Warbird Information Exchange

Flyride, I don't own a T-6, but if you can get me a loaner i'd love to fly with you. I am sure there are many good T-6 with good pilots in California , you might have to just look around some. My first Mustang ride took me a week, two airshows, and $175 of fuel to arrange, but it was worth it.

You misunderstood me about the "high performance" checkout , I think.

I never said that it is not necessary, but that I would advise a student to use his time and money to get instruction in something that really is high performance when he does the checkout, if he can. As I said a T-6 is great, but if not at least get a fast retract, Mooney or Bonanza or some such. A fixed gear 182 has a constant speed prop, and over 200 hp, but other than that it certainly is only high performance because some reg says it is. To get a "high performance " sign off and not even have retract time seems of less value unless you are going to stick to a Cirrus or Extra or some such. Most warbirds that are genuinly high performance are also retracts. If I was teaching a student from day one, I would incorporate a "gear down" check in each landing so that it becomes ingrained,and when he does fly an advance airplane it is not a big deal. I have soled one student myself in a retract, with very little flight time, and it worked out fine. I think there are good ways to do it.

If you go from learning in a 172, into a T-6, I think you will feel, hear, and know that a 550 hp acro capable military retract really is high performance and not have to look up some reg to see if it is included.

I know, of course, that every student or want to fly student, can't afford a T-6 or have access to one, and that flying anything is good. But don't set your sights too low, or you never get as much as you can.
I

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

wow $175. was that just the gas or did you have to pay another price for the aircraft as well?

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" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."