Van's Air Force
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opinions wanted
- Thread starter Kenadian
- Start date
Kyle Boatright
Well Known Member
I would say it is putting the horse before the cart. I've known more than a few people who thought becoming a pilot would be a wonderful thing, but after 5 or 10 hours decided it wasn't *their* thing.
I suggest getting your license first, then purchase your first plane (RV or otherwise).
I suggest getting your license first, then purchase your first plane (RV or otherwise).
Opinion? On this forum? Who?
Seriously Ken, I have to go along with Kyle. Go beat up a Cessna for a few hours and see how you like it.
engineerorange
Well Known Member
Learn to land in someone else's airplane, get your PPL, then rent a plane for a year or two and really learn to land consistently(and lots of other things), then decide whether or not you want to own an airplane.
Kyle Boatright
Well Known Member
Careful there, I loved my Tomahawk... ;-)
Because I care for the guy! After all, he's interested in RVs. He has to be a good guy.
OK, maybe a Cherokee.
Mike D
Well Known Member
train in a trainer - the nose wheel is stronger
Welcome to VAF!!
Well, its good you asked for an opinion, because that is all I can offer. Just my opinion. RV?s are not hard to fly. But I think your question was, if you should train in one from the very start.
There are two areas to conceder here that I can think of. 1. Can you find an instructor that will teach you in an RV? Are they qualified for RV?s? Can you get a check ride in one? 2. Will you be able to handle the slightly more responsiveness of an RV during training?
You should be able to find the answer to the first one pretty easy. Whatever you chose, I would suggest sticking with the type for your whole PP training. The second one is a little harder to assess. I don?t know if you surf. But when you learn you use a big stable board. If you don?t you can become easily frustrated, and it will take much longer to learn. Most who go out with a short board end up quitting because they can?t concentrate on all the things necessary to keep the board stable and learn to surf at the same time.
I would suggest taking a few lessons in a traditional training aircraft and then get a ride in a RV and see if you can do the same maneuvers to the same level of accuracy. I am sure after a little practice you can. But the point is, that the extra practice it took, is the extra you would have to learn if you were training in an RV from the start. But, if you do train in an RV, you will be that much better of a pilot.
I trained in spam cans and then transitioned to tail wheel and now fly an RV-6A. I highly suggest flying an RV as soon as you have the fundamentals down.
Just my 2 cents.
Welcome to VAF!!
Well, its good you asked for an opinion, because that is all I can offer. Just my opinion. RV?s are not hard to fly. But I think your question was, if you should train in one from the very start.
There are two areas to conceder here that I can think of. 1. Can you find an instructor that will teach you in an RV? Are they qualified for RV?s? Can you get a check ride in one? 2. Will you be able to handle the slightly more responsiveness of an RV during training?
You should be able to find the answer to the first one pretty easy. Whatever you chose, I would suggest sticking with the type for your whole PP training. The second one is a little harder to assess. I don?t know if you surf. But when you learn you use a big stable board. If you don?t you can become easily frustrated, and it will take much longer to learn. Most who go out with a short board end up quitting because they can?t concentrate on all the things necessary to keep the board stable and learn to surf at the same time.
I would suggest taking a few lessons in a traditional training aircraft and then get a ride in a RV and see if you can do the same maneuvers to the same level of accuracy. I am sure after a little practice you can. But the point is, that the extra practice it took, is the extra you would have to learn if you were training in an RV from the start. But, if you do train in an RV, you will be that much better of a pilot.
I trained in spam cans and then transitioned to tail wheel and now fly an RV-6A. I highly suggest flying an RV as soon as you have the fundamentals down.
Just my 2 cents.
frankh
Well Known Member
Purely personal
RV,s are too hot for students to train in..Maybe an RV 9 but not a 6.
Everybody is capable of screwing up....Student pilots screw up more its a simple experience thing.I almost totalled a C152 right after i got my ticket.
If I had been in an RV I would be probably be dead!..In fact I am almost certain of that.
Cessnas are built TOUGH ask me how I know...RV's have much less margin.
You have to be going rediculously slow to get say a 152 to stall/spin and you get loads of warning..A high performance RV will bite you much more readily...And if your getting into trouble (bad weather say) the RV will get you there more quickly.
Check out what the insurance company will do to you with almost zero hours.
Its just too much airplane IMHO.
Frank
RV,s are too hot for students to train in..Maybe an RV 9 but not a 6.
Everybody is capable of screwing up....Student pilots screw up more its a simple experience thing.I almost totalled a C152 right after i got my ticket.
If I had been in an RV I would be probably be dead!..In fact I am almost certain of that.
Cessnas are built TOUGH ask me how I know...RV's have much less margin.
You have to be going rediculously slow to get say a 152 to stall/spin and you get loads of warning..A high performance RV will bite you much more readily...And if your getting into trouble (bad weather say) the RV will get you there more quickly.
Check out what the insurance company will do to you with almost zero hours.
Its just too much airplane IMHO.
Frank
N941WR
Legacy Member
Frank,
I managed to do a split-S in a 152 on my second solo flight by accident.
(Thank you Cessna engineers!)
IMHO, it really comes down to the training and the student. The air force trains students in higher performance and more complex planes than our RV's and they aren't killing students left and right.
Thanks for all the responses so far
I should have said in my original post that I have a the oportunity to fly with friends and family over the span of my life in many different Cessnas and Pipers. Over the past couple of months I have had the chance to fly with a friend that purchased a RV 7A about a year ago. I have had the controls a bit and have felt how reactive this plane is. I do have an instructor that is trained in tail draggers and aerobatics. I have found a RV 6 that is in my price range and I am in love with it! What I have been told from my instructor and my RV flying friend is that I will save money and be a better pilot in the end by training in this RV 6. My thoughts are to start out with the flight school pipers and then transition into the RV 6 during my training. I really appreciate all the inout and welcome more!
Thanks Guys!
I should have said in my original post that I have a the oportunity to fly with friends and family over the span of my life in many different Cessnas and Pipers. Over the past couple of months I have had the chance to fly with a friend that purchased a RV 7A about a year ago. I have had the controls a bit and have felt how reactive this plane is. I do have an instructor that is trained in tail draggers and aerobatics. I have found a RV 6 that is in my price range and I am in love with it! What I have been told from my instructor and my RV flying friend is that I will save money and be a better pilot in the end by training in this RV 6. My thoughts are to start out with the flight school pipers and then transition into the RV 6 during my training. I really appreciate all the inout and welcome more!
Thanks Guys!
pierre smith
Well Known Member
The Nigerian Air Force used 30 RV's to train
a bunch of students...(Read it on Vansaircraft home page) who were not necessarily the brightest candles in the drawer.
Regards,
a bunch of students...(Read it on Vansaircraft home page) who were not necessarily the brightest candles in the drawer.
Regards,
frankh
Well Known Member
Quite right Bill but the AF doesn't hand out a private ticket and basically wave you off into the wild blue yonder. I would argue our budding PP is let off the suervisory leash a lot sooner than an AF student is.
It's a different training situation in my mind
turbo
Well Known Member
GO FOR IT.......
i would say it is doable. why not. do your homework on mentioned items and enjoy your new plane. the mains are strong, the nose wheel well dont hit it too hard. if you own your personal plane you can build as much time as you need. if you think an RV is twitchy then try hovering an R-22 helicopter and get a RTC addon rating. enjoy. fly more. life is short. PS just hanging out on the beach today. BVIstyle
i would say it is doable. why not. do your homework on mentioned items and enjoy your new plane. the mains are strong, the nose wheel well dont hit it too hard. if you own your personal plane you can build as much time as you need. if you think an RV is twitchy then try hovering an R-22 helicopter and get a RTC addon rating. enjoy. fly more. life is short. PS just hanging out on the beach today. BVI
style
Mike S
Senior Curmudgeon
I should have said in my original post that I have a the oportunity to fly with friends and family over the span of my life in many different Cessnas and Pipers. Over the past couple of months I have had the chance to fly with a friend that purchased a RV 7A about a year ago. I have had the controls a bit and have felt how reactive this plane is. I do have an instructor that is trained in tail draggers and aerobatics. I have found a RV 6 that is in my price range and I am in love with it! What I have been told from my instructor and my RV flying friend is that I will save money and be a better pilot in the end by training in this RV 6. My thoughts are to start out with the flight school pipers and then transition into the RV 6 during my training. I really appreciate all the inout and welcome more!
Thanks Guys!
Sounds like you have put some thought into this, and your stated plan sounds like a good one.
One word of advice, find an instructor who is familiar with RV's, not just taildraggers. Do not be afraid to instructor shop, if you need to. You are paying the bills, find someone to do what you want, in a manner you are happy with.
Go for it.
My opinion ...
Don't do it. What is your reason for considering it? I think locking yourself into a little 2-place hot rod before you experience the normal GA world of 4-place cruisers, FBO interface, long cross country trips with all of the preparation, navigation, communication, system failures, etc. is cutting yourself out of some good experience - it goes beyond the mechanics of takeoffs and landings I think. Aviating is an experience to be savored slowly and fully ... again I think. If this is just an experience you think of like buying a motorcycle, well the RV should work well for you.
Bob Axsom
Don't do it. What is your reason for considering it? I think locking yourself into a little 2-place hot rod before you experience the normal GA world of 4-place cruisers, FBO interface, long cross country trips with all of the preparation, navigation, communication, system failures, etc. is cutting yourself out of some good experience - it goes beyond the mechanics of takeoffs and landings I think. Aviating is an experience to be savored slowly and fully ... again I think. If this is just an experience you think of like buying a motorcycle, well the RV should work well for you.
Bob Axsom
Bob is right
Bob brings up a good point. Most people have a natural progression to follow. This isn't any different than learning to drive a car in that respect. Driving schools don't have a lot of Ferrari's on the lot, pardon the expression. BUT, there are people out there that would do just fine in learning to drive in one. And only you could know if you are one. To me, it sounds like you have put some thought in this and aren't just jumping in with both feet. There has been a lot of good advice on this post so take it all in. I suggest getting into a spam can for a few hours, maybe until you solo and then if it feels right get into the RV. The main thing is to be honost with yourself, nobody here wants to read about you in that kind of post if you know what I mean!!!!!!! For what its worth, I know a fellow who trained for a few hours in a piper tri-pacer before he and his instructor got into the 300 horse Starduster-Too he had built. That ended up being the first plane he ever soloed and he went on to get his checkride in that aircraft. It Can Be Done!
Randy
Bob brings up a good point. Most people have a natural progression to follow. This isn't any different than learning to drive a car in that respect. Driving schools don't have a lot of Ferrari's on the lot, pardon the expression. BUT, there are people out there that would do just fine in learning to drive in one. And only you could know if you are one. To me, it sounds like you have put some thought in this and aren't just jumping in with both feet. There has been a lot of good advice on this post so take it all in. I suggest getting into a spam can for a few hours, maybe until you solo and then if it feels right get into the RV. The main thing is to be honost with yourself, nobody here wants to read about you in that kind of post if you know what I mean!!!!!!! For what its worth, I know a fellow who trained for a few hours in a piper tri-pacer before he and his instructor got into the 300 horse Starduster-Too he had built. That ended up being the first plane he ever soloed and he went on to get his checkride in that aircraft. It Can Be Done!
Randy
