September 2007...

I had the privilege of being checked-out in Paul Ross's "Super Swift" (IO360 LYC, long wing, sticks & electric trim) by Jim Cummiskey the other day. What a FUN airplane!

I fly MY 90HP Ragwing Luscombe and my Dad's STF Culver Cadet (100HP Steel Tube Fuselage Cadet replica) as much as I can. The Culver Cadet experience was most applicable from the pitch sensitivity and overall control aspect of the Swift. This makes sense considering that the Swift design is loosely a metal copy of Al Mooney's M12... Both the cadet and Swift are "Pilot's airplanes". I see why many Swift owners are also Mooney flyers!

All that said. my hat is Off to Paul for giving me a chance to fly one of the most refined Swifts around and to Jim for the brave patience he displayed flying with me! 

As with any new airplane and most especially a challenging taildragger it's not so much all the fancy time noted in a dusty logbook somewhere it's WHEN you last flew one.... I am an average pilot but I practice all the time. I am blessed to be able to fly my Luscombe often (usually twice a day on weekends) And LOVE Landings in that flying machine.

Again, what does all that have to do with flying the Swift? I think RECENT TIME in a Tail Wheel airplane is the most valuable when it comes to the Swift Check-Out (I flew the Luscombe just hours before I flew the Swift)...

As Paul and I sat with Jim in the airport cafe before the check-out flight I thought "that Jim must be one heck of an Instructor if he can keep that greasy-spoon breakfast down while flying with me"... Sitting
there we had an impromptu-too ground school on the Swift as the airplane I was to fly sat outside the window waiting in its chocks. 

Days before I had dutifully read the comprehensive check-out material provided on the Swift WEB SITE. I also went through the emergency procedures with Paul while the airplane was parked in the hangar. I was sure to be less nervous if I sat in the airplane for a while to figure-out were all the Levers, switches and steam gages were. 

Paul shook his head and had to wonder what he had gotten himself into? There I was sitting in his shinny Swift with the top hatch closed my 6'3" frame bent forward in the driver's seat, making funny airplane
engine noises, touching all the switches and gages with one hand and shaking the stick in the other mumbling "roger-over"...

Jim Cummiskey sat across the table looking over his runny eggs at me as I waxed great praise on my ability to fly all manners of man-eating tailwheel aircraft... When I was done he smiled a said that I fit the
exact profile of the greatest number of pilots that WRECK SWIFTS...

Had I not done my homework and actually read that exact comment somewhere my feelings would be hurt and self esteem damaged forever. Thus my reason to be nervous and as I found; the absolute smartest thing a potential Swift pilot should do is get a good check-out with a qualified Swift Instructor....

The Swift taxies nicely with good forward visibility. Jim told me to line the airplane-up on take-off, bring the throttle in on a count of 3, keep the stick neutral until past 40MPH indicated, Bring the tail up and
fly it off as speed builds and keep it going straight with the rudder and brake as required. 

Funny thing, If you do as you are told by those more experienced than you Life can go easy, if not, your road to experience can get complicated and sometimes very expensive quickly!

Well I did as I was told the first time and the first take-off was uneventful even smooth'n easy.... We did all the things you do in a good check-out flight, turns, stalls, slow flight & emergency drills and we returned for some landing practice.

Again I did as I was told and made a good wheel landing and taxied back for the second take-off. Now that I was a seasoned Super Swift driver, I just rolled her out on the runway after being cleared for take-off and promptly forgot all those things I was just told about pouring-on the power to a 180HP airplane with a tail designed for 85HP...

Rolling with full power is not that big of a deal although the lights should have come on in my head that I already had full right rudder in to keep tracking the centerline with the tail on the ground.

Things got interesting fast when I just felt like bringing the tail-up, not respecting the speed; because that's the way I do it.... Well, 40 MPH tail rotation means: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE TAIL UNDER 40MPH INDICATED! 

My right foot was already to the firewall and just barely high enough on the peddle to add brake. Needless to say the combination of a fairly wide runway Jim covering my blunder and a flying speed of about 60MPH with all that power kept us out of the ditch!

We went on to practice enough stop and go landings to get safe 180HP Swift operating procedures ingrained into my brain. It still took one other swerving session for me to "get my head-on straight! Jim was right, without proper instruction the unique handling characteristics of a high-powered Swift can get you in trouble, FAST! 

The next week Paul Ross and I flew his Swift again. I felt confident in my operating technique and did a reasonable job of flying the airplane. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as the last landing was nearly a squeaker! With a little more Swift time under my belt I can see that you must respect the limitations this airplane will present such a attempting to take-off in a stiff crosswind from the left... 

The Mooney inspired handling characteristics of this sporty flyer are fantastic. No wonder the Swift airplane in all its power forms are coveted and well cared for. You spell flying a Swift FUN! 

Michael LaFrance
Michael.LaFrance@med.navy.mil