First Flight

[GlennBob]

Just bought a new Long-EZ.  Need to get some Canard time. Right now I have Zero.  Anyone in the Osh Kosh area or East of there (Wis) that could give a little dual in a Cozy or other side by side ?  How do I get dual ?  How do I get prepped for that first solo flight ?

Glennbob :roll:

[Charles Davis]

I'm no expert, but here is some recommendations.

The LongEZ owners manual from Rutan has some excellent suggestions for the first flight prep, including some recent time in two different planes, and some high speed taxi exercises.

Never let the canard get above the horizon on take off, and watch for overcontrolling in pitch on takeoff (porpoising).  

I understand that time in a Grumman Tiger is helpful if you can't get time in an EZ.

I'd also check with the CSA (Central States Association) to see if there are members that you can get a little back seat time in.

Also, get the Xplane simulator software and fly it.  This really helps you get used to the high performance and speeds to fly.

Also practice many engine-out landings in this simulator, and pick a local airport with a long runway.

The few times I've flown a LongEZ I found it to be a remarkably well handling plane.  I found it about as easy to fly as a C-172 (different, but not nearly as different as I expected).

I thought it was a very docile, well behaved plane that flew better than anything else I had flown.

There is also some articles on this site about first flight.

Again, I AM NOT an EZ expert, and I would substitute a real experienced EZ pilot's impressions for mine.

I just thought I'd get you some info since no one else had replied yet.

Good luck.  Preflight, preflight, preflight.  Get to altitude and stay within easy glide range of the airport until you gain a lot of confidence in your skills and the reliability of your plane.

my2cents

[Drew]

Many insurance companies will require 5-10 hours dual if you don't have experience in EZs.  The guy I checked out spent the first half of the time in the back and the rest in the front.

Be careful with any highspeed taxis.  I believe that highspeed taxis should be part of the flight test process where you are checking out (very quickly) the handling qualities without dedicating yourself to a flight.  If you have access to a very long runway (8-10k) this is not a big deal.  If you are on a "normal" sized runway (not at a big airport), I would ONLY do a highspeed taxi as part of the normal flight test process (new build, major mod, etc) but I would NOT do it as part of a pilot qualification.  High speed taxi on a small runway takes skill.  Too many times the pilot either gets airborne and stays airborne or he runs off the end of the runway.

BTW, if you do the highspeed taxis----leave the wheelpants off.  Also (regardless of whether you do highspeed taxis or not----but related), make sure your gear legs are protected from radiant heat off the brake disk.  Many people have the legs wrapped in fiberfrax near the disk and have a shield between the axel and leg that protects the gear.  If your brake line is nyloflow, make sure the line and fitting are protected from radiant heat.  Make sure that any exposed nyloflow is wrapped in something like electrical tape to protect it from UV.

Rules of thumb you can use for flight:
1.  Use 6nm per 1000ft for a cruise descent to your destination.  This will prevent you from coming down too fast and shock cooling the engine.
2. Use 3nm per 1000ft for calculating how far you can glide when you have to
3. If running a lycoming, don't go below 15" in a cruise descent---this will prevent ring chatter.  When you get in the pattern, you will have to get less than 15" of course.
4.  Maintain "onspeed" for final.  If you get too fast, the speedbrake will retract---and then you are off to the races.  If I am too high on the approach and have already pulled the power to idle, you can stomp on both rudders.  If this is still not enough, you have two options, you can go around-----or another trick is to wag your wings.  Aggressive 30-45 deg AOB left and right (using approach airspeed and constant heading) will significantly dump your lift vector which will increase your rate of descent.  Make sure you practice that at altitude first.  And you don't want to do that kind of approach all the time---or people will think that you don't know how to keep your wings level.  

[Dave in Eugene]

http://mysite.verizon.net/res7yblj/index.html

Look through this site. Somewhere in here (I could not find it this AM) is a great text that, I think, Tom uses at the Airforce Test Pilot School.

My advice...keep your speed up on landing. Do not get slow. Visualize keeping the canard flying down the runway.

Check stall speed then compute 1.3X that amount at least for approach.

Be aware that you can run out of travel if you have lots of aft trim and you are slow.

I defer to all those who know more.

Have fun.

Dave

[Waiter]

Look in the POH (Pilots Operating Handbook).  You'll find a section that discusses "First Flight".

Normally, this would apply to first flight for the plane.  HOWEVER, I find that the techniques are also valid to prepare a pilot for their first flight in an EZ.  I use these same techniques when indoctroniating a new EZ pilot.

Basically,

1) Spend an hour just taxing around the airport, getting familiar with the brakes and handling.

2) Med speed taxi, 45 to 55 knots on the taxi way, to become familiar with handling and brake performance.

3) Nose wheel liftoffs, to become familiar with pitch control.

Its my observation that most experienced pilots tend to "overcontrol" when they first start. The only thing needed is a little stick time.


Fear Not, thousands have gone before you, and All have emerged with a smile from ear to ear.

Waiter

[Jack]

Just bought a new Long-EZ.  Need to get some Canard time. Right now I have Zero.  Anyone in the Osh Kosh area or East of there (Wis) that could give a little dual in a Cozy or other side by side ?  How do I get dual ?  How do I get prepped for that first solo flight ?

Glennbob :roll:

----------------


Hopefully you can get some dual time.  I divide taxi speeds between high speed above 30 knots and then under is low speed.  Before you do any taxing, ensure you have memorized your emergency procedures and damn sure know emergency egress.  How will you stop if you have brake failure,  what happens if your engine catches fire, etc.

I noted in some other discussion speeds they see at the end of the runway.  V2 speed or any climb speed is what your shooting for after takeoff, tis the most efficient speed for a climb.  On first flights of a project, which I have 3 of them, I climb and then turn into the downwind leg and keep it over the field for 30 mins.

Rule of thumb, always perform on the ground, engine stopped every procedure you can think of in the bird.  Just how fast can you perform an emergency shutdown, stop the aircraft, unstrap, pop the canopy, and grab a fire ext. for starters??   Do you have a routine that starts from left to right, right to left, or just wing it???

Now think worst case, upside down, at night, fuel leaking out and now what sportsfans???

Jack

[Bruce Hughes]

Hi GlennBob

4 suggestions:

1. Call Curt Smith and arrange some lessons with him.   He lives
in Iowa.  Email me direct for an email address or phone #
I am   bruce@ywave.com  

2. Call Burrell Sanders and arrange some lessons.  He lives near
Colorado Springs.  Email me direct ....

3. Look in the CSA directory (you ARE a member, aren't you?)
and find a Cozy owner who lives closer to you than Iowa or CS
Beg some flights with him (you pay for gas, renting the airplane,
Hamburgers, beer, whatever).   If you are not a CSA member JOIN
now.   You will get more benefit that the small annual fee.  :lol:

4. Get some time landing a variety of aircraft - whatever the FBO
has - and insist on landing without flaps.

I have been there, done that on all 4 of these.