Ben Charvet

Home ] Up ] Bernard Pietenpol ] [ Ben Charvet ] Ben Taylor N6350 ] Bill Church ] Bill Rewey NX17WR ] Blue and Silver ] Bob Siebert ] Brown Aero ] Carl Loar ] Carson Vella ] C-FAUK ] C-GDCB ] Charlie Miller ] Chet Heartly ] Chris Clarke ] Chris Gomez ] Chris Tracy ] Chuck Gantzer NX770CG ] Clif Dawson ] Corky ] Corvette Piets ] Craig Aho ] Dan Helsper ] Danilode-Maria ] Dennis Hall, Air Camper ] Dennis Hal, Sky Scout N899EM ] Dick Alkire ] Dick Navratil N2RN, N25RN ] Disassembled Old Piet ] Don Emch NX899DE ] Don Hicks ] Doug Bryant ] Doug Hunt ] Douwe Blumberg ] Duane Woolsey ] Ed Grentzer ] Edilson Secco (Brazil) ] Ernie Moreno ] Everett Millit ] Frank Pavliga NX899FP ] Fred ] G-ADRA  (Arthur Mason) ] G-BKVO ] G-BMLT ] G-BRXY ] G-BUCO (Alan James  ) ] G-BXZO ] G-BWAT ] G-BWVB ] G-CCKR ] G-ECVB ] G-PIET ] Gar Williams ] Gary Bell ] Gary Boothe ] Gary Enneking ] Gary Read ] Gene Hubbard ] Greg C. and Dale J. NX18235 ] Hal Danby ] Hank ] Harvey Rule ] Howard Henderson 444HH ] Iluhkin Vladimir Aleksandrovish ] Jack Phillips ] Jack Textor ] Javier Cruz ] Jim Boyer ] Jim D. ] Jim Markle ] Jim Sury (GN-1) ] Joann ] John Botsford ] John Dilatush (Subaru Power) ] John Doing ] John Greenlee ] John Rocca ] Joshua Harel ] Ken Perkins N34KP ] Kevin Purtee  NX899KP ] Kinsella ] Kirk Huizenga ] Kurt Shipman ] Larry Cowell ] Larry Prang ] Larry Williams ] Limington ] Lowell Frank NX497AR ] Marvin Stoval ] Matt Paxton ] Max Davis ] Mehlin Smith N161DW ] Mike Cuy ] Michael Green ] Michael Groah ] Mr. Sam ] Murry Bartley ] N28LT ] N30PP (GN-1) ] N419F (GN-1) ] N497AR ] N58TL ] N626 ] N3513 ] O'Hara, Howe & Others ] Pat Green ] Paul Poulin C-GZHT ] Paul Shenton ] Paul Siegel ] Pete Smith N194PS ] Randy Bruce ] Randy Bush ] Red and White ] Rick Holland ] Richard Schreiber ] Robert Searfoss ] Roman Bukolt N20795 ] S Piet ] Santiago Morete ] Shawn Wolk ] Simon McCormack ] Sky Scout ] Steve Eldredge ] Sugar River Piet ] Ted Davis N13691 ] Texas Air Museum ] Tim Mickel (N57TL) ] Tulsa Weidgen (GN-1) ] Ty Daniels N518EP ] Vergil Chapman ] Vix ] Walter Argenbright ] Walt Evans ] Walt Bowe ] Walter Fuller (GN-1) ] Wayne, Bob and Jeff ] Will Graff ] William Wynne ] Yesterday Wings ] Micellaneous ] Biplane Pietenpol ]

 

After watching the wind sock stand straight out for a week, today finally was the day.  I did one high speed taxi down the runway, just to make sure the airspeed indicator worked (it didn't come alive till the tailwheel came up).  Lined up on the runway and went for it.  This was the first time the new engine had seen full throttle, but it came right up and I was off.  I'm in Florida , call me a wimp, but it was in the 40's here this morning.  Following the recommendations in the FAA advisory circular I climbed up to 3000 ft (Real cold up there).  This was my first flight in any Pietenpol.  I've been flying an old Baby Ace for the last 3 years, and the Piet was really quite an improvement.  It seems to be about 15 mph faster.  I was cruising easily at 78 mph at 2050 rpm.  I'll take the GPS up with me to see if that is accurate, but it just seemed faster using ground reference.  I even flew down the interstate and outran some trucks!

 

I was determined to stay up for an hour, and by then I was really getting chilled.  I was really surprised that the Piet is a lot less draggy than my Baby Ace.  I overshot the first landing, the folks on the ground thinking I was doing a fly-by.  The second approach was still a little fast, but I managed to do what I considered an amazing landing, considering how many people were watching.  I'll attach a post-flight picture with the "Pietenpol Grin".  The airport bums and my wife went out for a celebratory lunch, and I went back to the airport for a post-flight inspection.  While I was doing that a stranger drove up and congratulated me on my first flight.  He introduced himself as an FAA inspector!  He was a real nice guy, though and asked if I would be going to Sun-N-Fun (70 miles past my Phase 1 radius).  I told him I would if I could fly my 25 hrs off.  He said if I could get 15 hours on it he would write me a waiver!  Look for me parked in the homebuilders corner.

 

After I put it all back together, the wind sock was starting to droop, and a friend was dragging out his J-3.  I figured, why not go again, so off I went.  I climbed up to 2500 feet this time.  It was around 3 PM by this time, and it was still cold up there.  I decided to check out the dreaded Pietenpol Airfoil Stall.  I slowed it till it was showing 28 mph on the airspeed indicator and felt the burble, and called that close enough.  About that time I could see my friend's J-3 taking off.  I had handed my camera to a buddy that was riding along with him and he got a great shot of my Pietenpol time maching with the Kennedy Space Center in the background. I'll attach that too.

 

In all I flew 1.9 hours today, and if it warms up a little and the weather cooperates, I should be able to take my wife up for her long-awaited first ride soon.  This list has been a great help and inspiration.  Hope we can get a good showing at Sun-N-Fun.  Get building guys, its worth it!

 

Ben Charvet

NX866BC

23.1 hrs to go