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I WAS CONTACTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN FLYING WITH HIM IN THE AIRPLANE HE HAD JUST PURCHASED. ALTHOUGH A HOLDER OF A CURRENT PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, HIS INSURANCE COMPANY REQUIRED THAT HE GET TWO HOURS OF TRAINING WITH A CFI IN THE NEW AIRPLANE BEFORE THEY WOULD COVER HIM. I HAD TRAINED THE SELLER OF THE AIRCRAFT A WHILE AGO, AND THE SELLER HAD RECOMMENDED ME TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

I WAS UNSURE OF THE LEGALITY OF ME INSTRUCTING IN A LSA, SO I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE, AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION IT WAS ACCEPTABLE, AND FURTHER CORROBORATED IT WITH THE HARRISBURG FSDO. I WAS SKEPTICAL OF GOING BACK IN THAT AIRCRAFT, BUT CHOSE TO HELP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OUT, AND ACCEPTED HIS REQUEST.

WE MET AT N71 AT 0900 ON JUNE 5TH. WE SPENT A GOOD HOUR PLUS DISCUSSING HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, AND THE SYSTEMS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE J250, N214RM. WE CONCLUDED THAT DISCUSSION, WITH A PLAN FOR HIS RETURN TO DETROIT, AND HOW HE WAS GOING TO GET THE PLANE THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, WITHOUT AN ADS-B OUT CAPABILITY. HE HAD DONE THE RESEARCH, AND WAS AWARE OF THE NEED TO OBTAIN A WAIVER FOR THE FLIGHT.

WE THEN GOT IN THE AIRPLANE AND SET TO FAMILIARIZING HIM WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANE. WINDS WERE REALLY IDEAL, REPORTED AS OUT OF 290 DEGREES AT 9 TO 10 KNOTS, RIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY. AFTER OUR INITIAL TAKEOFF, WE WENT TO THE SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD, AND CONDUCTED THE FOLLOWING FLIGHT MANEUVERS: CLEARING TURNS, STEEP TURNS (L AND R), SLOW FLIGHT WITH TURNS, AND SEVERAL POWER-OFF STALLS. HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE PRETTY WELL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN IT. SO, WE HEADED BACK TO N71 TO GET A BUNCH OF TAKEOFFS AND LANDING PRACTICE. ALL APPROACHES WERE CONDUCTED TO A FULL STOP, AS I WANTED TO ENSURE HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE HAND-BRAKING SYSTEM THAT AIRPLANE IS CONFIGURED WITH.

THE FIRST COUPLE OF APPROACHES AND LANDINGS WERE PRETTY BAD. IN THAT AIRPLANE, THE CFI IS LIVING ON HOPE, AS THE CONTROLS ARE BUT A SMALL JOYSTICK BETWEEN THE TWO SEATS. I HAD TO DO A LOT OF COACHING ON HOW TO CONTROL THE PLANE IN THE FLARE. BUT AS THE NUMBER OF APPROACHES PROGRESSED, HIS TECHNIQUE REALLY IMPROVED, AND I CAN REMEMBER TELLING HIM THAT I THINK HE ?GOT IT?. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS NEXT TO LAST LANDING, AND SAID TO HIM, GREASE THE NEXT ONE, AND I?D BE HAPPY TO SIGN HIS LOGBOOK FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

THE LAST APPROACH TO LANDING WAS PICTURE PERFECT. HE NAILED THE AIRSPEEDS, GLIDESLOPE, AND FLARE TO LANDING, SQUEAKING THE MAINS ONTO THE RUNWAY. I WAS DONE. BUT ABOUT 2 OR 3 SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY VEERED HARD TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ KICKED THE RIGHT RUDDER HARD TO THE STOPS TO CORRECT FOR THE LEFT VEER. ALL CONTROL WAS LOST, AND THE AIRCRAFT VIOLENTLY SWERVED HARD RIGHT, EXITING THE RUNWAY, AND SLIDING INTO A WHEAT FIELD.

IN RETROSPECT, I THINK THAT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT, HIS TRAINING IN A WARRIOR CAUSED HIM TO JUMP ON THE ?FOOT PEDAL? BRAKES TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT. BUT OF COURSE, THEY AREN?T THERE, SO HE MERELY CAUSED FULL DEFLECTION OF THE PEDALS.

I REALLY DON?T BELIEVE I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED SO FAST, AND I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE SURPRISE, AS I HAD DEVELOPED FULL CONFIDENCE IN HIS SKILLS AT LANDING THE PLANE.

THE ONLY LESSON FOR ME PERSONALLY, IS THAT I WILL NEVER GET INTO ANOTHER AIRPLANE AS AN INSTRUCTOR, THAT DOESN?T HAVE A DUAL SET OF CONTROLS. I WAS HESITANT IN THE FIRST PLACE PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THAT, AND SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO MY CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSITIONING A PRIVATE PILOT INTO A LSA ? ESPECIALLY ONE THAT IS NOT DESIGNED AS A TRAINING AIRCRAFT.

NO BLOOD, NO BROKEN BONES. TWISTED METAL, BUT EVERYTHING IS OKAY.