RV8 Transition Training

[Cooperd0g]

I'm looking to buy an IFR RV8 and I live in Virginia. Are there any transition training CFIs in the mid-Atlantic area?

[catmandu]

Just like hard case medicals, it’s worth the time and expense to go to an expert. That’s why I went to Texas and flew with Bruce Bohannon, and I was not disappointed.

But, you and your insurance company can probably be satisfied with training in a -7 if you must stay in the mid-Atlantic.

[Cooperd0g]

Not a must, but certainly convenient. I did just find the official list on Van’s website as well.

[WesSC00]

May I ask how many hours you spent flying with Bruce?

[brad walton]

Bruce Bohannon has a wealth of knowledge and is an excellent instructor. And he is a great guy.

[Foghorn]

Go fly with Bruce! He will tell you when you’re good. I have lots of TW time but my insurance company wanted 5 hrs in type. Flew with Bruce for 1 hour and he said your good to go. Called insurance company back and they reduced my requirement to 1 hour. It’s was a great time!

Practice your golf swing. He offered me double or nothing closest to the pin. He has a green about 75m from the hangar. I didn’t take the challenge.

[D-Dubya]

Another vote for Bruce and his RV-8. He's good at explaining and demonstrating, and he's quite a character. His home grass strip is maybe a 30 minute drive from Houston Hobby, but he does most of the take-off and landing practice at a nearby airport with a nice, long paved runway. Plenty of places to stay and eat on the SW side of Houston while you're there.

If you schedule soon, you will have absolutely no worry about getting rained out of any training sessions and you'll get to practice higher density altitude take-offs while at sea level. It has been soooo stinkin' hot and dry here for months.

Check with your insurance company, but most will accept transition training in any RV tailwheel aircraft if you're looking to get an RV-8. I believe mine wanted ten hours transition training since I had minimal tailwheel time.

[Lkitson]

Originally Posted by WesSC00

May I ask how many hours you spent flying with Bruce?

I did 3.8 hrs with Bruce. My insurance only required transition training. It didn't specify any minimum hours.

[Jerry Kinman]

I had many hours TW time when I got my transition training and my insurance agent allowed me to use any CFI that used a Van's tailwheel aircraft to fly with me until he would sign me off. I flew about 3 hours in the right seat of his RV-6.

[werxcv01]

I flew just over 5 hours with Bruce Bohannon in the RV-8. Highly recommended. I’ve got almost 180 hours and a few hundred safe landings since then in my -8.