The VAF News - 3.14.2025. #6297.

[DeltaRomeo]

Believe it or not, the 13th was my 5 year anniversary of being hired part time at CAE for simulator seat support in the Phenom 300. With 530+ sessions and five years under my belt now, I’ve been assigned the nickname ‘The Seatfather’.
1000+ hours on motion as a crew have *REALLY* altered my approach to flying safety and how my brain works in the air. I wish I could have transferred this current mindset into my knucklehead brain of two decades back. I remember thinking I knew a lot about flying (didn’t). Still learning - hope to never stop.

Wishing you a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. Plans for a short hop in the RV-6 this weekend maybe in the works. Smiley face for sure.
v/r,dr



Build Update …KazooRV-9A
Getting closer to putting the RV-9A up on the main gear. Am looking forward to that visual progress! All FF wiring is complete, and have been testing the EIS/EFIS inputs before riveting the top front skin in place. Wiring and panel installation has been a long process.

RV-9A Andy C. Kalamazoo, Mi

I think that's great advice. I've been thinking that putting some fuel in the tank for testing should be a plan. I intend to paint the wings before final installation, and I could imagine that even primer/paint could initially seal what might later become a leak. And what a pain it would be to...

vansairforce.net

RE Fuel Flow …bwagner PIREP
RV-14A, Thunderbolt YIO-390-EXP340 installation. Firesleeve encasing the red cube and all of the lines in/out. An exhaust shield on that nearby pipe.
FF readings have been rock steady for the 80hrs in service thus far.

Fuel flow

Recently my fuel flow readings went from about 9 gals per hr. To around 16 gallons per hour,would these be a bad fuel flow transducer?. I have the lycoming io-390 thunderbolt with ft-60 fuel flow transducer.it’s mounted per plans for the van’s manual.

vansairforce.net

RE Tail Wheel assembly, torque tube vs chains, tire recommendations RV 4
…Pete O Static PIREP
I honestly can’t remember the cost but it wasn’t crazy or anything. The Ti spring is obviously quite a bit lighter than the steel but also a lot springier. I now have a nice suspension on the tail but with that, one needs to be aware of clearance between the tailwheel nut and lower rudder fairing. I have never had an issue but another reason why I ordered the Aero Garage fork is because that nut is eliminated. A friend of mine who is a mechanical engineer advised me that titanium is prone to cracking if it gets chipped, say from a stone chip. My spring is wrapped in hockey tape to protect it and I unwrap the tape and inspect the spring at each condition inspection.

Here is a pic of the lite links currently installed. Just awaiting the new fork and axle. Amazing how much weight can be reduced from the tail and at such a long moment, it makes a marked difference on the C of G location.

Tail Wheel assembly, torque tube vs chains, tire recommendations RV 4????

Gonna change to double fork tail wheel assembly from single fork. Please share advice, thoughts and recommendations.

vansairforce.net

bbaggerman
…eScooter PIREP

E-scooter

what scooters have some of you purchased to haul (RV-7A) mainly looking for decent speed price and distance. also something that can work as a regular scooter incase the batteries die. want to use in the event of no crew car availability.

vansairforce.net

Daddyman58

Brake groan update

I have experienced an annoying loud groaning when I applied my left brake. The brake functions normally, and stops straight. But the noise was bothering me (and perhaps others). I examined it closely, and could not see anything that would cause the mystery noise. Yesterday, I couldn't stand it...

www.vansairforce.net

OFF TOPIC:


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VAF Charity Cap: Help your charity and promote this site.

Get the cap all the cool kids are wearing! I don’t get a penny. It’s around $15. $5 more if you want your N-number on the back (I put 'STAFF' on the back of mine because it makes me laugh. Put STAFF on yours too if it makes you smile). And down the road $10 to the charity of your choice...

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THE VAF LIST (a list of RV-related lists)

THE VAF LIST (a list of RV-related lists)

The VAF List ...a list of RV-related lists. RV-related things you might want to browse over (a closed post that is sticky and maintained by dr). Link to this in 'Links' in the menu. v/r,dr Small businesses that help bring you this list of RV-related lists: 360 Avionics www.360Avionics.com Ace...

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[Estevanb]

Believe it or not, the 13th was my 5 year anniversary of being hired part time at CAE for simulator seat support in the Phenom 300. With 530+ sessions and five years under my belt now, I’ve been assigned the nickname ‘The Seatfather’.
1000+ hours on motion as a crew have *REALLY* altered my approach to flying safety and how my brain works in the air. I wish I could have transferred this current mindset into my knucklehead brain of two decades back. I remember thinking I knew a lot about flying (didn’t). Still learning - hope to never stop.

Hey Doug, This is indeed an amazing experience! Congratulations! Share more! What would be a couple of simple mindset changes that we could apply to our "experimental world" to become better/safer pilots?

 

[DeltaRomeo]

Hey Doug, This is indeed an amazing experience! Congratulations! Share more! What would be a couple of simple mindset changes that we could apply to our "experimental world" to become better/safer pilots?

“How five years in a sim and some contract side work changed my RV mindset.” (working title)

I'll get to writing these down in more detailed form (thank you for the idea!), but off the top of my head:

• No ‘logic’ changes until 1000’ AGL. I used to think about ‘look at me’ pitch changes right after T/O. Now I’m mostly focused on engine parameters and nice and stable to 1000’
• After T/O checklist is important and not to be skipped OR RUSHED. Turning off a P-mag instead of the boost pump happens…I've seen me do it.
• Flight Director up 10° for T/O and follow it.
• Voice callouts/and glance on every T/O roll. “Oil Pressure, Fuel Pressure, Airspeed alive, …”. Practice the quick glance before brake release. Leaving the pitot cover on happens (again, seen me do it).
• 70 kts crosscheck on other PFD
• Climb on IAS/FLC. Descend on VS.
• VNAV is your friend and frees up bandwidth.
• Center the HDG bug on final. You might be going around....for reasons you haven't thought of.
• Listening to 121.5 on the other radio. ATC will eventually ask you to try to contact a plane that isn't checking in.
• There is more traffic out there than you think. ATC and a flight plan if non-local travel.
• Plan for another plane in the flare at the other end of the runway coming at you - look down the ENTIRE length of the runway, and reciprical upwind, on short final.
• A ‘flow’ for the flight is a good thing - create a flight in FF and keep the PLATES tab up - it puts things in the order you need them. Even if VFR and going two towns over for gas.
• Have an approach loaded and displayed even if it’s visual. There’s a LOT of information on that plate, in the order you need it, and people report in over fixes that you may not know if it's a new area.
• Game face on in the pattern. No chit chat w/pax. There are NORDO Cubs about that don't show on the Sentry.
• Pump the brakes midfield on downwind to see if you have pressure. Hundreds of no brake landings in the sim gets you to thinking about things like this.
• Push a button on the AFCS, eyeballs to the scoreboard to see if it's doing what you think it's doing. (Points to AFCS) "This is what you told your wife." (Looks at scoreboard) "This is what she heard."
• Plan flights that keep you not too far away from other airports/roads - long stretches over barren land increase risk to a level I'm no longer comfortable with.
• Unusual attitude training is helpful, and Pavlovian. I was stunned at how many professional pilots get it wrong. Stunned.

Current day RV flights for me are far more disciplined. I’ve grown to appreciate how easy it is to get hurt with hardly any effort at all. I've seen dozens of professional pilots crash the sim doing the most normal things. I've become a creature of habits and checklists.

More to come….and thanks again for the idea.

 

[Estevanb]

“How five years in a sim and some contract side work changed my RV mindset.” (working title)

I'll get to writing these down in more detailed form (thank you for the idea!), but off the top of my head:

• No ‘logic’ changes until 1000’ AGL. I used to think about ‘look at me’ pitch changes right after T/O. Now I’m mostly focused on engine parameters and nice and stable to 1000’
• After T/O checklist is important and not to be skipped OR RUSHED. Turning off a P-mag instead of the boost pump happens…I've seen me do it.
• Flight Director up 10° for T/O and follow it.
• Voice callouts/and glance on every T/O roll. “Oil Pressure, Fuel Pressure, Airspeed alive, …”. Practice the quick glance before brake release. Leaving the pitot cover on happens (again, seen me do it).
• 70 kts crosscheck on other PFD
• Climb on IAS/FLC. Descend on VS.
• VNAV is your friend and frees up bandwidth.
• Center the HDG bug on final. You might be going around....for reasons you haven't thought of.
• Listening to 121.5 on the other radio. ATC will eventually ask you to try to contact a plane that isn't checking in.
• There is more traffic out there than you think. ATC and a flight plan if non-local travel.
• Plan for another plane in the flare at the other end of the runway coming at you - look down the ENTIRE length of the runway, and reciprical upwind, on short final.
• A ‘flow’ for the flight is a good thing - create a flight in FF and keep the PLATES tab up - it puts things in the order you need them. Even if VFR and going two towns over for gas.
• Have an approach loaded and displayed even if it’s visual. There’s a LOT of information on that plate, in the order you need it, and people report in over fixes that you may not know if it's a new area.
• Game face on in the pattern. No chit chat w/pax. There are NORDO Cubs about that don't show on the Sentry.
• Pump the brakes midfield on downwind to see if you have pressure. Hundreds of no brake landings in the sim gets you to thinking about things like this.
• Push a button on the AFCS, eyeballs to the scoreboard to see if it's doing what you think it's doing. (Points to AFCS) "This is what you told your wife." (Looks at scoreboard) "This is what she heard."
• Plan flights that keep you not too far away from other airports/roads - long stretches over barren land increase risk to a level I'm no longer comfortable with.
• Unusual attitude training is helpful, and Pavlovian. I was stunned at how many professional pilots get it wrong. Stunned.

Current day RV flights for me are far more disciplined. I’ve grown to appreciate how easy it is to get hurt with hardly any effort at all. I've seen dozens of professional pilots crash the sim doing the most normal things. I've become a creature of habits and checklists.

More to come….and thanks again for the idea.

Great pointers! Excellent best practices. Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[cgeyman]

Thanks Doug