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Flying Naked


FlyingMonkey

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Not me, you dirty minded freaks, the CTSW!

 

My 2007 CTSW has the removable door hinge pins, so at least in theory I can fly it with the doors off.  I know it would be a wind tunnel, and I'd have to secure or remove everything in the cockpit.  But the idea of flying with the doors off seems pretty exciting, at least once or twice in the summer to say I've done it.  Has anybody else done it?  If so, or if anybody else knows about it, I have some questions:

 

1) How does the lack of doors affect the structural integrity of the airframe?  Any safety problems?

 

2)  What speeds should I be flying?  I think I heard that 90kt is max in doors-off config, but that anything over 70kt is very uncomfortable due to the wind.

 

3)  How much more power is required to overcome the (I assume huge) additional drag?

 

4)  Does a slip with the doors off blow everything out the downwind door?

 

5)  Is it fun?

 

6) Any other caveats, notes, addenda, or other information

 

I'm thinking some low and slow flights would be very fun at 65-70kt with the doors off.  I also have some friends who would like to do some ship-to-ship photo flights, and a photographer in the passenger seat should be able to get some great shots with that door off.

 

Thanks!

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Would love to.  Have never seen it anywhere in my AOI and can't find it in the latest one posted at FD USA either.

 

That was my round about way at making my point. Since it is not listed in the AOI, it is not legal to fly with the doors off.

 

I will say that some used to fly with the doors removed all the time, but at some show the FAA came up and told them to stop.

 

I know Tom Gutmann Jr. used to fly with the doors off.

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I'm not sure which distributor ordered your airplane when new, but Airtime Aviation used to order all of their airplane with the removable pins. At least up to the point that the FAA told them if it is not in the AOI then you can't do it. You have to remember back in 2006 or 2007 when your airplane was ordered this LSA/sport pilot stuff was still in its infancy.

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I'm not sure which distributor ordered your airplane when new, but Airtime Aviation used to order all of their airplane with the removable pins. At least up to the point that the FAA told them if it is not in the AOI then you can't do it. You have to remember back in 2006 or 2007 when your airplane was ordered this LSA/sport pilot stuff was still in its infancy.

 

Mine did come from Airtime.

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I'm let down after reading the contents of this post vs. the subject line

 

The airport I'm operating out of until I get a hanger up is now a ghost town, but it used to be a pretty serious sky diving hot spot. I know some of the guys who used to run the show... they talk about wearing nothing but a chute...

 

sounds like some wild times from the stories they tell... hahaha

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I'm let down after reading the contents of this post vs. the subject line

 

The airport I'm operating out of until I get a hanger up is now a ghost town, but it used to be a pretty serious sky diving hot spot. I know some of the guys who used to run the show... they talk about wearing nothing but a chute...

 

sounds like some wild times from the stories they tell... hahaha

 

I know a guy who hauled a load of Hooters girls up for some naked sky diving. Unfortunately he didn't take any pictures. He said he was to preoccupied.  

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I'm let down after reading the contents of this post vs. the subject line

 

The airport I'm operating out of until I get a hanger up is now a ghost town, but it used to be a pretty serious sky diving hot spot. I know some of the guys who used to run the show... they talk about wearing nothing but a chute...

 

sounds like some wild times from the stories they tell... hahaha

 

Seems the wind could cause some...uncomfortable flapping.

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I'm let down after reading the contents of this post vs. the subject line

 

The airport I'm operating out of until I get a hanger up is now a ghost town, but it used to be a pretty serious sky diving hot spot. I know some of the guys who used to run the show... they talk about wearing nothing but a chute...

 

sounds like some wild times from the stories they tell... hahaha

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Flight Design will not allow their airplanes to be flown doors off. Already asked. The doors are part of the crash structure.

 

Go E-LSA if you want to fly  doors off :P

 

That's funny, because they used to do it. It was my understanding that the factory was OK with it, but since it wasn't in the AOI the FAA was not.

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Hi Andy.  Really don't want to go much past 65kts or the buffeting gets pretty bodacious. There are helicopter headsets that have mics that deal with buffeting wind - these would be recommended.  Funny, take me up to the top of a 150 story building and tell me to just sit on the edge of a balcony and I'd get about 10 feet (maybe) from the edge and stop and sit down and scooch back on my butt.  In the CT, it was actually fun to be flying at 1,500', sitting there basically with nothing below me, held in only by the seat belt.  I guess now that I look back, it is probably something I might not do again in a CT.  Great view though.  Guess this isn't much different than flying in my friend's Bell 47 with the doors off - which I do occasionally.

 

Post modified:  As Tom says, this practice is now something that shouldn't be done.  I did this before it became and issue with the FAA.

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Usually aircraft fly differently doors off. I think the FAA wants to see instructions on speed limitations and any other gotchas that might be a problem.

 

Every aircraft that I know of in the certified world has a section for doors off flying, and I think even the STCs have an AFM insert to use.

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