Did my BFR in a Champ today

[alaskaflyer]

I'm still without my 170 for another month but I had a Saturday free today and so decided to take care of my flight review. After ground school we went up in a 7HC Champ with the O-290 engine. Been a few months since I had flown anything at all and quite a few months since I had flown anything other than the 170. In many ways the Champ is a pussycat but after flying a yoke for a long time it's always interesting to go back to a stick with the throttle on the left and the elevator trim overhead. That thing has a sensitive rudder compared to the 170! Fun

 

[rottydaddy]

I'm still without my 170 for another month but I had a Saturday free today and so decided to take care of my flight review. After ground school we went up in a 7GC Champ with the O-290 engine. Been a few months since I had flown anything at all and quite a few months since I had flown anything other than the 170. In many ways the Champ is a pussycat but after flying a yoke for a long time it's always interesting to go back to a stick with the throttle on the left and the elevator trim overhead. That thing has a sensitive rudder compared to the 170! Fun

Fun, aren't they? You should try one with 65 hp sometime; that's a Champ!

The rudder sure is interesting: it demands rudder right away in the turn, but it's very easy to put it too much.

I thought it was a taildragger thing at first, but after a little J3 and C140 time, I think it's a Champ thing. It seems a little picky about that until you get the rhythm right.

But it is a pussycat: leave the trim alone, put your feet on the floor and set the power properly, and it's very stable, considering.

My tailwheel instructor had been flying that particular Champ for over 40 years, and he told me he still finds himself doing more than he should.

A very honest airplane.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Fun, aren't they? You should try one with 65 hp sometime; that's a Champ!

The rudder sure is interesting: it demands rudder right away in the turn, but it's very easy to put it too much.

I thought it was a taildragger thing at first, but after a little J3 and C140 time, I think it's a Champ thing. It seems a little picky about that until you get the rhythm right.

But it is a pussycat: leave the trim alone, put your feet on the floor and set the power properly, and it's very stable, considering.

My tailwheel instructor had been flying that particular Champ for over 40 years, and he told me he still finds himself doing more than he should.

A very honest airplane.

The similar one I got my TD signoff in was 65 HP, but a '41 Cub Coupe (side by side).
Good for inexpensive flying, but it could have used 2X the power and I never did become enamoured with tail draggers, even for bush flying.

 

[twofivexray]

My first tailwheel time was in a 65 hp L-3. Similar to a champ, but older. Flying over I-81 in VA, all the traffic below was passing us.

Roger

 

[gprellwitz]

I'm still without my 170 for another month but I had a Saturday free today and so decided to take care of my flight review. After ground school we went up in a 7GC Champ with the O-290 engine. Been a few months since I had flown anything at all and quite a few months since I had flown anything other than the 170. In many ways the Champ is a pussycat but after flying a yoke for a long time it's always interesting to go back to a stick with the throttle on the left and the elevator trim overhead. That thing has a sensitive rudder compared to the 170! Fun

I was going to ask if this at Above Alaska Aviation (http://www.abovealaska.com), but they use a 7HC. We're planning to use them in August. Any PIREPS about them?

 

[alaskaflyer]

I was going to ask if this at Above Alaska Aviation (http://www.abovealaska.com), but they use a 7HC. We're planning to use them in August. Any PIREPS about them?

Grant, my mistake, it was a typo above - I did my BFR with Above Alaska in their 7HC. You can read about my experience here.

I definitely recommend them. Actually it is mostly a "him", a one-man operation with some seasonal help in the summer. In addition to being a CFI Drew is also a A&P/IA and he does pretty much everything himself. I recommend them and I'm glad to throw my money the way of a small operator as much as I can. He is living his dream.

 

[gprellwitz]

Grant, my mistake, it was a typo above - I did my BFR with Above Alaska in their 7HC. You can read about my experience here.

I definitely recommend them. Actually it is mostly a "him", a one-man operation with some seasonal help in the summer. In addition to being a CFI Drew is also a A&P/IA and he does pretty much everything himself. I recommend them and I'm glad to throw my money the way of a small operator as much as I can. He is living his dream.

Cool! I've already booked with him for two tailwheel endorsements and a BFR. It's good hearing complimentary things, since you always have that doubt about operations you've never visited. In some ways I would like to start out the trip with this instruction, but will instead get it mid-way through. However, we might bounce up north afterwards, maybe up to Barrow or west to Nome to say we've done it. Any recommendations would be welcome. We'll have about three days after Talkeetna before we should start wending our way back to the Lower 48.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Grant, both are doable, though Nome might be easier because though it is off the highway system there actually are more fuel stops and villages/towns between Talkeetna and/or Fairbanks and Nome than the north slope.

 

[gprellwitz]

Grant, both are doable, though Nome might be easier because though it is off the highway system there actually are more fuel stops and villages/towns between Talkeetna and/or Fairbanks and Nome than the north slope.

Thx! In the 210 we have decent, though not spectacular range. I wouldn't want to push it!