----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
At 02:49 AM 12/8/01 +0000, Mitch Hines wrote: >As far as getting my intructor checked out, I am not sure what she >really needs, I do have a buddy with a CFI rating that has a few hours >(years ago) in a coupe that would be glad to go up with her (just to get >to fly the 'coupe). That is probably all she'll need. I don't know >anyone else in the Charlotte, NC area with a coupe that might be able to >do it. If there is anyone around here, and you have a couple free hours >to fly with my instructor that could be a big help. Mitch: Your EOC regional director is Bill Hester. 910-342-5322 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your EOC NC wing leader is Wayne Williams, 910-484-6483. Call them and introduce yourself. Join the EOC. Good folks. Quirky as hell. What a great recommendation! :-) If you haven't noticed yet, I'll tell you. We're all wierd. Like Model A Ford enthusiasts, or MG drivers. It would be better if a serious Ercoupe pilot flew with your CFI, as she is no doubt able to pick up the technique. Someone with only a 'few hours' probably hasn't grasped the nuances yet. There are quite a few gentleman Ercoupe pilots in North Carolina who can help you. Your CFI will 'get it' quick, because she has probably flown a lot of types over her career. It may help to tell her that it flies like light, weak, Beech Bonanza. By the way, what are you doing about insurance? Think 'independent broker' and point them towards AIG or Phoenix for your particular situation. Don't under-insure. Alons are worth serious money. Phenomenal airplane. Of course, they're no 415's, but if you can't find a good 415... :-) Again, welcome aboard. It is so encouraging to see newly-minted pilots join the ranks of the Air/Er-coupers. Just be careful. In spite of the 'safety airplane' origins, it isn't anywhere near as forgiving as a Cessna. Greg >Thanks again, > >--mitch > >Greg Bullough wrote: > > > > > > > > At 09:42 PM 12/6/01 -0500, Mitch Hines wrote: > > I am a student pilot > > and a first time aircraft owner. Last week I bought a '65 Alon Aircoupe > > A-2 > > Wow. Good choice! > > > > after lurking around > > this newsgroup and visting the various 'Coupe websites for the last > > couple of years. > > The web has really revived interest in our marque. > > > > I hope to > > transistion from the rented 172's to my new Aircoupe this week > > > > Amen. It will be interesting. The coupe, in all its forms, is a far more > > sensitive > > beast than the 172 is, and you will have to become a more gentle pilot. > > It also > > does student-ish things, like steep turns so very well. No flaps, so you > > will have > > to plan your approaches. Even if you have rudder pedals, slips to lose > > altitude > > are kinda ineffective. And don't get down to that Cessna-esque 70 or 75 > > MPH > > on final. At first, approaching at 80 or 85 will seem fast. But you will > > realize > > that it is actually easier because the Coupes control better and you > > don't hang > > there like a dirigible on final, waiting for something to go > > wrong... > > > > (or next, go to get > > my instructor checked out in the Aircoupe first). > > > > How do you plan to do that? Can he or she fly with an experienced > > Ercoupe > > > > pilot in your area? You can't really go 'by the book' on these birds, > > especially > > on approach. The approach numbers tend to be way too low, putting you > > in > > a situation where it is all too easy to drop the airplane in HARD. More > > > > Ercoupes and Aircoupes die this way... > > > > 172s fly on wings. > > > > Aircoupes fly on engines. > > > > Speed is your friend. Start fast and work yourself slower, but never > > slower > > than 75MPH on final (short field). > > > > In > > anticipation of moving over to the Aircoupe, during last weeks ground > > school on flight planning, my instructor pointed out that the POH for > > the > > Alon (which is much thinner that the POH out of the Cessna) does not > > have > > a "Time,Fuel, and Distance to Climb" chart like the POH for > > 172. I was wondering if anyone had such a chart for an Alon A-2 > > with the standard C-90 that they could share. > > Thank god it doesn't, because such things are useless enough in a 172. > > How often > > do you duplicate the conditions in the chart? Besides, airplane > > manufacturers lie. > > A lot. Or they use super-human test pilots whose performance you or I > > will never > > duplicate. > > > > In a Coupe, a little weight change is a much larger part of the > > percentage, and > > you have only 75-100HP, not 150. So a bit of weight makes a bigger > > difference in > > rate of climb for given fuel burn. It's a lot safer to be > > super-pessimistic. Figure you > > can only do 400FPM in the Alon, and assume you'll be burning maybe > > 7GPH > > doing it. You'll never run out of gas that way. Look, just be a hopeless > > pessimist > > until you really know YOUR plane. To hell with the charts which too > > often > > only > > predict something that never really happens. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Mitch Hines >N6369V > ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiLm.aVzvvT Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>
