New Member interested in Bearhawk LSA

[GDuncan]

Happy New Year and Greetings to all!!!

My first flying lesson was about a week after my 16th birthday in 1975 in a PA-22 150. At about 5 hrs my instructor arranged for the use of a no electrics 65 hp Luscombe 8A because as he put it "No student of mine is not going to learn spins regardless of the FAA no longer requiring that training anymore". I soloed at 8 hrs in the Luscombe and went back to the tri-pacer and then checked out to also solo in a Grumman Tiger and a Piper J5 that had been updated to the same as a PA-12. When I moved out of home at 18 after High school I didn't have the finances to continue flying. I had 66 hrs logged and being a teenager I had been enjoying the flying and not working on getting the written done to get my private license. Fast forward about 35 yrs I finally realize while calculating the cost of my next racing car I figured out that it wasn't going to be much different than getting back into flying. So I found a place near home here in Tucson, AZ and 8 months later I am a licensed Sport Pilot with no plane to fly yet and no rentable LSA's in my area. So I'm now building up savings and researching what aircraft I want to own that will also please my non pilot normal person wife of 32 years.

So trying to decide if the Bearhawk LSA is the one for me. I really like everything about the BH LSA except I'm not sure about tandem seating instead of side by side. My wife especially because of riding behind me on motorcycles many years ago only being able to see out to the side or behind, for one reason. She has only been up in anything less than an airliner twice, both times in Cessna 182's. Being only 5' tall, even the first ride in the front seat she could not see over the instrument panel for any forward visibility and brings that up quite often. Hence the desire for side by side seating combined with a low profile instrument panel like I've seen in pictures of the BH LSA.

Any chance of meeting up with any Arizona Bearhawk owners for a chance to sit in their Patrol or LSA and/or go for a tandem back seat ride to see if we could live with that seating arrangement?

Greg

[John Massaro]

Happy New Year Greg and welcome to the forum!

Like yourself, I too have sought to find a BH LSA locally to try on for size before taking the plunge and start building.

I know of one person currently building a LSA in AZ. He has his wings completed and he's just started the fuselage, so nothing to try on for size there.

Faced with the same "wanting to see if the shoe fits" dilemma, we're heading to Florida next month to the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo to see a flying LSA up close and meet Mark Goldberg of Avipro.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of power plant were you thinking of using?

[Wayne Massey]

Greg – Welcome to the group! You’ve come to the right place to ask questions. With your previous flying experience the Bearhawk LSA is right up your alley. Regarding side by side verses tandem seating I can relate very well to your thinking. Like you my wife and I used to do some motor cycle riding. I figure she got tired of sitting behind me all the time. I bought an Aeronca Chief several years ago because of the side by side seating. I thought my wife or kids would feel better sitting next to me when we went flying. It was great when my kids were little but as they grew the elbow room began to shrink. With my wife and I when flying we sit shoulder to shoulder so it gets to feel a little restrictive after a while. We end up only making short flights. The reality is that most of the time I end up flying by myself.

I had the opportunity to take my wife flying in the Patrol. I noticed as we flew along she was really looking around side to side enjoying the ride. I asked her if she preferred side by side seating or tandem. It surprised me when she indicated that she liked tandem better. It offers more elbow space, less restrictive, better views and was a lot more comfortable.

From my personal experience I ended up being completely wrong about side by side seating. I love my Chief but I’ll be trading it in for a Bearhawk LSA.

[GDuncan]

John & Wayne, Thank you for the Welcome!

The J5 I flew as a teenager was of course tandem seating but I was never in the back seat, only the front and I do remember liking the visibility being in the middle. As common as headsets are these days, cockpit communication would not be an issue in a tandem seating arrangement like it was in the "old days". Side by side does have the advantage of better access to the instruments and radios to both persons over tandem seating. I'm 6' & 215 lbs. and my wife is 5' and about 100 lbs. which does help in the elbow and shoulder room department of side by side if seats are separately adjustable, but could be an issue if I take my nephew up who is 6' 7", 225 lbs and size 15 shoes! I'll just keep looking for an opportunity to get some tandem back seat time to see how we both would like it. Or if I had a Rec. or PP license I know of a tandem seating Champ I could rent...

John - A Continental like Barrows has in the prototype would definitely be a good choice. Though the alternative engine setup my dad offered me might be hard to turn down. I just have to go to Washington state this summer to get it and a bunch of his aircraft specific tools he offered me that he no longer uses since retiring. He has been an A&P for about 45 years and an IA for some of that up until he retired.

[jaredyates]

I've met more wives that prefer tandem seating than side-by-side seating once they've tried both. Plus, with a few minor building decisions and a few hours of flight training for her, you could make her seat the front seat when you fly together. The back seat in most taildraggers provides more of a challenge with directional control too, which will keep you from getting bored.

[Jeffrey]

Morning people,I live in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and would like to start building a Lsa this year. I hope this post ends in the section intended so please bear with me. I am 6.7tall weigh in at 120kg. would i fit in the Lsa? Mark recons no problem. There is a patrol some distance from me that i could possible go and see if i fit. What would the actual size difference in cockpit be between Patrol and the Lsa. All info would be appreciated!
Best for 2015

Jeffrey

[John Massaro]

Interesting to see that several here, and possibly more elsewhere, are interested in trying on a BH LSA for size.

If it weren't for making the trip to see one up close and personal in a couple of weeks I'd be tempted to mock up a cabin some how.

[John Massaro]

I wonder if there'd be a market for DIY plans for a down and dirty LSA cabin mock up as a sales tool?