On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 16:10:03 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote:

I have to agree with Bob. (My apologies Bob)

I'd be inclined to agree with him...once the airplane is airborne and
cleaned up, the skills to steer it and adjust altitude are pretty much what
you learn in a 152.....and you don't have to worry about the rudders.


Nor are you worried about holding altitude or course. So what if you
exceed some limitations. Are they going to use the airplane again?
You aren't worried about the 100 MPH mind in a 500 MPH airplane
either.

There is a big difference between piloting an airplane and just
hitting a target with it. The second one darn near missed.

I could fly the Deb straight and level the first time I got in it, but
it took me a few hours to learn the momentum difference and it took
several hundred hours to really know the airplane.

I find 8 to 10 year old kids who have been "flying" on sims can take
over the controls on the Deb. With only a little coaching they can do
straight and level as well as coordinated turns. That is a lot better
than most Cessna 150 and 172 pilots, or Cherokee pilots do,
particularly if they have a few hundred hours. The pilots typically
have it in a 2G PIO in less than a minute. Of course covering the VSI
helps :-))

The point is: If you are not afraid of stalling, not afraid of holding
altitude, not afraid of breaking the airplane, or getting hurt, no
intention of getting out alive, and your only goal is going from some
point A to B and crashing into B after some one else had done the
take off and climb, it's not that difficult a goal. Hopefully it's
more difficult now days, but not because the plane is difficult to
fly. Probably less difficult than learning to safely solo in a 172.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Bob Gardner