Hi everyone,

I've been following this forum, and have been registered for quite a while, but I haven't posted before. Just thought introduce myself and say Hi. My name is Randy and I live in Alberta, Canada. I've been interested in aviation for a long time, but have just recently actually gotten involved in it. I started building a Zenith CH-701, but got impatient to fly, so I bought a 1958 Piper Tri-Pacer. I still plan on finishing the 701 though.

I'm also a student pilot. I've soloed in a 172, and was ready to start on the cross country portion of my training when I bought my Tri-Pacer. That seems to have set me back a month or two in my training. So far I've had three flights in the Tri-Pacer but I haven't flown it solo yet. I've been having trouble getting used to the high sink rate of the Tri-Pacer during the flare compared to the 172. My landings are improving though, so I'm hoping to fly it solo soon.

I'm really interested in backcountry/mountain flying and airplane camping. I live near the edge of the mountains, and there are a number of old forestry airstrips in the mountains that I am anxious to explore. First I need to get my license and build a bit more experience though.

Here's a picture of my Tri-Pacer. It's not real pretty but it's mechanically sound.

Randy, I like it. I had one once and I put 8:50's on it and landed almost anywhere I wanted to.

Welcome Randy.... Nice plane ! Never, Never, Never apologize for your airplane, doesnt matter if you have a lil. t-cart or a twin turbo prop

it takes you up and away and brings you back in one piece ...and a thousand guys just down the road would give their eye teeth for what you have......

You will always remember the your first one with great fondness. Have Fun stay Safe

Welcome Randy, If you like back country flying and grass strips than you are in the right place. When I fly into the back country I sometime place my camcorder on the dash of the airplane and video my landings. If you are interested you can find them here: http://www.youtube.com/skybobb These are strips in the Idaho and Oregon back country. Some pilots tell me that they find them good to see the strips before they try them.

skybobb wrote: Some pilots tell me that they find them good to see the strips before they try them.

I'm one of the pilots that enjoys watching Skybob's video. I love Bob too, because he's always pimping is video's to new comers!

Welcome Randy! Good luck on your training!

Hi Randy, nice to have another Canuck on board. Glad to see you jumping in with both feet. Steve

Welcome Randy. Where are you located in Alberta? I spend the summers just east of 100 Mile House, BC. Let me know if and when you get the urge to try a trip west.

Welcome Randy,

Great bunch of folks here. Good looking Tripe you have, I'm interested to know how it works out for you.

patrol guy wrote:Randy, I like it. I had one once and I put 8:50's on it and landed almost anywhere I wanted to.

PT Guy, Did you do the 8:50's on just the mains or did you go larger on the fork as well? I was looking at a TP not long ago and just didn't see how a larger tire would work with the clearance between the tire and prop.

Craig

Thanks for the welcome.

Great videos, Skybob. I particulary liked the one where you took the old-timer up for an airplane ride.

FloatFlyer, I live in Sylvan Lake, Alberta (near Red Deer, between Edmonton and Calgary.) I'm about a 2 hour drive from the mountains, but should be less than an hour by Tri-Pacer.

I had a flight booked for today, but I decided to cancel because something didn't feel quite right. During the run up the mag drop was uneven, and the engine wouldn't run with the throttle closed and carb heat on, and it sounded a bit rough. It's probably just a fouled plug or two (I think I might have been running a bit on the rich side) but I'm going to get a professional opinion and have a mechanic look at the plane before I fly it again. Hoping to be back in the air soon though.

That video has caused a lot of comments since I posted it. Francis was a pilot in his younger days. In fact, he told me that, he flew a Piper Tripacer. He had suffered a severe stroke, leaving him paralyzed on his right side, and effecting his speech. He was in a care facility and the activity director had a program called "Forget me not". She asked Francis what he would like to do if he could do anything he wanted. He said take an airplane ride. I got the call,( a mutual friend had dropped my name) and the lady said she couldn't find anyone that would take Francis for a ride. I was in Vale, Or, 300 miles from TTD Troutdale, OR. She was crying and saying one pilot had told her, " Lady that is expensive and I gave at the office". I agreed to take him and this video is a short 1:41 clip from my video of the flight we took up the Columbia River.

skybobb wrote:That video has caused a lot of comments since I posted it. Francis was a pilot in his younger days. In fact, he told me that, he flew a Piper Tripacer. He had suffered a severe stroke, leaving him paralyzed on his right side, and effecting his speech. He was in a care facility and the activity director had a program called "Forget me not". She asked Francis what he would like to do if he could do anything he wanted. He said take an airplane ride. I got the call,( a mutual friend had dropped my name) and the lady said she couldn't find anyone that would take Francis for a ride. I was in Vale, Or, 300 miles from TTD Troutdale, OR. She was crying and saying one pilot had told her, " Lady that is expensive and I gave at the office". I agreed to take him and this video is a short 1:41 clip from my video of the flight we took up the Columbia River.

I'll bet you can't put a price on that!!!
My hats off to you Skybob
HC

AB_Summit wrote:Thanks for the welcome.

Great videos, Skybob. I particulary liked the one where you took the old-timer up for an airplane ride.

FloatFlyer, I live in Sylvan Lake, Alberta (near Red Deer, between Edmonton and Calgary.) I'm about a 2 hour drive from the mountains, but should be less than an hour by Tri-Pacer.

I had a flight booked for today, but I decided to cancel because something didn't feel quite right. During the run up the mag drop was uneven, and the engine wouldn't run with the throttle closed and carb heat on, and it sounded a bit rough. It's probably just a fouled plug or two (I think I might have been running a bit on the rich side) but I'm going to get a professional opinion and have a mechanic look at the plane before I fly it again. Hoping to be back in the air soon though.

Randy, wellcome. My plane aint nothing to gawk at either, but you know what. Its my favorite plane in the whole world, because it's mine . When your up there criusing through the mountains on a still morning with the sun just cracking over the horizon reflecting off the ridge tops, the view out your window is the same as it is out the window of a P-51, and it even lasts longer!

Have fun with your new steed, and talk to your mechanic about using your mixture control to lean while even on the ground taxiing. I'm running a 0-320 and it has a habit of fouling up plugs (100LL) if I'm not careful about leaning. Usually they clean right up if I do a full power run up on the ground. Enjoy.

Welcome Randy,
I would be unhealthy to give advice on how to transition to a plane that I have never flown. I have never flown a Tripacer or any short wing Piper for that matter. I did transition from C150 and 172 and PA 18 into a CH701. The 701 has a 6:1 glide ratio and that plus its high drag in flare from the slots makes for the high sink rate. My stepfather and a 50yr pilot of J3's and PA 18's described the sink rate of the 701 as more like "ground rush". In general here's what helped me. Carry more speed on final and into ground effect than the usual 1.3 X VSO. This will give a little more time to extend the flare until you get a handle on it. The other choice, carrying a little power through the flare, worked too but making it your only choice carry's the risk of you not being prepared with the other method should you ever lose power on landing. When you get the hang of the sink rate you will find it to be a great tool for short field landing.
I recommend talking to other owners of the aircraft to see what approach speeds they used and what tips they found useful in their own transition.

Randy
You've got the best plane you'll ever have, It's yours and it's your first one!
If you have'nt Join the Short Wing Piper type club.
Iv'e seen some of those birds in some amazing places, I had to fly a gear leg in to a friend of mine in AK. once.
He had landed in a little sadle on a ridge top and ran into a big rock. I was just a little nervous getting the Maule in there, Had no idea how he got in, getting out was easy, once you got to the edge you were flying.
Have fun, don't push to hard and enjoy the hell out of the SKY. There's no better place to be.
If you get to Red at Rossland this winter PM me, where I spend most of the winter after Dec.
GT

There is a gal on the Pilots of America forum that flies a tri pacer N8138D. I met here when she flew out from Michigan and stopped by after flying into Big Creek. She is also on Facebook, and her name is Barb Miller. If you search her name on facebook you will see a plane that looks just like yours, same paint job as well. Bob

Thanks for the info... looks like I'm going to be grounded for a little while, my right mag needs repair and my mechanic figures we should go through the left one too. Hope to be flying again soon though.

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery ... CF1393.JPG
Saw this milstool in Bethel AK today, has a 600x6 tire on the front.
http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery ... CF1394.JPG
Have fun
GT