bkc3921

bkc3921

Well Known Member
If all goes well, my pile of aluminum will become an airplane on Friday (assuming a happy, happy, happy DAR)..And as I change my main focus from "building" to "flying", I have some concerns. There have been several RV accidents lately, lots of talk about Doug's missive, the RV hate thread, and the usual postmortem on Oshkosh. My problem/issue is technology overload. Although retired, I find it more and more difficult to keep up on safety/pilot skill information (doubtful I am alone)...The instruction manual to my aviation watch was 50 pages..and my silly cell phone over 150...not to mention the operation manuals on all the avionics in my bird...How much reading can one person do? (OK, enough whining)...

So...Can anyone offer suggestions as to a website or publication that can boil all the safety/skill info down to a manageable form? I'm looking for something that can be devoured in about 30 minutes a day. What's the best bang for my "time" buck?? Help!

By the way, I have often thought that it would be great if the VAF moderators could pick out the best 3 threads on any particular topic (mostly with pictures!)....and tag them as a "best of" or "moderators choice" on each topic.... i.e. "Best High Pressure Fuel Pump Thread" or "Best Cowl Pinhole Repair Thread".....I'm sure the moderators have enough to do already..but I suppose they got to be moderators partly because of their building/flying expertise. I believe it would be very helpful if everyone could take advantage of their talents...Thanks in advance for all info..!
 
Brian,

First, the fact that you're asking the questions is a good indicator that you are on a safe track towards first flight - good for you!

Next, have you checked the EAA directory for a Flight Advisor in your area? the program was set up for exactly the type of reasons that you bring up - how to get ready to transition from building to flying, do it safely, and enjoy the process.

Two things come to immediate mind while you are looking for a good local FA - take a look at the RV Safety Program that was recently put together by some folks here on VAF (Doug has a link on the front page), and go have a read through the FAA's Advisory Circular AC90-89a on Flight testing Amateur Built Aircraft. the cartoons alone are worth the read! You can find it here:

http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/media/ac90-89a.pdf

Best of luck, and remember - you don't HAVE to fly until both you and the airplane are ready.

Paul
 
Altitude, airspeed, and ideas.:D At least two need.

Really short list------

O.K., fun over, like Paul says, your attitude is already at a good place to start.

One thing I found to be a problem was trying to get used to the glass screens, for me that was a major hurdle.

Dont fixate on anything except flying the plane, and keep looking outside often.

Ask questions here as they pop up, re-read the manuals after you have flown a bit, they will make a lot more sense than they do now. You will have something to relate to.

A good transition training will help you also.

Good luck, If I can do it, you can also.
 
I recently did a first flight on a 7A with a Skyview. It was set up for the owners preferences which were fine with me. I sat in the plane and got used to the layout.

I knew where the critical things were but more importantly I could fly the plane with ZERO info provided.

If you cannot fly the plane without being fixated on the glass...get someone else to make the initial flights.

I also went over everything that I considered flight critical. I examined every control system for all hardware, rivets, jam nuts, etc. I put a wrench on every important connection firewall forward. Be methodical. Do not overlook anything. Make a list (One sample is at RVFlightSafety.org)
 
Gizmo's

I transitioned into a different plane (not an RV) a few months back. While it certainly doesn't have all the modern technology, it does have more stuff than I'm used to. I turned off everything that wasn't important and ignored the rest. I introduced the gizmos one at a time as I became familiar with the plane. The last thing we need to do is to try and figure out the new autopilot, gps, fuel totalizer, HSI, moving map, strikefinder, engine monitor, etc. when we are a little rusty and learning a new airplane.

The good news is that they fly just like they did years ago :)

Good luck with your testing.
 
how do you eat an elephant? One bite at at time..

Limit your first flight to the bare required technology to safely take-off, fly a couple turns, maybe a stall to verify your planned landing speed, and then recover.

You don't need the gps, you don't need fancy auto-pilot, traffic warnings, weather systems, etc.. turn all that junk off. If you have configurable equipment turn on only the flight essential instruments. You'll have plenty of time to introduce the other nifty stuff once you realize your plane and you actually know what you are doing.

sit in the plane with your checklist for a couple of hours (total, not at once) and go through it all until you can do it cold.

Plan an early flight when traffic will be low and weather cooler.

DON'T BRING A CROWD TO WATCH! Too distracting and will pressure you unnecessarily.

ensure you are mentally and physically healthy and prepared.

DON'T cut off any C-152's in the pattern!!! :)
 
Task saturation

If you get task saturated, remember it's just the stick, throttle and looking out the windshield that matter most. In other words, fly the airplane.
Look for video tutorials on your favorite video websites and manufacturer's sites. Manuals for your favorite panel gadget are usually pretty well written and other books will mostly just give you general info that may not be specific enough. As others have suggested, go through the owner's manuals for your specific instruments.
Be safe and hope it fly's great!
 
Flightrisk.com

I saw an impressive presentation at OSH from Chris Connor, one of the founders of this company: http://www.flightrisk.com/

I believe they are on the right track in addressing some of your information overload concerns.

Disclaimer - I have no financial interest in this company.
 
DaAV8R said:
.....The good news is that they fly just like they did years ago :)

Good luck with your testing.
Click to expand...

Good advice from all.

I did a first flight last year with a GRT screen that I never had used before. All I asked for was airspeed and altitude and left it alone. It was set up and I used it as it was...yep...they still fly like they used to:)

Best,
 
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