Some advice/help please

The standard operating procedure for landing an Emeraude actually includes a small prayer.

Nope, not intentionally….I thought that would be obvious :rolleyes:

Well, I’ve seen enough people doing it intentionally.

But a low houred pilot probably will at some point. We cant all be skygods with 1000’s of hours 😉

I’m not a skygod with 1000s of hours but I did learn on a Condor, with the undercarriage attached to the main spar, and you very soon learn to land it properly as otherwise you bounce back to circuit height.

You do tend to see less banging down of tailwheel aeroplanes as you can’t just push and hope like some people do on nosewheels, well until the nosewheel collapses on them.

I’ve been flying today

Neal

Some people have all the luck — weekday an all…….

🙁

[QUOTE=SimonH]Hi Neal
you cant smack it into the deck like a 152.
QUOTE]

You’ve seen my landings then. 😀 Only joking

I’ve been flying today and did a peach of a landing, if only they were all the same.

Neal

Some great advice here folks, thanks a lot. 😉

Neal

I agree with everything Gromit has to say and would add that before you buy a share have a look at the way the group is set up, does it have a written agreement for instance that details how it is run and how you would leave the group when you want to sell?
I’d also advise you to meet the other shareholders and see how you get on with them. Ask how many shares are for sale, if the are several it’s a sign of a badly run group. I know of at least one group that has 50% of its shareholders clamouring to sell.
Insurance is another issue, you would be jointly and severally liable for any damages caused by the aircraft so avoid anything that doesn’t hold adequate 3rd party cover.
Don’t let all that put you off though, aircraft ownership, group or sole may or may not be more expensive in the long run but it does afford far more freedom than hiring from a school/club if you want to fly more than a couple of times a month.

And if all the boxes are ticked on the above issues, you may also want to look at how restrictive the hangarage, airfield & instructor are.

If it is very difficult to get your a/c out of a hangar, it can put a real downer on the day.

If your airfield has limited flying hours this can also be heartbreaking when planning a day out.

If you have to fly with an instructor for a while, find out what their availability is too.

Mmm, should you be doing that in anything?

Nope, not intentionally….I thought that would be obvious :rolleyes: But a low houred pilot probably will at some point. We cant all be skygods with 1000’s of hours 😉

Some general pieces of advice for any possible aircraft share purchase:

Have a flight with one of the current group members and see if you like the ergonomics, speed, apparent ease of handling etc. of the aircraft in question.

Talk to anyone you meet who has any involvement with a similar aircraft.

Take a close look at the way the group’s finances are set up. There should be an engine fund tied to the hourly rate which allows for the engine reaching rather less than the manufacturer’s TBO. Remember that, generally speaking, everything about an aircraft costs more than you anticipate! If the monthly fixed charge plus one hour’s flying come to much more than an hour’s hire from your local club for an aircraft of similar performance, you need to ask yourself whether you will fly enough hours to make the investment in the share worth while.

The down-side of sharing an aircraft is that you are jointly liable for any expenses that the existing funds can’t cover. In the event of significant engine or structural work being needed, this could prove very painful.

If you find the right aircraft/group to share, it is certainly a great way to build hours, share experiences and continue to learn once you have your PPL.

The insurers will probably want a minimum period of supervised flying, and may up the excess until you have 15-20 hours safely under your belt.
Its a good taildragger to start out on – nice handling, good visibility and very economical.
A standard 112 will be 65hp, no electrics/starter and heel brakes, though several have been modified and I don’t think the factory ever made two identical aeroplanes.

I think you could do a lot worse.

The only gripe he had was that apparently the main gear attaches directly to the wooden main spar which means you cant smack it into the deck like a 152.
.

Mmm, should you be doing that in anything?

Hi Neal
I am no expert but for what its worth, I have a friend who owns a Jodel. He says they are great little planes and do everything well. The only gripe he had was that apparently the main gear attaches directly to the wooden main spar which means you cant smack it into the deck like a 152.

Best thing to do is go and talk to the group and be up front and honest. As long as you dont mess them about they will understand if you deceide its not for you.

There is absolutly nothing wrong with buying that share before the PPL test, and a Jodel is a good aircraft to start taildragging in. However, as Trinny said, be awere of some engineering problems that might affect the aircraft. Before you buy, have an experienced Jodel mender have a look at it to spot any money-sucking-blackholes. If it is given a clean bill of health, then it is certainly a good buy!

Just remember to factor the taildragger check-out into your money calculations, plus the fact that you will need to fly it quite a lot to start with to get proficient on the tailwheel. A good 30 hours in the first year would be a good figure to aim for.

Thanks for the advice. If anyone else has anything to add then please keep it coming

Neal

Most people I know trained ab initio on tailwheel – Cambridge Flying Group still do, would be interesting to know if their premium is ‘loaded’ or not — eg first solos etc.

I tend to think it wouldn’t…

they generally require 100hrs or more before they will insure you

Not at all. Don’t be put off Neal H. Some groups reduce their premiums slightly by ruling out pilots with fewer than 100 hours. The actual effect of admitting a pilot like you will not be that much, provided that you are subjected to training by a suitable instructor.

Also Neal make sure the group’s insurance company will accept you onboard, they generally require 100hrs or more before they will insure you

The Jodel is a fine aircraft and I would have no particular reservations about buying into one. They do come with more than their fair share of engineering Gotchas though so make sure you don’t just take the word of existing group members. Get an independent engineering survey done (cost around £150) before parting with any money at all.

I’ve not actually been offered the share, I have just become aware of a 1/5 share available in a Jodel D112 and was wondering whether to show an interest.

Neal

neal h, I’m with Trinny on this one. Can’t give you any advice, good or bad, unless we know what taildragger you have been offered.