Sonex as a first plane?

[KushFlier]

Curious where the opinions are on this. For a very low-time pilot just coming off of PPL license (under 100 PIC hours). --EDIT: I should say, I'm not quite there yet. Still a few hours shy of my PPL as of this post-- Is a Sonex an appropriate first plane (with sufficient transition training), or is it advisable to build time in something like a C152 or PA28 first? Follow-up to that question, if the Sonex is a handful for a newly-minted pilot, what in your opinion would be a safe total PIC time to begin transitioning to a Sonex?

[tx_swordguy]

I think it is a fine 1st time owner plane. If TW you definitely need some TW training however I would not consider it squirrely at all. I have zero tri=cycle experience so cannot comment on its handling in that set up. TW version is very stable on rear wheel however it is very light so you need to keep the stick back and keep air flow/ weight on the TW when taxiing or you can skid. It is not an extra 300 so don't be afraid of it. As a TW you cannot see over the front end when landing but if you get some training and relax I think you will be fine. My biggest issue going from an avid flyer TW to the sonex was I could see well over the front of the Avid and not so in the sonex. Once I figured out the site picture I was looking for (same one as taxi) I did much better. Just don't try and save a bounce/ bad landing UNLESS you have thousands of feet remaining on the runway. My 2 cents

[KushFlier]

Thanks, that make sense. Appreciate the input. I'm starting my build soon - tail kit is on the way - and it'll take me a year or more to build it anyway, so I'll have some time to build hours. But even then - just curious if the general consensus is to stick to a trainer-type plain like a Cherokee or Cessna before transitioning over once I have XXX hours built up. Though from my reading, and by your post as well, it seems that with a bit of care & attention it's still accessible for low-time pilots.

[GordonTurner]

My recommendation is forget everything you learned and start over in the Sonex.

[GraemeSmith]

A way to look at it is that - back in the day - they were all tail wheel and you couldn't see over the nose of most of them - and much worse than a Sonex. So sure - why not. If you build as a trike - and use an AeroVee - you will only have to learn the opposite foot for P factor.

If you are building T/W - and just learning stretch your wings - just get some airtime and ADM and going out and getting lost and having a few burgers with folks. Then get the T/W training. I don't know 100% for sure - but of you are out of Poughquag in NY - I think at MMK just over the border in CT - the school has a tailwheel to learn in. And let me ask a friend there - because I'm pretty sure he worked with a freelance T/W instructor.

At one level - you are never as proficient as the day you pass your checkride. You are going to get rusty when building. It's WAY more important to knock the rust off - might as well do it and get the T/W endorsement as part of it. I don't see why you would not succeed.

[KushFlier]

Appreciate the input! That's great advice. This will be a TW build, TW training is 100% in the plans. I was actually looking around for an instructor (casually for now, still some time away), but that's good to know there might be one within just an hour or two drive.

[sonex1374]

KushFlier,

The Sonex is not a difficult plane to fly, but it is lightweight with sporty handling. Experience in a heavier, more sedate GA training aircraft will not replicate the Sonex's handling characteristics. If you have a couple hundred hours of total time, adapting to this difference might not be a problem. However, getting some time in something similar is a really good idea, especially as a low-time pilot.

We advocate getting some sort of transition training for all new Sonex pilots. That might mean flying with a CFI in a Sonex, a few hours of intro flight time in a friend's Sonex, or flying a plane with similar handling characteristics. The Sonex Builders and Pilots Foundation Transition Training Syllabus covers this approach in detail.

Although it's impossible to make a generalization about all pilots and how they'll find the Sonex as a first plane, I think most Sonex pilots would agree that a typical pilot will very quickly and easily settle into a Sonex after just a few flights. My personal opinion is that after transition training I don't think you're any more at risk in a Sonex than any other airplane. If you're proficient enough to pass you're checkride, you've got all the basics needed for a Sonex.

Jeff

[WesRagle]

KushFlier,

My opinions:

Is a Sonex an appropriate first plane (with sufficient transition training)

Yes.

if the Sonex is a handful for a newly-minted pilot

It's not. Not after some transition training. I still remember an RV-6 (tail wheel) pilot taxiing up to my hangar to talk. He looked at my conventional gear Sonex and said "I'll bet that thing is a hand full". I was honestly confused by the comment. All I could think to say was "No. Not really."

what in your opinion would be a safe total PIC time to begin transitioning to a Sonex?

You are ready as soon as you earn your PPL. Total time is secondary to currency and proficiency. Of course you will need a TW endorsement for a conventional gear Sonex.

Best of Luck,

Wes

[gyroron]

I think it is going to be a eye opener for you if this is the first thing you fly other than a Cessna 152 / 172 or typical piper Cherokee / warrior type of plane.

The Sonex is not nearly as stable. Most of the planes you would fly to get your PPL in, if you upset the airplane, you can let go of the controls and it will right itself. These planes want to return to straight and level on their own. The Sonex is neutrally stable... If you let go of the controls, it will not stay put. This is not a terrible thing, but it is different from how a typical GA plane flies.

The Sonex will also take much more attention to how it is flown on the landing pattern. It is very easy to come in too fast, and the plane will float and float down a runway. On a short runway, you may never get it on the ground if you come in a little too hot.

I wouldn't say a Sonex would be a bad choice for someone who just got their PPL, but you will find its a very different plane and will likely need some transition training for sure.

[builderflyer]

As is usually the case, Jeff's comments, as well as others are right on. Under calm wind conditions, the Sonex is as easy to fly, or easier, as any other airplane you will ever fly. But as the winds become increasingly gusty, the Sonex (or any airplane with a really light wing loading) becomes more challenging to handle. For this reason, I suspect that those pilots who have roots in the ultralight community may have an easier time adapting to the Sonex than those who only flew airplanes with significantly higher wing loadings. Nevertheless, many low time pilots have quickly adapted to the Sonex "feel" and so will you with a proper introduction. And once you are checked out in a Sonex, you will find the other aircraft you used to fly "oh so boring".

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