Lightning-List Digest Archive

Fri 06/28/13


Total Messages Posted: 1



Today's Message Index:
----------------------
 
     1. 04:02 AM - Re: Lightning Newsletter (Dennis W. Wilt)
 
 
 


Message 1


  • INDEX
  • Back to Main INDEX
  • NEXT
  • Skip to NEXT Message
  • LIST
  • Reply to LIST Regarding this Message
  • SENDER
  • Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message
    Time: 04:02:24 AM PST US
    Subject: Re: Lightning Newsletter
    From: "Dennis W. Wilt" <dwwilt@AOL.COM>
    Mike, Transition training for the Lightning is extremely important for most of us that have flown Cessnas or Pipers most of our flying careers. The airplan e is much more responsive and more pitch sensitive than anything we have ev er flown. I took a five hour course that my wife put together (she is a CF II and ATP and the Associate Dean for the College of Aeronautics at Florida Institute of Technology). I flew the course with Ryan Gross, the dealer w here I built the airplane in West Virginia. He is not an instructor, but h e is a very good pilot and kept me out of trouble. Basically you need to l earn how to fly this airplane, climbs and decents, with turns and without, slow flight, pattern work at altitude, etc., etc. Landings are last and th ey are tricky until you get used to the airplane. Not so hard now, but the first few were quite interesting. Good luck with your Lightning, I know I enjoy mine. Regards, Dennis W. Wilt, Aviation Consultant Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Subject Matter Expert Program and Project Management 757-784-8113 N616DW (Arion Lightning S/N 132) -----Original Message----- From: Archer1593 Georgetown <archer1593@hotmail.com> Sent: Thu, Jun 27, 2013 9:05 pm Subject: RE: Lightning-List: Lightning Newsletter Buz, I purchased an Arion LIghtning at the end of May this year. It is a 2011 m odel that was owned by a fellow in Nashville. I brought my wife with me to look at the plane before I bought it and she really liked it. Tail numb er is 1976N previously owned by Bob O'Dell. I tried to find a local Shelbyville area instructor to do transition traini ng in the plane. The only fellow that was in the area was going to be on v acation and away from the area when I wanted to pick up the plane. I calle d an instructor that was in my area and asked if he was familiar with light sport aircraft and he said he was and that he would be willing to fly down with me and do transition training while we flew back to my home airport o f 27K, Georgetown Kentucky. What a disaster that turned out to be. Take off was quite interesting in t hat as we left the ground the plane was over controlled to the point where the nose went too high and the left wing dropped. We recovered without inc ident but scared the crap out of me. The flight home was without incident up to the landing. The instructor suggested that he would land the plane t his time. I told him about the approach speed being around 52 knots but he came in at 75 to 80 over the numbers and floated almost all the way down t he runway. After landing, the fellow that flew us down to Shelbyville suggested that w e all go to lunch. Excellent idea! After lunch, another friend and light sport owner suggested that he and I go for a flight in the Lightning and th at he would fly it. The flight was good, takeoff was fine and I was beginn ing to feel a little more comfortable with my new purchase. That was up u ntil my friend decided to try some stalls. Unfortunately he was not famili ar with the stall characteristics of the Lightning and when the Lightning w ent into the stall, he pushed the stick forward instead of just holding it and we were graced with a wonderful view of the earth as we were looking at it from a straight down view. We recovered from that and went back to the airport to change our pants. Bottom line for new Lightning owner/pilots is make sure that the instructor you choose knows the Lightning quite well. I am fortunate in that there is another fellow at our airport that is an in structor and does most of the first flights for experimental aircraft const ructed at our airport. I flew with him on the third flight in my Lightning . What a difference! This fellow put the lightning through a number of tes ts to get the feel of it. He brought it the edge of a stall and just held it there talking about the characteristics of the light aircraft compared t o general aviation planes. We did a number touch and goes at the airport. I have had three hours of instruction from him. I have become comfortable with my new toy but have not flown it myself yet. I want to do a couple of more hours with him before I solo in my new plane. As an aside, I have flown Cessna and Piper aircraft for twenty years but h ad never flown an aircraft with a stick instead of a yoke. So even with th e hours that I have in my log book, I am still a student pilot in the Light ning. The only problem I had with the Lightning was a bad shimmy on takeoff and l anding. I read all the newsletters and read about the attempts to solve th e problem. Well, I did solve my problem by having all three tires balanced . Hope that it stays fixed. Buz, Thank you for your effort in producing the newsletters. They were hel pful and contained a lot of useful information. Mike Ryan 1976N @ 27K From: N1BZRich@AOL.COM Subject: Lightning-List: Lightning Newsletter Lightning Community, I'm currently working on another quarterly issue of the Lightning Newsl etter with a goal of getting it out early in July. It will cover the Light ning presence at Sun N Fun plus whatever else I am provided with by Lightni ng builders, flyers, and anyone else interested in being famous and publish ed in the Official Lightning Newsletter - Hangar Talk. So send me photos o f your Lightning - either being built or flying and a few words on what you have been up to. Flight or trip reports are always good. Heck, I'll cons ider anything - even political Bravo Sierra. Probably will not publish tha t, but I'll consider it. ;-) Other things I'd like to cover are recently completed and flown Lightni ngs. For example, I know that Bruce Keen finished his build on kit #31 and made a first flight on 21 April. Bruce, I would like to include lots of p hotos of your "jet" and some words from you on how the test flying is going and your overall thoughts on the build and now how you are enjoying flying your Lightning. You can make it as long or short as you desire. Also, all recent LS-1 buyers - how about some words from your guys on h ow you chose the LS-1 Lightning and now that you are flying your bird, are you enjoying it and how are you using it. You can include photos of your " jet" and places you have flown to. Dealers - the newsletter is your chance to let the Lightning Community know what you have been doing. Hey, it is free advertising for your busine ss. Let me hear from you. For the future, I have committed to Nick and Mark to do at least one ot her issue after this 2nd Quarter of 2013 issue. It (the 3rd Quarter of 201 3) will be after Oshkosh and probably be published in September. So I'll b e needing info for that issue in the future. Here is another appeal for someone to take over the newsletter full tim e. After doing the newsletter for over 3 years, I'm kind of burned out and I think it is time for new ideas and new leadership. The Lightning Commun ity needs you. Your country needs you. Volunteer now and be a Sierra Hote l Newsletter Publisher. Blue Skies, Buz st" target="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Lightning-List http://forums.matronics.com ="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution




    Other Matronics Email List Services

  • Post A New Message
  •   lightning-list@matronics.com
  • UN/SUBSCRIBE
  •   http://www.matronics.com/subscription
  • List FAQ
  •   http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Lightning-List.htm
  • Web Forum Interface To Lists
  •   http://forums.matronics.com
  • Matronics List Wiki
  •   http://wiki.matronics.com
  • 7-Day List Browse
  •   http://www.matronics.com/browse/lightning-list
  • Browse Lightning-List Digests
  •   http://www.matronics.com/digest/lightning-list
  • Browse Other Lists
  •   http://www.matronics.com/browse
  • Live Online Chat!
  •   http://www.matronics.com/chat
  • Archive Downloading
  •   http://www.matronics.com/archives
  • Photo Share
  •   http://www.matronics.com/photoshare
  • Other Email Lists
  •   http://www.matronics.com/emaillists
  • Contributions
  •   http://www.matronics.com/contribution

    These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.

    -- Please support this service by making your Contribution today! --