This was another milestone in the life of the project. On November the 5th we passed the 5 hour mark with the qualified pilot (greater than 100 hours flight time in type) and I could now legally fly the RV9A by myself. It was almost like my first solo flight 20 years ago when my first instructor jumped out after a couple of circuits and turned me loose in the flight school’s C172 except this time I was totally prepared and relaxed. The RV9A with 180 hp up front is a little calmer than my 701 is with 120 hp on the take off roll.

I ran thru my take-off check list and then pushed the throttle in and pulled the stick fully aft while keeping her going straight down the runway with little jabs of rudder. Once I felt the nose wheel lift off I eased off on the stick and held the slight nose up attitude until the main wheels lifted off the runway. About then the difference between the 701 and the RV9A became very obvious as speed picked up to 110 mph and a climb rate close to 2000 feet per minute. I had to reduce the power quickly to avoid picking up too much speed as I came up to downwind circuit altitude and leveled off. The downwind leg went pretty quick and I had to work at getting the airspeed below 100 so I could drop the first 20 degrees of flap at the turn to base leg. Once flaps are in the speed falls off nicely and I held 80 mph for the turn to final. Rick introduced me to the habit of dropping flaps while turning base and final. It really makes a smooth turn and flap transition. No nose pitching and easy on the passengers.

Final is set up 75 mph and then 70 to 65 once the runway is made. Power to idle and then level off the aircraft a foot off the runway and keep her going straight while slowly pulling aft on the stick maintaining the flare attitude. Its a hard thing to describe, its a picture of how the end of the runway should look as you look along the side of the cowling. Once you have the image and the feel for what the aircraft is doing the landings are real sweet, almost hard to tell when the wheels touch (most of the time).

The most important part happens now, don’t relax and think the landing is done. You have to keep flying and pulling the stick back until the elevator runs out of power and the nose wheel touches down. Keep the weight off the nose wheel as much as possible and it will last years. Land on the nose wheel and be prepared for a world of hurt, never loose that thought. That’s from the Mike Seager transition training earlier this summer.

I did a few more circuits and then called it a “great day”. Finally flew Tango Lima Lima myself.

Thanks again to my transition trainer, Rick Appleton. He is a great instructor and a real good person to fly with.