Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Weight problems, was: is everyone here to bash Skycatchers?

Helen,

My trike is an Apex Cross, built in the chex republic.
Not a home built.

I have the 'bunny' bars for my wing.
I have a throttle lever for the back seat.
There is no brake pedal for the back seat.
There is no steering for the back seat.
There is no kill switches for the back seat.

I see no need for the brake nor steering for the back seat.
I see back seat kill switches as an accident waiting to happen.

The FARs do not mandate brake and steering controls for the back seat, they just
recommend flight controls.
(if I could look up the specific FAR if your interested)

R. Williams

---------- Original Message -----------
From: Helen Woods <Helen_Woods@verizon.net>
To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, 09 Aug 2010 06:45:33 -0400
Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Weight problems, was: is everyone here to
bash Skycatchers?

> You aren't going to find find a CFI willing to fly without dual
> controls. Aside from the obvious personal safety concerns a CFI will
> have, she is legally obligated to have them. If you remember, until
> you have your certificate, your CFI is PIC and as such is solely
> responsible for the safety of the flight. Its impossible to fulfill
> that duty without access to the controls. Any court of law would
> likely find a CFI negligent to tried to fulfill that duty without
> access to the controls.
>
> Now that being said, is your trike a homebuilt? If so, why don't you
> just build some extensions for the handlbars that the CFI can reach
> from the back? If its an SLSA, have you talked with the manufacturer
> about the availability of such?
>
> Helen
>
> On 8/9/2010 12:52 AM, Richard Williams wrote:
> > Jim,
> >
> > I have my dual time already accomplished.
> > I have my ground school already accomplished.
> >
> > What is needed is an CFI to go through the SP maneuvers with me and sign me off to
> > visit a DPE for the oral and checkride.
> > unfortunately, most seem to think that having steering controls in the back seat
is a
> > big deal. Maybe so for a new student, but not needed with me.
> >
> > Now, if both would be willing to do the air time in my trike (setup to handle my
> > weight, but does not have dual controls) Then the SP license would soon be mine.
> >
> >
> > BTW:
> > regarding the willingness to fly with not enough fuel....
> > one of the axioms of flight is there is nothing more useless than runway behind you
or
> > air above you and you never have too much fuel unless the aircraft is on fire.
> >
> > R. Williams
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------- Original Message -----------
> > From: UltraJohn<japrice@mindspring.com>
> > To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 16:35:41 -0400
> > Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Is everyone here to bash Skycatchers?
> >
> >
> >> Thank your Jim!
> >> Best response on this thread so far.
> >> John
> >>
> >> On Sunday 08 August 2010 03:55:49 pm Jim Bair wrote:
> >>
> >>> Richard,
> >>> Others have already pointed out the math error making the situation even
> >>> worse than you thought. The point I would like to toss out is this. In
> >>> aircraft design, manufacturers and engineers have to design around a
> >>> target, very typically a percentile of the population. For example, the
> >>> military has very stringent physical standards (for a few reasons, but I
> >>> digress) and you will notice there are no 300 pound fighter pilots.
> >>> Ejection seats aren't built to handle that, the cockpits aren't sized for
> >>> them. Someone who doesn't meet the physical size requirements may feel
> >>> that it "isn't fair", but to build a system to handle everyone is building
> >>> in design factors for a very small percentage of the population and
> >>> denying the other 95% of the population performance that could be had if
> >>> they weren't wasting space and weight designing around a huge cockpit. As
> >>> a result, I don't think you're going to find a LSA built for 300# guys and
> >>> their instructors. Personally, I would recommend getting over it and
> >>> accepting it and moving on.
> >>>
> >>> Another recurring theme I see on this and other light aircraft lists is the
> >>> belief that fuel tanks must be filled all the time. People are constantly
> >>> grousing that they can't fill their tanks and all the seats in the airplane
> >>> at the same time. My question is this.... Would they be happier if the
> >>> tanks were half as big so they could fill them? Then they could say, "I
> >>> can fill my tanks and my seats." I would say to that, "I wish my tanks
> >>> were twice as big so when I want to go cross country by myself, I can fill
> >>> the tanks and get decent range." Having large tanks gives more options.
> >>> That concept is quite routine in large airplanes. You can't fill a 747
> >>> with people, cargo, and fuel, and go to Hong Kong from Chicago. To make
> >>> it to HK requires lots of fuel, and not being full of people or cargo. To
> >>> be full of people and cargo, one may only make it Tokyo. Having large
> >>> tanks increases options. So, when you do the math of what you can haul,
> >>> don't always fill the tanks. In my helicopter, I just accept the fact
> >>> that 2 people and half gas is about right on most days. If I wanted to
> >>> take you up, It would be for a short ride when we are low on gas and on a
> >>> cool morning or evening. That isn't a bad thing, it just is what it is.
> >>> If I wanted to take you and I farther and in the middle of the day, then
> >>> we need a bigger helicopter than an R-22. My advice (if you were asking)
> >>> would be to get your dual in a C-172 or even larger.
> >>>
> >>> Jim
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> From: Richard Williams
> >>> Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 7:09 PM
> >>> To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> >>> Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Is everyone here to bash
> >>> Skycatchers?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Anyway, 490 total payload.
> >>> 24 gal fuel.
> >>> (24*6=144)
> >>> 490-144=346 for passengers..
> >>> I'm 300 in my birthday suit.
> >>> so 146 for a co-pilot/instructor.
> >>> Hummmmm
> >>> I'm not sure of any instructors who are that light.
> >>> (Now, a nice lady co-pilot would be real nice.)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> R. Williams
> >>>
> >>>
> >> ------------------------------------
> >>
> >> Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
------- End of Original Message -------

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