Stick & Rudder - Kitfox Transition Training

Paul Leadabrand spend a day with me showing the specifics about the Kitfox. Please note this was one of my first flights on the Kitfox and still getting used to the aircraft. If you are looking for transition training or simply want to get better at flying, Stick and Rudder Aviation is a great place to look at it.
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Come along with me "To the Idaho Backcountry"
• To the Idaho Backcountry
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[@bartgoins1782]

Alex, I just bought a Kitfox 5 and sent Stick and Rudder an email to get on their schedule. I'm looking forward to getting some great experience, the endorsement, and explore the Idaho back country.

[@AlexDiSessa]

Bart Goins fantastic. Congratulations on the new purchase. You are going to love it.

[@bartgoins1782]

Alex Di Sessa thanks, I appreciate that. Maybe we'll run into each other in the Idaho back country, or at a fly-in some time.

[@AlexDiSessa]

Hope so!

[@bartgoins1782]

I got an email from Paul last night, and he was able to fit me into his busy schedule mid October. Awesome.

[@abledfire]

The guy instructing is patient and explanatory. Awesome CFI.

[@jessyeaviation9201]

Thank you for sharing this flight training Alex, this is very instructional. I'm still learning to fly an ultralight , so your video is a sure way to learn more. Thanks to Paul too, he knows his job and teaches perfectly.

[@pappybo49]

You guys wore me out! I’m an old J3 pilot who can’t fly any more but even laying in this bed I was working that stick and kicking those rudder pedals with every landing. Thanks for the ride.

[@AlexDiSessa]

Thanks for tagging along!!

[@smjj08]

The student needs to smile, you are freaking learning to fly, something some of us can't do!

[@jiefuster]

What a great vid - shows off the Kitfox and the legendary SNR aviation!!

[@TrevorCazes]

wow what an awesome instructor!

[@chrisrose5503]

CFI did a great job of explaining landing energy management at 7:10

[@blancolirio]

Aim point airspeed...it's a high drag, low energy airplane. Thanks for posting!- good stuff.

[@rayfletcher3683]

Power controls climb and decent, attitude controls speed that’s all there is to it!

[@nathanhardin6992]

power controls airspeed. Pitch controls descent and climb. There is a relationship between the two but it is very dangerous to equate altitude with airspeed alone.

[@scottbennett2662]

Nathan Hardin that’s not the case on an approach to landing. It’s referred to as reverse command (or something similar). Think about it this way - the less power, the less far you can glide. If you pitch the nose up, the plane slows (unless you add power). What the instructor should have said during the first few approaches is “add a little power, because your approach angle is flat”. If they had a slightly steeper approach angle, then they wouldn’t need more power - they’d be using the energy stored in their altitude to glide farther (or faster).

[@alizarincrimson123]

Really good video. Really liked the demeanor of the CFI. I think that he created a very relaxed learning environment. Were you new to tailwheel or just the Kitfox?

[@AlexDiSessa]

Steven Allen Boggs little of both. New kitfox specific after my tailwheel endorsement on a Citabria.

[@joshmccarthy7943]

Instruction is an art of how far you can push constructive criticism .Push it to far and student loses confidence in them selfs and it starts to fall apart. The only thing that is a benefit is how a pilot handles pressure.

[@KBHLION]

Helpful!

[@joshmccarthy7943]

I had one instructor say treat your passengers like children. I said don’t think that right you could have David Attenborough on the plane who has so many degrees I think he deserves some respect with out treating passages like children.

[@musoseven8218]

Great video, very useful, really great CFI. I think with LSA/microlights/ultralights, you can't afford to let your feet, go to sleep.

[@Iamnabil]

I know you were being actively instructed, but MAN, every one of those approaches looked low to me. I don't know if it is the camera angle or what, but the pucker factor seemed high for every landing! Edit: the last two landings didn't look low.

[@AlexDiSessa]

Yes. It was supposed to be low. Training for backcountry operations where we land really short.

[@rayfletcher3683]

When possible / safe , approach high and a little fast. Learn to forward slip. No need to land on numbers. If your engine stops you will make the

[@thomasbyrne5299]

What flap setting are you using for your wheel landings?

[@ednesbit2988]

very good cfi he wants it done right you can tell

[@johnswofford1282]

Loved the video and the training style. Would love to fly with Alex. Thought all of his corrections were simple and easy to follow along with.

[@jan3195]

Nice job, Alex. Thanks for the repetition - very instructional.

[@russatkinson1355]

Did all my PPL check ride maneuvers at Byron. Love the videos. Keep them coming.

[@joshmccarthy7943]

I’ve had some really good instructors who tell you you made mistakes but with out the derogatory on there behalf

[@joshmccarthy7943]

Pilot arrogance I’ve noticed is big problem

[@bradl45]

So GREEN. I think I found my instructor for Sport pilot rating!!

[@ashsmitty2244]

I only jealousy warranted a thumbs down I'd give you one! Thanks for sharing.

[@bbt95762]

very nice - thanks for sharing

[@clarkstonguy1065]

I don't know. Who buys a Kitfox to fly it across the fence at 65 knots? Most people interested in a bush plane are interested in getting into and out of tight airfields, and that means landing slow and avoiding that skimming phase altogether that voraciously eats up landing space. Right?

[@AlexDiSessa]

Right. At the same time the video you watched was a transition training where I was learning how to fly the Kitfox to begin with. Coming from a high performance aircraft, I was getting used to the low speeds.

[@joshmccarthy7943]

I agree good instructor a tad derogative .I had one like him didn’t help some times but also made me better but one time I had a guy who was about how good he was and forgot to teach

[@jamesdean7412]

that guy would stress me out

[@scottstroh3946]

Great job Alex. Planning on going to see Paul for my tail wheel endorsement then shopping for a KF5. Hope to see you out there.

[@barccat]

Must have watched too many Trent Palmer videos.. lol

[@NearlyNativeNursery]

great patient coaching. Thumbs up!

[@deep6thisdeep6this92]

to have safety warning voices and noises going off, and also have it be a necessity to ignore them, is a fundamentally unsafe situation. people end up ignoring them as a matter of course. they serve no purpose, except to create confusion.

[@AV8R_1]

Just curious, Why landing only on the right side of the runway? I also noticed a couple times when he told you not to pull the nose up on short final, it almost look like if you didn’t you would’ve put the wheels down short of the runway. Anticipating the flare is one thing, but driving into the ground before you even get to the runway seems like the outcome would be worse. Maybe it’s just an illusion from the camera position, but it looks like your tires were already ready to touch down while he’s telling you not to ease the nose up.

[@AlexDiSessa]

We stay on the right side so we can see the centerline on the left. Otherwise we can't see it. As for the nose down, it is hard to explain. He was correct on his statement. The more that I pulled up more I sunk. Holding the stick prevents the sink and provides the glide needed to the runway even though it does not seem like. It is completely counter intuitive but that's how it's done. That enables energy to flare and float to the touch down point.

[@rayfletcher3683]

If your speed is low the last thing you do is pitch up . That will loose your remaining lift and the earth will come up to smite you! Power always controls controls climb and decent. Attitude controls airspeed! This instructor is experienced and correct!

[@chrissmithme]

A fantastic instructor!

[@dougww1ectebow]

Not a pilot (yet) but would love this guy to teach me.

[@AlexDiSessa]

He's great

[@quincedapence]

The right wheel pant looks floppy after that hard hit on the edge of the runway. Like it broke free of the one screw.

[@bartgoins1782]

Tons of respect for this CFI, he knows the Kit Fox inside and out, as well as the Idaho back country.

[@deanmiles3505]

Very low approach...loosing the engine you'd be in trouble. Just skimming in if you were at a runway with trees you'd be in them. Overall informative.

[@AlexDiSessa]

that low approach was part of what we were training at that time..

[@earthsciteach]

This video helped me understand why I'm flaring too high. Nice one.

[@lashesfordaze]

Love this instructor.

[@AlexDiSessa]

He's great!

[@mikebeuselinck6138]

14:40 CFI: "See how we made it?" 14:48 Wheels hit the edge of the pavement and cause a bounce.

[@AlexDiSessa]

LOL.. yeah but it got better after that! This was w while ago...... training time!

[@mikebeuselinck6138]

Alex Di Sessa - I think he was wrong to impliedly blame you for not “skimming it in” when he was instructing you to maintain an glide path that would hit the edge of the pavement (which caused the bounce).

[@ilpierpa1973]

Alex I didn't get it...the speeds are in miles? Right?

[@jamesdean7412]

knots I believe

[@stevet8121]

"That's oil pressure, don't worry about that." Sounded funny.

[@AlexDiSessa]

Rotax engines and liquid cooled. The oil takes a long time to warm up. It was right on the green edge so all good.

[@stevet8121]

Thank you for the reply. I'm sure you're a very conscientious pilot and I would fly with you anytime.

[@alejandrosaldana1244]

Great training video! I helped me a lot!

[@AlexDiSessa]

Glad it helped!

[@johnfife3062]

Thanks Alex!

[@slamsshenanigans2296]

This is Byron CA?

[@RedDawnAviation]

Yes

[@gvrose1]

Thanks for posting this video! I am planning to go down this summer and do some kit fix training. .

[@xJonnybx100]

dragging the fuck out of that approach. I don't care what kind of pattern the kit fox flies, if you stay on your VASIs you won't be tempted to stretch the glide