Sport Pilot Talk

Considering that about 80% of my brain seems to be occupied with airplanes and flying, I have only ever had a handful of flying dreams. The first was before I ever flew any light airplane and was a VP1 homebuilt with an open cockpit and no seat harness. Every time I pitched down, I thought it would ...

How is your quest for a successor going? My own journey to become a CFI was rudely interrupted by needing eye surgery last year - and of course, health insurance being what it is, refused to pay. Had to spend all my money set aside for the Commercial and CFI on my eyes instead. The upside is I can s...

I bought a pair of sneakers with the thinnest soles and least bulk I could find, specifically for flying a Cub. I'm a size 12 and nothing else would fit to get my heels on the brakes. Since then I always disliked flying with heavy clunky boots - I don't know how you Alaskan guys do it.

I was wondering when this would happen. I am on a lot of forums and there are always people who have to use them spread their own political views and incite off-topic arguments. Generally criticizing these people will result in them calling you un-patriotic or something similar. I was getting a litt...

Did your aircraft have a proper electrical system when it was registered? If not, you don't need to even worry about the 30 nm thing as long as you stay out of Class C. I am making sure I'll register my homebuilts without electrical systems for that reason. Around here (Southern California) that 30n...

Me too! I had an old pair, but they ran through a gameport and despite an adapter refuse to function correctly.

Could use a good used set.

30 gallons in a DC4 will let you fly for about seven and a half minutes at cruise power...

I saw an internet video where a couple of hobos wanted to go to Alaska and were stopped at the border. They tried to sneak in but were caught! They went to a GA airport and some air hobo agreed to take them to Alaska and avoid all Canauckistan airspace. Socialist, don't you love em? What is so &quo...

It doesn't seem intuitive, no, but the V in the lift equation is squared, which is how things become non-linear. L = .5 * Cl * r * V^2 * S It is noticeable when flying something like a 172 with only one person and light on fuel - it will wallow around quite happily well below the end of the white arc.

For safety reasons, the LSA stall speed limit is 45 kts clean. As you are doubtless aware, stall speed varies directly with weight. So, if a plane stalls at 45 kts at 1320 pounds, it's going to stall 17% faster at 17% heavier. That comes to 53 kts, clearly outside of the LSA limit. Sorry to be peda...

Well, surely that would depend entirely on the aircraft and its trim system? Some have very powerful trim systems, others run out before you get enough. There are far too many variables for that advice to be of any real value. Sure, it sort of works in a 152 with the right amount of weight on board,...

Should I start off in the vintage aircraft arena? That, IMHO, would be false economy. Trainers take a beating, and a vintage aircraft is going to require a lot of maintenance, even before the student gets his or her hands on it. It may cost less to purchase, but insurance and upkeep can eat you up....

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Lots of knowledgeable people here and you can get some good advice, as long as you can take constructive criticisms too.

I was all set to do the Sport Pilot CFI. There is a DPE in Hemet,CA, about half an hour's flight away. My plan was to fly down there for the required instruction and do the test with them. In a J3 by the way! Finding anyone to sign you for this locally is almost impossible. My regular CFI did not ha...

why Part 103 ultralights were limited to 254 pounds empty Well you see you start with 100 because it's a nice round number. Then you convert it from nautical miles to statute miles: ~115.077945 Then you convert that from kilograms to pounds: ~253.70343 Round it off: 254. Obvious. Or, as another sto...