Circuits in the RV6

Since I now own a share in an RV6 taildragger, I thought it would be a good idea to get the required ‘complexity’ sign-off for tailwheel aircraft! In summer 2006, I did about eight hours on a Piper Super Cub in the summer evenings after work at Sibson. I was getting close to sign-off, but had to drop the lessons when the clocks changed and my evening slot disappeared.

Now at least I have something of a head-start. My first lesson in the RV6 was ‘general handling’ including glide landings. That seemed to go pretty well and I was surprised at how slowly the RV6 could fly – it was quite happy at 70-80 knots and I was assured that I could easily fit into a busy circuit without chewing the tail off the guy in front all the time, even if it was a stately Cessna 152!

So Friday dawned and it was gusting badly – it had been howling a gale the previous night and had only died down a bit. More in hope and obligation I went to the airport. If it were a nosewheel aircraft, I am sure it would be bumpy, but it was quite flyable, but circuits in a taildragger? Roly confirmed my fears and said he probably wouldn’t go up in his own taildragger – the ground taxi would probably end up with the plane on its nose. So I re-booked for a spare slot for the next day.

Saturday was a lot better. Still a bit of wind and some gusts, but nothing like as bad. Roly confirmed that we would do circuits and I carefully checked the plane over – I am still not quite used to where everything is, so I am very much doing it ‘by the book’.

Booked out at Roly explained the importance of stick position for ground handling and taxi. It is SO different from a nosewheel aircraft where you pay scant attention to wind during taxi (OK, the odd into wind aileron if the crosswind is blowing a hooley, but that’s it really). No, the only time you can relax in a tailwheel is when the plane is parked up and tied down!

Roly explains that the easiest way to think about it is to ‘let the wind blow the stick’ – in other words, note where the wind is blowing from on the DI and as you taxi around, always have the stick at the opposite end. So if the wind is coming from 8 o’clock, have the stick at 2 o’clock. With these light aircraft, the worst thing you can do apparently (and I certainly believe it) is to let the wind lift the tail (or the wing or both) – instant tipped over aircraft with smashed prop and shock-loaded engine!

Anyway, I get the idea of this and we start the take-off run on 22. The wind is a sporting 12 kts gusting 25 kts. Full power, stick slightly forward and I pedal the rudders looking to the end of the runway to hold her straight. The tail comes up early. It is all happening so quickly, that I don’t have time to check RPM or airspeed (which isn’t easy on this RV6 as it has a digital display – analogue dials with green bands are a really good idea sometimes when you need a quick impression!). I gauge it by the engine note. The plane starts to float and before I know it, it tells me in no uncertain terms that it wants to fly and starts climbing like a homesick angel at 1500 fpm!

Roly is clearly entertained by this as he is an RV fan himself (group ownership of an RV4) and has seen these sort of reactions a few times before!

Around we go for the first circuit and the lady in the tower is clearly well aware of our aircraft type and that I am a ‘tailwheel tyro’ and give us careful wind readouts ‘Wind 210 at 12 knots GUSTING 25!’. Maybe I am reading things into her voice, but she sounded to me like she was vaguely disturbed that a tyro should be doing circuits in such gusty weather. I clumsily try to keep her down to 120kts on downwind (yes, I have a lot to learn!) and turn base and pull back the power ………and nothing happens! I mean the power comes back, but the plane doesn’t slow anywhere near the flaps arc. So I hold her level and wait, and still nothing. I pull the nose up a bit and as we climb (errrr – on base?) the speed bleeds off and I can get some flap in.

Fortunately, the wind is so strong and we are forced a bit wide by the plane in front, that I can fairly easily loose height. We come in at 70 (a bit faster than normal to allow for the gusts) and as I cut power and fly level, pedalling hard, eventually the plane ‘assumes the position’ and ‘sort of lands’. I felt Rolys guiding input a couple of times. A greaser it wasn’t, but at least I didn’t bounce it several times. Clean up while trying hard to hold it straight, apply power, more rudder, nose up, ruddert input again, aircraft gets floaty and lets me know its ready to fly. I am a bit slow to take the hint and stay in the ‘ground effect zone’ a little too long, so Roly pulls back and gets us up. He explains that you really don’t want to spend any time in that zone at all.

One down, and six more to go!

Cut a long story short, the next three are all with gusty winds, then on the last three, the wind drops like someone flipped a switch and becomes a relatively sedate 210/08 with no gusts to speak of. My landings improve accordingly.

I only bounced on one of the landings and that wasn’t too bad. I was getting tired and opted to make the seventh on to land. To my utter delight, the final full stop landing went really well and I concentrated hard to ‘pedal’ her steady as she slowed and kept a decent line. I taxied with the sort of concentration I haven’t used since I was a student or doing my IMC, determined to get the stick position right for the wind until we are parked up.

I shut down and we put her away as I am the only group member flying today.

Roly seemed pleased and I have to say so was I – not smug you understand, but tired and happy. I feel I took something in. I look forward to nailing the ‘wind straight down the runway’ landings then the dreaded crosswind ones to look forward to. Anyway, no hurry and one step at a time.

BUT WHAT A GREAT AIRPLANE THE RV IS!

There, I’ve said it! I know RV pilots used to get on my nerves going on about how great RV’s are and how much fun to fly etc. Now I know why - and of course it is now my sacred duty to get up other pilot’s noses about it – sorry!