[vezePilot]

I started flying my VariEze yesterday. After flying only Cessnas primarily, with only about 2 hours in the back seat of a canard type, it's basically like learning to fly a single seat airplane. You can talk about it and study it all you like, but you cannot get an instructor or safety pilot to help you thru the first few landings. At some point you just have to get in the thing and go fly it. Hopefully you're ready, and with knowledgeable advisors you can get opinions other than your own. But unlike training in a Cessna, you simply cannot be sure.

I was fortunate, and I seem to have benefitted from using X-Plane. After about 10 *Nose Lifts* flying the canard at 60 mph (25 mph less than Vr) on two different days, I finally decided it was time to leave the throttle forward *this time* and fly.

The plane was a bit sluggish finally getting off the ground. I must not have had it leaned properly, because my O-235-L2C is in good condition and I was carrying only half fuel (2 hours worth). But it flies great. I took it up from Longmont, CO 2V2 elev. 5050 ft and climbed at 100 mph up 7,000, then nosed over a bit and climbed at 120 mph to 9,000. D/A at 2V2 on takeoff was 6,000 ft.

Did some slow flight, turns, sped up and slowed down. Visibility from the aircraft is great, thru that bubble canopy. Visibility of the aircraft by others is not so good. Gotta watch everywhere for traffic. Having ridden a street motorcycle for many years helps here. The philosophy *They're ALL out to get me* is applicable. I logged 1.1 hours in this first solo in the plane.

Advisors had previously figured I'd need to do a couple of aborted landings before I could set her down. This is historically the case for novices. I believe X-Plane is very useful in this regard. I have trained in the sim flying a replica that I believe to be quite accurate. The speeds and positions learned in X-Plane were exactly right when the time came. I landed pretty well on my first attempt. Touch and goes are not recommended in my O-235 VariEze. There is too much of a chance of a prop strike.

This is because when the plane is on the ground and speed is still above 60 mph, you must hold the canard in the air. Keeping the Nose Wheel off the ground whenever possible is the only way to avoid constant rebuilding of the nose gear and surrounding structure. It's a *design feature* that the nose gear is so light and fragile. That (relatively) big O-235 really wants to grind the prop to bits, it really does. Landings should be accrued with stop-and-goes or simply a great many takeoff/landing cycles.

Mine will keep the nose in the air down to 42 mph indicated, whereas my advisor says that should be more like 50 mph. That's how much mine wants to go over backwards. Careful analysis many times, a recent weighing on high-quality scales, and 25 lbs ballast way up front have me in the *first flight box* near the middle of the CG range. And it is still very sensitive in pitch.

It's a great little airplane, though strictly day-VFR. I'll being flying it alot from now on to really get used to it, before carrying a passenger will be possible. I would like to fly it down to Phoenix to visit my parents. My Dad wants to go for a ride in it.

[Andrew]

Congrats Curt!  Sounds like you had a blast!