jetcat3 wrote:FastEddieB wrote:SportPilot wrote:This forum is called "Sport Pilot Talk." We're not in Italy. We're in the USA talking about flying LSA with Sport Pilot privileges and limitations.
What he said.
Some are playing a semantics game that others have, in the past, used to justify flying over legal gross weight.
My suggestion is to just stop when you realize a loading is illegal, because it's illegal.
Whether it's legal or safe in Italy or on Mars might be interesting, but is not productive.
It's definitely productive to me. Knowing I'd be flying an aircraft well under its capabilities gives me confidence in its ability to withstand hard landings at a gross weight of 1320 lbs. I know I won't be stressing the airframe near as much flying it at this weight, albeit with a different useful load and mission capability as a result.
I'm disappointed in the way this thread has gone. I'm a kid who was excited about a demo flight he had taken and wanted to share that with a group of individuals I thought would appreciate it. Why can't y'all be happy for someonelse's positive experience? If you have a real concern, then Private Message me about it! No need to be so negative about it all. I know one thing, I'll never be posting on a light sport aircraft website again if this is how it's going to be. Thanks all. Y'all have a good day and let's look on the bright side of things!
Drew
Drew,
Hold on dude! I said several times that I have flown the Tecnam P2008 and have done a couple of demo flights in it! I came close to buying one in fact.
What in fact turned me off were the (then) sales folks and the attitude of the demo pilot. I have had a career as a professional pilot and so I feel confident in assessing when someone's dishing out some BS. Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining!
As Mark (TecnamUSA sales guy) correctly posted on here earlier, customers should look at each plane's pros and cons and compare. I did and much as I liked the more luxurious finish of the P2008 and some of the feature not available on other LSAs, like the fully opening cowling, in the end looking at MY personal mission and the fact that I'd likely fly 99% on my own, and the fact that I preferred an airplane made in the USA i decided against the P2008 in favor of the Vans RV-12 SLSA. I really liked the Tecnam P2008 but I got all the features I wanted in the RV-12 and I paid about $90k less for a new Vans versus a new Tecnam.
Let me be clear…this was MY choice and is not anything negative about the Tecnam other than my experience with the previous sales folk.
I posted a link to the AOPA review of the P2008, in fact the VERY demo airplane I flew at Sebring because…this forum IS called Sport Pilot TALK and here was a way to open the discussion building on the thread you began. It wasn't meant to burst your bubble and dampen your enthusiasm and if it did, well…sorry.
On the other hand, as I wrote, I met a guy who was sorry he had bought the Tecnam, not because he didn't like the way it looked, flew or handled but because of the higher empty weight which frustrated him and precluded his ability to fly with his buddy or his wife, and take full fuel and bags. He had added a BRS to make his wife feel 'safer' and in the process added more weight to his 'problem' as well as add to the cost.
This wasn't really the airplane for HIM, but it might be for someone else. It's here I urged others on this forum to take a good look at the weight and numbers before committing to an airplane and being disappointed, as this guy was. He's not the first by the way.
My airplane does all the things I personally want but…I don't view it as better or worse than others, it just is the best for me. It has pros and cons. I only have a 20 gallon fuel tank for example but…I can load 2 x 210lb people, full fuel and 30lbs of bags and always be within the weight and balance envelope. Simpler for ME. I have a 765 empty weight whereas the P2008 had almost 900lbs, the Skycatcher I looked at was 864, and so was the Legend Cub. I chose a lower empty weight airplane with a simpler (and lighter and less expensive ) finish.
I believe I posted both positive and negatives, as well as plain facts.
I'm happy that you're excited about the Tecnam P2008, it's a great airplane! As I said…when are you going to put down a deposit?