Expert opinions

[kkrummy1]

A friend of mine recently bought an older Cessna 150 (1959 vintage). The plane is in great shape and even won an award at Oshkosh a few years back. However the panel is prehistoric with no Gyro horizon or directional gyro. Just your basic turn/bank, airspeed, vsi, and VOR head (Of course it has the necessary engine instruments too).  My question is; is this enough for him to use for flight instruction toward his private license? The 152 I flew had full gyro instruments and that's what I am used to. I'm thinking that not having at least a directional gyro may hamper him a bit. Opinions??

[G-man]

He could use it for most of his training but would need to rent a better equiped aircraft for some of it----for example FAR 61.109 (a)(3) requires 3 hours of instrument flight.

[Mike]

When I was teaching private and such, I tended to cover everything up anyways. Made the guys and gals fly by looking outside and look at the horizon rather than chasing the instruments. I think if you can fly, then every instrument you add later will just make you better.
If he is planning on getting an instrument rating and a commercial later, then maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to add stuff.

The only reason why I like to have instrumentation is for getting caught in IFR conditions. But in helicopters we rather stay far away from them...

Other than that, I'm with G-Man. As long as you can finish your training legally by using another plane to finish your requirements, keep the plane vintage and stick in a hand held GPS.

(he might have to take the checkride in the other plane as well, not sure what the PTS says about VOR's, and flying headings, and demonstrating instrument flight)

[Baradium]

It says you need to log hood time, but does the aircraft has to be IFR certified or equipped?   You can fly under a hood on just a turn coordinator... it's just not really all that fun.  I also seem to recall almost never having the horizon or directional gyro availible during flight training anyway.

Also, if that's all he has, it could make him a better instrument pilot if he eventually transitions into flying an aircraft that has all the toys.   

No DG could be annoying, but if that's what he learns off of he could do it.  It would also stop him from errors resulting from gyroscopic precession on cross country flights as well.

If this is going to be his aircraft, he's much better off doing his hood time in it since that is what he would be in if he really did inadvertently encounter instrument conditions.

[kkrummy1]

Well..... The problem has become moot. He and his instructor took it to one of our local fields for cheap gas and on departure, just about to rotate, hit three deer on the runway and totaled the airplane.     It was his first flight in the plane.  Fortunately only the deer were injured (actually chopped to bits)!  He is heartbroken but is currently looking for another bird. The insurance company was very quick to assure him that this was "one of those things" and "not to worry".

[Baradium]

Do they let you keep the deer there?

Might as well get some venison out of it anyway...

That really does stink though,  hell of a first flight.

[Turbomallard]

Oh, deer.

[Ragwing]

I have several more pictures that are better than this.
The final picture shows that maybe  they were able to reuse the nose gear.



http://www.nycaviation.com/2012/11/us-customs-service-jet-destroyed-by-a-deer/#.UMF5Wdfhcbo
A Cessna Citation business jet owned by United States Customs and Border Protection was destroyed earlier this month when it crashed into a deer while landing in South Carolina.

According to a preliminary NTSB accident report, the Cessna Citation II (N6763L) was completing a post-maintenance test flight on November 17 and had just touched down on Runway 9 at Greenwood County Airport when a deer ran out from the adjacent woods and onto the runway.

During the landing rollout, the plane’s left wing made contact with the deer just above the left main landing gear, causing a fuel tank in the wing to burst.

The two pilots — the plane’s only occupants — were able to bring the plane to a stop on the runway and escaped uninjured, but the plane burst into flames and was completely destroyed.

South Carolina-based Stevens Aviation operated the plane under contract with US Customs.

There was no word on the condition of the deer.

[Oddball]

Pity about the 'plane but the important thing is..........................did they manage to get the deer carcasses clear and was there any usable venison left?

[Rooster Cruiser]

They had a good enough fire going to have cooked that deer BBQ style!   

RC

[Mike]

Well..... The problem has become moot. He and his instructor took it to one of our local fields for cheap gas and on departure, just about to rotate, hit three deer on the runway and totaled the airplane.     It was his first flight in the plane.  Fortunately only the deer were injured (actually chopped to bits)!  He is heartbroken but is currently looking for another bird. The insurance company was very quick to assure him that this was "one of those things" and "not to worry".

Boy, I hope your buddy keeps flying! That's a hell of a first flight. What a bummer!
Might turn some people off from aviation I can imagine....

[kkrummy1]

The highway Patrol was called to the scene and cited the deer for failure to yield the right of way and jaywalking. Airport personnel hauled away the carcasses wearing bibs and carrying knives, forks and a big bag of charcoal.  The airport restaurant had a venison special all the next week. My friend is determined to continue in his quest to fly, but has given up hunting as the ammo is to expensive. Several uninvolved deer had a memorial service and then a protest march against the airport.