Vx Tailwheel Training Course - $1500
But don't worry, student pilots, you can train in the Champ as well! It will simply be incorporated with your primary training.
- Ground School
- A comprehensive ground school course with top quality video production.
- Four Flight Lessons per 14 CFR 61.31(i)
- Each Lesson is 1.5 - 2 hr flight time, plus pre/post briefing/debriefing.
- Taxiing, Aircraft Familiarization, and Ground Reference Maneuvers.
- Stabilized Approaches.
- Wheel Landings, 3 Point Landings, and Conversions from Power-on and Power-off Approaches.
- Aborted Landings and Go-Arounds
- Emergency procedures.
- Introduction to Short Field and Soft Field Takeoff's and Landings.
- Crosswind and Gusty Winds Takeoffs and Landings, Establishing Personal Minimums
- Note: In the unlikely event that additional training or practice is required for you to master the tailwheel skills, any lesson can be repeated for an additional $350 and can be custom tailored as required to set you up for success.
Thorough. Efficient. Fun.
Over the last few years, we have honed our tailwheel course down to a very efficient flow using our resources and local topography. With the beautiful White River as our primary reference for for ground reference maneuvers, it is some of the most fun flying we get to do on the clock here at Vx. We have developed a flow to safely teach tailwheel landings with very minimal input on the controls from the instructor, because we believe a pilot can only truly learn a skill when he/she is not being interrupted by an instructor grabbing the controls.
The Bellanca 7EC Champ
Our Champ is a bit of a rare treat. Manufactured by Bellanca in 1972 as a 7ACA, it is a strong 25 years newer than most Champs in service today.
From 1945 to 1951 the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation was breaking records in general aviation producing the classic Aeronca 7AC Champ and few other variants for military use. At one point they were producing as many 50 airplanes per day, and sold nearly 8,000 aircraft! But the post-war surge was short lived, and by 1951 Aeronca was no longer manufacturing any aircraft.
The company was bought out by Champion Aircraft, and eventually by Bellanca in 1970. Bellanca set out to produce the 7ACA as a modernized version of the massively popular 7AC. It came with spring gear, a factory electrical system, interior and exterior lighting, and even some basic radios.
Bellanca's choice of engines, however, turned out to be somewhat anticlimactic. They powered the 7ACA with a two cylinder, 60 hp, Franklin engine. Nearly all of the 7ACA's have since been converted to some other variant of the Champ lineup by means of s wide variety of STC's and even Type Certificate approvals to install the larger and more common Continental engines.
In our case, this Champ was converted to a 7EC by installation of a 4 cylinder Continental 90 hp engine. The conversion also added a fuel tank in each wing, bring the total fuel capacity to 25 gallons, nearly double that of the original Champ. And the 90 hp engine allows the airplane easily carry two adults even with all 3 tanks fuel of fuel!
We have since installed an AV30-c electronic flight display and a super compact Trig comm radio/intercom. The final product is a super fun Champ that feels like a baby Citabria!