When one is taught to drive, there are a lot of things to be co-ordinated.
Perhaps the hardest, is clutch control,combined with the throttle and slipping off the parking -brake, to ensure a smooth pull away....
We don't have studes with a crash-gearbox, no power-steering and a leather cone-clutch, do we?
Once the fundamentals of tap-dancing with the feet are coordinated with turning the wheel and shifting gear,
then stuff like manually-cancelled indicators and the "vintage" mechanicals can be introduced.
It's generally acknowledged the Spamcans have vice-free, benign handling....very forgiving,easy to manipulate....point it down the runway, balls to the wall and she'll fly when she's ready
.....
None of this "tail-lift, vicious swing to catch" gyroscopic-precession lark,
No craning your head round the cowling to see what's up front while the tail's down, routine.....yes, it's good fun, but send a "green" pilot solo,too early and there's a real chance of it getting damaged,if not on the way to liftoff, then possibly in an arrival that isn't up to snuff.
So, Chuck, I favour the start with a spamcan, until the trainee is comfortable with the basic control skills, Then,is the time to introduce something more challenging!...but, as I said before,It's about keeping the industry lubricated with cash and thus the CAA wallahs in a job!
yup, cynical old barsted, aint I
