Victa Airtourer 115
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Airtourer's rock
I did both my CPL and Instructor Rating in the mighty Airtourer 115. I guess I must have clocked up around 200 hours pedalling ZK-CMF around the eastern Waikato from Matamata airfield. I also prefer them to a C152. Very easy to fly and a great trainer. That spade handle is a great piece of gear once you get used to it.
I fell off the wing once
and it was then that I clicked that it is far better to do such a thing off a low wing aircraft. Fortunately no one was watching and the grass stains washed out. I hope I never fall off the wing of our LET 410 in Sudan like our aircraft cleaner once did! There are always spectators there and they like to see you suffer.....
I fell off the wing once
and it was then that I clicked that it is far better to do such a thing off a low wing aircraft. Fortunately no one was watching and the grass stains washed out. I hope I never fall off the wing of our LET 410 in Sudan like our aircraft cleaner once did! There are always spectators there and they like to see you suffer.....
Tinpis is right they certainly didn't like climbing in the heat. Had a funny spin characteristic, they wanted to go into a spiral dive. The trick was to give them a quick jab of aileron in the opposite direction of entry just as you rolled over. The subsequent rotation is quite high and very nose down and restricted to two turns only. To recover you simply centralize the rudder and move the stick just forward of neutral. This in effect made them a poor spin trainer. In a Chipmunk, for example you need full opposite rudder and full stick forward to the stop to come out. The entry speed for the 115 was 60 knots with the nose just cutting the horizon. The noise from the canopy rattling was disturbing until you got used to it. A fun aeroplane, over 35 years since I flew one and would love to have another go. I have leave in Aus next May if anybody is offering!
....one imagines an inverted Victa canopy full of used beer and chips... 
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Mind you, I would imagine operating a V100 or 115 in Oz climate compared to perma-frost Kiwiland would probably reveal a few shortcomings in performance
I took one of our visitors up in a Victa115 in Darwhine some years ago for a few aero's.
Couldn't get the poor old thing over 2500ft over BTI....Did a loop and barrel roll and gave up.
There wasn't enough time left on the maintenance release to get back to altitude.
Great fun down South in winter though.
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I have only flown the T6 (150 c/s), and found it to be a excellent trainer and aerobat. Really comfy seat = great instructors aircraft. The dipstick is a pain in the arse, I got some special paste from the local fuel bloke to smear on to better indicate quantity. also the one I was operating had a problem with the rotating beacon which is attached to the canopy frame having a bad earth, zapping me when I closed the canopy pre take off, fuel bladder leaks are worth checking for, not a big expensive issue though.
Moderator
Mind you, I would imagine operating a V100 or 115 in Oz ...
Especially if you have had a break from them. I learned to fly in the 100 during the mid 60s then spent my uni years playing with Callair, Pawnee, and SuperCub towing .. after moving to Melbourne, I learned my basic aeros with DJPil (under the benevolent tutelage of Aub Coote) on his 100 .. the first circuit and miss reminded me about HP and grunt, or the lack thereof.
A great little fun machine, providing you watch the speed and height on short final .. as I recall, a VERY senior instructor at RACNSW dropped one in to expensive effect when I was doing my initial training.
Especially if you have had a break from them. I learned to fly in the 100 during the mid 60s then spent my uni years playing with Callair, Pawnee, and SuperCub towing .. after moving to Melbourne, I learned my basic aeros with DJPil (under the benevolent tutelage of Aub Coote) on his 100 .. the first circuit and miss reminded me about HP and grunt, or the lack thereof.
A great little fun machine, providing you watch the speed and height on short final .. as I recall, a VERY senior instructor at RACNSW dropped one in to expensive effect when I was doing my initial training.
Silly Old Git
I may be wrong but in kiwiland they seemed to be used by aero clubs only?
Flying schools seemed to favour C150 and whatever else that would fly
Was there a sweetheart finance deal for Aero clubs?
Remember these funny things?
Blowflies
Flying schools seemed to favour C150 and whatever else that would fly
Was there a sweetheart finance deal for Aero clubs?
Remember these funny things?
Blowflies
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Great little plane to fly. Very pleasant handling characteristics. The only issue I have is with the dipstick. I always load extra fuel, that way I can guarantee how much has been loaded. I can dip the tanks the same way three times and get three significantly different amounts 
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Was there a sweetheart finance deal for Aero clubs?
Indeed .. the US manufacturers were very worried about the potential for the Victa to make inroads into what they saw as their marketplace. I have been told from several well placed (at the time) sources that there were some nasty tricks going on to send Victa to the wall.
Indeed .. the US manufacturers were very worried about the potential for the Victa to make inroads into what they saw as their marketplace. I have been told from several well placed (at the time) sources that there were some nasty tricks going on to send Victa to the wall.
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Good fun
I did a fair few hours in the 115. On one nav to Nelson, it was quite warm in the little glasshouse so I slid the canopy back as soon as possible. Sucked two maps out the back in a milli second. Had to sprint after them.
Cold as hell going over the desert road in winter - heater was crap. Did my C cat with John Parker. On the phase that passes for a climbout with these things, John, who had flown the odd type or two, was looking around to find out why the trees were so close. Eventually accepted that the EFATO lesson could wait a while. Still a few around according to the CAA list. Great fun.
Cold as hell going over the desert road in winter - heater was crap. Did my C cat with John Parker. On the phase that passes for a climbout with these things, John, who had flown the odd type or two, was looking around to find out why the trees were so close. Eventually accepted that the EFATO lesson could wait a while. Still a few around according to the CAA list. Great fun.
John T, I also learnt to fly on the 100 mid-sixties with the SA Aero Club, if you remember back then they had four notches of flap which gave them an exciting sink rate if you got a little slow, especially in the heat. A fellow student hit the ground at Pinaroo and was killed during a practice force landing. The aircraft hit the ground wings level with a high rate of sink and shortly after the fourth stage was blanked off restricting the flap to three notches only. At the risk of sounding a 'know all' the problem with the dipstick is, if you push it in too far, the last cube section bends over along the tank bottom and gives an over-read of 5 gallons. So some advice from an 'old aviator', don't push it in too far, be gentle and you will get an accurate reading.
Piper actually imported Victa S/N 74 in 1966 to put it through an evaluation program at Vero Beach. Piper believed that the 100hp Victa would be a more attractive proposition to the large flying schools than the PA-28/140, but Piper decided that it would be uneconomical to produce a one off design.
East-West Airlines also got involved with the Victa by signing a manufacturing agreement in 1960, but declined to take up the offer after an accident at Tamworth.
Royal Newcastle Aero Club CFI Eric Gratehead and student Brian Smith damaged a Victa during a take-off accident.
East-West Airlines also got involved with the Victa by signing a manufacturing agreement in 1960, but declined to take up the offer after an accident at Tamworth.
Royal Newcastle Aero Club CFI Eric Gratehead and student Brian Smith damaged a Victa during a take-off accident.
Silly Old Git
The Victa would fly a reasonable Avalanche (or Ozzle Twizzle as some older kiwi Harvard drivers call it)
It felt crap with all the tin canning going on but looked pretty cool from the ground
Not to be tried too NEAR the ground tho
It felt crap with all the tin canning going on but looked pretty cool from the ground
Not to be tried too NEAR the ground tho
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TinPis
Tin, you had to say that didn't you....
Actually it was Sept 1978. I think it was an Aero Club machine, but can't be sure anymore. It was a one-off flight.
Too scared to do another.
That was a lot of years ago ZeeBee ?... more than 20?
Actually it was Sept 1978. I think it was an Aero Club machine, but can't be sure anymore. It was a one-off flight.
Too scared to do another.
Didn't the Darwin Aero Club operate the mighty Victa at some stage?
Wouldn't it be lovely going up in a 100hp Victa in the hot midday sun to do a session of aerobatics!
Wouldn't it be lovely going up in a 100hp Victa in the hot midday sun to do a session of aerobatics!
Silly Old Git
I believe there was one still here in 81 .
One of the Jet Charter /Pelair shed drivers was an enthusiastic owner of one
Whether that was his or not I dont know
About that time I did get re-aquainted with a PA22 108
Took two burly mates on a fishing weekend to Snake Bay
It went surprisingly well.
Another good little trainer.
One of the Jet Charter /Pelair shed drivers was an enthusiastic owner of one
Whether that was his or not I dont know
About that time I did get re-aquainted with a PA22 108
Took two burly mates on a fishing weekend to Snake Bay
It went surprisingly well.
Another good little trainer.