Author: David Domeier <david010@...> Time: Wed Jan 9, 2002 6:17 pm PST Link
Mike,
It would appear you are a young pilot with lots of dreams of what one
can do in an airplane. Most of us learn by doing and with some luck,
live to talk about it. Take it from an old retired coot pilot who still
loves to fly, your dreams are not unusual, but your approach makes one
wonder if you appreciate all that is known about aviation.
The higher one goes in an airplane, the more hostile the environment
gets. That's why high flying jets cost big $$ and the guys who fly them
get lots of training to deal with that hostile environment. It starts
with learning about life with too little oxygen in an altitude chamber.
That experience teaches one just how dangerous it is and how quick the
lights go out when the O2 system leaves you.
Contributing to the problem of too little O2 up high are other insidious
factors. (1)Temperatures are very cold even in the summer months. (2)Jet
streams can produce Clear Air Turbulence unlike anything except in a
thunderstorm. (3)High flying jets make very dangerous wake turbulence,
worse than low flying jets. (A 727 once passed in front of a Velocity at
12000 feet near Orlando. The Velocity flipped inverted, went into a
flat spin and hit the ground in that attitude, not a good day at all.)
You mentioned a plan to routinely fly outside the envelope of your RV in
a pursuit of speed and altitude and qualified it as an "experimental"
consideration. Van's has determined the safe envelope for the RV's (as
do all good aircraft designers). That "experimental" effort established
envelope and flight beyond it is no longer experimental but unhealthy.
It's a little like sniffing anthrax, something very bad could happen.
Author: "davidd010" <david010@...> Time: Wed Jan 9, 2002 6:24 pm PST Link
In conclusion, Mike, there's nothing wrong with dreams about flight
and the things one can do an airplane. But all these machines have
their limits and it is easy to expect too much. I think maybe you
are expecting too much out of an RV.
dd
Author: Bill Strahan <Bill@...> Time: Thu Jan 10, 2002 8:33 pm PST Link
It is something to consider if you want speed though. Indicated airspeed
can be within the green arc at 15,000-20,000 feet and your true airspeed is
substantially higher. My AA5 can enter the yellow arc at sea level standard
day (really just above sea level...grin) but I can get the same TRUE
airspeed and be well within the green arc at 8,500'. At 10,000 I'm 20
indicated away from the yellow arc, but still getting speed that would put
me within the yellow arc down low.
Flying high is probably safer assuming you have oxygen and systems for
operating at the altitude. The 727 passing the Velocity could have happened
at 10k or 8k... you get the idea.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Domeier [mailto:david010@s...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 8:16 PM
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [RV7and7A] High Altitude and Small Airplanes
Mike,
It would appear you are a young pilot with lots of dreams of what one
can do in an airplane. Most of us learn by doing and with some luck,
live to talk about it. Take it from an old retired coot pilot who still
loves to fly, your dreams are not unusual, but your approach makes one
wonder if you appreciate all that is known about aviation.
The higher one goes in an airplane, the more hostile the environment
gets. That's why high flying jets cost big $$ and the guys who fly them
get lots of training to deal with that hostile environment. It starts
with learning about life with too little oxygen in an altitude chamber.
That experience teaches one just how dangerous it is and how quick the
lights go out when the O2 system leaves you.
Contributing to the problem of too little O2 up high are other insidious
factors. (1)Temperatures are very cold even in the summer months. (2)Jet
streams can produce Clear Air Turbulence unlike anything except in a
thunderstorm. (3)High flying jets make very dangerous wake turbulence,
worse than low flying jets. (A 727 once passed in front of a Velocity at
12000 feet near Orlando. The Velocity flipped inverted, went into a
flat spin and hit the ground in that attitude, not a good day at all.)
You mentioned a plan to routinely fly outside the envelope of your RV in
a pursuit of speed and altitude and qualified it as an "experimental"
consideration. Van's has determined the safe envelope for the RV's (as
do all good aircraft designers). That "experimental" effort established
envelope and flight beyond it is no longer experimental but unhealthy.
It's a little like sniffing anthrax, something very bad could happen.
Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
www.vansaircraft.net
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