Tail Dragger

[RipChord929]

OK, I feel its a good time to step in.
a. I have flown a microlight (not ultralight)
b. I have raced a motorcycle and still do now and then
It is a similar skill set, lots of checks and procedures and a hell of a lot of thinking on your feet.
 

Thanks phatz, I do appreciate that comment,

When you are used to hangin your donut out on the edge racin bikes, goin a little farther isn't a big deal..
Besides, Wilbur and Orville WERE Bicycle Mechanics weren't they!

And yes, my perch in paradise , is on a mountain of my own hard work, a lifetime worth..

  Serenity, I know you're a good kid, wish ya the best! But when ya start slinging the messin around in my realm crap around, it makes my hair stand up.. Ya might want to wire that a little tighter, considering where you are headed..

And, if I had it, would still fly that plane, lol!  
 
  RC

[RichardDarkwood]

The guy said the plane only goes 100 MPH max








Todd

[68ZooM]

well at that speed, it wont take long to get to the crash site

[Cougar68]

Thanks phatz, I do appreciate that comment,

When you are used to hangin your donut out on the edge racin bikes, goin a little farther isn't a big deal..
Besides, Wilbur and Orville WERE Bicycle Mechanics weren't they!

And yes, my perch in paradise , is on a mountain of my own hard work, a lifetime worth..

  Serenity, I know you're a good kid, wish ya the best! But when ya start slinging the messin around in my realm crap around, it makes my hair stand up.. Ya might want to wire that a little tighter, considering where you are headed..

And, if I had it, would still fly that plane, lol!  
 
  RC

Again, which question would you like answered?

[Bino]

It sure looks like that landing gear has no suspension travel whatsoever, so tell your friend to make sure the tires are *not* pumped up to the maximum pressure.

[Serenity]

Thanks phatz, I do appreciate that comment,

When you are used to hangin your donut out on the edge racin bikes, goin a little farther isn't a big deal..
Besides, Wilbur and Orville WERE Bicycle Mechanics weren't they!

And yes, my perch in paradise , is on a mountain of my own hard work, a lifetime worth..

  Serenity, I know you're a good kid, wish ya the best! But when ya start slinging the messin around in my realm crap around, it makes my hair stand up.. Ya might want to wire that a little tighter, considering where you are headed..

And, if I had it, would still fly that plane, lol!  
 
  RC

My point Rip, is that you simply cannot compare a motorcycle or a car to flying an airplane. Not under any circumstances.

[Reaper90]

This thread  is

That plane  - I'd

That guy - soon to be 

<--- Licensed pilot (although not current for 16 years) checked out in Cessna 152, 172 and Piper Cherokee. I wouldn't have any problems getting into that plane if I had build it and it was thoroughly checked out by a qualified A&P tech. Putting it back together after a crash (however light it seemed) and attempting to fly it again with no other inspection of the airworthyness of the bird, and with no formal flight training? The dude would have better chances back in the "sandbox" jumping into a firefight armed only with a Red Rider BB gun.

[VonMessa]

My point Rip, is that you simply cannot compare a motorcycle or a car to flying an airplane. Not under any circumstances.

In what respect?Perhaps mechanics alone?

I would say the adrenaline level of both is quite comparable.

Ever ridden a 2-wheeled vehicle at speeds where the dotted yellow line becomes solid?

The ass-pucker factor becomes pretty pretty high on the scale by that point 

[Yossarian]

Geez, it ain't rocket science we're talkin about here, well, maybe for some it would be...
Or, maybe some just need to FEEL like it is... Who knows?

I asked what else?   Ya make snide remarks, but haven't answered.. WHAT ELSE?

And please don't make me state the obvious, that would really qualify for your Darwin Award...

RC

Ok, so you want to know what the other risks are?  I'll start with the obvious one.  Planes operate in the air.  Motorbikes operate on the ground.  If something goes wrong on a motorbike, you can stop it and walk away.  If something goes wrong in mid-air, you cannot simply stop the plane and walk away.  There's a large number of steps that you've got to get right before you can stop the plane and walk away.  Those are some things which muscle memory will not teach.

Sure, maybe muscle memory will teach him to hold the wing on to the plane after he overstresses it and rips his wing off, but will muscle memory really teach him not to get in that situation in the first place?  Not a chance.  Will muscle memory really teach him how to avoid a stall, and recover from the resulting low altitude spin?  Not a chance.  Will muscle memory really teach him how to inspect his plane before takeoff, and to know when he needs to show the stress marks on the airframe to a mechanic, or when the engine is in too bad a condition for the plane to be flown safely?  Not a chance.

What about recognising when the weather may be too bad to fly?  These are all things which are absolutely essential to his safety, and which 'muscle memory' won't teach him - not least because muscle memory implies you need to perform a task at least once, and by the sound of this he may not even live long enough to do that.  Not only that, those things need your brain, not your muscles.  Those are things which only training can teach a man, and training is why 'flight school' exists.

He told me that his uncle who owns a Cessna prop aircraft and has his own strip has taken him up on several flights. So he does have some experience.

And I am not gonna tell a two time winner of the purple heart that he shouldn't do anything. I think he has earned the right.

So, you're going to let your 'respect' for him prevent you from potentially saving his live?  Seriously?  What will you feel like when he's upside down in his plane, having flipped over on his next takeoff, with a broken neck?  I bet you'll be really glad you showed him such respect then.  I recommend you think long and hard about this: if you really do respect this man, or even care about him, when you see him doing something that's actually dangerous, you'll let him know that it is dangerous, and do what you can to protect him.  That's respect.  Keeping your mouth shut and not challenging him because he has two purple hearts is not respect.  It doesn't matter whether you think flying with next to zero experience is risky or not, what matters is whether it is risky.  And if you read what I wrote above, you'll see that it is.

[Dragon]

Ever ridden a 2-wheeled vehicle at speeds where the dotted yellow line becomes solid?

 
If I remember correctly, that happens at @ 115-120 mph.  Depends on the time of day and distance between the stripes.

The ass-pucker factor becomes pretty pretty high on the scale by that point  

 

[Rino]

Which haystack would you like them to search first?

     The one with the taildragger rudder sticking out of it? 

[VonMessa]

     The one with the taildragger rudder sticking out of it? 

Give that man a See-Garr   

[VonMessa]

The guy said the plane only goes 100 MPH max








Todd

How does he know?   

[Cougar68]

In what respect?Perhaps mechanics alone?

I would say the adrenaline level of both is quite comparable.

Ever ridden a 2-wheeled vehicle at speeds where the dotted yellow line becomes solid?

The ass-pucker factor becomes pretty pretty high on the scale by that point 

Thing is you don't have to be going very fast in a taildragger to get that pucker factor.  Try and bring the tail up at the wrong time with the wrong wind correction and it'll weathervane into the wind and groundloop.  From there it's just luck on whether or not you go onto the lid and from looking at that plane I wouldn't want to be upside down in it.  And that's before you even get it in the air.

[RichardDarkwood]

And who said the guy wasn't going to inspect it?


From talking with him he seems to have learned from his first mistake and plans to be much safer in the future.




Todd