Commercial maneuvers

[4RNB]

I fly a RV10 and want to stretch my comfort zone a bit and gain some exposure to commercial maneuvers sometime this year.

Is it at all important to gain this initial exposure in my plane vs other types? Is it at all important to gain this exposure from someone that has flown this model of plane?

Should I gain such exposure from a well qualified instructor (law of primacy stuff) vs just going out and starting to try on my own?

 

[RussR]

The Commercial maneuvers aren't really that airplane-specific, in the sense that you really need to learn in exactly THIS airplane because they're super different and need a super special technique. No, the concepts are about the same in any airplane. If you can learn it in an RV-10, you can you learn it in a 150 or a Bonanza. You'd just be fine-tweaking the differences to be within the ACS standards.

I do recommend having a CFI introduce you to the maneuvers first. You will save a lot of time and effort and money this way versus trying to figure out Lazy 8's (for example) on your own. But then absolutely go practice on your own.

I don't think an RV-10 specialist instructor is necessary. The RV-10 isn't really any different from other airplanes in the way it flies these maneuvers. Again, it's not like there's some super-secret trick that you need to know. Of course, it's always useful to have a CFI with at least some time in type, but I've done plenty of commercial maneuver training with students in planes I have never flown before. It's not rocket science, and since you're already qualified to fly the airplane, it's not like the CFI has to teach you how to land or anything. If you don't have a local CFI with RV-10 time, I wouldn't sweat it very much. Any experienced CFI should be able to teach you in your plane.

 

[dmspilot]

I fly a RV10 and want to stretch my comfort zone a bit and gain some exposure to commercial maneuvers sometime this year.

Is it at all important to gain this initial exposure in my plane vs other types? Is it at all important to gain this exposure from someone that has flown this model of plane?

Should I gain such exposure from a well qualified instructor (law of primacy stuff) vs just going out and starting to try on my own?

My first CFI said she taught herself the commercial maneuvers from the AFH while her instructor was indisposed. So it can be done. You obviously don't want to learn or practice the "wrong" way to do things, but at the same time, there are some CFIs that don't really teach them right anyway. The skills are pretty transferable from one plane to another, as well, assuming you do them correctly (look out the window).

 

[MauleSkinner]

To agree with the two previous posts, I’ll say that getting some initial instruction in the maneuvers is a good thing, and it should be from an instructor proficient in the maneuvers rather than proficient in the airplane if you’ve got to make that choice.

 

[Albany Tom]

I might sound like a broken record on this, and I'm not even sure if it's considered a "maneuver", but I'd vote for simulated power off 180 as one of the first you pick up if you haven't already. I had to do it before I soloed, and I think it's really worthwhile in what it teaches in approach planning and energy management. Just my 2 cents as just a pilot.