Scott Will
Well Known Member
Decided to go for my multi-add on and subsequently the instrument and multi-commercial! So yesterday I strapped into the mighty (yeah right) Seminole for my first lesson. BUT!! Before the first lesson, the plane wasn't ready for us for a few hours. The feds wanted to take a look... Atlanta FSDO was doing an inspection.
So I took my new CFI up in the RV before we went out in the Seminole. Let me tell you - it was a world of difference for the both of us. I let him have a lot of stick time in the RV which he absolutely loved. However he was used to driving air tanks around the sky - aircraft with high stick forces (Seminole and the Beechjet he flies for the corporate job). Watching him tame the RV the first few minutes was kinda fun. But like any good pilot he quickly accustomed himself and felt at home.
Fast forward a few hours after a top-off and lunch at KWDR... then it's my turn in the Seminole. Boy this is totally new territory for me. 2nd time in my life I've flown a Piper (first time was with Brent who's building a -9A... thanks!!) Watching that right engine turn counterclockwise was just weird.
We do all the checklists and taxi to the runway. Line up, apply power and he calls Vr. I pull... and pull.... and pull some more. Whoa, this is no RV I thought to myself. We blast thru Vr and finally I get it airborne. Up at altitude we go thru the "working Seminole" part of the training - power on/off stalls, steep turns, turns around a point, etc. No prob. No sweat. Just have to get used to a C/S prop and syncing the engines.
Back in the pattern and all is still well. The approach speeds are similar. First was a go around (on purpose) and then a full stop. On the landing I thought I plunked it on the runway because it made a good *whomp*. He said it was a perfectly fine landing and would pass the checkride.
We tried to fly today to do the single engine stuff but the cloud bases were toooooo low. Those darn CB's in the Southeast.
All in all I had a great time. Can't wait to try it again. He's already talking checkride... can't believe it. We just have to get the single engine stuff done when the wx cooperates.
The twin was fine... but it's no RV! I'll never give that up! Flies like an airplane should.
So I took my new CFI up in the RV before we went out in the Seminole. Let me tell you - it was a world of difference for the both of us. I let him have a lot of stick time in the RV which he absolutely loved. However he was used to driving air tanks around the sky - aircraft with high stick forces (Seminole and the Beechjet he flies for the corporate job). Watching him tame the RV the first few minutes was kinda fun. But like any good pilot he quickly accustomed himself and felt at home.
Fast forward a few hours after a top-off and lunch at KWDR... then it's my turn in the Seminole. Boy this is totally new territory for me. 2nd time in my life I've flown a Piper (first time was with Brent who's building a -9A... thanks!!) Watching that right engine turn counterclockwise was just weird.
We do all the checklists and taxi to the runway. Line up, apply power and he calls Vr. I pull... and pull.... and pull some more. Whoa, this is no RV I thought to myself. We blast thru Vr and finally I get it airborne. Up at altitude we go thru the "working Seminole" part of the training - power on/off stalls, steep turns, turns around a point, etc. No prob. No sweat. Just have to get used to a C/S prop and syncing the engines.
Back in the pattern and all is still well. The approach speeds are similar. First was a go around (on purpose) and then a full stop. On the landing I thought I plunked it on the runway because it made a good *whomp*. He said it was a perfectly fine landing and would pass the checkride.
We tried to fly today to do the single engine stuff but the cloud bases were toooooo low. Those darn CB's in the Southeast.
All in all I had a great time. Can't wait to try it again. He's already talking checkride... can't believe it. We just have to get the single engine stuff done when the wx cooperates.
The twin was fine... but it's no RV! I'll never give that up! Flies like an airplane should.
