Aviation Photo and BS thread

[Tex]

Finally got out and shook off the tailwheel rust. I had forgotten just how much fun the Citabria is, pure joy from cranking the starter until yanking the mixture. Was truly a shame about the clause in the rental agreement forbidding aerobatics.

How are the ailerons on the citabria? I have a super decathlon without spades and they're so heavy that it feels like I'm going to bend the stick before reaching the stops if I'm trying to roll with any kind of speed built up. Only time I've been able to feel the stops is when I'm going slow, like 80-90mph.

I do like how solid it feels when landing though, it's probably the easiest landing taildragger I've ever flown. Well, except for that first landing after I got it. Some idiot put an avionics box on the firewall in front of the right rudder pedal, and it wasn't a problem unless you were trying to counter a right crosswind and slow down at the same time. With full rudder you couldn't push the brakes because they'd hit the box...you had to center the pedals to get right brake. Ground check it was fine, felt like the right brake was effective and the rudder was hitting the stop...but how often do you check individual brakes at rudder stops? I fixed that oversight before I left the hangar that day LOL

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[Dover]

Career-wise, you probably did. But Albuquerque is pretty sweet. I can mow my lawn in the morning and go skiing 30 minutes later. The fishing is great, and the mountain biking/hiking is even better. You can be in the desert one day and the mountains the next. NM basically rules!

I loved my time in ABQ. Seriously have thought about moving back there eventually.

Cockpit shot to add to the thread.

 

[FlyingScot]

How are the ailerons on the citabria? I have a super decathlon without spades and they're so heavy that it feels like I'm going to bend the stick before reaching the stops if I'm trying to roll with any kind of speed built up. Only time I've been able to feel the stops is when I'm going slow, like 80-90mph.

I do like how solid it feels when landing though, it's probably the easiest landing taildragger I've ever flown. Well, except for that first landing after I got it. Some idiot put an avionics box on the firewall in front of the right rudder pedal, and it wasn't a problem unless you were trying to counter a right crosswind and slow down at the same time. With full rudder you couldn't push the brakes because they'd hit the box...you had to center the pedals to get right brake. Ground check it was fine, felt like the right brake was effective and the rudder was hitting the stop...but how often do you check individual brakes at rudder stops? I fixed that oversight before I left the hangar that day LOL

I don't have any experience in a Citabria without the spades, but the people I've talked to about them consider them mandatory equipment to keep control forces in check. It's absolutely a wonderfully forgiving taildragger, which is great since I go longer periods of time in between flying planes with the little wheel on the back.

Hope you brought the brown pants for that landing, inexplicably running out of brake movement at that point had to be a moderately "no bueno" event.

 

[HeliPilot]

Moved on to flying the EC-145C2.

 

[Tex]

I don't have any experience in a Citabria without the spades, but the people I've talked to about them consider them mandatory equipment to keep control forces in check. It's absolutely a wonderfully forgiving taildragger, which is great since I go longer periods of time in between flying planes with the little wheel on the back.

Hope you brought the brown pants for that landing, inexplicably running out of brake movement at that point had to be a moderately "no bueno" event.

Oh nice, I didn't notice that one had spades. I've looked into them, and the ones to get are the inboard style...but the STC was abandoned or something and that makes installing them legally questionable. The outboard ones are still available but everyone talks about how you'll be splitting your head wide open if you forget and walk under the wing. I'd much prefer a servo tab than spades, since in certain situations on some aircraft you can get aileron snatch. My old agcat would do that if you were pulling hard in a turn, the stick would try to pull to the stops and stay there, and it took a lot of force to pull them back unless you neutralized the elevator. Not really a viable option if you're pulling up to avoid plowing into a field, so you break out the old two hands on the stick trick and force it to play nice.

Ah, it wasn't very eventful, just confusing more than anything. I had plenty of runway so I just went for the next taxiway and let it slow itself down instead. The last time I had problems with a right brake I ground looped my 502...a fitting broke off the caliper while I was braking pretty hard (with beta too), so that shot me pretty much instantly to the left. Bent the gear, bent a lot of tubing in the fuselage, damaged the tailwheel, but didn't even touch the wings or prop. She just went sideways and hopped maybe five times before stopping. Actual in-cockpit footage of the event:

 

[Tex]

Moved on to flying the EC-145C2.

How are you liking the 145? I've heard good things about them, well, except for the cost LOL

 

[HeliPilot]

How are you liking the 145? I've heard good things about them, well, except for the cost LOL

I came out of an EC-130T2. That ship has a great power to weight ratio. The 145 is stout. The automation in it is pretty amazing. You can pull into a hover, kick it 30 degrees off runway centerline, set your feet on the floor, rotate for takeoff, and at 40 knots it will bring the nose in-line with the runway on its own. Very weird feeling as a new to the ship Heli pilot.

 

[Dover]

I came out of an EC-130T2. That ship has a great power to weight ratio. The 145 is stout. The automation in it is pretty amazing. You can pull into a hover, kick it 30 degrees off runway centerline, set your feet on the floor, rotate for takeoff, and at 40 knots it will bring the nose in-line with the runway on its own. Very weird feeling as a new to the ship Heli pilot.

I heard the automation in the 145 was pretty good. This your first helicopter with decent avionics/automation?

I do miss flying RW. So much fun.

 

[HeliPilot]

I heard the automation in the 145 was pretty good. This your first helicopter with decent avionics/automation?

I do miss flying RW. So much fun.

Yep, only Heli Sas up to this

 

[Tex]

I'd imagine it's got some serious performance with two 750HP engines for not that much additional weight than the 130. By comparison I'm running a single 750HP engine and carrying a 4500lb load on top of the 4500lbs that my plane weighs. She probably needs 1000-1100HP to really haul that kind of load comfortably.

Seems to me an advanced autopilot like that would eventually take the fun out of it. When I walk up to my plane I think "I'm about to fly that thing through some scary shit", but going up to something like that I'd be thinking "I'm going to tell that thing where to safely fly me".

 

[HeliPilot]

I'd imagine it's got some serious performance with two 750HP engines for not that much additional weight than the 130. By comparison I'm running a single 750HP engine and carrying a 4500lb load on top of the 4500lbs that my plane weighs. She probably needs 1000-1100HP to really haul that kind of load comfortably.

Seems to me an advanced autopilot like that would eventually take the fun out of it. When I walk up to my plane I think "I'm about to fly that thing through some scary shit", but going up to something like that I'd be thinking "I'm going to tell that thing where to safely fly me".

The T2 variant of the 130 has roughly 950 SHP and weighs about 3000 lbs less than the 145 at max gross. And with our medical equipment, crews and patients, we are always pushing max gross. You are mostly correct on Automation taking fun out of flying. So far, I’ve only used it for straight and level. If I a m within 5 miles of a scene, I’ve kicked auto pilot off and hand fly through my decent, recon and landing.

 

[kodiakisland]

A typical morning in the super cub. 4 grass strips and a tour over the lake. A good way to burn 1.5 hours.

 

[kodiakisland]

After a summer of reflection, I’ve decided to only fly the super cub and give up currencies on all other air frames. Time and money is at a premium and the cub is what I really enjoy anyway. Not that I won’t occasionally log some float time in a beaver, but I’m destined to be a 40hr/yr cub pilot until I’m done.

Yesterday morning:

 

[APmech]

Another beautiful day at work.

 

[sportcoupe]

Operation Desert Storm 1990-91. We brought 12 CH-53E Marine helicopters to the gulf war. My favorite aviation photo. I am down in front near middle, second row kneeling. Dark sunglasses.

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