Flying the Piper Pawnee

Don’t know if this was the same plane - very similar paint scheme - but this was one of the ones I ferried:

53545256802_854e50cb03_z.jpg


Most likely Opa Locka with my mother-in-law.
 
Last edited:
Towed banners with Pawnees in college. The 180 hp was kinda marginal, the 235 was a lot of fun to fly. Pawnee definitely has a different site picture than a Super Cub with that long nose. Feels like your going up in an elevator during climb because of the site picture.
Have fun.
 
:yeahthat: and complacency. You can get very good a taking off, landing and towing operations.
While Glider pilots making dumb moves tend to injure tow pilots or worse, Tow pilots more often just damage the tow plane.
Seen/heard these events...
fast taxi, hit the brake and swing around into position, until he put the Pawnee on the nose.
Or chasing the plane down the taxi way after he got out for some reason with the engine running. He caught it but wasn't fun to watch.
Watched another pilot do that last year (not a tow pilot), but didn't catch it and the Tri-pacer took out hanger door. Just missed the tied down C-310.

As others said, If find towing fun, and the Pawnee even more so. I have done a fair amount of towing, but only a little in the Pawnee. But is and Easy fun airplane to fly with an unusual Sight picture. Well maybe pretty normal for Ag planes, but the Pawnee is the only Ag plane I have flown.

Brian
 
The pilot who taught me to tow gave me the "three ****s" rule: While towing, if you find yourself saying, "****, ****, ****," you'd better pull the release before the third "****."
 
Lindberg said:
The pilot who taught me to tow gave me the "three ****s" rule: While towing, if you find yourself saying, "****, ****, ****," you'd better pull the release before the third "****."
Click to expand...
I never got even to the second one…I was simply wondering why that idiot can’t figure out that his spoilers are extended causing us to climb at about 80 fpm instead of 1500 fpm.

He tried to climb on me, but I never quite hit the elevator stop with the stick, so I did t try to dump him.
 
Last edited:
The Pawnee will lift the tail while taxi turning broadside to a stiff wind. Especially if the right side is exposed to the wind, you need power to push that big fuselage against the wind and then will rotate quickly once the wind is more from the tail. Power up to get around, full left rudder and riding the left brake. Between the wind, and the rotating prop blast, it gets under the right side stab/elevator and lifts the tail.

Watched an old tymer, who was taught to do run ups with the wind on your beam, so the wind does not impact prop speed on mag checks. He put the Pawnee on it's nose with that right side 15knt wind and the prop blast on the tail. Yes he had full aft stick. Required a new prop and engine rebuild.

I almost had the same happen to me. Left turn to get away from the fuel pumps, full left rudder, left brake, powered up and felt the tail lift. Power to idle and off the brake so the aircraft will roll. Wind was about 10-15knts on the beam.

mmm... so that's how that happened.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top