Your setup looks like it is exactly what I want to ultimately end up with.
Your setup looks like it is exactly what I want to ultimately end up with.
In a Kitfox (with a 912), load is not the real issue. It's more about room in the cabin for two big people. Especially in a 1-4 model. The 5+ is wider and roomier for bigger passengers.
I would second the recommendation to take a vacation to Idaho and see Paul at Stick and Rudder. Get your tailwheel and transition with him and you'll be all set. You may already have, with your 35 hours of private dual, nearly enough training to get the Sport certificate.
you will be happy with a set up like this,,,..basic panel
Chase
Model 5 OutBack
912 UL
what time he has has to be current with in the time frame allowed ..for sport if I remember right it's 2 hrs with CFI minimum for solo..TD endorsement time will be determined by CFI..not sure if there is a minimum for TD time
20 hours total required for sport.. no hood time..no night flight time,,if you want to fly in D airspace an endorsement is required by CFI or letter from D space tower
know this..even if its a 2 place LSA if the DPE will not fly in the plane with you..you will get a single place endorsement . he will observe you from the ground with radio contact..so make sure the DPE you use will fly with you in the LSA
Last edited by SkyPirate; 08-07-2014 at 10:12 PM.
Chase
Model 5 OutBack
912 UL
Airplanes ARE expensive. It doesn't matter what the plane is, they just cost time and money. They are also WORTH it to those of us who like to fly. I trained with a crooked little man who was a traveling salesman CFI in ("I teach you in your plane".) I soloed in a J-3 cub that a neighbor rented me while we flew our sport pilot course. After grad I bought a Kitfox model IV for 25k and flew it for 250 hours. Then I put about 10k into it and flew for another 2oo hours. If you buy a cheap plane You WILL become a mechanic or you will be staring at a plane you can't fly. There are very limited resources for hiring Rotax certified mechanics in your area. Many A&Ps simply don't know what a Rotax is. Those repair facilities that do have a Rotax mechanic will charge you. duh. So you will learn how to do basic maintenance at the least.
The taildragger is my plane of choice, the learning curve was high. I damaged it, got it fixed, damaged it, got it fixed, hired a mechanic, fired a mechanic fixed it myself, flew it until it broke, now Im fixing it. (cheap planes cost money) cheap instructors cost money. Go slow, research, ask for real references, check them, demand what you pay for or walk away.
graduation day is when you are happy with yourself, your skill, your plane and the friends you have made along the way. If you get into a Kitfox, you will be happy. This forum and the Kitfox LLC are the finest group of aviators I have had the pleasure of flying and working with. They have saved my tail. I was in Marine Corps aviation all my life. Retired. Thats my resume.
Kitfox IV classic Rotax 912 450 hours
It depends. Doe the 250 lb pilot the newer models are a couple inches wider. However we all have heard student pilots comment on how the airplane flies - jumping off the ground on the first solo after the instructor is no longer adding his weight to the takeoff weight. Structurally maybe as far as robustness is concerned, but Kitfox has an unblemished record structurally in all models, so no issue there. It all depends on personal preference. Similarly engined a lighter Kitfox will be the performance champ in all areas with the possible exception of cruise speed. Longer takeoff and landing roll, lower climb but faster cruise vs. Shorter, faster and slower is the difference with consideration of the room as well. My flying has been virtually 90% solo with gross weight flying only when going to the factory flyin with wife on board or similar trips. Just some food for thought - there is just no textbook right answer.
In our Zenith 750 group we just went through this and were finally able to get insurance. We have/had a number of guys with a smattering of different minor issues and these are some things I learned from insurance company questioning:
A few things insurance companies like: Lots of recent time without claims. Especially in type. Advanced ratings. ie IFR, commercial.
Some they do not like: Experimentals, students (especially students in experimentals), Light Sport Pilots, older pilots (yep they discriminate), groups of 5 pilots or more.
Put your picture together out of these things and they may or may not insure you. If they will not, it is probably the student in experimental issue. Our policy says "no students" and "LSA pilots must have 100 hours TT". Our Private pilots only need to be current with an instructor sign off.
The better your picture looks the less they will charge. There is a possibility it will be cheaper to get your special issuance than to pay the higher insurance cost of a Light Sport student in an Experimental. The primary downside is if you fail to get the special issuance your Light Sport aspirations are shot.
If you get your private first you will not regret it. You may at some point have a need to exercise the benefits of the Private over LSA. Your insurance will likely be cheaper.
I am not "down" on LSA. The fact is that insurance companies to some degree are. To them, for all they know an LSA pilot might have a medical issue that could cause them a claim.
You will love a Kitfox.
Maxwell Duke
Kitfox S6 IO-240 Built it (Flying since 2003)
Maule M7-235C Sold it (liked it though)
RV-10 IO-540 Bought it
Zenith CH-750 Built with 7 friends (DAR Vic Syracuse)