I’ve owned many challenging aircraft but this is a new animal. You can be on a half mile final at 3000 ft and land on the numbers. It’s worse than a helicopter autorotation. Makes the Lancair IV seem tame. 420 roll rate. So far not in love with it.

I have had many of them. You will love it.

Sweet. Yes, “animal” is a good choice of words and will definitely take some getting used to. I’ve been at the controls of a mid wing Extra 300 and a Sukhoi 29 and they were both intimidating beasts. The approach to landing in the Sukhoi truly was helicopter-like. It seemed like 70 degrees and more akin to landing an accuracy parachute than an airplane.

Have fun getting comfortable with it (ha) getting exceptional dual is the key but I’m sure you know that.

How is the glide if you leave the prop control at a cruise RPM setting? Is the Aerobatic MT designed to go to high pitch as the governor loses oil pressure. In a real engine out loss of oil pressure situation will it move to the high pitch stops? Opposite a normal single

Once a guy showed up who needed a Biannual. He had an Extra 300 and I was volunteered. I wondered a bit when what looked like hardware store ratchet straps were cinched down to hold me in better.

So I got to fly it a bit first and try what I thought I knew I could do. It's not a Stearman.

Then I made the mistake of saying "Ok show me what it will do"...

I knew after that I am NOT a fan of consecutive outside loops among other things I did not know the name of.

You were doing it all wrong. See, what you are supposed top do is hang from the prop at 3,000ft OVER the numbers. Then, decrease power and place it ON the numbers, much like how a heli does it.

Also, you final approach radio call should not contain anything other than....... SMOKE ON!

I'll come pick it up and take it off your hands.

I'll come pick it up and take it off your hands.

Michael,

I resemble your remarks.

My GB1 Gamebird was the same way when I got it.

Obviously the biggest adjustment was not being able to see over the nose on landing. It takes patience and practice.

It helps to use the Lindberg Reference. Find where the landing attitude intersects the airframe at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions. This will be your height reference in the flare.

GameBirds are certified aircraft, but only certified now for Day/VFR. Game Composites has submitted for Night VFR, a better battery (the Odyssey is too weak) and autopilot installation (G500, I think). Still waiting on the FAA for these.

I self restrict myself to benign conditions, light winds, less than 10 knots preferably aligned with the runway, and either early morning or late afternoon for smooth cruise conditions.

I like to go fast. Mine will do 200-205 KTAS in cruise, about 20 gallons per hour.

Butch

Michael,

I resemble your remarks.

My GB1 Gamebird was the same way when I got it.

Obviously the biggest adjustment was not being able to see over the nose on landing. It takes patience and practice.

It helps to use the Lindberg Reference. Find where the landing attitude intersects the airframe at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions. This will be your height reference in the flare.

GameBirds are certified aircraft, but only certified now for Day/VFR. Game Composites has submitted for Night VFR, a better battery (the Odyssey is too weak) and autopilot installation (G500, I think). Still waiting on the FAA for these.

I self restrict myself to benign conditions, light winds, less than 10 knots preferably aligned with the runway, and either early morning or late afternoon for smooth cruise conditions.

I like to go fast. Mine will do 200-205 KTAS in cruise, about 20 gallons per hour.

Butch

There is a little note in 4.8 of the Extra 300L Flight Manual to set the prop control to 2400 RPM during descent and then use that RPM for approach and landing. They say it is to reduce noise but I suspect it will greatly increase the glide distance. Worth a try.

The Extra is hands-down the nicest flying airplane I've had the pleasure of piloting. Wonderful control harmony, no bad behavior during any maneuver, consistent responses to inputs. The only phase of flight I didn't enjoy in my Extra was cross-country flying. But it wasn't built for cruising.

Landing takes practice, but the Extra is not a fire-breather during that phase. I flew essentially power-off 180s from the perch on downwind, holding 90 KIAS until short final, then slowing to 80 over the fence.

(Ignore the flaky ASI in the front-cockpit in the first video).

[youtube]https://youtu.be/amU6JaevUiU[/youtube]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/zDeR2EcvIro[/youtube]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/1os2Q9dzYbU[/youtube]

Michael,

I’m certainly no aerobatic expert, but just a couple suggestions:

Some recommend a continuous turn to final to keep the runway approach end in sight as long as possible. I did that in the military, it’s ok, but can be challenging to be stable in the flare.

A good friend recommended I stay high on about a 1/2 - 1 mile final, then lower the nose to keep the approach end in sight. This involves “swapping ends” in the flare, but I prefer a straighter final approach.

Finally, my goal is to try to get the wheels down by the 1000 foot markers, if you need to land shorter than that you have be power off well before the threshold. If you have 4,000’ or more, no big deal, just plan on using all of it.

The big takeaway is don’t force it or get in a hurry to force a landing. That will result in a skip, a PIO, and probably a go-around.

I use 90-100 KIAS on final depending on weight and winds.

Good luck.

Butch

I used to own a midwing Extra 300 and landing was pretty blind. Two things helped me, a very steep approach with control of airpeed and then flare to landing attitude and wait.....

If you were not fast it would settle on the runway pretty well. Short, narrow runways could be a challenge. I had pretty conservative limits on where I would land the airplane.

They are fun planes but are VERY niche

That's what I've been doing, 180 degree landing and just setting the pitch and waiting for an eternity. Sitting in the hole in the back, I can hardly tell if I'm at 10 feet or 2 feet; it is basically a glassy water seaplane landing. I'm using up prodigious amounts of runway with this bird; I could land a Citation in half of what I'm burning up. No way I'm taking this into my 3400 ft grass strip until I get a ton more experience in it.

I never really appreciated my Harmon Rocket until this bird, it did 212kts, climbed better and landed like a basic taildragger. The Extra was designed to do one thing and that's win contests; something I have no desire to do. I really do want to love her though.