Didn't get a chance to do any building today because I got a call from my friend Jonathan who runs a local flight school, they just bought an old Piper Lance that was an ex-Ameriflight cargo hauler and will be using it for flight training. I've been searching for what feels like forever to find a high performance trainer in the area, and there simply hasn't been one! Really frustrating. Since the RV-10 is in excess of 200hp (they are typically 260hp), it is considered high performance and requires an extra endorsement to be qualified to fly it. Every rental plane around here is somewhere between 150hp-180hp with the occasional 200hp, but even those don't qualify because the plane has to be "in excess" of 200. So I've been on a mission to get the endorsement as soon as possible. Anyway I jumped at the opportunity to run over there after work and knock out the endorsement in this 300hp beast of an airplane. It flew like a Cherokee on steroids, but really wasn't all too difficult to adjust to. The lesson went really well, and it was super fun to be back in the air with one of my favorite instructors... it had been a while. Looking at speeds and fuel flows, I couldn't help but crack a smile knowing that our RV-10 will go faster, AND on less fuel. Love it!
Happy Mikey J after the flight in the Lance
I had such a good time, and it was such a beautiful evening for flying, we decided to hop in their 7GCAA Citabria to do some pattern work afterwards. Flying tailwheel aircraft is a guilty pleasure for me-- it's really challenging and I'm not that good at it yet, but every time I fly one I think I get just a *little* better at it, and I believe the improved coordination there translates to being able to better handle tricycle planes too. Looking forward to a summer full of flight lessons and pushing boundaries!