Other Stuff-NEW!
4/15/2007
No building today, but Rob Johnson and I did get started on our tailwheel endorsements this morning!! What a beautiful morning it was for flying an old airplane in central Illinois. We found a out a while back that a friend of ours, George Wilts, has a fully restored, original 1946 Piper J3-C65 Cub...and he's also an instructor! Rob and I met up this morning at 7:15am to drive to the Pontiac airport (KPNT) to meet George at 8am. As we were pulling up the drive, George appeared overhead. We watched him make a textbook wheel landing and taxi in. The plan was for me to go first, and we'd fly to the Streator Rothrock Airport (54IL) for some airwork on the way, and then start practicing landings on he grass over there. Here's a couple of pics of me getting in, and starting to taxi that Rob took. That's George waiting to catch me if I fell out trying to get in the front seat...
So off we went. I've wanted to fly a Cub since I can remember, and it was everything I thought it would be. What a wonderful airplane! Easy to fly, and more importantly, easy to teach a new tailwheel pilot to land in!
Here's the airplane on the ground in Streator after my lesson.
And here's the spartan, but classic panel and front seat of the Cub. We have an RPM gauge, airspeed indicator, compass, altimeter, and oil pressure and temperature. The throttle and fuel shutoff are visible on the left. Below the fuel shutoff is the trim crank, and overhead and to the rear left are the mag switches. To the right of the seat and under the door is the carb heat. On the left side of the panel is cabin heat, and on the right side of the panel we have the primer plunger. Heel brakes were standard on Cubs. I thought this would be a little difficult to get used to, but you really don't use the brakes in this airplane, other than to turn or stop on the pavement (or hold the airplane while George hand props the engine). There is PLENTY of rudder authority to make normal turns and S-turns without touching the brakes.
Not the most comfortable airplane to fly from the front seat, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Here's a nice parting shot from the first morning of learning to fly a tailwheel airplane.
Rob and I will be heading back up there next weekend for another lesson.