Don't wait until you're 56, ok?

[duCapo]

Beaver offer is still open.

[Colonel]

That's what she said last night.

[Walter Sobchak]

Very nice looking hangar/machines.

[Colonel]

Note to future aerobatic instructors (this is
incredibly common) ...

When inverted with slight positive G on at
the top of an aileron roll, [b]NEVER[/b] say,

"Just drop the nose a bit"  ;D

[David MacRay]

Free advice:  during your lifetime, get
the following:

1) a 1000cc sportbike, built within the
last 5 years (doesn't matter what make)
that has never been crashed, and

2) a Pitts S-1S, and

3) an L29 with the Viper engine conversion.

It won't cost much money, but if you spend
the time to master all three, you will be a
very rich person indeed.

Won't cost much money? Here I have been spending around $165/hour to fly C-172s.

Wait, how much is "not much"? Though I might need to save up for a couple of hours in an L-29.

[Colonel]

how much is "not much"?

Well, you could search the internet ...

You can get a used literbike for $5000. 
Buy one right before winter.  Find one
that's been dropped but not crashed.

A flying S-1S can be had for $30k.  You
can buy a project for a fraction of that
(not recommended)

An L29 with a trashed 701 engine is
actually worthless and can be picked up
for little or nothing.  You've got to
scrounge the Viper from an old Hawker.


I see an endless parade of extremely
expensive German prestige cars around
me.  A never-ending stream of very shiny
Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, BMW, etc.

People make choices, which have consequences.


You've probably never heard of Darryl Greenamyer
but he built up an F-104 out of spare parts over 13
years and set the world speed record with it, which
still stands, almost 40 years later.  You probably
think I'm bullshitting you with a bad Disney movie
script, but:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N104RB_Red_Baron#History



Now, Darryl probably wasn't as good a pilot as a
TC Inspector, but he still did pretty well regardless. 

Over 1000 mph, extremely low.

PS  You like how the Navy gave him the J79, to
stick it to the Air Force?  )

[Colonel]

not the purchase price but rather acquiring training

Right - it's about the skill, not the money.
The same is true about the literbike and
the L29 Viper.

Actually, if you are comfortable in any other
blind-forward-biplane like the Stearman or
Waco, a Pitts is no big deal - the S1 is just
a bit lighter, is all.

However, if someone has never flown a
blind-forward biplane, yes, a Pitts is going
to be interesting.

I should mention that some years back, I
gave Mike Potter of Vintage Wings some
dual in the S-2B.  He actually did a decent
landing, although he flared at 3 feet (no
biggie).  This is because of his Waco
experience.

Pre-WWII biplane experience is almost
unheard of in today's pilot pool, which is
why the Pitts is such a big deal for people -
it's their first.

what are your feelings on the Christen Eagle vs a Pitts?

Ok.  A Christen Eagle is basically a
homebuilt S-2A with no dihedral, spring
landing gear, a wider cockpit, slightly
different cowling.  Oh yeah, and a different
canopy.  That's really all the differences.

So, if you're looking at the S-2A, the
Eagle II is a good option.

However the S-2A and S-2B and S-2C
are very different airplanes.

I've given dual on the Eagle II and
about the only weird thing I noticed
is that the spring gear and heavy metal
2-blade prop led to this weird divergent
pitch-yaw oscillation on takeoff if someone
slightly ham-fisted tried to raise the
nose on takeoff.

I just told them told take off in a
3 point attitude which made me feel
dirty, but it worked.  Hell, that's what
Gerry Younger teaches on the S-2A so
it can't be all bad - he's given Pitts dual
to more people than anyone else in
Canada, over the decades.  Go fly with
him.  It will build character  ;D

[cgzro]

  see an endless parade of extremely [/size]expensive German prestige cars aroundme.  A never-ending stream of very shinyMercedes, Porsche, Audi, BMW, etc.

Very true. I decided long ago that I prefer the Pitts. I've had it for 15 years now and its been some of the most fun and most memorable times in my life. Given me a chance to fly many other interesting planes, meet interesting people, challenge myself etc. Those cars are nice I suppose but they don't last any longer than a cheaper car and frankly they get turned into a mess in any kind of bad weather, get scratched etc. I do admire folks that restore beautiful older sports cars, like Jags etc. but I've driven a Ferrari and a Lambo and its kinda cool and the acceleration is pretty neat, but nothing happens when you pull back on the stick and you get arrested above 120 mph.. while I'm just getting started in the Pitts .. and the cops all watch rather than arrest you

No brainer.

[David MacRay]

I've been driving those non Porsche German cars at work a bit.
Granted they are the low end models but for me they are no Camaros.

how much is "not much"?

An L29 with a trashed 701 engine is
actually worthless and can be picked up
for little or nothing.  You've got to
scrounge the Viper from an old Hawker.

Now we're talking. Shiny you in?