Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Piper Model: PA-22 Nickname: Pacer
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: piston single

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 3
> Number of Times Flown: 3
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 154
> Date First Flown: 3/22/2006
> Location First Flown: Beagle Airpark, OR
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Steve Pankonin of “Steve’s Aircraft”

Recollections: My first (and only) exposure to date with the PA-22 Pacer was while serving at a Test Pilot for the FAA.  Steve Pankonin, owner of “Steve’s Aircraft” had applied for an Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Pacer with a 180 HP engine with a constant speed propeller.  The Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) test program called for conducting flight tests as part of the approval process.  The flights were flown out of Steve’s home airfield, Beagle Airpark, an unusual “one way in, one way out” airfield.

I flew one flight with Steve, and then two solo flights to complete the test plan.  The solo flights were required due to test-specific weight and balance requirements.  My flights included  the following:

–forward/heavy flight; cooling climb, heat rise, stall speed, static long stab and misc.

–most aft cg, longitudinal control, static lat/dir (failed directional stability test), stall char’s

–repeat of N-beta (static directional stability) test, with cg shifted forward and using rudder trim; still unsat

In the end, Steve made changes to the rudder system to pass the directional stability test and he received his Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). I was very impressed by Steve’s small, but professional, operation. He does a LOT of parts manufacturing, (In FAA parlance: PMA–Parts Manufacturing Authority) and is well known for quality products.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: North American Aviation (NAA) Model: P-51 Nickname: Mustang
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single (huge!) piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 6/25/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 4
> Number of Times Flown: 3
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 30
> Date First Flown: 10/17/1986
> Location First Flown: NAS Patuxent River, MD (KNHK)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Bob Bryne (USNTPS Qual Eval)

Recollections: Yep, you’re reading it right…have flown the Mustang 3 times.  Twice in the Navy (first time as a USNTPS Student, doing Qual Eval 3, and later–with Doug Schultz in the same airplane) and one more time in 2022 as part of an FAA flight test “Upset Avoidance and Recovery Training” course, flown with John Black of the UAT company, who do an excellent job with upset training.  Not exactly a high time Mustang pilot (like those that own them or the lucky ones who somehow figure out how to fly one for somebody else), but enough to be comfortable in the plane.  Looking at my logbook, I see that I’ve landed it 17 times (4 on the first flight, 12 times with Doug–>I remember wanting to focus on landings during that flight, and then 1 most recently).

Qual Eval 3–the exercise for which I first flew the P-51–followed “QE1 and QE2” are part of the over-arching “Qual Eval” program which is designed by USNTPS to breed a fundamental skill into it’s graduates…the skill of “adaptability”….being able to adapt to new aircraft, to understand what to study, how to prepare, how to test and how to report on the results of their testing.  This is a skill which is relatively easy to explain, but difficult to achieve and it requires students at the school to first conduct these “mini test programs” under the tutelage of an instructor, eventually transitioning to doing it on their own.  The learning NEVER ends, however.  38 years after graduating from USNTPS, I still conduct “Qual Evals”, both in my job and for pleasure. 

The flight as a student at TPS required a test plan before and then a full report after.  In the report, I didn’t hold back, noting the extremely high control forces, very slow roll rate (at least compared to post-WW2 designs) and a bevy of human factors issues.  But, the report also contains a detailed paragraph on the “Device Indicating Condition of Korelation”….this device was bigger following that P-51 flight in 1986.  Much bigger.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Grumman American Model: AA-5 Nickname: Traveler
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: piston single

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 6/25/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 4
> Number of Times Flown: 3
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Cheetah, Tiger

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 2
> Date First Flown: 4/7/1974
> Location First Flown: Orange County, CA Airport (KSNA)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: James S. Dearth, CFI, North American Aviation Flying Club

Recollections: It’s funny….I don’t remember the sequence of flights at all but I flew this 4 seater (the bigger brother of the AA-1 Yankee/Trainer) once before I solo’d the Yankee.  Perhaps a Yankee wasn’t available this particular day. Regardless, I suspect Mr. Dearth was exposing me to different airplanes, in anticipation of a career full of different airplanes.  I flew the bigger AA-5 one more time w/Dearth after I started solo’ing the AA-1 and then flew it solo as well later that same summer.  

One could argue that the AA-1 and 5 should be counted as the SAME airplane but–considering these were the first two airplanes I solo’d and the fact that one had twice as many seats and 40+ more horsepower as the other…. I feel justified claiming two!  🙂

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: DeHavilland Model: DHC-1 (T MK 2) Nickname: Chipmunk
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/6/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 6
> Number of Times Flown: 5
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 65
> Date First Flown: 11/15/1989
> Location First Flown: Unknown
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Qual Eval associate with USNTPS

Recollections: My Navy logbook from 1989’s first flight in a Chipmunk is scare with information.  Based on the timing, it’s likely that I conducted a Qualitative Evaluation (QE) of the design during a field trip but my records are poor.

The 2nd time I flew a “Chippie” was in 2002, while attending “FAA flight test initial training” at National Test Pilot School in Mojave, CA.  I flew then with Ron Bradley, on a “Spin Demo”.  This flight (which I repeated several times during my FAA career) involves conducting approximately 6 spins, applying various input and recovery techniques and analyzing altitude loss, spin attitude and rate, etc.  Priceless training for anyone involved in testing a new design’s spin characteristics.

The most recent time I flew was as an instructor, teaching formation flying to a Chipmunk owner.  The design is classic, well balanced on the controls and a challenging tail dragger to land.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: American Champion Model: 7/8KCAB Nickname: Citabria or Decathalon
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 6/25/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 15
> Number of Times Flown: 11
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 164
> Date First Flown: 8/13/2009
> Location First Flown: Skagit Regional Airport, WA (KBVS)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Rich Stowell

Recollections: This venerable design escaped my gaze until 2009 when–as part of an FAA training program–our local Flight Test office decided to hire the famous instructor Rich Stowell to fly his Decathlon to our area and administer tailwheel and aerobatic refresher training.  I fell in love with the design’s light and responsive controls and its relatively well-behaved ground-handling characteristics.

I went on to get checked out in a Citabria at Fox Field, near Lancaster, CA (nearby Edwards AFB, where I spent quite a bit of time doing Boeing testing) and I’d take it to my brother’s place in central California during weekends off.  Both models are wonderful taildraggers.