BeechTalk - BT - Talk me out of buying an Albatros (L-39)

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Jan 2014, 12:49

Here's what I know:
1. John Lee of Lee Precision in Hartford, Wisconsin has one and my brother says he's a great guy.

You might reach out to him and ask.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Jan 2014, 21:36

Username Protected wrote:

Are you in the rear seat? Is it yours? Spill the beans! :thumbup:

I'm up front. That pic was snapped from a gopro mounted on the blast shield between the cockpits.

I just finished the training. The L39 is truly an amazing aircraft. I am really impressed by it.

More pics will come soon. The plane has pretty recent paint, and the previous owner left it mostly blank, as he figured the next owner could add graphics to suit their taste ... Pics after that!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Jan 2014, 21:53

Username Protected wrote:

Are you in the rear seat? Is it yours? Spill the beans! :thumbup:

I'm up front. That pic was snapped from a gopro mounted on the blast shield between the cockpits.

I just finished the training. The L39 is truly an amazing aircraft. I am really impressed by it.

More pics will come soon. The plane has pretty recent paint, and the previous owner left it mostly blank, as he figured the next owner could add graphics to suit their taste ... Pics after that! :)

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Jan 2014, 22:02

Username Protected wrote:

Are you in the rear seat? Is it yours? Spill the beans! :thumbup:

I'm up front. That pic was snapped from a gopro mounted on the blast shield between the cockpits.

I just finished the training. The L39 is truly an amazing aircraft. I am really impressed by it.

More pics will come soon. The plane has pretty recent paint, and the previous owner left it mostly blank, as he figured the next owner could add graphics to suit their taste ... Pics after that!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Jan 2014, 13:51

TR, who did you train with? By far that's THE most important part of our decision.

Love reading these threads ...

-Kevin

L-39C 355 Hours PIC
L-29 125 Hours PIC
TS-11 150 Hours PIC

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Jan 2014, 23:09

A buddy of mine has second L39 it flies regularly if you interests to to speak with him please let me know , hi knows everything about this plane

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Jan 2014, 23:25

I did the training with Steve Kalmar. Here is his bio if you don't know of him:

http://www.easternblocaircraft.com/who.html

He was unbelievably thorough. The training went way beyond just getting prepped to pass the checkride. On top of that, he demands perfection. Forget about +/- 100ft or 10knots. That is unacceptable to him. It's precision flying with Steve.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Jan 2014, 23:38

Username Protected wrote:

A buddy of mine has second L39 it flies regularly if you interests to to speak with him please let me know , hi knows everything about this plane

I particularly like the fake Sidewinders in that pic. :rofl:

Or, are they real? :ohno:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jan 2014, 07:58

Username Protected wrote:

He was unbelievably thorough. The training went way beyond just getting prepped to pass the checkride. On top of that, he demands perfection. Forget about +/- 100ft or 10knots. That is unacceptable to him. It's precision flying with Steve.

This is incredibly refreshing. Congrats.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jan 2014, 10:53

I particularly like the fake Sidewinders in that pic. :rofl:

Or, are they real? :ohno:

[/quote]

No , they not the real

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jan 2014, 20:54

I have exactly 1.1 hrs. in an L39 in Santa Fe with Larry Salganek (great guy). We did some aerobatics and 5 TAGS. You couldn't get the smile off my face for a month.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. :thumbup:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jan 2014, 23:24

Easy, you aren't an Air Force pilot nor do you have a big crew to take care of the thing. Sell the Eclipse and get a Phenom?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jan 2014, 00:43

Username Protected wrote:

Easy, you aren't an Air Force pilot nor do you have a big crew to take care of the thing. Sell the Eclipse and get a Phenom?

Nope, I am not an Air Force pilot, but I'm not sure what that has to do with anything? I'm better than the handful of AF pilots I have flown with. However, I have learned a few things from some Navy pilots.

A big crew to take care of the thing? :lol:

It is dirt simple, ridiculously robust, and very reliable. It's systems are fewer and far less complicated than a P-Baron. There have been cases where L39s sat outside in a field for 8-10 years. The pilots showed up, climbed up on the wing with a shovel to knock off some of the ice, popped them off with a GPU and flew them out off the grass. My mechanic maintains many of the L39s in the USA, including a few that race at Reno. He flew them and worked on them when they were brand new in the military. He knows them inside and out. No need for a 'big' crew. They wouldn't have anything to do.

It's ridiculously easy to fly, too. I was able to jump in the plane and handle takeoffs, landings, simulated flameout, and put it through some basic aerobatics without the instructor ever touching anything. (but I'm not an air force pilot

) It's comfortable to sit in for up to 2 hours (which is perfect because after 2 hours you are out of fuel). It's a really fun cross country machine for flights within 500nm. The high fuel burn is it's only negative.

I might be done with Eclipse altogether soon .... that's part of what pushed me into the L39.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jan 2014, 00:55

I want one. :drool:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jan 2014, 11:24

Congratulations. I seriously envy you, it's going to be a blast. BTW you ain't shittin" us, nobody was going to talk you out of this anyway. :thumbup: