[ssisca]

I am not a regular contributor to this forum like many of you are but I have followed it pretty close for the past year that I have been building my RV-10 and I would very much appreciate some straight forward honest advise from more experienced pilots. My tail kit is finished and I am about 20% done with my left wing. I LOVE!! this project and according to my Tech counselor my work is what he considers to be very good. I am a low time pilot (200hrs +/-) with an IFR rating and have never owned an airplane. I have not flown at all over the past few years but hoped this plane would be my ticket. My plan was to start training again with a CFI for a solid year before I felt the 10 would be finished. Is this plane to much for me? I know I asked this question of Van's before I made the purchase, but now for some reason I am in a bit of a panic! Should I be? You all know what I want to hear but I am a realist, please give it to me straight. Thanks.

 

[pmccoy]

I'm building a 9A, but haven't been PIC since 1982. Yes, I have a few worries. My plan is to start getting current at least one year before my 9A is ready. Log a bunch of hours in a spam can, and then get some transition training before the first flight.

Did I mention that I have never flown with a stick before? Oh well, I think I read somewhere that these planes are very forgiving and a joy to fly. Build on and don't worry. When you are ready, you will fly!

 

[dav1111]

RV-10 Is for You

First let me tell you that I am a 30 year 1700+ hour Private Instrument pilot and my RV-10 is my 7th airplane (3 C-182's, C-177, Bellanca Super Viking, RV-6A and RV-10).

My only regret is that I sold my RV-6A (wish I had both RV's) and that I didn't have the RV-10 30 years ago.

Prior to my RV-6A the newest airplane I owned was a twenty year old C-177.

Every other airplane was in the 30+ year old range.

With the exception of some unlogged duel in a J-3 Cub I bought my 1st C-182 and did my flight training and got my ticket and IFR endorsement in my first C-182.

You are gonna love owning the RV-10 and it will save you lots of money in annual maintaince.

As for flying the RV-10 it is a joy to fly and you won't have any problems.

I assume you will be putting in a glass screen system and I would recommend that you wait to do the re-currency IFR training until you thinkg your alr almost ready for the DAR inspection. Based on mine and a number of other builders that will mean you are probably at least 90 days out from the DAR Inspection. At that point in time schedule a few hours of duel (in a glass screen equipted airplane) to get your IFR re-currency signoff. By that time you also may be able to locate an RV-10 in which to do your re-currency training and also log any duel in an RV-10 that your insurance company may require.

Once you get your RV-10 flying you might check with the local FAA flight standards office and get their OK to do some of your flyoff hours with a CFII in the left seat (I know of a number of pilots who have been successful in convincing the FAA that a co-pilot is "essential to the flight operations" because it is almost impossible to both fly the airplane and record all the data that is necessary as part of the Phase I flight testing.

During such duel phase I flight testing you can also get some IFR duel to get fimiliar with your own glass cockpit system.