Tandem Seating and a spouse

For those of you with tandem seating how did you get your flying spouse to go along? Mine has just recently started flying with me..that is good. But is now balking at the RV-8 due to tandem seating...that is bad. But she is willing to try one on for fitting to see if she can live with it. I need answers because I am already in the build for an -8.

I did my tailwheel transition training in a Citabria after starting the emp on my -8. After I got my endorsement, I took my wife up to give her a chance to get an idea of what the tandem seating is like. She really thought the view was great and I expect the view out of the back seat of the -8 to be even better.

Also, I'm a bigger guy (6'3", 225#) and I think she appreciated not being squished by me for the entire flight as an added bonus.

Maybe you could get her a ride in the back seat of a -8 or another tandem plane to let her try it out for herself before you get too far in the build. (That is, if you're willing to change planes for her sake, which thankfully I didn't have to worry about.)

--Ken

She just didn't care!

I guess I'm lucky. My wife Jackie didn't have a preference either way and left the decision entirely to me. I guess since she spent a large number of hours on the back of a motorcycle (obviously tandem seating!!) she didn't mind...

We travelled for a long while around Europe in a Supercub. My wife really liked the view of the ground, sometimes found her feet were cold, but generally enjoyed it.

Then I built a -9A. Her comment was the view of the ground was much reduced.

Now I am building a -4. Before I started a friend took her up in his -4. Her concern is that with most of the wing in front of you the view is very poor. A positive comment is that she can 'build a nest back there'.

I plan to put an electric seat heater in to keep her warm.

So, in summary it is not the tandem aspect that reduces her fun but low wing.

My Wifes thought

Taken from the RV-List... BTW, since this was written, she now says "I would never go back to a side by side." YIPEE!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stewart, Michael (ISS Atlanta)"
Subject: RV-List: Dreaming of a tandem?

Have you been dreaming of a right stick left throttle? Thoughts of
centerline rolling? Maybe swapping out the side by side for a tandem
only to find that your wife wont have any part of looking at the back of
your head? Well read on then. I had the same problem. For 2 years I have
heard nothing but whining and complaining about the prospects of her
looking at the back of my head. This past weekend she got some real time
back there and it turns out, she really likes it. Even better than the
side by side if you can believe that.
Snip below is from my wife Michelle to our yahoo group of formation
friends that I thought you might like to read and perhaps share with
your significant other. Michelle would be happy to speak to any of the
wives as well if you need some extra boost off the fence. Michelle has
many many hours in the -6 and even on the first 2 hour mission, she is
already converted. Yipee?

Best
Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: teamrv(at)yahoogroups.com [mailto:teamrv(at)yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Michelle Stewart
To: Team RV; Bruce Haase
Subject: [Team RV] Sunday Flying from Photo's Perspective

I was thinking one day, I needed to get to know Mike's new toy, the
"Super 8", a little better and more "personally", so I asked him to take
me flying on Sunday. I didn't care where we went, we didn't even have
to have a destination - I just wanted to fly. Over the North Georgia
Mountains or Lake Lanier would have been fine. As many of you know,
I've been a little skeptical about this tandem thing, after enjoying the
side-by-side of the RV6 for so long.

It turns out Mike had a quick meeting early Sunday morning in
Cartersville, GA, to redo some paperwork for the -8. So we got to the
airport early and took off for Cartersville. Boy, that airplane is
smooooooooooooth, and quiet, too! I powered up the GPS in the back seat
and could not believe it - we were going about 225 kts (with a tail
wind)! It was a beautiful morning and the flight was great (but quick!)
- I can't believe the visibility in the -8.

On the way to Cartersville, we discussed the options of where to go
after his meeting, and decided to try my brother Bruce, who recently
moved to Guntersville, AL, overlooking beautiful Guntersville Lake. I
had not seen his house there yet. I called Bruce from the Cartersville
airport and caught him just before heading out for church. Mike said he
guestimated 40 minutes to get from Cartersville to Guntersville, so
Bruce said he'd pick us up at the airport in 45 minutes. We took off,
and Mike asked if I wanted to try flying it (another one of my
criticisms of the -8 - you can't see nor fly it from the back seat!).
Well, I was wrong - within a few minutes, he walked me through setting
up my GPS, and I flew it! It was really easy to fly and again,
visibility was no problem! As I settled in to flying it and watching
the GPS, I noticed we only had 16 minutes ete to Guntersville! This
thing really IS fast!

We landed at Guntersville airport, after passing over the lake and my
brother's house. Bruce arrived shortly thereafter and we went to his
place (adorable, beautiful view, and NO rat-race like Atlanta), had
breakfast in town, then headed back to the airport. We planned on doing
a couple of passes over Bruce's house, which ended up including a roll.
I cannot believe how smooth this airplane is. I don't know all the
technological or mechanical terms or reasons why, but it just
feels..."smoother"!

I really "connected" with the airplane on Sunday, as I told Mike. I
love the space and comfort in the back seat. Visibility forward is no
problem; visibility everywhere else is excellent. Mike's cute little
rear-view mirrors a great - we can actually see each other's face while
we talk. The tinted canopy is great for controlling most of the sun's
brightness, but I'll probably get a stick-on type sun shade for those
long trips. The fresh air in the back is great - the HEAT is awesome,
too! I have heat in the back seat of an -8! What more could I ask for?

Only one problem on my first real experience in the Super 8: I forgot
the camera! But I did get to analyze and enjoy the plane and the flying
more without it.

So until next time......

Photo
"Click"!
mhurleyga(at)yahoo.com

AntiGravity said:

I guess I'm lucky. My wife Jackie didn't have a preference either way and left the decision entirely to me. I guess since she spent a large number of hours on the back of a motorcycle (obviously tandem seating!!) she didn't mind...

Click to expand...

Because....... my wife spent many years seeing the back of my head on a motorcycle, she wanted the side by side!

L.Adamson RV6A

My wife loves the back seat. She can see out both sides of the airplane, she has a seat back pack (attached to my seat back) that she can put books, magazines, drinks, etc right in front of her, and she isn't squished by my 26" shoulders.

My wife sat in both a 6 and an 8 before I started building. She's pretty tall and thought the 8 was much more comfortable with better visibility. Of course I was very happy to hear that!

My -8 was finished and flying before the wife and step-daughters came along. My wife loves the -8 but wants to get more involved with flying and would prefer to be up front where she can see the instruments and where we're going. On long cross-countries she takes the controls for long periods and does a pretty good job holding heading and altitude, even without seeing the instruments. I'm about to replace my Airmap 100 with either an Airmap 500 or 600C and will mount the Airmap 100 in the back for her to enjoy.

Karl

Tandem

My wife agreed to the RV-8 which we haven't finished - lucky me! She has flown in the back of the T-34 and liked that. I spoke last week to two nice wives flying rear seat in 8's. One had just made her first long flight with her husband in a newly completed RV-8; she liked it very much. The other lady had flown with her husband quite a bit in an RV-6 and more recently in the 8. She much preferred the 8, not being squished by her husband's leaning bod during formation flight etc. She really liked the room in the back. Neither lady had any visibility complaints. Sorry I didn't get names. One bird was N9699D. Bill

My RV is side-by-side, but the wife actually preferred the tandem seating in my Citabria. More elbow room, she could lay her head against either side to sleep, and I wasn't asking her to help with charts, radios, etc.

Guess I'll have to get her a ride!

I've spent all but maybe 10 hours of my my flying in tandem aircraft, DOD and sailplanes, this includes demo and instruction. To me it's a now brainer, more room up front, much better view and in general more comfortable.

I bet I can can convince here, but I better look into getting her a ride, heck I see 8's ad 7's buzzing all over Dallas!

Dan ...

There is always an UP SIDE

Faced with a sacrifice some points are gained for prefered optiions and enhanced team spirit. An RV-10 or an RV-7A and an RV-3 come to mind.

If you really feel that tandum seating is OK and you are willing to be a fair weather flyer, you could build the RV-8 to be flown by you from the rear seat in dual mode. She should be very happy with that arrangement - how do you feel about it?

You might be able to get her interested in building/decorating/equiping the rear cockpit to suit her personal taste. Promising to add her name to the canopy skirt by her personal cockpit may enhance that feeling of ownership.

For me, I like looking over at my wife, companion and friend of 40 years and I still have enough imagination to transform my RV-6A into a Mustang.

Bob Axsom

Bob Axsom said:

....If you really feel that tandum seating is OK and you are willing to be a fair weater flyer, you could build the RV-8 to be flown by you from the rear seat in dual mode. She should be very happy with that arrangement - how do you feel about it?....

Click to expand...

Actually if properly equipped I'd be more then happy to fly in the back seat from time to time, especially to teach my boys to fly. Heck I used to make a living doing that, at night, in the clouds, with a knuckle head up front, but that's another thread ...

That said, how tough would it be to setup the back seat for VFR flight? Is that practical? I guess all you need is a thottle quad, rudders and brakes and a stick? Guess I better do a search on that one....

Dan

Dan Ahearn said:

That said, how tough would it be to setup the back seat for VFR flight? Is that practical? I guess all you need is a thottle quad, rudders and brakes and a stick? Guess I better do a search on that one....

Dan

Click to expand...

Try this recent thread...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=13493

My wife refused to sit behind me in an airplane. My girlfriend however loves flying in the back and thought the rv 4 motivational rides she had were out of this world.

Paul

RV 8 Fuselage