Shiny Airplane/Rusty Pilot - Getting Ready to Fly

[WesRagle]

Hi Guys,

My Onex is on the cusp of completion. As first flight gets closer I'm thinking more and more about all that goes into Phase I testing and preparing myself for what lies ahead.

I'm a low time pilot with only about 250-300 hours total time. Fifty hours in a C-150 while earning my license. From there I transitioned into an RV-6A and flew that airplane for somewhere around 100 Hrs. I then flew a Champ for about 10 hours while earning my tailwheel endorsement. Next I transitioned into a TW Sonex which I flew for somewhere over 100 hrs. That's it.

I recently flew for the first time in many (12?) years. I went up with my instructor in his Champ, and yes, that airplane kicked my butt. It served a wake up call for just how long it's been.

I know there are a lot of knowledgeable guys on the list so I thought I would start a thread where I could ask some of the (somewhat random) "flying" questions that pop into my head as the flying part of this project approaches.

So here goes:

1) I'll be poking around the web, but any links you guys could provide to good "Phase I" reading material would be appreciated. Sonex specific information especially appreciated.

2) I've been looking through the Onex flight manual (provided by Sonex LLC) noting some of blanks that have to be filled in. One of the tables needing filled in is "Cruise Performance with Full Fuel". The table has entries for several different altitudes at several different RPMs with the airspeed entered as TAS. I've watched Mike Farley's videos on flying the turbo several times and they seem to indicate/confirm that, as long as an airplane isn't near stall, the relationship between true airspeed and prop speed is relatively constant with a fixed pitch propeller. Isn't that the case?

Thanks for Your Time,

Wes

[jrs]

I'm low time with huge breaks between flying. What I found very helpful was to put up a copy of flight simulator with pedals and yoke. Could go back to an instructor with no loss of skill set even after a decade long break. I have recently put in a model that I believe is close to response of sonex. Even if I never fly again I am very happy to have a project in the basement to work on and flying it as at least a possibility.

[Rynoth]

Wes, this would be my first recommended link:

https://www.eaa.org/Shop/ProductCatalog ... ID=2695484

This is a good start, and can help you plan for your first flight as well as your Phase 1 testing. There is a lot of fill-in-the-blank regarding your own specific aircraft, but it provides a very good outline on tasks to be performed and things to watch out for.

[WesRagle]

Hi,

What I found very helpful was to put up a copy of flight simulator with pedals and yoke.

I have a good instructor and I know he'll catch my mess ups. I'll just keep working at the real thing until I'm comfortable again. I think part of my problem was that the Champ seems to take control inputs as suggestions rather than commands. A lot of stick displacement and a lot of rudder. And, have I ever mentioned that I really liked the direct link tailwheel steering of a Sonex ;-)

Hi Ryan,

This is a good start, and can help you plan for your first flight as well as your Phase 1 testing.

Thanks. I was about to place the order and then thought maybe there were other good reads available from EAA and I could save on shipping if I placed a single order. So if anybody has more suggestions from EAA that would be great.

Meanwhile I pulled out my old copy of Stick and Rudder and I'll read that again.

Thanks,

Wes

[wlarson861]

I had not flown for over 20 years when I was near completion of my Sonex. I took about 11 hours of dual in a Champ for a current bi-annual. The stick of the champ felt like it was set in cement compared to my Luscomb and I didn't like the flight experience. The first flight in the Sonex was a single trip around the pattern and a landing. The stick forces were light and responsive but not abrupt and the landing was the easiest tail wheel landing . The only thing I did wrong was continue to flair too long and touched tail wheel first, Get the attitude sight picture pre-take off and get the same attitude at the numbers and let the plane settle without continuing pulling the nose higher and it will three point. If you can land the Champ and still reuse the airplane then you can have a blast with any Sonex plane. Good luck and looking forward to that first flight report and the Sonex grin.

[Rynoth]

The only thing I did wrong was continue to flair too long and touched tail wheel first,

For what it's worth, I don't think that's a big deal. With the deck angle being as shallow as it is in a taildragger Sonex, it's quite easy to touch the tailwheel first before stall speed. A good portion of my landings touch the tailwheel first and they are generally my smoother landings.

[WesRagle]

Hi Bill,

I took about 11 hours of dual in a Champ for a current bi-annual. The stick of the champ felt like it was set in cement compared to my Luscomb and I didn't like the flight experience.

Thanks for that. I thought it was just me. I did enjoy the few minutes we spent just flying around but maneuvering a Champ isn't fun. Everyone says it's a great plane for training. I think that's because it has all the bad traits you read about in spades. But I am grateful to have a good TW instructor. They aren't easy to find around here. Anyway, I guess that's why they call it pattern work instead of pattern play :-)

I remember transitioning to the Sonex not being a big deal. I plunked it in a couple of times just because I wasn't used to being that close to the runway. I startle myself once on takeoff. The Sonex is light in pitch and I wasn't used to "feeling" the airplane off the ground. A friend who had test flown the airplane told me to just raise the tail, wait for XX seconds, and rotate. I did that but I over rotated, then I over corrected, then I ... I almost got into a PIO but settled down before it got serious.

For me, now is the time for patience. An admirable trait my wife says I lack.

Wes

[builderflyer]

Hi Wes,

Your flying time in the various aircraft you describe makes you an experienced pilot compared to many (maybe most) other Sonex (Onex) pilots about to do their first test flight, even more so than some prominent members of the Sonex factory team. But as you recognize, what you require is recency of experience, and you're getting that now. Although I wasn't an inexperienced pilot, what was most helpful to me was that another Sonex pilot allowed me to make takeoffs and landings in the right seat of his Sonex before I made the first flight in mine. Is there anyone in your area who would let you do that? What is your insurance company demanding of you?

Your biggest challenge may be unlearning what you learned about adverse aileron yaw in flying the Champ.........but you already know that as well.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[WesRagle]

Hi Art,

But as you recognize, what you require is recency of experience, and you're getting that now.

Yea, that's what it's all about. The mechanics of flight are pretty easy to understand, the trick is making the application of knowledge instinctive. It reminds me of the post Robbie made some time back (Ref. http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5175&p=39233#p39233). The instructor kept pulling power on the student until it was instinctive to push the nose over on loss of power.

Although I wasn't an inexperienced pilot, what was most helpful to me was that another Sonex pilot allowed me to make takeoffs and landings in the right seat of his Sonex before I made the first flight in mine. Is there anyone in your area who would let you do that? What is your insurance company demanding of you?

Really, I haven't checked on any of this yet. Right now I'm stuck in paperwork he**. Until I can get my aircraft registered I can't schedule the airworthiness inspection. With the Sonex I couldn't get insurance without 10 hours in type. That wasn't practical so I just decided to fly the airplane for 10 hours without insurance. Not smart, but it's that patience thing again. I will look for some right seat time in a Sonex this time. If I can't find that I can probably beg some right seat time in an RV. At least this time I can report time in a very similar aircraft.

I'm 63 now and an honest self evaluation reveals some loss of reflexes. I notice that while driving, when I pull up to a busy uncontrolled intersection, one where I don't have right of way, as I wag my head back and forth trying to find an opening it takes a little longer to focus and assimilate what's going on after a wag. I think that's inevitable. My only defense is currency and hopefully the application of a little wisdom.

I'll get there but it is going to take a little time.

Wes

[XenosN42]

Hi Wes,

I found this very helpful https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_90-89B.pdf You'll need to pick and choose what applies to your OneX.