Pttim
Well-Known Member
Flying a Sonerai, (For the first time)
A lot of apprehension preceded my first flight! It really wasn’t difficult to tell everyone that I would test fly the aircraft after all it was years away!
The time to actually do it though was drawing near. I’ve met some highly qualified individuals down at the airport where I hangar, former airshow performers and
current performers. These gents had built and test flown other airplanes in the past and had thousands of flight hours under their belts. I was secretly
waiting for one of them to come to my rescue. There were many conversations on the subject but no one volunteered, sighting they wouldn’t want to
deny me the experience of test flying an aircraft that I had built. They just promised it would be a day I would never forget and they would be there to
help if something went awry.
The DAR inspection came and went, I am really running out of excuses by now, I am performing taxi tests, talking to experienced Sonerai Pilots absorbing
as much information as I could and doing my best to retain it. The taxi tests were very slow at first and all on the taxi way, up and back, up and back, then
put it away. I would do this for the better part of a month. The guys were taking me up in their airplanes getting me tuned back up as the building had kept
me out of the cockpit for a while. I flew Piper Cubs, Cherokee 180, Whitman Tailwind, got one and a half hours instruction in a Christian Eagle from an airshow
pilot, spending most of the time in slow flight practicing the finer arts of stick and rudder control, and I flew with Ed Schrom in his Sonerai IILS.
The taxi tests progressed applying more throttle getting used to how quick this little bird reacts to rudder control on the ground and how quick and sudden
power reductions sent me veering to the left. Then I moved the taxi tests to the grass runway that parallels the main runway, there I was able to apply much more power
the plane felt more manageable, the grass is much more forgiving of ill placed feet, and the plane actually slows down much better than when on the hard surface.
The speeds began to approach 50mph, I never let the tail rise, I did this probably 15 more times. The engine felt strong and had never missed a beat! Confidence
is growing, but I still am remaining highly respective that I could get bit if I get careless.
I have no more excuses left, and I can’t think of any new ones! I really want to get this behind me, I want to fly. Saturday June 28, 2014 I am up early after a good
nights rest, I make myself a good breakfast of Bacon, eggs & toast, a couple cups of coffee and a glass of milk. Off to the airport! After arriving at the airport there
is a strange sensation that something is going to happen today, I can see it in people’s faces and some even ask me if today is the day, I reply, could be! I checked the
plane over, it was double checked by my IA hangar mate, everything looks good, it’s a beautiful day, I have no excuse not to do this other than just being plane
old skeered!!!!
My friend John comes down and says lets go fly the Cub, so off we go, we do S turns, turns around a point and some touch and go’s all my landings were good.
Then we took his Whitman Tailwind up, (Nose wheel version) and flew around for an hour and returned to the airport. I went back to my hangar, its around 7:30 pm now,
There are still a lot of people milling about our hangar! I decide to go! My ground crew grabs a handheld radio, fire extinguisher and whatever else they deem necessary
as I push the airplane out of the hangar.
I am focused now, I didn’t have a check list but the switch panel is laid out in a way that leaves little room for error. I close and lock the canopy and then secure the lock
with my safety latch, I look around and shout CLEAR! The engine starts, all switches are turned on! Ignition systems are checked individually, altimeter is set, com radio is
on, radio check performed but I am told my transmission is garbled. That’s not a good enough excuse for me to shut it down, I announce that I will be crossing the active runway
over to the grass and that I will run it down to the end one time for one last engine check and to make sure my feet are working! As I reach the end I hear a Cessna 170 announce
they are on final for the grass runway, so I held at the end. My ground crew announced to the Cessna that I would be back taxiing the grass runway and that this would be a first flight!
The Cessna acknowledged, I back taxied, I don’t quite remember what was going through my mind at the time but there sure seemed to be a whole lot of people standing around
watching and waiting. I turned around at the end of 24 and announced departure, The throttle was opened slowly then firewalled, the airplane is tracking straight, my eyeballs are wide open,
I glance at the airspeed indicator, I see 50mph the bystanders at the airport look like a picket fence I am going faster than I ever have before in this thing, I am committed! The tail stays glued to
the ground, that’s the plan, I feel it getting light it wants to go and then everything smooth’s out, I am airborne! The nose is lowered to accelerate and I am picking up speed at the same
rate that my knees are knocking! I say to myself FLY THE PLANE! I’m going 110 mph now in a shallow climb over the rock quarry, holy crap what have I done! I attempted to announce
my crosswind turn but I think I forgot to push the PTT switch, no matter, I am downwind now going like a bat out of hell! The engine is loud, but it is music to my ears! It’s time to turn again
and now I am upwind, what seemed like seconds I am crosswind, then downwind, and within a few minutes I am at 3000 feet AGL.
I scan the instrument’s, the tach says 3380, crap I’m still climbing the oil temp says 215, then 220, then 225, I am thinking I’m in trouble and will need to land, I feel like I am in a flying canoe, the skid ball
Is all over the place I am over controlling with my feet, I can’t tell, my knees are still knocking! I reduced the power to find the stall buffet, I will need to land soon because of the oil temp. Leveled off at
3000 AGL I see 100mph, then 90, then 80, the ball is centered, wings are level, then 70, its still flying! Then 65 and I feel a little buffet, I lowered the nose and added a bit of power and I am back at 110 mph.
The oil temp is now at 200 and not a problem but I have had enough excitement for the day, I work my way back down, two more circuits and I find myself on downwind at pattern altitude. I say 100mph to
myself maintain altitude announcing base I need 90, I pull more power back and descend but she’s not slowing down, pull more power, my base a final became one turn, now on final the power is out
I am at 85 and aiming at the grass field next to the numbers, sight picture is good, I am lined up power is all the way out, as soon as I cross the numbers and feel it’s time to start the flare the runway
below me disappears, I am in ground effect, she’s floating, she’s floating, she’s NOT floating anymore! and plops onto the grass and then the foot dance begins, stick back, hang on to it, I am thinking to myself
as the rolls slows. I crossed the active runway to the taxi way and announced clear of the active with a less than authoritative voice! I am perspiring rapidly, I need air! I open the canopy and the cool blast
of air from the propeller feels wonderful! I have an ear to ear grin, I savored the slow taxi back. I just finished lesson one of test pilot school! And I am glad I did it!
A lot of apprehension preceded my first flight! It really wasn’t difficult to tell everyone that I would test fly the aircraft after all it was years away!
The time to actually do it though was drawing near. I’ve met some highly qualified individuals down at the airport where I hangar, former airshow performers and
current performers. These gents had built and test flown other airplanes in the past and had thousands of flight hours under their belts. I was secretly
waiting for one of them to come to my rescue. There were many conversations on the subject but no one volunteered, sighting they wouldn’t want to
deny me the experience of test flying an aircraft that I had built. They just promised it would be a day I would never forget and they would be there to
help if something went awry.
The DAR inspection came and went, I am really running out of excuses by now, I am performing taxi tests, talking to experienced Sonerai Pilots absorbing
as much information as I could and doing my best to retain it. The taxi tests were very slow at first and all on the taxi way, up and back, up and back, then
put it away. I would do this for the better part of a month. The guys were taking me up in their airplanes getting me tuned back up as the building had kept
me out of the cockpit for a while. I flew Piper Cubs, Cherokee 180, Whitman Tailwind, got one and a half hours instruction in a Christian Eagle from an airshow
pilot, spending most of the time in slow flight practicing the finer arts of stick and rudder control, and I flew with Ed Schrom in his Sonerai IILS.
The taxi tests progressed applying more throttle getting used to how quick this little bird reacts to rudder control on the ground and how quick and sudden
power reductions sent me veering to the left. Then I moved the taxi tests to the grass runway that parallels the main runway, there I was able to apply much more power
the plane felt more manageable, the grass is much more forgiving of ill placed feet, and the plane actually slows down much better than when on the hard surface.
The speeds began to approach 50mph, I never let the tail rise, I did this probably 15 more times. The engine felt strong and had never missed a beat! Confidence
is growing, but I still am remaining highly respective that I could get bit if I get careless.
I have no more excuses left, and I can’t think of any new ones! I really want to get this behind me, I want to fly. Saturday June 28, 2014 I am up early after a good
nights rest, I make myself a good breakfast of Bacon, eggs & toast, a couple cups of coffee and a glass of milk. Off to the airport! After arriving at the airport there
is a strange sensation that something is going to happen today, I can see it in people’s faces and some even ask me if today is the day, I reply, could be! I checked the
plane over, it was double checked by my IA hangar mate, everything looks good, it’s a beautiful day, I have no excuse not to do this other than just being plane
old skeered!!!!
My friend John comes down and says lets go fly the Cub, so off we go, we do S turns, turns around a point and some touch and go’s all my landings were good.
Then we took his Whitman Tailwind up, (Nose wheel version) and flew around for an hour and returned to the airport. I went back to my hangar, its around 7:30 pm now,
There are still a lot of people milling about our hangar! I decide to go! My ground crew grabs a handheld radio, fire extinguisher and whatever else they deem necessary
as I push the airplane out of the hangar.
I am focused now, I didn’t have a check list but the switch panel is laid out in a way that leaves little room for error. I close and lock the canopy and then secure the lock
with my safety latch, I look around and shout CLEAR! The engine starts, all switches are turned on! Ignition systems are checked individually, altimeter is set, com radio is
on, radio check performed but I am told my transmission is garbled. That’s not a good enough excuse for me to shut it down, I announce that I will be crossing the active runway
over to the grass and that I will run it down to the end one time for one last engine check and to make sure my feet are working! As I reach the end I hear a Cessna 170 announce
they are on final for the grass runway, so I held at the end. My ground crew announced to the Cessna that I would be back taxiing the grass runway and that this would be a first flight!
The Cessna acknowledged, I back taxied, I don’t quite remember what was going through my mind at the time but there sure seemed to be a whole lot of people standing around
watching and waiting. I turned around at the end of 24 and announced departure, The throttle was opened slowly then firewalled, the airplane is tracking straight, my eyeballs are wide open,
I glance at the airspeed indicator, I see 50mph the bystanders at the airport look like a picket fence I am going faster than I ever have before in this thing, I am committed! The tail stays glued to
the ground, that’s the plan, I feel it getting light it wants to go and then everything smooth’s out, I am airborne! The nose is lowered to accelerate and I am picking up speed at the same
rate that my knees are knocking! I say to myself FLY THE PLANE! I’m going 110 mph now in a shallow climb over the rock quarry, holy crap what have I done! I attempted to announce
my crosswind turn but I think I forgot to push the PTT switch, no matter, I am downwind now going like a bat out of hell! The engine is loud, but it is music to my ears! It’s time to turn again
and now I am upwind, what seemed like seconds I am crosswind, then downwind, and within a few minutes I am at 3000 feet AGL.
I scan the instrument’s, the tach says 3380, crap I’m still climbing the oil temp says 215, then 220, then 225, I am thinking I’m in trouble and will need to land, I feel like I am in a flying canoe, the skid ball
Is all over the place I am over controlling with my feet, I can’t tell, my knees are still knocking! I reduced the power to find the stall buffet, I will need to land soon because of the oil temp. Leveled off at
3000 AGL I see 100mph, then 90, then 80, the ball is centered, wings are level, then 70, its still flying! Then 65 and I feel a little buffet, I lowered the nose and added a bit of power and I am back at 110 mph.
The oil temp is now at 200 and not a problem but I have had enough excitement for the day, I work my way back down, two more circuits and I find myself on downwind at pattern altitude. I say 100mph to
myself maintain altitude announcing base I need 90, I pull more power back and descend but she’s not slowing down, pull more power, my base a final became one turn, now on final the power is out
I am at 85 and aiming at the grass field next to the numbers, sight picture is good, I am lined up power is all the way out, as soon as I cross the numbers and feel it’s time to start the flare the runway
below me disappears, I am in ground effect, she’s floating, she’s floating, she’s NOT floating anymore! and plops onto the grass and then the foot dance begins, stick back, hang on to it, I am thinking to myself
as the rolls slows. I crossed the active runway to the taxi way and announced clear of the active with a less than authoritative voice! I am perspiring rapidly, I need air! I open the canopy and the cool blast
of air from the propeller feels wonderful! I have an ear to ear grin, I savored the slow taxi back. I just finished lesson one of test pilot school! And I am glad I did it!
