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Help Climbing In

jasstech

I'm New Here
My wife and I are both private pilots and currently own a Cessna 172. As our 2 kids are getting bigger we are getting worried about outgrowing it and no longer being able to take family trips. As a result we stopped by the Van's booth at Oshkosh to check out the RV10.

I was impressed but unfortunately my wife wasn't. She is only 5'1" and she had a horrible time getting in and out of the airplane. Her biggest issue was climbing onto the peg and then taking the giant step onto the wing walk.

While there the guy showing us the plane mentioned adding a handle to the outside. I think that would help, but for someone 5'1" it would still be difficult. Another option mentioned was using a step stool, but that is a ridiculous idea when she is the pilot! How is she supposed to fly to another airport and then get out and back in with the step back at the home airport?

Has anyone done anything to make it easier to get in or out of the RV10? Once in the airplane she liked it even though we will need to make some rudder pedal extensions for her as well.

If I can find a way to make getting in and out not so challenging, she would be sold on building an RV-10. However, if she is not comfortable getting in and out, we will be looking for something other than a homebuilt for our family plane.
 
Had the same problem with my 5' 0" wife. I got a 12" or so tall folding plastic step stool from WalMart to help with the problem. It also comes in handy for cleaning the front glass. It is lightweight and takes little room in the baggage compartment when folded. If she is the pilot and by herself she can rig up a tether to lift it and put in behind the pilot seat.

Carl
 
Welcome aboard !

Jason, welcome to VAF.:D

The folding stool with a teather is a great way to solve the issue, I have a friend who does exactly that with his plane. An exterior hand hold is also a good idea...

Get a demo flight in a ten, and you will find all the motivation you need to overcome this obstacle ;)
 
I'm not seeing how the collapsible step stool is going to work. It sounds great for getting in the airplane, and I understand the tether to bring it with you, but how do you set it back up when you land? Won't she be standing on the wing walk, tether in hand, hoping it just happens to land exactly where she needs it to?

Maybe we just need to bring a step stool and tether with us to Oshkosh next year and try it out there. We would love to get a flight in a 10 but unfortunately that will most likely have to wait until next year as well since a cross country flight to Oregon isn't in the cards right now.
 
Maybe we just need to bring a step stool and tether with us to Oshkosh next year and try it out there. We would love to get a flight in a 10 but unfortunately that will most likely have to wait until next year as well since a cross country flight to Oregon isn't in the cards right now.

Dont be surprised if you get en offer soon......lots of tens out there these days, where do you live?
 
If someone would be willing to let us check out their 10 that would be awesome. We live in Northwest Ohio.
 
My wife is 5'1''

My wife is 5'1" as well, in her mid fifties and has no trouble getting in and out of the 10.
Perhaps Oshkosh wasn't the best place to get familiar with entry and egress of the RV-10 but I can assure you it only takes minimal technique to make that step a non issue and very easy without any step stool.
Granted, the step on a RV-10 is 12 inches off the ground and while an outside handle might be helpful, simply grabbing the door frame with both hands and stepping up is not an Olympic event.
Getting on a horse is hard, yet thousands of young and old equestrians manage to get on those four legged transporters every day.
Like everyone said, do yourself a favor and meet up with a local RV-10 pilot,
someone who will take the time to let you step up and down a few times and get you comfortable both getting in and stepping off.
What I notice most often with new passengers, despite my very thorough instructions, they will try to make the step up on the wing in one swift (or not so swift) move.
1. Grab the door frame with both hands, leaning forward a bit.
2. Place the inside foot on the step and stand up on the step.
rest both feet on the step for a moment.
3. Move your outside foot onto the wing and follow with your inside foot.
There is only a few more inches in height from the step to the wing.
Now you can let go of the door frame and get seated.
Trying to get on the step and up on the wing all in one move is a bit much for most people but breaking it down into 2 steps makes it a non event.
The same is true for getting down.
1. Hold on to the door frame with both hands
2. Face forward and back up to the edge of the wing.
3. SLIDE your inside foot down the step rail until your foot is seated.
4. Place outside foot on the step.
5. Place outside foot on floor and step down.

After you do this a few times you'll be stepping up and down like a pro and only get irritated at your passengers for not following your entry and exit instructions.
Don't miss out on a fantastic airplane, you'll have no regrets.
 
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I'll echo Ernst and suggest the it is more a matter of technique. I prefer the one hand technique (outside arm, inside leg), but in any case would be willing to bet that with a bit of practice, she won't have any problem. I'm not to far away in western PA and pass through NW Ohio often, let's find a time to get together.
 
petite wife

My wife is 5' 1". She loves our RV10. To get in she reaches forward for the door frame as she puts her foot on the step.

You will have a hard time finding another airplane that has the performance, speed, and roominess that can compete with the cost of a 10.

If your biggest concern is having to stretch a bit to get in the plane I am not sure you are really sold on an experimental airplane.
 
Don't know if this will help or not, but some have installed a grab above the rear windows on the outside of the cabin to assist with climbing onto and off the wing.
 
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If your biggest concern is having to stretch a bit to get in the plane I am not sure you are really sold on an experimental airplane.

I'm sold on it and I'm working on selling her. With her being a pilot she has to feel comfortable getting in and out on her own. The Van's guy at Oshkosh wasn't all that helpful which really surprised me.
 
I'm sold on it and I'm working on selling her. With her being a pilot she has to feel comfortable getting in and out on her own. The Van's guy at Oshkosh wasn't all that helpful which really surprised me.

Not sure what day, but I don't envy the guys working the vans tent all week. 8+ hours a day answering the same old questions. Heck I was tired enjoying myself on vacation.
 
I'm sold on it and I'm working on selling her. With her being a pilot she has to feel comfortable getting in and out on her own. The Van's guy at Oshkosh wasn't all that helpful which really surprised me.

I am curious whether you actually mentioned the idea that you are very interested in the airplane but my wife has concerns about being able to climb up and down from the airplane?

I am also curious about how it compares to other 4 place airplanes she fly's or has done sit trials in. Is the RV-10 more difficult for her than other big sized 4 place airplanes?
 
We absolutely told the guy we were interested and with her being a pilot what the concerns were. This was Thursday morning when it was probably the slowest. It was pretty much like he just dismissed her. Maybe it would have been different if I wasn't monitoring our children and did more of the speaking.

She has tried others and some she liked and others she had a hard time with too.
 
We absolutely told the guy we were interested and with her being a pilot what the concerns were. This was Thursday morning when it was probably the slowest. It was pretty much like he just dismissed her. Maybe it would have been different if I wasn't monitoring our children and did more of the speaking.

She has tried others and some she liked and others she had a hard time with too.

I remember talking a couple (don't know what day, it was one in thousands) and mentioning installation of a handle, but I don't remember the conversation being anything like "I was able to get in but I don't know if I could do this on a regular basis", so I don't know if that was you or not.

I imagine most of us at Van's would assume that if some one just got in and out of the airplane without assistance, that it would be a workable situation. The couple I spent time with never said this could be a issue big enough to decide no, so maybe it was someone else.

Regardless, I think the wing height off the ground of the RV-10 is similar to what it is with a lot of low wing airplanes of its size, and the step is sized to be right at the mid point between the ground and the aft portion of the wing, so I can't think of any practical mod that could be done to help with that portion other than the step stool on a tether that was already mentioned (this method is actually used by a lot of people...particularly with two seat tail dragger RV's that have no step).
 
I know this is an old thread, but I don’t understand why people can’t see the high step as a problem. I don’t have any issue getting in, but my wife, who climbs into our Mooney just fine has a **** of a time getting onto the -10 wing. As she gets older and less nimble it will only be more and more of an issue. A step will help, but has its downsides. I’m really surprised nobody has tried to come up with a better solution. I’ll be thinking about this problem a lot as we progress in our build.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I don’t understand why people can’t see the high step as a problem. I don’t have any issue getting in, but my wife, who climbs into our Mooney just fine has a **** of a time getting onto the -10 wing. As she gets older and less nimble it will only be more and more of an issue. A step will help, but has its downsides. I’m really surprised nobody has tried to come up with a better solution. I’ll be thinking about this problem a lot as we progress in our build.

I'm gonna put a piece of clear paint protection film on each side of the fuselage as a touch point for anyone climbing up on the steps. A touch point really helps people with any type of stability problem. A handle would probably be better, but I'd rather avoid that if possible.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I don’t understand why people can’t see the high step as a problem. I don’t have any issue getting in, but my wife, who climbs into our Mooney just fine has a **** of a time getting onto the -10 wing. As she gets older and less nimble it will only be more and more of an issue. A step will help, but has its downsides. I’m really surprised nobody has tried to come up with a better solution. I’ll be thinking about this problem a lot as we progress in our build.

Can you articulate the "downsides" of using a step (by which I assume you mean a folding step in addition or instead of the one you install in the fuse).
I'm considering not installing the steps for my 6A and using a folding step with a strap so I can pull it up and stow it.
-c
 
It takes up space, can be forgotten, can be broken, doesn’t work great on uneven ground, can bang into the aircraft….

There’s no way I’m asking my wife to balance on the wing and pull up a step, so now I have to get in after her and stow the step last after the plane is packed. It’s really not easy to use for egress.

It’s a hack solution, not an elegant one.
 
It takes up space, can be forgotten, can be broken, doesn’t work great on uneven ground, can bang into the aircraft….

There’s no way I’m asking my wife to balance on the wing and pull up a step, so now I have to get in after her and stow the step last after the plane is packed. It’s really not easy to use for egress.

It’s a hack solution, not an elegant one.

I hear you. Fortunately egress isn’t a concern for me.
I’m thinking a light folding stool of fiberglass shouldn’t damage the flaps if I accidentally brought them into contact, and can fold away to take up hardly any space.
In re elegance: neither are Van’s steps stuck on the fuse.

I have Van’s steps... am still thinking about it.
 
For my not-so-nimble passengers I carry a folding, plastic, 2 step gizmo intended for kitchen use. It barely fits thru the baggage door, folded. But it’s light, and very stable. First step is closer to the ground, top step closer to the wing, than the Vans’step. My wife likes it. Yes, it means I always get in last. But that gives me an extra chance to inspect the passenger door, make sure it’s latched properly. Everyone does that anyway, right?
 
My wife is 4'11" and she loves the aircraft. Make sure the flaps are down for entry and exit. She has no problems getting in the aircraft or out. I have to pull the doors down for her though. My 85 year old mom flew with me, and I wish I had installed a handle on the fuselage. She had a more difficult time climbing up on the wing.
 
Steps

I second the folding plastic kitchen steps mentioned by Bob. I use them when I do compassion flights (Lifeline Pilots allows EAB, unlike AngelFlight). Many times the passengers have limited movement and 2 steps up to the wing are much easier for them. I did forget it once tho, which was embarrassing when I had to taxi back and get it after being informed over the radio of my error...
 
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