Trike instruction books

Hi everybody,

Can anybody recomend a good book/DVD that describes in detailHOW to fly a trike and their general procedures. I am wanting to read up as much as i can so I can enhance my training.

Thanks

Andy

GA/Triker

I've been told that The Microlight Syllabus made simple (Weight Shift) is quite good though it is based on the UK syllabus. See www.learn2fly.co.uk

The trike flyers manual see http://www.micropages.co.uk/reviews/trikemanual.html though I don't know if you could get it here.

The microlight pilots handbook by Brian Cosgrove has some theoretical information & is widely regarded as "the bible" .

Have you asked your instructor - he may have some material of his own (or be able to recommend some).

John

Thanks John,

I have had a look at the Brian Cosgrove book that you suggested and bought it straight away. I think it has some good stuff in it and will help greatly.

I am currently only 5hrs into my training and looking forward to getting my license. I am having trouble with the landings at the moment...opposite control inputs to GA. Hate that!

Thanks very much for your help.

Glad to help & its good to have another triker on the forum.

I learnt on trikes & later did a 3-axis conversion - the biggest problem I had was steering on the ground.It may help you to think of "flying the wing" rather than the actual input you have to make. Iepicture that you are lowering the right wing rather than moving the control bar to the left.

Another suggestion is that it might be worth not flying 3-axis whilst you are learning - help you to reinforce the "correct" inputs. This can be frustrating though especially if you have a 3-axis and your trike training is taking a while !

I, & many other pilots, regularly fly both types so, once you have a bit of experience in each, switching from 1 to another should be no problem.

Who are you training with in WA ?

John

I actually don't really have an issue with the steering but more the opposite control inputs when on short final...when it really matters. 3 Axis instinct starts to take over and before you know it you're having to 'over-think' about things just to get on the ground safely. And don't get me started on the old pendulum swinging action. I am looking forward to it all becoming second nature though.

I have stopped flying the 172 until I am very happy with the Trike. I love the trike and tell my GA mates that you really need to appreciate the laws of physics when flying one, especially close to the ground. The 172 with its large flight envelope is very forgiving...not the trike, real flying I reckon.

Training in WA is very limited with RAAUS, only the one instructor at the moment. He is good and very knowledgeable but a long way away from me and this has dragged out my training schedule.

I have a low hour 2004 Airborne Edge X with Streak II wing. Lovely.

Nothing to do with the topic- but just thought I'd introduce myself to.

I've just moved up from a nano to a trike (Airborne Redback) and I have it at Mudgee (NSW) with my instructor. I have GA PPLlicenceas well- so conversion shouldnt take long.

I'll then bring the Redback to my farm near Oberon. The hanger is under construction!

Would be good to exchange with you guys. Any idea of how many trikers on the forum??

There don't seem to be too many forum members who are currently fly trikesbut I think there aresome who havein the past.

I fly fromYCAB where there are 8 or 9 trikes from Redback to XT. I think some of the pilots are on the australian microlight club yahoo forum (don't know if I'm allowed to mention that here but its not particularly active anyway)

Good luck with the conversion - both of you please keep posting how you are getting on.

BTW Andy, the latest list of RAA schools shows 3 weightshift FTF in WA ?

Folks,

I have been triking for a while up here in NQ and just returned from Oshkosh with some goodies. I also managed to catch up with Mike Blyth, Chairman/President of MISASA (South Africa) who I stand in awe of at some of his experiences crossing continents.

Back to the subject, in a moment of weakness, whilst escaping from the clutches of the EAA Merchandise store, I could not resist purchasing 4 DVD's on triking -Setting up and packing away trike wings (generic),first experience of triking, Preflighting Trikes and Getting Your Micorlight Licence - all of these were produced by Paul Hamilton.

I just googled his site asfollows:

http://www.ap-store.com/triking.html

I have watched 3 of these DVDs so far and was quite impressed with the detail. I found the explanations and time taken to stress specific points really worthwhile.

Whilst these DVD's are quite expensive in Ozterms, I found them worthwhile additions to our library at Montpelier Microlights.

Sadly, I have not been able to find specific material on unusual attitude recoverynor advanced flight procedures. I have spent over 50 hours in the past months mastering technique required for such and found the practical aspects particularlyrewarding.

Regards

I've just finished reading Freedom Flight by Alan Honeyborne & Ricky De Agrela. It describes the authors' attempt to fly around the world in the smallest aircraft (2 trikes) by the longest possible route. Some of you may have met them when they visited Australia or followed their adventures on the internet.

I've read most of thebooks about long distance trike flights but this one scores highly for being well written with excellent narrative and for presenting a very accurate description of the challenges of undertaking a microlight expedition. Its not a "how to do it" instruction manual but I think most flyers would probably learn something & its a gripping tale of determination. Available in Australia for $65 from [email protected].

PS I should point out that the book contains a photo of me with Ricky & Alan in South Africa so I could be accused of bias but I reckon its well worth the money.

Well how do fellas !!, great to hear from other trikers , Im out in the middle of nowhere, ( Lightning Ridge- North Western NSW. ) Some of you may of heard of it. Black Opal Capital, of the World. Myself and another 3 mates have a Hanger at the Airstrip , and theres 5 other ultra-lights here and there aswell , all with Hangers. We have a great time out hear in the Flat lands. Surrounded with Opal Mining Fields and wheat and grazing Stations. We certainly could do with some rain though, Its as dry as a dead dingo's .... Well you know whatI mean. AnyONE know were I can get a good trikeHEAD SETand PPT. FOR A FAIR PRICE ??Engine noise and wind, And Electrical interference are killing me at the moment. Wich Brand is best for MICRO's . Im using a ICOM - A 22 and I have a raptor Helmut . So any help guys, would be great. Regards

Guys,

General update on my training in my Airborne Redback trike(Ref. my intro. post above..)

With just8 hours to date - I have to drive 340 kms return to my CFI - the biggest difference I'm finding from GA is the affect of summer conditions.. My instructor refuses tofly after 8:30am, so mostly we start at 6:30am (which means leaving home at 4:30am). He says trikes can bite hard in any real turbulence..

I'm interested in the experience of others, as I'm a bit disappointed by this aspect - having also flown hang-gliders for years (+600 hours), where we relished unstable air.

I did also did a few trike hours in the USA - where they fly in any air - but they domostly have ballistic chutes....

Cheers

Chris

Most of the trikes at YCAB tend to fly first thing in the morning - its just far more pleasant flying in smooth air. From the point of view of training its much easier to teach when you aren't being bumped around (whichputs some people off anyway). Maybe this is your instructors rationale.

Not sure what this perceived problem is with trikes in crosswinds ???? Generally the limit on x-wind componentfortrikes is not substantially different from most 3-axis. And given the low landing speeds / distances its often posssible to reduce the component by landing across the landing area anyway.

Trikes in USA are (or were) generally operated under FAR.103 - less than 155kg empty & don'tneed to becertified or even tested. There is also no requirement for a pilot licence / certificate and, under those circumstances, a ballistic chute is maybe no bad thing.

In a certified trike which is flown AND maintained correctly, a mid-air collision is about the only scenario wherea ballistic chute might make a difference IMO.

Cheers

John

Hi Guys,

In talking about wind effect on trikes at ground level, I have done 15 hrs learning the trike (trying to overcome my GA stuff) and just waiting now to go solo before getting my licence. I train in York WA and from what I have been told by others who have flown pretty much all over Australia, country WA is about the windiest place to fly with easterly's in the morning and the Freo Doctor in the afternoon

During my training I often fly in 12+ knot winds on the ground, sometimes even more, and this is at 0530hrs. This has proven challenging when landing but my instructor has a good way of dealing with this. Come in with a little extra speed, fall through the rubbish and once in ground effect a stab on the throttle will straighten you up and then put it on the ground.

Some of the guys here have had to go east to get trained up and tell stories of instructors looking at the windsock and saying things like "did that just move". If it moved that was the end of flying for the day.

Whilst my instructor is waiting on a smooth day before sending me solo (risk management I s'pos) I don't have a problem flying in windy conditions…..up to a point. Having undergone a PPL and now RAAUS, I believe its important to find an instructor who is competent over a range of conditions. This becomes invaluable when you take off in smooth air to find upon your return a couple of hours later that it’s a washing machine. How are you going to get down?

My advice, find such an instructor and enjoy the challenge!

"country WA is about the windiest place to fly"

I've circumnavigated Australia in a trike & there are a few candidates for this title IMO ;)

Good to hear you about your progress - what trike/wing are you training in ?

Cheers

John

Hello again,

I fly an Airborne Edge X 582, 2004 model with a Steak II wing. I have done all of my training in this aircraft and am pretty happy with it. I bought it second hand from Melbourne with 65 hrs TT and in five days drove over from Perth, picked it up and trailored it back. Don't want to do that again in a hurry I can tell you.

My first exposure to maintenance though...which I think can sometimes be as challenging as flying. Need a good GPS and I think I am pretty much set. They are expensive though!

Well that feedback sure is encouraging; I thought I was going to be denied the challenge is flying in anything approaching 'boistrous' conditions.

My instructor says that trikes are inherentlysubject to being 'flipped' in real turbulentair - much more so than hang-gliders, with which I have experience... but never had any real dramas, evenin Summer air.

Yet in the mags - RAA and HGFA - there are regularly stories of triking expeditions in places like Queenland, the Territory, South Africa, etc... and there must be some big air in those places...

Cheers

Chris bushpilot

In my experience, expeditions always have very finite budgets of time and money. Some of them even set out to break or establish records. You obviously can't precisely plan each days flight months ahead, but you do establish targets Eg by the end of week 4 we need to be at XYZ. In these circumstances you can't just wait for perfect (or even reasonable) weather to fly each leg. Thats not to say that you have to fly illegally or dangerously but you do fly on a lot of days when you probably wouldn't take the plane out of the hanger for a purely recreational local flight. Hence the flying on some days is more about endurance than enjoyment - a lot of the pleasure comes from completing the flight (and ultimately the expedition).

As enjoyment is the whole point of recreational flying, most trike pilots (even ones with a HG background) prefer to avoid conditions which HG actively seek & relish. A lot of it is down to pilot preference and everybody has their own tolerence level (which may well change with experience).

Its not necessarily wind strength that is the factor - the areas you mention can all be very "boistrous" even in low wind conditions. Conversely I've flown trikes in more 35kts wind and its been pretty smooth - obviously best if its a tailwind though !

John

Re your GPS Andy - it depends whatyou mean by good !

You can get a brand new Garmin eTrexfor less than $150 on ebay.

What features do you need ?

John

I haven't really had a look at the e-trex but thought it was essentially a trecking GPS for hiking etc. I suppose i wanted a colour moving map that had the essenital way points, ground speed, altimeter etc. An SD card and 12 volt is the way to go I have been told.

It does'nt have to be the best on the market but i don't want to outgrow it either. Of course I don't want to break the budget. The Garmin 96C also looks good and probably about as much as I want to pay.

Quite a fewof the trikes up here use eTrex or something similar. You'reright about their intended function but they still give you speed and heading. You can program in waypoints (by hand or from a PC) and hence get eta. IMO thats enough functionality for the vast majority of flights (with a chart as well of course). Yes external power is pretty essential but a lot of the additional features aren't always that easy to use or see in the trike environment.

I have a Pilot3+ (which is well obsolete now) but I found I rarely used it apart from on major trips. I sort of like doing nav the old fashioned way & keeping my head out of the cockpit !

I've not used the 96C but it has an impressive specification. If I lost or broke my P3+, I would betempted but theprice would pay for quite a few hours flying :)

Cheers

John