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New rider, new member from TX.

I took flying lessons in C150J's and Cherokee 140's in the mid 70's. I gave up after about 50 hours. My flight instructor did his own maintenance, mostly on the books but not on his planes. There were sometimes serious deficiencies. I nearly killed myself twice on solo flights due to hardware failure issues. When I got back after the second serious issue, I walked into the terminal building, tossed my logbook in the trash and told the instructor that I had no business flying for him.

I wish now that I had kept my logbook and chosen a better instructor. I enjoyed flying, especially the cross-country's and I would likely have gotten my license and still be flying had I taken lessons with an instructor/business that had more reliable aircraft.
 
I'm loving the aviation chat. Sounds like I'm in good company here!

Update - I actually found a 2012 NC700X locally for what seems to be a decent deal. I'd certainly be willing to take something "imperfect" for the right price; this one already has some Givi side cases and a few mods here and there. I wouldn't feel bad about accidentally dropping something used that's already been around the block a few times. Unfortunately, I may have missed the boat. Guy says someone is coming to take a look tomorrow, but he'd let me know what happens. Ironically given our current discussion in this thread, it's stored up at a nearby airport. We'll see how it pans out.
 
I took flying lessons in C150J's and Cherokee 140's in the mid 70's. I gave up after about 50 hours. My flight instructor did his own maintenance, mostly on the books but not on his planes. There were sometimes serious deficiencies. I nearly killed myself twice on solo flights due to hardware failure issues. When I got back after the second serious issue, I walked into the terminal building, tossed my logbook in the trash and told the instructor that I had no business flying for him.

I wish now that I had kept my logbook and chosen a better instructor. I enjoyed flying, especially the cross-country's and I would likely have gotten my license and still be flying had I taken lessons with an instructor/business that had more reliable aircraft.
It works the other way too. The military aero club I used for my training I’m sure had great maintenance procedures and followed them. On my 4th dual instruction flight in a C150 we began practicing power off stalls. We started at about 3000’. I was instructed to set up a straight ahead power-off stall and recovery to positive rate of climb then do a 180 degree clearing turn to begin another stall entry and recovery. It was a nice warm humid FL September afternoon and we did a series of these losing a little altitude each time. The time at climb rpm was limited before power came back down to begin the next clearing 180. As I advanced the throttle to recover from what turned out to be the last stall, the engine coughed and it got real quiet. Just the woosh of passing air. Looking out the windscreen the prop stood stationary, one blade at about 1 o’clock. My instructor reached across me and tried cranking the engine with the ignition key. That didn’t work, the engine did not start. He declared an emergency and gave our position to Eglin AFB control and declared a forced landing. About 1500’ below us was a thin strip of barrier island with the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Choctawhatchee Bay on the other. My instructor was talking out loud to me about his thoughts. Two lane Hwy 98 ran arrow straight along the Gulf beach side. He first considered landing on the highway but it was about 5 pm and there was considerable traffic. He then said we would land on the white soft sand of Gulf side beach and maneuvered a bit to the south to line up with the beach. I thought we were on a straight ahead final when he turned left 90 degrees to the north and lined up with a straight dirt road through a stand of pine trees. He only said “make sure your shoulder harness and seat belt are tight” as he slowed the plane to what I remember as 45 mph and we touched down on the two track sand road. We only rolled a few feet when the left wing tip caught a tree and slewed us left into the trees on that side. It was real noisy but for only a few seconds as the fuselage and wing root then slid up against a tree that stopped us with a final bang. We climbed out my side and the exhilaration of adrenaline made me hop and skip around the back of the plane. Ted, my instructor, was kicking the sand in disgust. Man, I was so happy but he was strangely upset with himself. I never flew with him again as he was suspended from instruction until the investigation was over which took a long time. It was determined that the long periods of idle or low power settings between short periods of full power cooled off the exhaust muff that heats air for carburetor heat and the engine probably ingested carb ice but otherwise was in fine shape. Ted was blamed for error in judgement in continuing the stalls below a safe altitude and for not allowing the engine to run long enough under high enough power settings to maintain carb heat. That afternoon I considered him the best pilot in the world. He put Cessna N19449 down at minimum sink airspeed in practically the only spot on that forest road wide enough to accommodate it’s wingspan. I never saw the power lines we cleared just before dropping onto the road.

I resumed dual instruction a week later with another instructor.
 
I find powered flying to be fun, too, but more because it involves juggling and managing lots of things like radio, instruments / ILS, maps & autopilot, etc.
Add to that the fact the Warrior doesn't have a "both" option on the fuel selector, and there are many stories floating around of people running one tank dry and deadsticking a landing with about 2.5hrs of fuel still on board...
NEVER forget to flip your tanks!!
 
It works the other way too. The military aero club I used for my training I’m sure had great maintenance procedures and followed them. On my 4th dual instruction flight in a C150 we began practicing power off stalls. We started at about 3000’. I was instructed to set up a straight ahead power-off stall and recovery to positive rate of climb then do a 180 degree clearing turn to begin another stall entry and recovery. It was a nice warm humid FL September afternoon and we did a series of these losing a little altitude each time. The time at climb rpm was limited before power came back down to begin the next clearing 180. As I advanced the throttle to recover from what turned out to be the last stall, the engine coughed and it got real quiet. Just the woosh of passing air. Looking out the windscreen the prop stood stationary, one blade at about 1 o’clock. My instructor reached across me and tried cranking the engine with the ignition key. That didn’t work, the engine did not start. He declared an emergency and gave our position to Eglin AFB control and declared a forced landing. About 1500’ below us was a thin strip of barrier island with the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Choctawhatchee Bay on the other. My instructor was talking out loud to me about his thoughts. Two lane Hwy 98 ran arrow straight along the Gulf beach side. He first considered landing on the highway but it was about 5 pm and there was considerable traffic. He then said we would land on the white soft sand of Gulf side beach and maneuvered a bit to the south to line up with the beach. I thought we were on a straight ahead final when he turned left 90 degrees to the north and lined up with a straight dirt road through a stand of pine trees. He only said “make sure your shoulder harness and seat belt are tight” as he slowed the plane to what I remember as 45 mph and we touched down on the two track sand road. We only rolled a few feet when the left wing tip caught a tree and slewed us left into the trees on that side. It was real noisy but for only a few seconds as the fuselage and wing root then slid up against a tree that stopped us with a final bang. We climbed out my side and the exhilaration of adrenaline made me hop and skip around the back of the plane. Ted, my instructor, was kicking the sand in disgust. Man, I was so happy but he was strangely upset with himself. I never flew with him again as he was suspended from instruction until the investigation was over which took a long time. It was determined that the long periods of idle or low power settings between short periods of full power cooled off the exhaust muff that heats air for carburetor heat and the engine probably ingested carb ice but otherwise was in fine shape. Ted was blamed for error in judgement in continuing the stalls below a safe altitude and for not allowing the engine to run long enough under high enough power settings to maintain carb heat. That afternoon I considered him the best pilot in the world. He put Cessna N19449 down at minimum sink airspeed in practically the only spot on that forest road wide enough to accommodate it’s wingspan. I never saw the power lines we cleared just before dropping onto the road.

I resumed dual instruction a week later with another instructor.
Sounds like a pretty scary time.

I took my lessons at Wadsworth Airport in Ohio around 1972. The flight school that I attended, Choi Aviation, has since gone out of business. The owner had 8 planes, a couple C150j's, a couple C150 aerobats, a couple Cherokee 140's, a Cherokee Six and an American Grumman trainer. Ground school was at his home which was on about 5 acres near the airport. The back of his yard was littered with the wreckage of planes that his students had crashed. That should have been a clue. He scavenged those planes for spare parts to keep his other planes flying.

I had 3 serious incidents while flying solo.

My last close call was a cross country to New Philadelphia airport which is about a 70 miles from Wadsworth. It was late in the year and the days were short. I got to the airport after work at about 5 pm. There wasn't much daylight left. The instructor and plane was out with another student. When they returned, the instructor who had always said "always, always, fuel up before taking a plane out", told me I didn't have much daylight left and not to worry, the plane had enough fuel. He said, Go to New Philly, get your logbook signed and get back here.

I took him at his word, hopped into the plane, set the bearings on the radio's and off I went. The trip to New Philly was uneventful. I got my logbook signed.

It was dark by the time I reached 3000' and had gotten the plane trimmed out for the return trip. It was my first time to be up at night ever and I was alone. I enjoyed looking down at the scattered mercury lights on the ground passing below. I never needed the instrument lights before so I had to fumble around to find the light switch. A few minutes later "pop", the lights went out and it was pitch black in the cockpit. I fumbled around for a tripped circuit breaker but no joy. I though well my last glance at the instruments had me heading west on a course toward Wadsworth. I am trimmed out so I will just take my hands off the controls and hope that I can spot Interstate 77 which is a north/south freeway.

My plan was to find I-77, follow it to Akron then follow I-76 west to Wadsworth. Since this is a much longer route than a direct flight to Wadsworth, I may run out of gas but if I do, plan B would be to attempt to land on the freeway.

That part of the country was very rural then, mostly farms, and it was really dark in that cockpit. After about 15 nervous minutes of hands free flying, I spot tractor trailers on I77 and turned to follow them north towards Akron. Once I reached Akron, I turned west following I-76 to Wadsworth. Once I flew over Wadsworth I turned south to follow SR57 toward the airport. That was a turn into the darkness as the lights at the I-76 to SR57 interchange were the last ones on SR57. After a few minutes I spotted the blue rotating beacon of Wadsworth airport and a few other lights on the ground.

I have never been to Wadsworth airport at night. I am not sure what building the beacon is on or just how far the beacon is from either of the runways or what those other lights were. I had no idea what course I was heading for that matter. I couldn't see to change the frequency on the radio so that I could key the mic to switch on the runway lights. I had to use my imagination as to where I would set down. It turned out to be the edge of a cornfield near runway 19.

It was a rough landing when you get close to the ground and lose the few references that you have. You can't flare when you don't know where the ground is. The cornstalks make a lot of racket when you are speeding through them. I will say that C150's must have some tough landing gear. It probably helped that the cornfield was soft ground. Once I was down I could make out that I had just missed a nearby taxiway. I managed to get the plane onto the taxiway and then to the fueling station. The C150 tank was 22.7 gallons and I put in just over 21 gallons so I had just a few minutes of fuel left.

I walked into the office, tossed my logbook into the waste basket and told George that I had no business flying with him and left. That episode was my last visit to the Wadsworth airport or piloting a plane for that matter.
 
I'm loving the aviation chat. Sounds like I'm in good company here!
We seem to have gotten slightly off-topic. That never happens here :)

I actually found a 2012 NC700X locally for what seems to be a decent deal. I'd certainly be willing to take something "imperfect" for the right price;
Yes! That's great. The '21 model year seems to have a lot of nice changes, but in the grand scheme of things getting a used bike as your first ride makes a ton more sense. Hopefully it will be a lot more affordable, too. I got my 2013 NC700 in 2018 for $3k cash, although I know "toys" have gotten significantly more expensive when the pandemic hit.

I've been told lots of times that "someone else is coming to look at it later". I never know if people are using that as a pressure tactic, or genuinely trying to give me a heads up. But I always seem to find another deal if /when I miss out...
NEVER forget to flip your tanks!!
Ugh. I once found the plane in the hangar with <3 gal in the left tank and a completely full right tank. Our other co-owner moved the selector from BOTH to LEFT and never remembered to flip tanks (or check his before-landing checklist!!). That being said, the high-wing is not good for teaching me fuel management habits.
 
Wow I have some posts I need to catch up on, I'll definitely be posting more when I have a minute.

On the bike front, this morning I went to go look at a 2013 V-Strom 650 (sorry!). Very gorgeous bike in blue, only 2500 miles. Unfortunately I simply do not fit on it. I am too short for it. And the guy wanted a little too much for the bike, IMO, even with that low of miles. I do think the Wee Stroms are sharp, but not as good looking as the NC7x0s. I just didn't want to buy something at a price I already felt was too high and then have to dump more money into making it fit me better.

So I reached back out to the guy with the NC700X. Well, the other guy never showed up and I became next in line to buy the bike..












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IMG_0978.JPG

So I am now the proud owner of a 2012 NC700X! 30,xxx miles, but it's had all the recommended maintenance including new chain, new sprockets, new tires. Also has lowering links (thankfully), small bar risers, bigger Honda windscreen, center stand, Corbin seat, and the aforementioned Givi side cases. I don't think I see anything else aftermarket on there outside of a USB charger attached to the bars. I will likely be pulling the bar risers off, I'm not really a fan of how it makes the bike feel. An older gentleman owned the bike and I think wanted the most upright stance possible, but it's a little much. I also want to get some hand guards, new Honda decals, and crash bars and I'll be pretty happy. I got a deal I was VERY happy with and brought it home tonight.

My neighbors and I share a long driveway so I rode it up and down a few times. First time on two wheels with a motor outside of a few hours on a dirtbike many years ago. Already in love and I can't wait for the BRC so I can get my license and ride on the streets. Super psyched.
 
Wow I have some posts I need to catch up on, I'll definitely be posting more when I have a minute.

On the bike front, this morning I went to go look at a 2013 V-Strom 650 (sorry!). Very gorgeous bike in blue, only 2500 miles. Unfortunately I simply do not fit on it. I am too short for it. And the guy wanted a little too much for the bike, IMO, even with that low of miles. I do think the Wee Stroms are sharp, but not as good looking as the NC7x0s. I just didn't want to buy something at a price I already felt was too high and then have to dump more money into making it fit me better.

So I reached back out to the guy with the NC700X. Well, the other guy never showed up and I became next in line to buy the bike..












View attachment 44991
View attachment 44992

So I am now the proud owner of a 2012 NC700X! 30,xxx miles, but it's had all the recommended maintenance including new chain, new sprockets, new tires. Also has lowering links (thankfully), small bar risers, bigger Honda windscreen, center stand, Corbin seat, and the aforementioned Givi side cases. I don't think I see anything else aftermarket on there outside of a USB charger attached to the bars. I will likely be pulling the bar risers off, I'm not really a fan of how it makes the bike feel. An older gentleman owned the bike and I think wanted the most upright stance possible, but it's a little much. I also want to get some hand guards, new Honda decals, and crash bars and I'll be pretty happy. I got a deal I was VERY happy with and brought it home tonight.

My neighbors and I share a long driveway so I rode it up and down a few times. First time on two wheels with a motor outside of a few hours on a dirtbike many years ago. Already in love and I can't wait for the BRC so I can get my license and ride on the streets. Super psyched.
Good for you! She looks great, well cared for. It has the basics all set, with a taller windscreen, nicer seat, decent rubber. You have exciting times ahead!

My trained eye noticed that the front brake disk is not OEM due to the different hole pattern, but that should be no problem.

BTW, I have 3.2 inches of handlebar rise; 4 inches would be nice. I can relate to that older gentleman.
 
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I guess I don't hate how the bars feel, BUT I did notice that the bars ended up moving down on the motorcycle trailer during the drive over. The culprit appears to be the Rox risers. That's a bit concerning for me, they were pretty cinched down. I'll pull it apart tomorrow and double check the tightness on everything.

Good eye on that rotor (they're called that on bikes, right?)! I actually didn't notice that, and I spent a lot of time trying to compare it to pictures of stock ones.
 
I guess I don't hate how the bars feel, BUT I did notice that the bars ended up moving down on the motorcycle trailer during the drive over. The culprit appears to be the Rox risers. That's a bit concerning for me, they were pretty cinched down. I'll pull it apart tomorrow and double check the tightness on everything.

Good eye on that rotor (they're called that on bikes, right?)! I actually didn't notice that, and I spent a lot of time trying to compare it to pictures of stock ones.
Tightening them may not be entirely the answer. Rox risers are flawed in design because the surface to be clamped is very smooth. I have had to press splines into them with Vise Grips or a hammer and chisel to get them roughed up so they won’t slip.
 
Wow, that bike looks very nice! I'm jealous of the nice Corbin seat, I've heard it is one of the best. And great that it is already lowered to accommodate your height.

A new chain and sprockets and other routine maintenance already done is also super helpful. That way, you can focus on riding and not worry about maintenance for the first couple 1000 miles.

Congrats!
 
Congrats, I picked up a 2012 myself last month. I've owned probably 40-50 bikes in my 55 years and really love this bike. I also currently have a 2019 HD Streetglide special and a 2009 XL1200 Sportster (sons bike). I've put a lot of money in the Streetglide (cams ,intake, exhaust, seat bars, etc. etc.) and it's a great bike but I jump on the NC 90% of the time. It's so easy to ride and maneuver. Another accessory I see on yours is mirror extenders. I commute 42 miles round trip to work and have averaged 69-71 MPG. Enjoy and welcome to the forum.:cool:
 
Wow, that bike looks very nice! I'm jealous of the nice Corbin seat, I've heard it is one of the best. And great that it is already lowered to accommodate your height.

A new chain and sprockets and other routine maintenance already done is also super helpful. That way, you can focus on riding and not worry about maintenance for the first couple 1000 miles.

Congrats!

The seat is very comfortable! I don't like the writing on the side, but maybe I can take a black Sharpie to it or something..

I did do a little de-farkling(?) today. Removed all the Givi mounts since it's going to be a long time before I ever need those cases on here, if ever. Also removed the X-creen wind deflector thing for now. Took off the remnants of a throttle lock that I broke transporting the bike. I took some 303 Aerospace Protectant to all of the black plastic which revived them quite a bit, and they actually look black again. Used some Plast-X on the turning lights and tail lamp. Cleaned up the bike in general, and I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out. I think after an Ermax fender eliminator it'll be looking really good.

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