Hi All. First post after lurking for nearly a year...glad to be here. Brief background: Fairly new airline guy, after 27 years in the technology/project director/cyber security business. Military family. I started flying gliders in the CAP at age 13. Flown 41 types over 36 years of GA flying...from the C150 to the B737-800. As they say, it's time to do what one loves to do and get paid for it, rather than what one "has" to do. I only have a few hours (less than 10) combined in a Citabria and a Pitts, with those flights happening over 10 years ago, so I'm a rookie as far as tailwheel airplanes goes. Regular upset recovery training since then at my home airport, and no stranger to aerobatics, although it's been awhile.
Mission is a 2-seat high performance single where I can do very light aerobatics, and enjoy what the Pitts has to offer. To that end, I'm looking at an S2B, currently in central-TX. 700 hours TT. Unknown specs on the engine. Planning to hangar it in the humidity-controlled polished-floor hangar occupied by my previous aircraft on Long Island, NY. I'm fanatical about my maintenance, and plan to do as much work as possible within my capabilities, and what is legal. Although this isn't a case of "money being no object" for me, I plan to put the right money into the right areas as the airplane needs it - proactively at every opportunity.
Although I'm told the airplane above has been impeccably maintained, it is currently out of annual. I'm travelling tomorrow to look at it and explore more, so would be grateful to be armed with some basic info, "Easter eggs/gotchas" and any other "big ticket" items I should be paying attention to in order to rule it in or out. Also would be grateful for feedback as far as the best place for a PPI/annual...preferably in the central-TX area, and/or a reasonable travel time. I'd rather find the right shop and travel to get there rather than settle for what's close by and convenient.
Thanks in advance, and apologies for redundancy if this has been covered here previously.
Steve
Mission is a 2-seat high performance single where I can do very light aerobatics, and enjoy what the Pitts has to offer. To that end, I'm looking at an S2B, currently in central-TX. 700 hours TT. Unknown specs on the engine. Planning to hangar it in the humidity-controlled polished-floor hangar occupied by my previous aircraft on Long Island, NY. I'm fanatical about my maintenance, and plan to do as much work as possible within my capabilities, and what is legal. Although this isn't a case of "money being no object" for me, I plan to put the right money into the right areas as the airplane needs it - proactively at every opportunity.
Although I'm told the airplane above has been impeccably maintained, it is currently out of annual. I'm travelling tomorrow to look at it and explore more, so would be grateful to be armed with some basic info, "Easter eggs/gotchas" and any other "big ticket" items I should be paying attention to in order to rule it in or out. Also would be grateful for feedback as far as the best place for a PPI/annual...preferably in the central-TX area, and/or a reasonable travel time. I'd rather find the right shop and travel to get there rather than settle for what's close by and convenient.
Thanks in advance, and apologies for redundancy if this has been covered here previously.
Steve
