Learning to fly warbirds

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skynewbie

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checkmysix
Hi folks,

I am looking to get into learning how to fly warbirds like the Yak, Nanchung and T-6. Looking for ideas and local bay area warbird pilot support groups. Most of these except for the Yak and CJ6 are taildraggers so getting my taildragger endorsement and experience is the likely first step in something like a Citabria or Decathalon. Plus I want to try out acrobatics!
 
Talk to your local CAF. The closest one to you is probably CAF CenCal (Modesto). If you go in there and talk to those pilots, I bet some of them are private owners of the airplanes and anyone would be able to point you in the right direction.

Stay in touch, as that is something I am pursuing as well. Maybe we can share notes.
 
Thanks Shane,

Do you mean Civil Air Patrol by CAF? Warbirds are just way cool and flying them would be great fun!
 
skynewbie said:
Hi folks,

I am looking to get into learning how to fly warbirds like the Yak, Nanchung and T-6. Looking for ideas and local bay area warbird pilot support groups. Most of these except for the Yak and CJ6 are taildraggers so getting my taildragger endorsement and experience is the likely first step in something like a Citabria or Decathalon. Plus I want to try out acrobatics!
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Sponsor a T-6 through a CAF wing, that gets you a short bit of time per year and access to rent as well. Then you can do the same with other planes.
 
Cool thanks Henning for the tip. I'm planning to partner with few pilot friends on a warbird purchase in the future. It would be awesome to learn formation flying and fly at airshows once I've gained the skills. Found the link for CAF:

http://www.cafvalleysquadron.org/contactUs.html

One of my friends used to own and fly a Yak 52. There's also a guy at Petaluma who flies a Nanchung CJ-6 and that thing looks and sounds awesome.
 
Checksix.......by a weird fluke I happen to know 3 T-6 owner pilots and a Nanchang guy up in Vegas as well. Pretty much a John Deere with wings is the T-6 but there's nothing like that big radial humming up there. Burn is about 27-30 gals an hour at 150 knots. You can tool around with the canopy open which is a plus. 2 of those 3 T-6 MIGHT be for sale at some point in the future so maybe PM me if you like later. I like shooting landings in a 182 better, but I must say the T-6 guys have all had a ball at the airshows.........just an FYI two P-51 drivers both agree the 51 is easier to fly than the T-6 so bring the A game..........
 
The CJ6 is a great entry level warbird for a low time pilot. You will learn how to operate a radial engine, retractable gear, has oil cooler and cowl vane systems. As a bonus it is a really nice flying airplane and only burns 15gph and has a 145kt cruise. Parts are cheap and it is pretty simple to maintain. If you want to own a T-6 I would suggest getting your tailwheel endorsement and then get a Stearman or N3N and fly it at least 100hrs in all types of conditions. After that transition into a T-6 will be straightforward. I had 125hrs of tailwheel time in a Great Lakes, Stearman and Decathalons when I got my SNJ. I also had a lot of aerobatic time in those airplanes and my instructor cut me loose in the SNJ in 10hrs. I had 400hrs in the SNJ and flew the Mustang and except for the systems was easy to fly. I have also flown a couple of different N3Ns over the last 30 years and still enjoy flying the N. Even after several hundred hours in the N it will still make you pay attention. Don
 
The CAF is a great resource. The problem with the local wings is the politics. Don't think you can just walk in and start flying the big iron. I've seen a 10,000 hr ATP with 1k hour tw time denied to fly a Cub without lots of dual on top of his sponsorship and no guess of how many years until he can move up.

If you are looking for an instructor a great tail wheel instructor and warbirds operator Is Daniel Wotring of Aviator Flight Training at KFUL.
Www.aviatorflighttraining.com

He can start your tw in a C170 then take you to a Stearman, and into the T6.
This would be faster than the CAF, or it will give you log book time to show the CAF that you went to an experienced full time war bird instructor to get your training.

Daniel is also a CAF member and started flying one of the local Wildcats over a year ago. The Wildcat checkout is all done in a T6 since there is no such thing as dual in the Wildcat.

Daniel is a great instructor and a great guy. Highly recommend you give him a call. Also he is a great resource if you want to get your BFR in one of these classic warbirds!


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Jimmy cooper said:
Probably not true. During WW 2 it was the natural progression as it's basically what they had available. It worked so it continued. Same for the cub and the Stearman.
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Today, every P-51 program still starts in the T-6.
 
One with some time ( over 100 hours) in a 180 Cessna, globe swift, etc. could easily transition into a P 51 with the proper rote ground training. It's strictly habit that caused the training to be what it is. A classic for instance would be the 60 year old woman who has flown her spitfire for many years and taught herself how to fly it. She had a lot of tail wheel experience in light aircraft. See grace spitfire.
 
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One of the T-6 pilots I was talking to yesterday said that they have something like 11 gallons of oil onboard. And burn 30-40 gph if you're running around doing full throttle and passes!
 
Jimmy cooper said:
And the p51 burns around 90gph.
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When you figure it out on a mpg basis the t6 and p-51 get the same mpg. The increased p-51 burn is offset by the increase in speed. But when you account for engine costs the t6 beats the p-51 in hourly operating costs. But if you can afford a p-51 you don't care anyways!


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I'm just getting around to joining our Wisconsin CAF wing. We have an PT-26 and an SNJ.
 
mrindian said:
When you figure it out on a mpg basis the t6 and p-51 get the same mpg. The increased p-51 burn is offset by the increase in speed. But when you account for engine costs the t6 beats the p-51 in hourly operating costs. But if you can afford a p-51 you don't care anyways!


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When my uncle sold his P-51 in the early 70s he said it was costing over $500hr to operate.
 
Thanks guys for the very helpful answers to my questions on warbirds. I'm going to finish my tailwheel endorsement as the next step. I'd partner with few guys on a Yak, T6 or Nanchang warbird since it's more of a fun plane versus a travel ship. I'm buying a different plane for that purpose!
 
:yeahthat::yeahthat:Um no. I'm planning to partner on a warbird eventually not today with some pilots after I've finished my tailwheel training. For now, CAF offers me what I need to gain warbird time after I've learned how to fly basics in a tail dragger so that I don't ground loop an expensive warbird. For myself I'm buying a plane to complete advanced ratings and long XC trips. Let us stay on topic shall we? :yeahthat:
 
My school has a CAF B-25...it's only $9k to type rated in it. :)
 
kenjr said:
My school has a CAF B-25...it's only $9k to type rated in it. :)
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That is an odd figure. It is either a bit too high for an SIC type or WAAAY too low for a PIC type.

B-25s run around $2500-$3500 per hour to operate. An SIC type is typically 2-2.5 hrs.
 
Fearless Tower said:
That is an odd figure. It is either a bit too high for an SIC type or WAAAY too low for a PIC type.

B-25s run around $2500-$3500 per hour to operate. An SIC type is typically 2-2.5 hrs.
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Hmmm, I wonder which it could be...:dunno::rofl:
 
skynewbie said:
:yeahthat::yeahthat:Um no. I'm planning to partner on a warbird eventually not today with some pilots after I've finished my tailwheel training. For now, CAF offers me what I need to gain warbird time after I've learned how to fly basics in a tail dragger so that I don't ground loop an expensive warbird. For myself I'm buying a plane to complete advanced ratings and long XC trips. Let us stay on topic shall we? :yeahthat:
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Tailwheel training shouldn't take very long. I did mine in less than a month.
 
Check the video on susu , a p51 that was based at stellar airpark in Arizona. The owner- pilot learned in a T-6 then progressed and purchased a magnificent P51. Which he eventually lost control of and died in it. 2010. That's on topic. Bring lots of time and money.
 
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