CFI Checkout in Tailwheel Sonex

[pilotyoung]

I am seriously looking at buying a tailwheel Onex. My insurance company insist that before they will insure me, I must get a CFI checkout in a tailwheel Sonex. So after reading about the factory training program on the internet, I called the factory. They said they no longer do training.

Does anyone know of a place to get dual instruction and a CFI checkout in a tailwheel Sonex? I have about 60 hours of tailwheel time and a tailwheel endorsement so all I need is a checkout.

Thanks.

[GraemeSmith]

Where are you located?

[pilotyoung]

Birmingham, AL but I am willing to travel a reasonable distance to get a CFI checkout since I am also a CFI.

[GraemeSmith]

I'm getting a checkout at the school at KFIT - Fitchburg this weekend.

The CFI has "some" Sonex time - I'll let you know how it goes and if it is worth travelling.

[pilotyoung]

Do they have a tailwheel Sonex there to give dual in?

[GraemeSmith]

Sent you a PM

[johnnn]

This is a serious problem. I am building Onex 0179. One of the reasons I purchased the kit was that there was a very good transitional training program at place at Sonex. They have thrown us under the bus. With their Jet I guess we are small fish to fry. I am not happy with this. John

[GraemeSmith]

I was able to negotiate with the underwriters a bit. Despite a hull loss prior to buying the Sonex and pretty low tail time.

The hull loss was a certificated aircraft which I put back down on the remaining runway after getting out a short field OK - but then getting rotored downwards in the lee of trees creating a risk of not getting out over the trees at the end. I elected to slip and slam her down rather than risk not getting over the trees. I didn't quite stop and the prop was stopped by the airport fence. Plane is perfectly repairable (the wrecking yard are) but repair values exceeded insured value. Not reportable to the NTSB - I got some peer review from fellow pilots and CFI's. Then I wrote up a NASA form.

So yes I was going to be difficult to place - especially moving from Cert to Experimental and with low tail time and a loss.

But I also am active in the WINGS program and use it to take a flight review every year.

--

Two underwriters came back with 10 with a CFI and 10 solo before passengers and almost identical premiums.

I offered to complete the Sonex Training Syllabus and as I did - take a Flight Review. I also gave them a copy of my NASA report with my accident analysis (I've nothing to hide there).

Other factors that might have helped - I'm a PPL tail and complex endorsed. Relatively high time overall 1,800hrs over 8 years and 27 types flown - 24 as PIC. But tail time was a low 20 hours. Underwriters came back with 5 and 5. I'm good with that.

--

Now of course I had to shop around quite hard to find a CFI with Sonex time - I found 3 in New England - but a limiting factor was their weight. One CFI was offering time in an RV as "equivalent" to get over the issue of his weight. The one I am flying with - the lightest one - is still 185lbs and with the aircraft stripped down to just us in our T-Shirts, shorts and headsets we only have 1.5 hours of fuel with a 45 min reserve (my personal minimum). But we will get there.

So - the moral of the tale (if there is one) is to try and negotiate with the underwriter. Most simply apply "our usual rules" - but if you can get to talk to the senior underwriter and can persuade them you have a good attitude towards safety - even if things have gone wrong for you in the past - you might be able to improve on what you are offered at first.

And remember the training syllabus offers other aircraft that might be "equivalent" - underwriters may accept that - especially if you can show it is in the Sonex Syllabus:

Aircraft that may be appropriate for this training may include, but are not limited to:
- Grumman AA-1 Yankee, AA-5 Cheetah/Tiger
- Van’s RV series of aircraft, including the RV-12, RV-6/6a and RV-7/7a
- Zenith 601/650 series of aircraft
- Many low wing S-LSA aircraft may also qualify for this purpose

YMMV

[XenosN42]

Hi Graeme,

Could you let us know what you were quoted for liability and hull?

[jerryhain]

I have a YX Taildragger in Tucson that I can do some checkouts in before I sell it.