My journey begins - Flying Taildraggers

[twoeleven]

It's an ancient program, as 3D graphics software goes, but the adjustment sliders for varying levels of complexity for graphics, traffic, objects, scenery, weather, and animations allow it to function smoothly on even relatively basic systems. But, to get the full eye-candy experience and still run at smooth frame-rates, I built my own system which is EXTREMELY easy to do. She's getting on-in-the-tooth now, but still runs FSX liquid smooth at high graphics and detail settings:

-Tower: Cooler Master HAF X - High Air Flow Full Tower Computer Case with Windowed Side Panel and USB 3.0 Ports
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...oLoA&gclsrc=ds
-Graphics Card: MSI Radeon HD 6990 DirectX 11 R6990-4PD4GD5 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127574
-Motherboard: MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3+ AMD 890FX 6 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD (outdated)
-Processor: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition, 125W, AM3, 9MB Cache, 3200MHz (outdated)
-Cooling: CORSAIR Hydro Series H70 Core High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835181019
-Dedicated FSX Drives: 2 x Corsair Force Series 3 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CSSD-F120GB3A-BK in RAID0 (outdated)
-Power Supply: CORSAIR HX Series HX1050 1050W Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready (outdated)
-Peripherals: Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System, Saitek PRO Flight TPM System - Throttle/Prop/Mixture Axis, Saitek Pro Flight Multi Panel, Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals, Saitek Pro Flight Cessna Trim Wheel
http://www.saitek.com

Best add-ons ever: Orbx Scenery (landscape, airports, objects), REX Essential plus Overdrive (Real World/Real Time weather/clouds/sky, and 'atmosphere'), FSX Banking Camera (auto tilts POV camera into direction of turn), FlightSimGPS (links Foreflight into your FSX GPS data, you use Foreflight in sim just as in your real plane).

Here is what it looks like on my sim: Orbx Grand Canyon, REX real time weather from some months ago, Banking camera looking into my turn, FlightSim GPS feeding FSX location data into my Foreflight on the iPad below the main screen...If you look closely, synthetic vision is working, my position is correctly depicted, and of course "No Attitude Information" at the top of the synth vision side, just like the real thing!


Hope that helps, I'm packing up for another lesson in the Citabria this morning, the weather looks perfect...Just another summer in February here in LA.

Larry.

[tautrey]

Impressive ! How is your response time with the Saitech yoke ?

[twoeleven]

...No issues with latency on my setup, the yoke is adjustable both through FSX Controller Settings and I believe through FSUIPC (external utility), but those questions are best asked to the pros at a site like simviation or similar...Here are the in-game settings I use for most planes:
http://www.cubcraftersforums.com/att...1&d=1455282666

Yesterday was just another beautiful Summer February(?) day at KCCB, and all landings were full stop. We flew the last five circuits with the Citabria's window open, and that was a first taste for me of what cub-flying might be like, elbow hanging out the window and all, I loved it! Wheelies are next and I think that should do it for my tail-wheel endorsement and solo sign off...I hope, I am anxious to go fly this thing around a bit.


34.3 hours combined flight and tail wheel instruction completed, studying for the written now.

Larry.

[twoeleven]

My first flight in a Carbon Cub was two days ago and it began with Ben Hodges flying. I have seen Ben's videos where he is doing inverted flat-spins in a Pitts before, so I was perfectly calm climbing into the back of his Carbon Cub...

I received my tailwheel endorsement last Thursday, I solo'd the Citabria this past Thursday, and as planned I left from Cable directly to SMX (sounds like I flew there, hah I wish, well I did Follow Roads, that's for sure) for my Demo Flight on Friday morning with Ben, but it almost didn't work out because of weather. I knew the fog had been building, and rain was coming. 250 miles away from my house and I awoke in a thick marine layer outside my window, ceiling was under 500 feet. But after waiting a bit for the field to go green, we got out there.



Do you remember the first time you flew or flew in a Carbon Cub? I felt just like that, the whole time.



Ben talked about the plane, how to fly it, but it was easy to see his connection to the plane. He landed us on a dune for my first off-airport landing, and I took a pic or ten, all on my phone sorry.



After receiving a thorough walk-through or two, and I am not sure with how much help from the back because I was too focused to notice, I made my first off-airport take off in a Carbon Cub, or anything else for that matter...I was trying to be cool but I was pretty happy with myself, after that. I'm just going to end up sounding like a commercial or something, so superlatives please insert here. Compared to the 1952 Cessna 170B I had flown, the 1978 Cessna 172, and the 1970 Citabria I flew the day before? I am not even qualified to pass judgement but, THAT will work just fine, wow.

Many thanks to California Cubs and the people I have met here already, thanks also to Troy Branch who I think made the YouTube video, "First Time Flying the Carbon Cub". Awesome to watch, and since I have been recording things while I have been learning to fly I copied his idea and wore a GoPro on my head when it was my turn to fly, thanks for the inspiration.

My experience from the pilot's seat: (external link, just click below)


The video is on YouTube with Ben's below

My experience as ballast:


Ben's video has some electronic music tracks in true GoPro Hero fashion, turn it down if you need, but I had to cover all of my eager chatter up with something. My video is almost all sweet engine noise, I think I was too focused to ask many more questions.

Thank you Ben,

Larry.

[Charles]

Larry, really happy you got to fly the Carbon Cub. There's no turning back now! Chuck

[turbopilot]

Here is my demo flight with Ben from 2010. Now 6 years later on my second Carbon Cub it never gets old. The only downside is cleaning the salt spray off the airplane flying low over big waves on the Pacific.

Better music.

[Californiacubs]

That's what makes my job so rewarding! Sharing the experience and changing people's perspective on life and aviation.

[twoeleven]

@Charles - Thanks Chuck, I figured my Carbon Cub goose was cooked as soon as I took my first tail-wheel lesson...Back to reality today as I have my long dual cross-country tomorrow in the 172, I have to plan the round trip on the spot tomorrow, in front of my instructor using chart, plotter, and E6B...Why he is so opposed to Foreflight I'll never know! I'm doing a dry run on my kitchen table currently...

@turbopilot - Thank you for sharing that Bob, I've seen all of your other CC videos but that was new, you had a bit more sunshine that day for sure...Hope you have fun re-living it occasionally, as I will mine.

@California Cubs - Ben, perspective changed...House is up for sale, I'm getting a divorce, gave away the dog, selling all of my motorcycles, and I plan to live in my new hangar with my new CC soon!

Larry.

[twoeleven]

After having to delay my flight repeatedly due to weather and airplane availability, I was happy to get it done yesterday. With 51 hours in my logbook, a day off from work, a nice blanket of high-pressure over So Cal, and winds aloft under 10 kts for the round, it was a beautiful day. Departure was delayed by two hours while French Valley slowly crawled out from the eastern edge of a persistent marine layer, but at 10:30 am yesterday I departed in my familiar rental 1978 Cessna 172N into hazy blue skies in search of Blythe (BLH) and the home base of our friend Steven Young, Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, or Thermal (TRM), before the leg back to F70.

I set out to the east with very light winds, and very smooth air, climbed to 7,500 with flight following from So Cal. My route crossed the Thermal VOR, and then set out across the desert along the 10 fwy to Blythe. I was feeling pretty good as I approached Blythe, but a rookie mistake on the radio meant I missed local traffic from 10 miles out, my freq was off by a click and I didn't realize it! I'd been there before with my instructor mid-week, and it was very quiet then, we had it to ourselves so I was lulled into thinking the same. With no winds and no visible (or audible, obviously...) traffic, I aimed for left traffic for RW35. I couldn't see or hear anyone else as I studiously made my radio calls on the slightly wrong frequency...UGH. As I announced base for 35, I noticed a Bonanza lazily taxiing east towards 35 on a crossing taxiway...He rolled right on to cross it as I announced final...Why am I not hearing him, I thought? A quick look at my radio gave me the answer and I thought oh crap, the FAA is going to shred my student certificate!

I quickly changed the frequency one click and announced I was turning to join downwind for 26 and banked to the right...My "45 degree approach to down wind" was actually a 90. I waited to hear someone yelling at me, but silence...122.80 I confirmed it again...Nothing...I made one additional call, on L downwind for RW26, and flew out east of the power plant and announced base. I looked and the Bonanza was holding short of 26, I came around the power plant, announced final..then short final, then I breezed past the waiting Bonanza and made my landing.

Finally, I heard the radio in my ears, "Blythe Traffic, Bonanza 3-6-Delta taking RW26 for L closed traffic, Blythe"...Whew, I thought, did I just get away with that? Seemed so, but I felt so stupid it hurt. I took a few deep breaths to clear my head, and set out for TRM...Lesson learned, I am glad I somehow avoided a potentially dangerous situation. I promised myself to be a bit more cautious on the way back, I think I was getting too confident, perhaps.

I got it right on the way into TRM, and my GPS track shows a very nice pattern approach and entry, and I had the right frequency tuned from 10 nms out...Much better, and a soft greasy landing as well.

The only other mistake I am aware of, there are surely others, is I didn't account for how I was going to climb from TRM at -115 MSL to 8,500 for the trip over the mountain range that is RIGHT THERE to get back home. I remember Steve telling a story of circling for eternity in his old Piper Cub (pre-CC) on a hot day, never quite being able to get the altitude he needed to go to Hemet over the pass, it made a lot more sense now...But, with just over half tanks and no instructor, I started a gentle bank, climbing steadily at 75 kts, nose at the sky. Took four complete circles to get me close to my TA, so I straightened out the climb towards French Valley, and climbed the rest of the way to 8,500 before entering the mountains.

Coming back into the valley I have flown so much in felt like coming home, everything was familiar, and I am happy to report my first cross-country solo ended without event, over the numbers and onto the center line for another good landing.

And the really good news is, the FAA hasn't knocked on my door...yet. I sincerely apologize to the folks in the Bonanza, I'm sorry to drop in on you out of no where.

Short cross country solo is Saturday morning, and I will then have completed the flying requirements to qualify for my Oral and Practical Flight Test. I will take the written test next week.

I still need practice on the maneuvers, but the compulsories will be in my rear-view mirror. Shooting for the end of June for the oral and check ride.

Larry.

[Charles]

And the really good news is, the FAA hasn't knocked on my door...yet. I sincerely apologize to the folks in the Bonanza, I'm sorry to drop in on you out of no where.

Larry.

The FAA isn't going to care whether you use your radio at a non-tower airport like Blythe; it isn't requited. Of course the rest of us want you to report on the CTAF.