Spin/TW/unusual attitude with Jim in Indiantown (x58)?

[elmetal]

Hey everyone,

as you all know I got my private a week ago.

I have been looking at aerobatics and this and that and I thought hmm, I should probably do some safety stuff to improve my piloting skills.

so I thought maybe I should do unusual attitude and spin training. Then I thought maybe I could just get my TW endorsement at the same place.

So far I have found Jim Alsip in Indiantown Florida

http://www.dylanaviation.com/?q=node/35

does anyone have any experience with him?

Is there anyone else in the North Florida (Gainesville area), or even South Florida (near Broward County) I could go to for spin/attitude and some TW work?

thanks everyone, I'm just trying to broaden my horizons and become a safe and better pilot and I have a whole week off in the middle of August.

thanks again

 

[whifferdill]

Don't know anything about Jim. Link below for other options in FL, Steve Wolf in Leesburg being one of the most renowned in the country with respect to spin/acro/Pitts training. Though the Pitts is probably not the best plane if you're looking for primary tailwheel training too. But I've known folks to learn TW in a Pitts.

http://www.iacusn.org/schools/index.php#state_FL_

Keoki Gray in Fernandina Beach is also very good. Also has a Pitts. http://www.ameliaislandaerobatics.com

Congrats on getting the training. Very good move. Have fun! Don't be too surprised if you come away from it a slobbering, addicted fool. :wink2:

Eric

 

[elmetal]

Don't know anything about Jim. Link below for other options in FL, Steve Wolf in Leesburg being one of the most renowned in the country with respect to spin/acro/Pitts training. Though the Pitts is probably not the best plane if you're looking for primary tailwheel training too. But I've known folks to learn TW in a Pitts.

http://www.iacusn.org/schools/index.php#state_FL_

Keoki Gray in Fernandina Beach is also very good. Also has a Pitts. http://www.ameliaislandaerobatics.com

Congrats on getting the training. Very good move. Have fun! Don't be too surprised if you come away from it a slobbering, addicted fool. :wink2:

Eric

The only problem I find with learning TW in a pitts is the money


anyway Wingoveraerobatics is the other place I had in mind for that week and I've been talking to both through email for a couple of days.

Only thing I don't like is that it's 580 for the spin/unusual and while I know it will give me confidence and skill unmatched, it's only 2 flight hours. but maybe it's such quality time that it's worth it.

I think I'm gonna go for it, and worry about TW later on!

 

[whifferdill]

but maybe it's such quality time that it's worth it.

Smart man.

 

[Jeanie]

Hi Elmetal,

Part of that $580.00 will likely go towards a fair amount of ground school which is important. And, I suspect that the 2 hours will be split between 4 lessons but I could be wrong.

You'll enjoy it and it will make you safer and give you confidence too.

Cheers,
J

PS: Be sure to post here how it goes!

 

[elmetal]

Hi Elmetal,

Part of that $580.00 will likely go towards a fair amount of ground school which is important. And, I suspect that the 2 hours will be split between 4 lessons but I could be wrong.

You'll enjoy it and it will make you safer and give you confidence too.

Cheers,
J

PS: Be sure to post here how it goes!

that's the reason I'm going! I really hope I learn a lot from it. I should be going sometime around august 9th ish

I'll definitely post about it

 

[elmetal]

wooooooooooooow!

That was the most amazing experience of my life.

I flew the Zlin 242L with Steve and I had the most fantastic day.
Steve is a great guy and an even greater pilot and teacher.

The Zlin was way too sensitive at first since I'm used to cessnas, but after about 5 minutes I was hard banking left and right.

I recommend Steve's spin training to seriously anyone. I spent ALL day at the airport (9am to 7pm) and had a wonderful day met lots of great people, homebuilders, mechanics, (even a British airline pilot in town to fly with Steve)

we ended up doing the spin course and whatnot and he even threw in some hammerheads! I had a blast.

I wish I were more of a writer I don't know how to put my excitement in words, ahhhhhh!!!!!

 

[Jeanie]

Well, that's really great to hear. It sounds like you had a blast and learned a lot too.

So, you going to do some more acro now that you've gotten a taste for it?

 

[elmetal]

Well, that's really great to hear. It sounds like you had a blast and learned a lot too.

So, you going to do some more acro now that you've gotten a taste for it?

I wish I could drop everything and sell all my belongings to buy an acro plane (I reaaaaaaaaallly liked the Zlin 242) and just wake up and fly acro everyday!

why can't life be so easy!!!!!

 

[whifferdill]

I wish I could drop everything and sell all my belongings to buy an acro plane...

Stop renting those terrible Cessnas and save up for a single-hole Pitts! You can find two-aileron S-1C's for under 20K.

I reaaaaaaaaallly liked the Zlin 242

All metal, tricycle gear, side-by-side aerobatic plane? Just seems way wrong to me.

 

[elmetal]

Stop renting those terrible Cessnas and save up for a single-hole Pitts! You can find two-aileron S-1C's for under 20K.



All metal, tricycle gear, side-by-side aerobatic plane? Just seems way wrong to me.

where in the world can I find a working flying pitts for under 20k?

 

[whifferdill]

where in the world can I find a working flying pitts for under 20k?

Check Barnstormers...sometimes you'll see cheap S-1C's:

http://barnstormers.com/listing.php?id=461730

Prices vary a lot - I've seen flying S-1C's as cheap as 13K. Very nice S-1S's can push $50K. I assume you're out of the market for a factory new S-2C (~$350K) Of course, buyer beware on anything. Get educated and get it checked out by someone knowledgeable.

Also keep an eye out for Acro Sport I's. Not quite a Pitts, but very capable, especially for the money.

http://barnstormers.com/listing.php?id=436472

If you're purely interested in aerobatics on your own, don't get pushed into 2 seats. It'll be empty 90% of the time, and you will pay a price both in terms of money (much more) and performance (less).

 

[elmetal]

Check Barnstormers...sometimes you'll see cheap S-1C's:

http://barnstormers.com/listing.php?id=461730

Prices vary a lot - I've seen flying S-1C's as cheap as 13K. Very nice S-1S's can push $50K. I assume you're out of the market for a factory new S-2C (~$350K) Of course, buyer beware on anything. Get educated and get it checked out by someone knowledgeable.

Also keep an eye out for Acro Sport I's. Not quite a Pitts, but very capable, especially for the money.

http://barnstormers.com/listing.php?id=436472

If you're purely interested in aerobatics on your own, don't get pushed into 2 seats. It'll be empty 90% of the time, and you will pay a price both in terms of money (much more) and performance (less).

Well, I am thinking if I get a 1 seater, how will I get instruction? WouldI just get instruction in a rental and then when I get comfortable I can use my own and maybe have the instructor on the ground watching or something?

I don't want to end up with an s1 that's half broken because I honestly know not very much about the pitts

 

[elmetal]

what's the likelihood that I'd get a loan for a 15-20k airplane from a buyer like that?

I've never owned an aircraft but I've been seriously thinking for the past 2 months or so and I'm working up to it and seeing what I can and can't afford.

What's a typical apr and loan term (months) for a 15-20k loan for an aircraft?

I'm thinking if it's a 10 year loan I can easily afford the payment+maintenance+hangar plus actual flying.

if it's a car loan style for 5 years, I can squeeze it by but I wouldn't be able to fly more than 3 hours a week which is unacceptable! haha

 

[whifferdill]

Elmetal - If you are considering airplane ownership, all I can say is that regardless of the type you end up with, try to educate yourself as much as possible about all the REAL costs and issues. Purchase price is just the beginning. Get to know a mechanic or some other pilots who own the type of plane you're interested in. Join an EAA Chapter. If you wanna get into acro, hook up with a local IAC chapter. There's lots of acro flying going on in Florida, along with several IAC chapters. Use the EAA chapter locator for both IAC and EAA chapters:

http://www.eaa.org/chapters/locator/

I don't know your flying background, but as far as training/instruction goes for something like a Pitts, you should start with getting a tailwheel endorsement. A J-3 would be the perfect plane to start getting used to the limited forward vis of most acro planes. Then if you are serious about a Pitts-type plane, you should get type-specific training. There are several in Florida who do this. Expect 10 hrs of dual in something like a Pitts before you can get an insurance policy. The best you can do with single-place airplanes is get training in something as similar as possible. A 2-place Pitts is not exactly the same as flying a one-holer, but it's close enough to transition successfully. As far as acro instruction goes, DON'T try to teach yourself. You should get advanced spin training and some basic acro instruction. IAC maintains a list of schools here:

http://www.iacusn.org/schools/index.php#state_FL__

And just because an airplane is on the low-end of the price range doesn't necessarily mean it's "half broken" or has major problems. There are far too many variables to make general statements. It all boils down to educating yourself as much as possible AND getting a knowledgeable mechanic for pre-buy issues.

Can't help you much with loan info. You just need figure out how much you need to borrow and talk to some banks about options. Good luck.

 

[elmetal]

Elmetal - If you are considering airplane ownership, all I can say is that regardless of the type you end up with, try to educate yourself as much as possible about all the REAL costs and issues. Purchase price is just the beginning. Get to know a mechanic or some other pilots who own the type of plane you're interested in. Join an EAA Chapter. If you wanna get into acro, hook up with a local IAC chapter. There's lots of acro flying going on in Florida, along with several IAC chapters. Use the EAA chapter locator for both IAC and EAA chapters:

http://www.eaa.org/chapters/locator/

I don't know your flying background, but as far as training/instruction goes for something like a Pitts, you should start with getting a tailwheel endorsement. A J-3 would be the perfect plane to start getting used to the limited forward vis of most acro planes. Then if you are serious about a Pitts-type plane, you should get type-specific training. There are several in Florida who do this. Expect 10 hrs of dual in something like a Pitts before you can get an insurance policy. The best you can do with single-place airplanes is get training in something as similar as possible. A 2-place Pitts is not exactly the same as flying a one-holer, but it's close enough to transition successfully. As far as acro instruction goes, DON'T try to teach yourself. You should get advanced spin training and some basic acro instruction. IAC maintains a list of schools here:

http://www.iacusn.org/schools/index.php#state_FL__

And just because an airplane is on the low-end of the price range doesn't necessarily mean it's "half broken" or has major problems. There are far too many variables to make general statements. It all boils down to educating yourself as much as possible AND getting a knowledgeable mechanic for pre-buy issues.

Can't help you much with loan info. You just need figure out how much you need to borrow and talk to some banks about options. Good luck.

I was gonna go ahead and get some tailwheel stuff done in November and as much as I enjoyed flying with Steve Wolf I might actually come back in december and do his 10 hour acro course...

then I'll see where I go from there. no rush. I am getting in contact with some EAA and IAC people in the Broward county area just to be part of the community as much as I can

thanks for all the info!

 

[Owenrg]

All metal, tricycle gear, side-by-side aerobatic plane? Just seems way wrong to me.

I've spent time in an IAR-823 and that's weird. a four place aerobatic plane. I've spent lots of time in a Yak-52 and that's much better