Always Learning

A 250-hour private pilot, Paul was eager to fly a faster, more capable cross-country cruiser. With 180 horsepower and a 139-knot cruise speed, the Tiger is a nice step up from the Van’s RV–12 Paul normally flies. The mission that morning was a checkout flight in the Tiger that would enable him to fly it confidently without supervision.

The RV–12 has a free-castering nosewheel and Garmin G3X Touch flight displays, and the Tiger employs the same technology. But now Paul would be introduced to the workings of an electrically controlled, constant-speed propeller in an airplane that has 80 percent more horsepower, flies 30 percent faster, and weighs almost twice as much as the RV–12.

Once in the airplane, Paul started noticing differences right away. The AOPA Sweepstakes Tiger has one magneto, one electronic ignition, and no ignition key. Prime the engine, master on, flip two ignition switches, press a starter button, and the engine roars to life. Although the engine runup was familiar, the preflight check of the propeller was not. Paul followed the checklist, but we also discussed why it’s important to manually change the propeller’s pitch on the ground (to verify the system works), and what to do if the automatic system fails in flight (there is a manual override feature).

On takeoff, the stall warning horn blares if you force the airplane to fly before it’s ready. Paul was impressed by the rapid rate of climb at 90 knots but noticed the engine’s cylinder head temperatures slowly creeping toward redline. The Tiger is a quick airplane partly because of its streamlined, form-fitting engine cowl. However, the cowl’s small air inlets don’t cool the engine effectively during climb, so Paul must reduce power, or climb angle—or both—to manage engine temperatures.

Paul discovered stalls in this Tiger are a non-event because the Garmin Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) system stubbornly prevents the airplane from stalling. ESP alerts the pilot through flight display notifications and aural warnings when the airspeed falls below prescribed limits and then uses the autopilot to nudge the control yoke forward to reduce the angle of attack and keep the airplane flying. Excessive bank angles are similarly prevented by ESP. Paul could, and did, overpower the system to see what would happen—but he’s not likely to accidentally stall this airplane.

Slowing the Tiger when entering the traffic pattern was another new experience for Paul. Smooth, rivet-free wing and fuselage skins, and a propeller set in cruise configuration, create a slick airplane that does not want to slow down easily. Advance planning and appropriate manifold pressure and propeller rpm settings are required to slow to a speed allowing flaps to be deployed. Once full flaps are deployed on final approach, the airplane flies surprisingly slowly considering how fast it is in cruise; 65 to 70 knots on final is normal. The airplane feels nose heavy in the flare when speed is at its lowest, but the nosewheel must be held off the runway as long as possible on rollout to prevent a pilot-induced porpoise.

It was a lot for Paul to absorb during his first flight in the Tiger. But by the sixth landing, he was beginning to get comfortable with the systems, settings, and attitudes that produced the desired airspeeds and flight path. After the flight we sat in the cockpit debriefing for a few minutes, and I noticed a familiar look on Paul’s face. It was the satisfaction of a pilot taking on a new challenge, learning a lot in a short period of time, and reaching the next level in their aviation journey.