Tango Mike
Well Known Member
Let's say you're at a fly-in with your IFR-equipped RV and you've just slipped a pair of FOR SALE sleeves on the prop blades. A pilot walks up, asks you a few questions about the airplane, then says something like:
"I had a RV6 some years ago, only used it VFR. Currently, my daughter just received her PPL, and is wanting to go career. Next step is an instrument ticket. My question is that many say the Van?s are not stable enough for IFR, and for sure not for training. I've asked pilots about the IFR training aspect of RVs and I get mixed reviews, but mostly it is not ideal, and, that it may be hard to find a CFII to train in it as well. What is your experience and opinion?"
My response might include the following points:
1. My guess is that the "many" detractors probably have little or no time in RVs.
2. To compare the stability of an RV to a run-of-the-mill certificated airplane commonly used for instrument training is to highlight the difference in wing loading, light and more agile as opposed to heavier and more sluggish.
3. From the pilot's seat, an instrument approach looks the same regardless of the airplane type.
4. At the end of the day, instrument training in an RV has the potential for creating a more proficient IFR pilot because the airplane doesn't tolerate over-controlling well. It demands precision, and isn't that what instrument flying is all about?
5. Why would a CFII care what type of airplane is being used? If the instructor isn't comfortable in an experimental, that has nothing to do with the suitability of the airframe for the training objective.
6. To purchase an airplane other than an RV specifically for your daughter's IFR training allows faulty reasoning to prevent you and her from enjoying the many advantages of these airplanes.
7. With regard to any aspect of aviating, comparing total performance and the RV grin with a standard trainer boils down to two words: No comparison.
I'd appreciate hearing from pilots who fly IFR in their RV, and particularly from CFIIs on the question of suitability of the airplanes for instrument training.
Thanks in advance for sharing your opinions.
Tosh
"I had a RV6 some years ago, only used it VFR. Currently, my daughter just received her PPL, and is wanting to go career. Next step is an instrument ticket. My question is that many say the Van?s are not stable enough for IFR, and for sure not for training. I've asked pilots about the IFR training aspect of RVs and I get mixed reviews, but mostly it is not ideal, and, that it may be hard to find a CFII to train in it as well. What is your experience and opinion?"
My response might include the following points:
1. My guess is that the "many" detractors probably have little or no time in RVs.
2. To compare the stability of an RV to a run-of-the-mill certificated airplane commonly used for instrument training is to highlight the difference in wing loading, light and more agile as opposed to heavier and more sluggish.
3. From the pilot's seat, an instrument approach looks the same regardless of the airplane type.
4. At the end of the day, instrument training in an RV has the potential for creating a more proficient IFR pilot because the airplane doesn't tolerate over-controlling well. It demands precision, and isn't that what instrument flying is all about?
5. Why would a CFII care what type of airplane is being used? If the instructor isn't comfortable in an experimental, that has nothing to do with the suitability of the airframe for the training objective.
6. To purchase an airplane other than an RV specifically for your daughter's IFR training allows faulty reasoning to prevent you and her from enjoying the many advantages of these airplanes.
7. With regard to any aspect of aviating, comparing total performance and the RV grin with a standard trainer boils down to two words: No comparison.
I'd appreciate hearing from pilots who fly IFR in their RV, and particularly from CFIIs on the question of suitability of the airplanes for instrument training.
Thanks in advance for sharing your opinions.
Tosh