Kitfox IV Speedster & learning to fly

[SaskFox]

Curious to see if, five years after posting this thread, you ever learned to fly, and if so, did you do it in a Speedster?

Bought a Speedster last summer in Colorado, and then flew it home a few weeks later. It's a wonderful bird, high performance, great looking. I was also curious about the STOL capabilities. Everybody doing back-country flying seems to want as much wing area as they can manage, which makes sense. The Speedster wing, at 28' or so versus 32' or so, would have, by rough calculation, about 12% less surface area, or higher wing loading.

I'm a relatively low time pilot (650 hrs) and I'm quite sure I'm not flying it as well as it can be flown, or as well as it deserves, but I'm working on getting steep and slow approaches with a power-assisted flare at the last moment. If I could add the power and also slam in some flaperons at the same time I would, but I have only one right hand, so I choose power. The steep approach should allow the least forward motion, and therefore a shorter landing roll.

Without getting into it too much, that's also the moment for some significant braking, which always raises the prop-strike risk, so I'm VERY careful about just how much brake I apply.

Having said all this, I've probably landed it safely in about 500-600' on concrete with the normal 90-80-70-60-over the numbers indicated airspeed kind of approach and no braking until late in the rollout. That's not impressive, and certainly is not back-country sandbar kind of performance, but still, it's a pretty quick stop.

I'm waiting on a fellow Kitfox guy nearby who has a VERY clever angle of attack indicator he made for his, which I'm hoping to duplicate. Once that's on my airplane, then I'm going to get serious about the steep and slow approach concept. Plus of course there's my mandatory re-reading of "Stick and Rudder".

Anyway, if you're still a member, I'd love to find out what happened in your flight training in a Speedster.

It's been five years already? No I never did learn to fly mostly because the nearest training facility is 200 miles away and now at 57 years of age I am thinking my dream might only be a dream.

[Esser]

It's been five years already? No I never did learn to fly mostly because the nearest training facility is 200 miles away and now at 57 years of age I am thinking my dream might only be a dream.

Noooooooooo. You are only a spring chicken still. Follow your dream! Start with your rec license as it is easier to get, you can do it!

[happiestflying]

Or, instead of recreational pilot, consider Sport Pilot, which has only 20 hours of flight time as a minimum, and would allow you to fly under nearly all the conditions we enjoy, such as daytime VFR, any distance allowed, etc. Check it out.

[jiott]

I would certainly encourage you to go for it if your health is reasonably good. In my own case, I started building my SS7 Kitfox when I was 67, finished it at 69, went to S&R in Boise to get my Sport Pilot License (with tailwheel) at 69, finished the training in 6 months, did my maiden flight on my own Kitfox at 69-1/2, have been flying it now for 2-1/2 years-almost 72 now. Having the best time of my life, doing lots of small grass/dirt fields, some mountain strips, a few river gravel bars, etc. I am averaging about 140 hours per year. Believe me, its not too late and its the perfect thing to keep an old retired guy occupied, keeps the mind sharp with much satisfaction, and a great incentive to keep up your health. This is not intended to be bragging (maybe a little bit) but to encourage others who are in the same situation and wondering.

[Esser]

Or, instead of recreational pilot, consider Sport Pilot, which has only 20 hours of flight time as a minimum, and would allow you to fly under nearly all the conditions we enjoy, such as daytime VFR, any distance allowed, etc. Check it out.

Canada, where SaskFox lives, doesn't have a sport pilot license but the rec pilot is almost the same but 25 hours instead.

[jiott]

I still can't figure why Canada does not recognize my Sport Pilot ticket if they have a very similar Rec ticket. I would love to fly into Canada but so far am frustrated by this license thing.

[Esser]

The difference is that the rec license still requires a medical. Canada is still very much in the dark ages regarding medicals. So if you get a sport license with no medical, they don't recognize it.

[Norm]

It's been five years already? No I never did learn to fly mostly because the nearest training facility is 200 miles away and now at 57 years of age I am thinking my dream might only be a dream.

You can also learn to fly on an Ultralight permit. Only 10 hrs required with 5 dual. Those are minimuns so you may take more time. With the ultralight permit you can fly up to a 1232 LB gross weight plane so that includes up to a model IV. All hrs in the ultralight are transferable to a Rec license and private pilots license. May be a quicker and easier way for you to go. My friend started with an Ultralight permit and then went on to a Rec permit when he wanted to fly a Citabria. It's a great inexpensive way to go that will allow you to fly a KitFox IV or less. Good Luck.

[Norm]

The difference is that the rec license still requires a medical. Canada is still very much in the dark ages regarding medicals. So if you get a sport license with no medical, they don't recognize it.

Actually I think it is the US and the FAA that are in the dark ages when it comes to medical. I am not sure, and maybe someone from the US can confirm but I believe the cost for a medical for a US aviation license is thousands.
A Canadian CAME exam is $150. A class 3 medical which is all that is needed for a Rec License can be signed by your family doctor. (Mine never charged me)

You are right about Canada not allowing sport pilots to fly in Canada because there is no medical but the cost of the FAA medical is a little prohibitive for some I am sure.

[Av8r_Sed]

My recent 3rd class medical was about $100 US.