Gang An aircraft broker came to visit me recently to see a Socata TB21 Trinidad I am selling for a friend. This broker has flown Cubs to King Airs. We dropped off the Socata at a nearby airport and I picked him up in my Ercoupe. Below is the post he sent to the Socata users group about his first flight in a Coupe.
This was a pretty good weekend... I was at Spruce Creek Flyin Community in Florida (where they have more interesting aircraft than you can "shake a stick at"). I met a very nice couple from CA who will hopefully be the new owners of an aircraft I was brokering.... and I got to fly an Ercoupe! I've wanted to fly one for years, but this was my first opportunity. N3103H is a completely and beautifully restored 1946 Ercoupe. For those of you who don't know about them, the Ercoupe was an attempt to make flying easy for the non-flying public. It has no rudder pedals, and a single floor mounted brake pedal. The yoke controls the ailerons, rudder and the nosewheel steering so you steer it on the ground like a car. It is just a bundle of fun... first you can taxi around on the ground with your arm out of the window just like driving a vintage chevy convertible. Just about everybody waves at you since you look... just so cool. The thing flies incredibly well, rotates at 60kts, cruises at about 85-90 and lands at 60. You can of course fly it with the lid open (which in Florida in the winter is the way to go). Once you get over the lack of rudder pedals it is easy enough to fly. Crosswind landings are a little different since you can't cross the controls. You simply maintain the crab all the way down to the runway and then put the nose wheel down rather quickly so that you can steer. I haven't tried that yet and apparently the first time you do it's a little.... bracing! However there was next to nil wind for my first flight and my first Ercoupe landing was pretty straightforward. The last oddity is you shut it down with the key... just like a car. What a blast! It was great fun to fly a piece of aviation history. I hope to get another chance to fly it. Pictures attached... sorry that having me in them ruins the pictures of a wonderful looking aircraft. Andrew Glen Glen Davis 917 297 1111 www.ishootpictures.com www.ercoupepilot.com
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