In Florida with a couple of days free....

[mothflyer]

Hello again fellow Ppruner's,

Now I've got my tickets to sun 'n' fun and my flights sorted accross the pond (thanks to you guy's for suggestions), I have a couple of days free after the show before I travel home.

Can any of you good fellows suggest a destination or club/group in Northern Florida to go fly an interesting tailwheel or two?

As always, all suggestions greatfully received.

Thanks in anticipation. :ok:

[tegwin]

There is a company at Kissimmii municiple airport (sp?) who have some very interesting war planes....might be worth getting in contact with them

[mothflyer]

thanks tegwin, I know and lust after flying the P51 someday when I have 'that' level of money to burn!

Checked out in the T6 some years ago.... was actually thinking something a wee bit more economical for this trip!

[StillStanding]

I can recommend Tim Preston at Leesburg, about an hour north of Orlando. He has a great Stearman that I had an hour in a month or so ago, best flying I've done for ages. He also has a Cub. They are moving to Georgia end of April so catch them while you can.

http://www.flytailwheel.com/

[mothflyer]

Nice one StillStanding... e-mailed him straight away! Started a check out here in Germany on the Stearman, gonna save me some money to finish it out there! And its sunny :ok:

[18greens]

I reckon one of the best and relatively cheap things to do in Florida is the seaplane rating at Jack Browns. It was the best flying fun I ever had.
They also have a seebee for twin engine aquatic aviation.

[youngskywalker]

I second the Jack Brown seaplane place, best fun I ever had in an aircraft and pretty cheap too. Also as mentioned Warbird Adventures at Kissimee, although certainly not economical, but bloody good fun especialy if you have another mate with you, you can go up in formation. Also go take a look at Kermit Weeks aircraft museum 'fantasy of flight', they regularly fly the exhibits.

[mothflyer]

thanks 18greens, have considered this before. Might be just the chance. Used to have share in J3, must be a bit heavy with those floats??

So now its between Stearman and Seaplane...

[mothflyer]

Sorry, dont have a clue what youre asking nor much of what your'e saying either???

[mothflyer]

ok, sort of understand but dont know what youre refering to when you speak of 'visa and tma'?

Are you saying you need a US visa to fly out there?

[youngskywalker]

Send jack browns an email and ask them the question, I did a year or so ago and they said it wasnt required but worth checking just incase. If you just want an experience flight in the cub with floats then you dont need tsa or visa, I certainly didnt have them when I went for a flight.

[mothflyer]

Damn, where have I been. Well in short, flying in Europe! I have no idea of these TMA and visa requirements, I guess thats why I am here to gleen your knowledge.

Yes I wish to fly and yes I wish to hire aircraft to do such flying. I will of course now phone the relevant parties in the States and find out what this is all about, so thank you for setting me panicing that I've missed such a critical piece of the puzzle.

:O:uhoh:

[mothflyer]

Ok, understood.

Just phoned another sea plane base that Im interested in and he said no TSA required and as Im just doing an add on rating and also picking up my FAA licence based on a JAA licence I will have a letter of authorisation which is already on the way to me from the FAA which will have to use for my appointment with the FAA any way.

So it seems like panic over! Thanks for the pointers guys...

[18greens]

I'm sure you don't need TSA approval to get a ride in Jack Browns stuff but its worth a check. They won't let you fly the aircraft solo without 500 hours seaplane experience so getting the rating is a bit of a paper exercise unless you own one.

Ref the 'Is it a bit heavy with floats point' Oddly enough it seems to make no difference what so ever which amazed me given the extra drag etc....

I thought the best bit was the step taxi exercise, like running around in a speedboat.

[BoeingBoy]

The situation as I understand it is that you will need to apply online to the FAA for training authorisation to get a rating at Jack Brown's. Remember that this is only a rating on your FAA licence and that JAA ratings are not available. They do not allow solo hire so all you are paying for is five hours of fun and a useless piece of paper. When you try to convert it in Scotland you will find your experience is of no value as the conditions are so different and the float bouyance is very different such that your time in Florida will have been wasted...apart from the fun factor. Basically you will have to start over for another five hours to crack the British rating.

All flying schools in the States are now limited to 30 minute 'trial lessons' so unless you get the student visa or FAA training authorisation for an existing licence you can't even rent something for fun for a full hour. (I tried to hire a Hughes 300 for an hour this week at Air Orlando and was told I couldn't) Would someone please tell me what difference it makes getting your hands on a Cirrus or a helicopter for 30 mins or 60 mins. They really are losing the plot over there!

On the warbird front the Mustang is a fabulous ride (I did it in November) but you get no change out of $3000 and don't get to handle the engine until finals. They don't bother to offer you a DVD of your ride so you have to find a photo shop to convert the NTSC tape. ($35 at Ritz Camera opposite the Florida Mall gave a three hour service)

Warbird adventures just down the flightline at Kissimmee have 3 T6 Texans (Harvards to us oldtimers). They are informal and friendly and will give you the DVD of your ride inclusive of the $600 per hour. Tell them you already have a licence and show you can handle the beast well and you may well find your alloted time get's 'stretched' a little.......;)

If you have a half day to spare go to Fantasy of Flight and hire the Stearman for 30 minutes. ($234 last week). They don't offer aero's (No parachutes) but can offer low flying on a favoured cattle farm about five miles North West. When I mean low flying I mean LOW Flying !! 90 knots, wind in the hair bounding around on the cattle fences looking UP at the Cypress tree's was the best fun I have had in the last thirty years....with my clothes on anyway

Finally, If you are on a budget and have a wet afternoon in Orlando how about a little skydiving on Idrive. The freefall parachute simulator just south of the Sheraton on Universal is great fun, $40, takes up an hour or two and is very good at teaching you why it really is not a great idea to jump out of an aircraft unless it's on fire.

Enjoy your time...

[mothflyer]

Thanks BoeingBoy.

I understand the bit about the rating not matching ours but I live in Germany anyway and its no use here!

It's something I've always wanted to do and like everything I do with my flying, Its not about the rating, its about the skill, challenge and pleasure for me. I have a Multi rating too but rarely use it. I enjoyed the whole challenge of the course and the fact that it just extends my experience not necessarily my hours. If I get the oportunity to use the experience again in the future, I have a good grounding and thats what counts. Ok practice makes better but I'm affraid Im not in the millionaire league!

Kissimee was fantastic too. 6 years ago I checked out on the T6 and totally enjoyed that and yes youre right, they extended the trip, all circuits and then aero's, instructor was a young Pitts pilot and didnt touch the controls once... it was another huge challenge for me and something I wanted to acheive.

Nothing's a waste of time or paper when it comes to flying, sorry I have to disagree with that. I (unlike lots of you here) cannot pass a class one, if I could I would most likely be holding an ATPL. What I do with my flying is fill it with fun... after all (like all of you), I only here once!!

[mothflyer]

I will call the FAA as soon as I can.. seem's there's too much I cant do. I can already fly a tailwheel, my whole licence is basically tailwheel, how can they refuse that? :rolleyes::(

Can anyone shed light on this. FAA office shut until next week now.

[SNS3Guppy]

Bump up to Polk City to visit Kermit Week's Fantasy of Flight museum, as others have suggested. Sun n Fun, of course. Take a chance to get in some skydives at Deland or some of the other good Drop Zones down there.

Bad idea to get out of an airplane if it's not on fire? Rubbish. Everybody should get a little freefall time...then they wouldn't have to ask the ridiculous "wuffo" question: "wuffo you goan jump outa a perfectly good airplane, wuffo?"

(Hint: because it's there to jump...and there are NO perfectly good airplanes. Just perfectly good parachutes).

So long as you're in the neighborhood, the Kennedy Space Center has a museum, and there's plenty to do in Orlando (Disneyland, Universal Studios, etc). Go take in some aligator wrestling, or make a flight down to Key West.