in the Nanchang with a sumo wrestler in the back seat. Tom wasn?t sure what a Nanchang was but agreed to come and take a look. Tom lives only a 30 minute drive from Rockliffe (CYRO) where the CJ is located but we thought it was much more practical to drive 30 minutes in the opposite direction to Carp (CYRP), where the RV is hangared, spend 30 minutes getting it ready before flying 10 minutes back the way he?d just come to CYRO. You have to love the convenience and practicality of light aircraft.
The Nanchang wasn?t hard to spot as we landed and taxied along the apron. Resplendent in Chinese markings she dominated the other GA aircraft on the ramp. Unfortunately we couldn?t fly her as the prop had decided to revert to fixed pitch. Still, Mike fired up the engine and the noise and the smoke were intoxicating.
As any used car salesman will tell you, once you have them behind the wheel you have them for good. A tactic not lost on Mike and Tom was soon sitting in the front with a broad grin on his face. ?I just gotta get me one of these? was all he kept muttering.
As we started to hatch a plan and plot how we might get a Nanchang, somebody yet to be infected asked ?why a CJ and why is it better than the RV?? To help make sure we were looking at this objectively, I was aware that a symptom of the virus is a rose coloured tint to one?s vision, I painstakingly put together the following chart.
Although the chart took some time to prepare it provides a clear cut and unbiased analysis of the two aircraft types. It was fundamentally obvious, that despite some initial concerns, the CJ comes out hands down as the better aircraft.
It wasn?t long before the two of us were four and all we needed was an aircraft. A few months were spent trawling Barnstormers and a trip was made out West to look at a couple of promising examples. In the end we negotiated a deal with Mike when our four became three. Mike agreed to be the fourth and it had the huge benefit of retaining knowledge of the aircraft within the group.
So what?s it like to fly? I?ve only just completed my training and I have to say it?s a challenge as well as a delight. The transition from RV to CJ was harder than I was expecting, that just might be me of course, and I do miss those dual EFIS. It?s still a little intimidating, which is probably a good thing at this stage, and it?s big! Really big.
Checked out in the CJ
So, I?m off, at least for a while, and in the immortal words of Douglas Adams, ?so long and thanks for all the fish?.
Colin
C-FTGZ Nanchang CJ-6A (well, part of one)
