Real Stick & Rudder Flying, No Instruments, No Problem... The Piper J3 Cub 

There's a great discussion of this in chapter 4 of Stick and Rudder, where Langewiesche lists the pure sensory cues to angle of attack and speed. These include the sound of the airstream, longitudinal stick position, buffeting, how sensitive the aircraft is to small pitch and roll inputs, sensitivity to gusts, and even whether you can smell exhaust from the engine.

Learned to fly in a J3 back in 1969 and after fifty five years of flying I've gone full circle but now I'm in a Champ. Way more comfortable and half the price.

Couldn't agree more ..grass roots flying at its best!

My first 16 hrs were in a cub. An idiot instructor, a hurricane and life intervened and I’ve spent the last few months contemplating buying a cub and finding an instructor. Watching you fly, early in the morning.reminds me of those days many years ago. Nothing like pushing the throttle forward and seeing the air condensing behind the prop, the smell of 100ll, smooth air and slips. Tons of slips. I’m tired of watching someone else having fun! Thanks though!

I was a CFI, & had my students fly with cover instruments also. Instead of using tape, try using those round rubber soap holders that you have on the sink that has suction cups on them, they fit perfectly on your instruments.

I remember when i started flying my dad covered up the instruments with a towel to learn to feel the plane and not stare at the insrtuments, wehad a 47 chief which was really nice but the champ had more room, my 182 is in annual right now cant wait to get it back, thanks joe for a fun video,,,dan

Thanks for the great season! Can’t wait to see your flying videos in the spring!

i love the Cub have 12 hrs in it my friend have one he use to charge me 25 a lesson it was my first pactice emg land ing in a Farmers field field it was fun i live in Columbia CT in the country

Outstanding video, great teaching method. I can actually "feel" you flying the Cub. I particularly like the video from the back seat. I think you've painted or done something similar to see the front seat rudder pedal moving during takeoff and landing. I notice your positioning of the throtal during various periods of flight. Talking about the Cub Noise and the stall incidator (lower part of door) all fit myexperiences and I only have about 30 hours so far. A 77 year old airplane always seems to require some form of Maintenance. I'm in the process of resurrecting the original brakes, handle for run-ups and parking, You may or may not realize that "brakes" were an accessory when the Cubs were being purchased in the 40s. I still have had the opportunity to fly with JC3 brakes of any type. Keep the Cub flying and straight down the grass runway until it stops. So far I have never flown a cub with brakes. I had about 350 hours in tricycle SEL before the Cub.

nothing worse than Karen moving in next to an established airport and then complaining about the Aircraft noise.

Love it Joe! You are a huge help for my tailwheel instruction! best content and a true cub believer!

Another wonderful video. Very informative. Good Ol' Stick and Rudder Skills!

Lost everything in my Fly Baby once...the sound of the wind in the wires was an aid in assuring I was at the right speed in the pattern!.

Great video. Cubs are just a great little simple plane. A buddy of mine has one and he has me fly from the back seat when we go flying. Coming into land I ask him what speed to be at, he says just feel the plane and go off of that. One thing I've never done is go by altitude for base or final. I've always just done it by how I feel. I do tend to come in a bit high to give some room in case of an engine failure on final. That way I know I will make the runway. Thank you for the great information in this video.

Great vid thanks Joe! HNY to you & yours!

Nice work

I hope someday that I’m as comfortable flying as you are . Great video.

Great video joe. I’d love to see more of the chief. It would be interesting if you could do a video with the exact same prop on both airplanes to get a true representation of how they compare. A lot of the propellers made for these aircraft are certified for both airframes.

Nice flying Joe. Happy New Year.

good landing ever

I have yet to solo the club’s Cub (not enough hours in type for the insurance company), so I am keenly aware of what you said about the front seat being occupied. Can’t see any of the instruments anyway! Every time I log hours in the Cub, my next flight in anything else (mostly Skyhawks) feels much more solid on short final. Happy New Year!

Very informative! Just wondering, how much different are the cues you refer to when you are flying with the door closed?

Wow - you fly the Airbus and light tail draggers - I’d ride with you at the controls any time, sir.

This is good stuff!

I realize that one of the coolest thing about flying a Cub is being able to do so with the door ( stall warning ) being open but it looks very cold where you are

I have three rules when I fly a cub.... we fly low, slow, and with the door open. With that said it looks cold there! 😂

Love your wheelpants. I have some fiberglass ones that came with the plane, but no attachment hardware. Where/how did you get yours, or did it come with the plane?

If the neighbors don't like it tell them to buy a Cub. Or give them a ride!

Fly by feeeeeel.....fly by sound...the cub is a flying JEEP lol

Joe, what suction mount are you using for your stratus? Happy with it?

Off Subject but have you ever flown a PA-14? Basically a widened fuselage J-3 to make 4 seats. Dual stick control up front. I believe 115 hp which means not a true 4 place but I may be able to buy one that needs work. I am a retired A&P current. Question, will it fly like a J-3?

Where did you get your piper cub mug?

I assume you feel a bit more drag with the door and window open

Is the best way to lose airspeed keep nose up trim ??