Preparing the pilot for first flight

[GraemeSmith]

was how the last part of your journey home was made in the dark of night. The hair still stands up on the back of my neck thinking about what an electrical failure (or engine failure for that matter) in a new to you experimental aircraft may have meant to the safe completion of the flight home. ...

It's all in the risk assessment and how comfortable one is with the assessed risk. I'm comfortable flying at night in good VFR with a defined horizon. Lots of folks just won't fly at night - period. Yes the risk is higher than day. But that is always so. In the risk assessment for that leg - it was "known ground". Principally over beaches or airports and the previous two legs had been fine. At that point the I didn't think the "risk" was much more than any other night flight in a piston single. I had Vg figured earlier if needed. I'm not claiming to be "right" and YMMV.

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DMMS - Yes! In my legacy Sonex / Aerovee - I use 60KIAS at a maximum bank of 45 degrees holding altitude. If you let the nose fall through - you can pull it a bit harder - but I have a placard on the panel to remind me. "MMS - 60KIAS @ 45 Degrees"

[BRS]

...
DMMS - Yes! In my legacy Sonex / Aerovee - I use 60KIAS at a maximum bank of 45 degrees holding altitude. If you let the nose fall through - you can pull it a bit harder - but I have a placard on the panel to remind me. "MMS - 60KIAS @ 45 Degrees"

Graeme, What is this DMMS you are referring to? I've never come across it before.

[GraemeSmith]

...
DMMS - Yes! In my legacy Sonex / Aerovee - I use 60KIAS at a maximum bank of 45 degrees holding altitude. If you let the nose fall through - you can pull it a bit harder - but I have a placard on the panel to remind me. "MMS - 60KIAS @ 45 Degrees"

Graeme, What is this DMMS you are referring to? I've never come across it before.

[Murray Parr]

[quote="GraemeSmith"][quote="builderflyer"] was how the last part of your journey home was made in the dark of night. The hair still stands up on the back of my neck thinking about what an electrical failure (or engine failure for that matter)
'
The best advice I ever got for engine failure at night was from my flight instructor who said, 'if the engine fails, glide to 50' AGL and turn the landing light on. If you don't like what you see, turn it off'....

[ldmill]

I already had my tailwheel endorsement and about 130 hours of TW time - but, was able to get some transition training in a Sonex/Jab3300 as well as some RV-6 time prior to first flight in my jab/Waiex after completing construction. Both were highly helpful - the Sonex time being the best (sight perspective, pattern speeds, height above runway for flare)- but I also consider an RV-6 or RV-7 a viable alternative - it generally has "similar" sight perspective and power/weight ratio although wing loading isn't quite as close.
Lorin Miller
10+ years in the Jab3300 Waiex

[BRS]

I lied, I've obviously seen DMMS as I saw that video, what seems like, a very long time ago. Thanks for the reminder it was a good watch the second time around.

[tx_swordguy]

Flying and ground movement (taxi) are all pretty straight forward and the solid couple tailwheel will get you comfortable quickly and possibly complacent because you don’t have to toe punch the pedals like other tw planes. Landing was what i had trouble with. I either carrier landed or had the tw about 6” off the ground causing me to porpoise. What helped me was to sit in the plane and line up the horizon with a point where the windscreen touches the dash and put a white dot. Now all i do is come in and flair as low as possible and keep the dot on the horizon and it floats down to a 3pt landing. Took about 50+ hrs to figure it out though. Stay at 60 + and you should be fine and don’t over bank base to final.
Mark

[Sonerai13]

The best advice I ever got for engine failure at night was from my flight instructor who said, 'if the engine fails, glide to 50' AGL and turn the landing light on. If you don't like what you see, turn it off'....

That's what we always tell our helicopter students. "if you have to do an autorotation at night. Get your speed nailed, then turn on the landing light...." The rest is the same as your instructor's advice.

[Bryan Cotton]

The best advice I ever got for engine failure at night was from my flight instructor who said, 'if the engine fails, glide to 50' AGL and turn the landing light on. If you don't like what you see, turn it off'....

That's what we always tell our helicopter students. "if you have to do an autorotation at night. Get your speed nailed, then turn on the landing light...." The rest is the same as your instructor's advice.

I was also taught this during helicopter training. Joking aside, probably the key point is to not panic!