A fool and His Dream

[Norman Langlois]

I ask all to note the post by, Jedi. He is my CFI. I won't aggravate this any,with rebuttals to negatives. Instead I ask anyone that can and wishes to help.I live in central New Hampshire. If you scan the other thread [Test flight progress Norms flying boat]. There is my Ph No. I also ask you read up to date on that thread. Or to make your wish to help known to me in any other way. I tried two of my local CFI contact info I got no reply. flying to a distant place may be an option in your view its not due able in mine.

[hydroguy2]

Norman, I will apologize for my comment if you took it to be negative. I wish you the best in your endeavor, but feel strongly that you need to get some proper training. If I did not express my feelings on this and you got yourself hurt or worse, I would have much guilt.

[Norman Langlois]

Id like to bring this thread back to light.
First not to stir , but to remind those that may be contemplating a build then learn to fly attitude. It wont be simple and smooth if you do the extreme and design as I did. All the aforementioned cautions duely noted and respected .

I took my plane to a local fly in by trailer. On the first day there I was approached by a thread follower. Who asked me to try hard to get some dual flight training. On the second day there was An CFI . I asked what his opinion of such training, and its relevant value in my case as he was able to see and did view my seaplane. Unless it is more type specific Virtually useless. He left me with a note he would try an arrange something . That has not come about yet .

I have performed a lift off as of this morning and of course the related landing See Norms flying boat flight testing for the details

Regards to all one step at a time health and weather permitting

[maxfig]

I see you are decided to proceed with your dream, I agree that if our old guys had those fears in mind we wouldn't have any airplane today. I have had the same dream as you all my life, I just haven't done anything about it do to a lack of money, and I don't feel sure anybody will let me fly on any airpor around this area. the only thing I recomend you is to proced with a lot of caution. firs try your airplane very well on the ground, make sure you can control it. If you notice what most people who try to fly without experience have in common is fear, once they go up they panic, to avoid that first do a lot of what they call grass hope, in other words elevate just a few feet above the grownd and land again, when you have the feelling that you are oke, then try something like just flying a pattern, and try not to go up too fast. In other words try to train yourself before you go too far.

This advice, is what I have always been planing for the moment when I build my own ultralight. I believe for your what you wright that you can do it, but once again a lot of caution and train yourself well.

I wish you a lot of luck, and I hope everything goes well for you.

[Flyfalcons]

On the second day there was An CFI . I asked what his opinion of such training, and its relevant value in my case as he was able to see and did view my seaplane. Unless it is more type specific Virtually useless.

Honestly that CFI should turn his certificates in for giving such bad advice. Good luck Norman, and let's hope you don't end up like the many others who think they can teach themselves to fly.

It can't be that hard right?

[Norman Langlois]

Why did you narrowly copy that quote as you show it its entirely misleading.

I wish you had read more thoroughly what I said . he didn't believe that LSA type aircraft like a J3 would do me any good. It needed to be more type specific. Particularly a seaplane. he said He would try to help . Unfortunately I have lost all those type aircraft that would have made a real difference. I am not going to find that. So where am I. Fist I am going to say this now even if no one agrees .Because I designed my aircraft I had to learn more than any student pilot would have to . If I had made a mistake I wouldn't be writing this post. I flew the plane last Saturday morning. I will attribute that to an error and my long time in flight simulation . The error is I never intended to fly it above 5 ft. However whats done is done 50 ft or 5 ft I still had to land it and I did . The training I need is just time in the cockpit and small steps at a time.

[Flyfalcons]

Norman, designing a plane doesn't mean you know anything about flying it.

[steveinindy]

The error is I never intended to fly it above 5 ft.

Given the construction of most light aircraft, that's still enough to wind up dead.

he didn't believe that LSA type aircraft like a J3 would do me any good. It needed to be more type specific

...and you missed the point that both FlyFalcons and I think he's a blithering moron for that attitude. Any training is better than none at all and trying to teach yourself to fly is questionable at best.

Because I designed my aircraft I had to learn more than any student pilot would have to

To put Falcons' point a little more bluntly: that's a load of crap. The difference between understanding how to build an airplane and how to fly one is a bit like the difference between knowing how to dissect a human heart and how to perform open heart surgery. In the best of cases, the knowledge from the former will allow you to do a marginal job at the latter. In average to worst cases, it's just enough false security to get someone killed.

If I had made a mistake I wouldn't be writing this post. I flew the plane last Saturday morning. I will attribute that to an error and my long time in flight simulation

You got lucky. Very lucky. Where your lack of experience and training will get you is most likely the first time you have an issue with the engine or you are operating under less than ideal conditions. While "type specific" training is nice, any experience in an aircraft with similar wing loading and power loading will be cross-applicable. Even in aircraft that require type certification, the basics of flying are the same: if you can land a 737, chances are you can land a 757 or 767 or even an A320 or maybe one of the jumbos. It's not too late to stop risking your neck because you think you're being safe by being "cautious" (by your own definition if no one else's). If you don't seek formal training, this discussion will very likely be discussed in an NTSB report much the same way discussions on the VAF forums were mentioned in the Dan Lloyd crash debacle.

[Norman Langlois]

I am tired. of your obstanence you are most obviously of a single mind . If it were as you say you would not be flying anything nothing would ever have been created nore would there ever have been an ultralight era because they all had to developed and be flown and not all were done by existing pilots.
I NEVER SAID I WAS FLYING WITHOUT GUIDANCE. This ends any further posting by me you have your opinions other have theirs and We do not agree.

[Dana]

Norman, that's exactly the point. Your lack of training or experience led you to go ten times higher than you intended, and you were very lucky to get it back down again in one piece.

Yes, during the "golden age" of ultralights many people flew without instruction. Some survived... and many people died or destroyed their airplanes, leading to the bad reputation ultralights have to this day.