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Pete's RV-8 Web Site
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Date: 6-9-2009
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Number of Hours: 0.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: My Current Wings - Page 5
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My Current Wings
Page 5
I on the other hand, prefer the VFR environment, navigation by pilotage, chandelles, lazy eights, banks beyond 30 degrees, and smaller airports, especially airports with a challenge. You know the type; narrow, short, turf, one way in, one way out, upslope, downslope, hump in the middle, mountaintop… well, you get the picture. To be honest, I get a serious kick out of finding one of these “fun” airfields to visit with Jeff in the right seat. I will never forget the look on Jeff’s face the first time I slipped the aircraft to get rid of some excess altitude coming into a short strip. I think it was the first time he saw the runway out the side window on short final.
The airfield in picture 3 is located on a ridge in southeastern West Virginia. It's a nice field, plenty wide and long enough even on a hot day. The middle of the field is lower than either end and the terrain slopes down and away on all sides. There is a little restaraunt on the field so it is a good destination. The first time Jeff saw the field I called it out, "there it is", at about 5 miles and 2,000 ft above field elevation. Jeff's response was "where what is". By the way, if you don't lift off by mid-field your takeoff roll becomes upslope.
You now know why the RV series caught my attention so many years ago. The Archer like so many other general aviation birds is a great airplane and I am privileged to own and fly one. It’s reliable, safe, relatively economical, and a good all-around plane. However, when compared to an RV-8 it just lacks personality. Sometimes you just feel like an aileron roll, a wing-over or maybe a loop so you need the right equipment.
Cont'd
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Mountain Top in West Virginia
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Rough Desert Strip
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Nice Appalachian Strip
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