Flying something a bit different
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Flying something a bit different
For my birthday my wife has offered to buy me a flight in something a bit different. The sort of thing I was thinking of would be a vintage taildragger, or maybe a JP... does anyone have any suggestions as to what I might do and where? Preferably near to Oxford - I could fly somewhere to do the flight and then fly home, but then my wife/4-month old son couldn't come, so really I want to be able to drive there.
Info: I'm a 150-hour PPL/IMC with no taildragger experience and poor tolerance of aerobatics (3 loops and I'm thinking about what I had for lunch).
Tim
Info: I'm a 150-hour PPL/IMC with no taildragger experience and poor tolerance of aerobatics (3 loops and I'm thinking about what I had for lunch).
Tim
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Plenty of places to fly a Tiger Moth from, and they are beautiful aircraft to fly in even if you want to keep the right side up. It's getting close to the right time of year to be flying open-cockpit, too....
FFF
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PS I'm sure you would do this anyway... but if you don't want to go upside down, make sure your instructor knows that before the start of the flight!
FFF
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PS I'm sure you would do this anyway... but if you don't want to go upside down, make sure your instructor knows that before the start of the flight!
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Probably a bit more than you're looking for at the moment, but Clacton Aero Club do a five hour tailwheel course on a Super Cub over two days. Cost is around the £530 mark, and it's on my "list of things to do once I've got the Skills Test nailed" 
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I got a flight in a Tiger Moth for my 30th birthday from the Misses. Superb fun (specially when the donkey stops when you go over the top of a loop
)
Even straight a level its great 'cos theres so much more vis, just lean your head over the side, and you can see straight down - superb experience.
)Even straight a level its great 'cos theres so much more vis, just lean your head over the side, and you can see straight down - superb experience.
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Thanks all, Tiger Moth sounds like a good idea (a friend did recommend Headcorn, but that's too far).
Aerbabe: who at Duxford does this sort of thing? I've only flown in there to visit the museum before. We have friends nearby so it's quite a good idea.
Tim
Aerbabe: who at Duxford does this sort of thing? I've only flown in there to visit the museum before. We have friends nearby so it's quite a good idea.
Tim
High Flying Bird
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Classic Wings. There's a Harvard for rent down at Shoreham too (or was it Southend? 
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(3 loops and I'm thinking about what I had for lunch).
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Actually I'm much better if I am flying them myself - steep turns are fine if I'm in control, but if an instructor does them I am likely to turn green.
A very nice RAF instructor when I told him this got me to fly a series of increasingly steep turns myself, since he realised I was quite capable of doing it without help, and pattered me through them up to 85deg/full power (this was a Grob Tutor, so it coped easily with that loading!). This did indeed make me feel more in control, and I felt better. My session on wingovers felt much better, though I went green with envy instead when he demonstrated that he could do a wingover at 1G all the way through, not even spilling the coffee...
Tim
A very nice RAF instructor when I told him this got me to fly a series of increasingly steep turns myself, since he realised I was quite capable of doing it without help, and pattered me through them up to 85deg/full power (this was a Grob Tutor, so it coped easily with that loading!). This did indeed make me feel more in control, and I felt better. My session on wingovers felt much better, though I went green with envy instead when he demonstrated that he could do a wingover at 1G all the way through, not even spilling the coffee...
Tim
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Tim,
There's a group called Tiger Fly at Wycombe who do flights in a Tiger Moth and, I think, a couple of other types. I'm not sure if you actually get to handle the controls or not, and they're pretty pricey.
The flying club at Cambridge still use Tiger Moths, and I flew a Tiger Moth with the Tiger Club (at Headcorn), although both are a bit far from you.
I think that the club at White Waltham have a Piper Cub: I'm not sure what 'flavour', but FFF can probably tell you.
Otherwise it might be worth having a look in the "where to fly" guides, as these may have ads for "interesting" flying.
Brooklands
There's a group called Tiger Fly at Wycombe who do flights in a Tiger Moth and, I think, a couple of other types. I'm not sure if you actually get to handle the controls or not, and they're pretty pricey.
The flying club at Cambridge still use Tiger Moths, and I flew a Tiger Moth with the Tiger Club (at Headcorn), although both are a bit far from you.
I think that the club at White Waltham have a Piper Cub: I'm not sure what 'flavour', but FFF can probably tell you.
Otherwise it might be worth having a look in the "where to fly" guides, as these may have ads for "interesting" flying.
Brooklands
Why do it if it's not fun?
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I think that the club at White Waltham have a Piper Cub: I'm not sure what 'flavour', but FFF can probably tell you.
If you want to do tail-dragger flying out of White Waltham, the Cap 10 would be better, but I think that tends to be used for aeros training and won't be particularly fun flown right-way-up. Not sure what the score is with Tiger Moth operations at WW right now, the club itself don't operate any but there is usually someone there offering "trial lessons", and a call to the club should get you the correct phone number.
FFF
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OK it is nowhere near Oxford but how about a floatplane up at Loch Earn? As for the wife, you have to think creatively, lots of very nice hotels up there - make a weekend of it to say thanks for the present.
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I would say choose the Tiger over the Harvard. You can try your hand (and feet!) at flying the Tiger and be able to safely experiment a bit, but as a 150 hr PPL in a Harvard, you'll either be no more than a passenger, or you'll be completely overwhelmed and it will not be a very fun flight.
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RE: Tigerfly mentioned above. Thats who I went with, and I explained that I was doing my PPL. They bunged the stick in and let me have a bit of a pole around - cool. Nice tuition on secondary effects of controls there I think. Only downside is that you can hear the pilot, but cannot talk back (no mike), I guess so that the punters don't interrupt the RT.
The Original Whirly
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A bit more expensive, but if you really want something different, why not try a helicopter?
Lots more fun than any of these f/w things anyway, wherever they put the little wheel.
Lots more fun than any of these f/w things anyway, wherever they put the little wheel.
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Tiger Moth flights are great fun, and if you have a PPL you will do most of the flying. However, if you've not flown in one before, I suggest a 20 min flight for the first time. Certainly don't book anything over 30 mins for the first time. P.M me for contact details of White Waltham Tiger Moth Flights, the season is just starting. Just got back from shaking the cobwebs off a Tiger.
I would be rather worried if I couldn't hear the customer's questions and all "our" Tigers have intercoms and CVRs.
I would be rather worried if I couldn't hear the customer's questions and all "our" Tigers have intercoms and CVRs.