clippwagon wrote:The locals will be able to identify this landmark pretty easily. Probably some of the non-locals too:

Zzz wrote:

clippwagon wrote:The locals will be able to identify this landmark pretty easily. Probably some of the non-locals too:

Good eye, 8GCBC. I've had some cotton-mouth, sweating forehead, sewing machine leg, gripped moments in that park. Apparently the Crooked River has some good fishing?

robw56 wrote:Stacey flew me out to the coast for lunch at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company!

clippwagon wrote:

Zzz wrote:

clippwagon wrote:The locals will be able to identify this landmark pretty easily. Probably some of the non-locals too:

Good eye, 8GCBC. I've had some cotton-mouth, sweating forehead, sewing machine leg, gripped moments in that park. Apparently the Crooked River has some good fishing?

Smith Rock it is! My house is five minutes from the park. I don't rock climb but I've done a ton of mountain biking there. The road you see going up the hill in the background is called Burma Road. Once you ride up that there are a number of options open to you! Do a fair amount of hiking there as well. And, yes, the Crooked River does have some great fishing opportunities!

CW

I guess I was way off

S-12Flyer wrote:Ok so this may be a bit boring for most but try to remember when you transitioned to tailwheels.
Trying to un-learn 20 years of bad habits and muscle memories.
Got to be ready for Caveman.

Hunt'n'photos wrote:I finished my last cross country this weekend but the weather was so good I didnt want to stop. It just so happened that a buddy was taking my wife up for her first flight in anything smaller than a airliner that afternoon. I was able to catch up to them and he took me back to the Knik Glacier and then over lake George and on up to Colony Glacier and then down through the Eagle River valley over our house. It was an unbelievably calm day with lots of sunshine. Pretty rare this time of year and my smoothest flight to date. He was teaching me lots about mountain flying and my wife was busy snapping pictures of my plane and the scenery!

[really nice pictures]


Now she is hooked and will definitely be spending lots of time on our adventures as soon as I get my license!

S-12Flyer wrote:The problem is the Ladd , Blu, Jeff and a host of other exemplary tailwheel pilots fly from this strip and they make it look so easy. I get in mine and it's not so pretty. Not the plane's fault. It is another fine example from Rocky Moutain Kitplanes. The faults are mine from nearly 20 years of flying with the training wheel up front. Once the wheels leave the ground, I'm a happy camper. Wheels on the ground, my B.P. and pulse rise quickly. I'm getting the hang of it but.....good thing that fat tires and grass hide a multitude of sins.

Zzz wrote:

S-12Flyer wrote:The problem is the Ladd , Blu, Jeff and a host of other exemplary tailwheel pilots fly from this strip and they make it look so easy. I get in mine and it's not so pretty. Not the plane's fault. It is another fine example from Rocky Moutain Kitplanes. The faults are mine from nearly 20 years of flying with the training wheel up front. Once the wheels leave the ground, I'm a happy camper. Wheels on the ground, my B.P. and pulse rise quickly. I'm getting the hang of it but.....good thing that fat tires and grass hide a multitude of sins.

It just takes hours in the cockpit. If you learned in a tricycle airplane like I did, you develop bad habits on the ground. Just keep flying that thing and suddenly, it's second nature and you stop thinking about it and the plane starts going where your mind commands it to.

There are some good tailwheel flying tips around here somewhere. The best tip I ever read (from Sparky) was something to effect of stab the pedal, and return it to neutral. Don't hold it too long or you'll over-control.

S-12Flyer wrote:I'm beginning to think I'm over analyzing the whole thing. I've read several good books and a bunch of threads here and on the Rans site but it mostly just complicates the issue. The "wheel vs 3 point" thread is a prime example. Seems like the "experts" don't always agree. Your "just keep flying" advice is probably the best of the lot.
In the air, the S-7 is everything I had hoped for. But it will be a long time before I am as comfortable as I was in my tricycle planes taking off and landing.

Zzz wrote:It just takes hours in the cockpit. If you learned in a tricycle airplane like I did, you develop bad habits on the ground. Just keep flying that thing and suddenly, it's second nature and you stop thinking about it and the plane starts going where your mind commands it to.

There are some good tailwheel flying tips around here somewhere. The best tip I ever read (from Sparky) was something to effect of stab the pedal, and return it to neutral. Don't hold it too long or you'll over-control.

Zzz wrote:

S-12Flyer wrote:I'm beginning to think I'm over analyzing the whole thing. I've read several good books and a bunch of threads here and on the Rans site but it mostly just complicates the issue. The "wheel vs 3 point" thread is a prime example. Seems like the "experts" don't always agree. Your "just keep flying" advice is probably the best of the lot.
In the air, the S-7 is everything I had hoped for. But it will be a long time before I am as comfortable as I was in my tricycle planes taking off and landing.

And that's just how it goes. Flying tailwheel is not something that can be learned by reading. You can glean some tips, or ideas for stuff to help, but only stick time gets you there.