J

JackT

Member
How does one go about getting dual in an 8? I'm a low time pilot with no tailwheel time and thinking about buying a flying 8. I have flown in the back seat of one already. Is training in a 6 suitable?

Opinions, who, what, where, why requested.

TIA
Jack
 
training

Jack,

You might consider getting some tailwheel training in something like a citabria first, just to get used to the tailwheel thing. That is unless you are lucky enough to find an instructor who has an 8 and does not mind you flying it from the front seat while you get your tailwheel training.

The citabria time would probably be cheaper.

Just a thought.

Tony
 
Go see Alex D.

Hi Jack!
Take this for what it is worth.... I don't think you will find anyone who will let you fly front seat in a 8. But Go FLY with Alex Dedominicis or Mike Seager if you get the nod from one of these guys in a 6 you will be golden in the 8. I am a low time pilot with right around 300hrs now and before I flew my 8 I had around 125hrs in a 7GCBC. And maybe I am just a below average pilot but the 125hrs in the citabria was just not as good as 10 hrs with Alex in his 6. A light RV with a C/S prop is just not at all like a citabria as far as your mind keeping up with the plane.
Go fly with a good instructor in a RV (like Alex) and you will see what I mean. The RVs are amazing airplanes!!! My 8 is easier to land than the citabria... but it is a quicker more responsive airplane and you have to be mentally as quick as the RV.
Anyway I don't know much other than I LOVE MY RV!!!!!!
And you won't regret buying one, but take the time and money and fly with a experienced instructor it will be the BEST money you will spend.
All the best :D

P.S Dakota Queen is doing great!!! She is still fast pretty and best of all ....ALL MINE!!
 
KirkGrovesRV8 said:
Hi Jack!
Take this for what it is worth.... I don't think you will find anyone who will let you fly front seat in a 8. But Go FLY with Alex Dedominicis or Mike Seager if you get the nod from one of these guys in a 6 you will be golden in the 8. I am a low time pilot with right around 300hrs now and before I flew my 8 I had around 125hrs in a 7GCBC. And maybe I am just a below average pilot but the 125hrs in the citabria was just not as good as 10 hrs with Alex in his 6. A light RV with a C/S prop is just not at all like a citabria as far as your mind keeping up with the plane.
Go fly with a good instructor in a RV (like Alex) and you will see what I mean. The RVs are amazing airplanes!!! My 8 is easier to land than the citabria... but it is a quicker more responsive airplane and you have to be mentally as quick as the RV.
Anyway I don't know much other than I LOVE MY RV!!!!!!
And you won't regret buying one, but take the time and money and fly with a experienced instructor it will be the BEST money you will spend.
All the best :D

P.S Dakota Queen is doing great!!! She is still fast pretty and best of all ....ALL MINE!!
Click to expand...
Second this. Get plenty of time in rentals. Maybe even a few hours in a Pitts or Extra. Then find someone for the RV checkout. Most of what you will get out of the RV checkout is the flying feel. Not that many of the people I've worked with actually did well landing from the back, but it still helped overall.

You can log PIC/dual received from the back of an RV-8 (with a CFI up front) to satisfy the insurance company. But I know of no one doing front-seat RV-8/4 check outs.
 
I am dealing with a similar situation. I'm currently building hours in a Decathlon with a fantastic Instructor. I need hours for 2 reasons:
1. To build my skills so that I am comfortable
2. To satisfy insurance requirements for minimum time in a tail wheel

I'll round out my training with a number of hours in an RV. I understand a 6/7 is fine as preparation for the 8. In the 8 you'll be flying the centre line which should be more natural than from one side or the other as in the 6/7.

The 1st RV I flew was a 6 and that sold me on RV's. It didn't have a linked tail wheel, it was free castering so directional control was through the rudder and brakes only but there were no brakes on the passenger side! After that experience positive control of the tail wheel was a breeze.

Find a local instructor through networking or online for the initial time building then get some RV time - you'll be fine.
 
For me, with maybe 100 hrs. total time under my belt, I took about 10 hrs of dual in a Citabria. Then took a five hour acro course in a CAP 10B. After all that, another five hours backseat RV8 time (with rudder pedal and throttle kits installed) with CFI owner in the front seat and I was thoroughly prepared for first flight of my RV8. Jeff Ludwig was a great instructor and we just hammered the pattern then tried out a bunch of local airports around Florida to burn off the remaining hours. Not cheap for it all, but well worth it. As a solid start, a tailwheel signoff in Citabria and five or more hours with Alex in a -6 or -7 and you should be good to go.

Then, buy my RV8 and enjoy your new skills. ;)
 
8 training

Before finishing my 8 I had 400 hrs low wing time and no tail time. I began my tail wheel instruction in a J-4 (1946) 6hrs and finished my endorsement in a RV6. I cannot say enough about the transition training benefits but recommend several hrs of high speed taxi tests (engine permitting) to feel comfortable at landing speeds. Do this after some tail wheel time!The 8 has a big rudder and is more responsive than the 6 so it was easy to transition from the 6.

I would recommend you schedule the training after you have completed the aircraft and are ready to fly. Good Luck
 
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