I've accumulated almost 10,000hrs in citabrias, currently a 7eca Aurora. I fly this airplane 52 weeks of the year on pipelinepatrol. Plus 30 to minus 30 Celsius in all kinds of weather and wind. Fantastic little airplane.
Nice! I got my tail wheel endorsement in a Citabria similar to this, me a hang glider/sailplane/low time SEL pilot. The most fun power plane I ever flew, bar none!
My taildragger experience was way back in high school. A 1946 Aeronca 7AC champ. 65 hp Continental, 13 gal nose tank, needle, ball, airspeed, tach, oil temp and pressure and a 'whiskey' compass. No electrical system with hand start. Bungee-cord shock absorbing landing gear. Cruise was 65-70 mph. I LOVED IT!
I get 85 mph cruise in mine. flew it coast to coast with 24 fuel stops (a few extra with local flights on the way). Charlott to Northern Nevada, so I guess not really coast to coast. I loved it all, and will have memories forever of that solo flight. 7AC 65 HP 13 gallon fuel.
That was a fun little hop around the patch. Reminds me of my early flying days, owning half interest in a 1946 Aeronca Champ 7AC. I flew it off an 1800' grass strip just outside of a small middle-Georgia town called Zebulon. I put over 300 hours on it the year I owned it, and undoubtedly it was the most fun you could have with your clothes on. Can't beat a taildragger for honing those basic flying skills!
My father-in-law(mayhe rest in peace)and I bought one mid 80's and what a wonderful aircraft to fly. Ours has the same style spring gear which would bounce you back to the heavens if you botched it.
I'm very pleased that you chose this aircraft. It has always been my favorite. It disappoints me that I do not see more of them. Such a terrific Plane. Thank You.
That was so enjoyable. Flew a 7KCAB for many years, along with Cessna, Piper, Gummans. Citabria was my favourite. Lost my medical, and your video brought right back into the cockpit those years ago. Thank you!
Beautiful aircraft!!! But I've never flown a taildragger before. Only Cessnas and Beechcraft. I can see that Mark is a connoisseur of GA aircraft. His hobby is his business. And he is kind enough to share his encyclopediac knowledge with us. An all rounder great guy!!
I really love your content, you do a fantastic job with describing each aircraft, excellent video work and editing. I’m hopeful you keep this up and we have a collection of most GA planes on the market. So hard to find good content like this, most informational videos about different aircraft types are garbage.
Wow that previous owner dropped some serious cash at the avionics shop!! My little Citabria 7ECA has the pure opposite for avionics. They are incredible planes. Easy to land, great visibility, amazing to fly.
I love the Citabria, something like 80% of my flight time is in 7ECA, 7GCAA and 7KCAB, and 8KCAB, with the balance on nosedraggers. Really fun, honest, easy airplanes. They do take some care to threepoint or they'll bounce, but if you can land one, everything else seems easy.
Once again, great video. I have always looked at light tandem seat aircraft derived from military laison aircraft as pointless. My focus on GA flying has always been about what is useful first family flying around with 2 adults and 2 children or commuter flying in IFR conditions around 600nm. After this video I get it. These aircraft are all about the pure fun of flying. Not about getting a specific payload to a specific place. After watching your video I immediately went on Controller and started daydreaming about a plane for me just flying around. Like taking off and landing at my home field, just flying for the fun of flying! You are definitely my favorit GA RU-vid channel, can't wait for your next post. Hopefully a V35 Bonanza 😉
A friend has one (I've gotten to fly it a couple times - with her). She has it on floats in the summer now. Floats really hit the performance. The landing shot, reminded me of a little RC plane. :^) This is why I like your channel; you go to the extra effort to harmonize the colours. :D
I did not kno the reverse spelling. In the early 1970’ s a friend took me up in a Decathlon, and we did about five or six different aeronautic maneuvers…..oh fun ! The loop was the worst ! Your videos are so interesting, loaded with numbers and specifications only you can verbalize so well 👍🏻. Thanks
Another great Video Mark! My dad and I used to have a ball in a Citabria painted just like that back in the 1970's. I can still hear him Hootin and hollaring. He would put me in the front, and he would fly from the back, so much fun!!
Loved your video Mark. You did a great job showing us this lovely little plane. Watched you come in hot for your wheeler and laughed at your self scorn of 'taking the whole bloody runway' and the self consolation of matching colours. Always entertaining. Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing all your videos.
Hi Mark. I flew an earlier model Champion citabria with 150Hp and different undercarriage. It had a huge crosswind component, something like 25 knots from memory. Great plane for aerobatics.
Fun airplane to roll, but the hardest tailwheel airplane I ever landed. That leafspring gear really gives you back everything you touchdown with and then some
@@farmfencesolutionsllc7804 Put VG’s, Cabane Gear, Climb Prop, and strip the interior and it would probably be a pretty good backcountry airplane, “Poor Man’s Super Cub.”
I love these Citabria's! The day after I was minted a pilot, my CFI at the time took me up for an "Intro to Tailwheel" in his '74 CGAA. It was such a hoot, I loved it! We just stayed in the pattern for 90 minutes, I was all over the place. I instantly thought my 172 was boring from that point on. I was constantly searching ads for these that were near me and with the metal spar upgrade but could never find a good one. There was a completely rebuilt 7-ECA (it looked new) in VT in January, 17, but every time I tried to get up there it was like 30 below zero and 30 kn winds. I love tandem seat, stick and rudder tailwheel. A few years back I had a few hours in a Piper J5-A which was also a hoot. I got a quote for insurance one time and that kind of threw cold water on the idea for a while. That panel in this one is amazinging! Not simply a joyrider!!!
I went from a 7ECA to flying -172s to finish out my license. I've never felt so numbed in an airplane. I really struggled much more than I thought I would during the transition. Ran right back to Citabrias after passing the checkride.
@@SVSky Thank you SiliconValleySky! I completely agree. I still have my 172 and it's been a great plane for me, it's just...boring. I know, 1st world problems...LOL. The first 10 yrs I was at a small airport and the one runway almost always seemed to have a crosswind and there were two separate stands of trees with a gap in between, on one side, and buildings on the other, so it was usually quite swirly and challenging. Now I'm at the big boy airport and there is always a RWY into the prevailing wind... LOL.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Hehe, indeed. For a long time I was flip-flopping between a Vans RV-9A (I know, nosewheel) as a faster yet economical cruiser or a Citabria/SuperCub variant. I did look at RANS 7's and RV-12's as well/ Then, I was laid off 3 yrs ago and so the hunting kind of ended. 11 months to go til IRA day. Sigh. Always enjoy your videos though! Great info!
Wow that takes me way back my relative had a blanket dealership and I learned in a gcbc brand new one. I got to fly several of those and the gcbc was such a absolute Rock solid do what you want it to do airplane very responsive. I got to be very comfortable in it I also got to fly around a new super decathlon and the Vikings, Good times. Thanks for the vid memories were great.
Hi Mark, I've been watching your vids for about a year now, they're fantastic, really interesting. Keep up the good work. Mic from Cape Town, South Africa
What a beauty. As they are located in Burlington, WI, about an hour and some from me, I want to go to the American Champion Aircraft manufacturing facility one of these days where they still make these and the other great models of plane, especially the Decathlon.
Hi, really enjoyed you film, as always. Very interesting to hear and see your viewpoint on these planes and what you think of them. Thanks. Excellent film work.
When I was training (at PUC Angwin, Parrot field) there was a gal who was training in a Citabria.. I always thot they were a great looking airplane. She had a heck of time, but finally soloed at 39 hrs.. I remember when she landed. A bigger grin could not be found that day. Thanks again for a pleasurable video, and stirring my old memories.
My father Logged a few thousand hours of his 40,000 Total Hours on (what must be) a Super Decathlon (I was young) towing Sailplanes aloft and for 2 weeks a Summer, a Sailplane Flying Club worth of Tows. Normal release was at 3000 MSL and I timed his landing from that. Usually under 2 minutes because he took advantage of the "AIRBATIC" nature of the Citabria. He liked tailwheels so much he converted his 172 using a Texas Taildragger Kit. I was taught and soloed in that Aircraft. Conventional Gear is better, in my opinion, free airspeed for the Fixed Gear set and it teaches good habits - at least for Stick and Rudder habits. Some owners on RU-vid (or otherwise?) have a disregard for every living thing on the ground.
I love the Citabria. I’ve only done a few lessons in a 7GCBC, and then someone bent it. I don’t know that I’d be all that keen on flying an old wooden spar one again, given that many may have been flown hard in aeros and…American Champion must sell a metal spar version for a reason!
Got my tailwheel endorsement in a Citabria 7ECA with heal brakes. Took some serious getting used to but makes transitioning to a Cub rather easy. And talk about side slip. It'll fly darn near sideways!
I think once you get use to them, heal brakes are a pretty good deal for a tailwheel airplane. I have a Champ 7AC and don't need brakes much thankfully. Those old mechanical brakes just enough to hold at runup.
Delightful. Prompted nostalgia.. Have 1200 + hr in one. Once got mine to FL 195. Did 25 turn spins many times. There used to be problems with the nose ribs that were expensive to fix. Assume they've taken care of that that since the '70s. Also remember the front seat broke while I was giving instruction to a 240 pounder. Fat old wing was horrible inverted, and the roll rate was about 1 degree every five seconds. Maybe the spades help there. Mine had heel brakes and oleos. Heel brakes lousy for everything but exercising adrenal glands, but I thought the oleos were better than the Cessna copies. Thanks.
One point in favour of the tandems, and that is both occupants can easily enjoy the views either side of the plane, without having to climb all over each other⁉️🤪🤓
@@skywagonuniversity5023 like to see that….I’ve got a little time in them and considered purchasing one years back but their USA vanishing act makes one apprehensive….well built bird as is the Flight Design CTLS but each has their strengths and faults….all in all….both Remos and Flight Design sparked my interest and confidence level as a well built product….
@@skywagonuniversity5023 fair enough. My instructor has put the fear of God in me, so every landing begins with a closed throttle at midfield on downwind; i.e. loss of power means we can still comfortably make the field, albeit in a slightly abbreviated pattern. Thank you for the video.
In the 1970's I owned a 7ECA Citabria. Based on aging memory it was 100 hp and 2 -16 gallon tanks. You never worried about running out of fuel . Leaned out at altitude and slightly reduced airspeed it would fly for 11 1/2 hours. It would easily outfly my bladder. I have over 2000 hours in it and flown through the Rocky Mountains and along the coastline of Hudson and James Bay. I have done aerobatics in it and often took the door off in the summer. I absolutely loved that little plane. Then I married, bought a house , sold it and my wife and I raised 3 beautiful children. Thats how I met my wife, first date took her flying and she loved aerobatics.
Holy sh!t!! Citabria is not Italian????? I've always thought it was and still is. And it's airbatic spelled backwards??? Holy smoke!! I have absolutely no freaking idea!!
For God sake! You've gone native! Aloominum ribs, Aloominum gear legs? Gas? Really? You're Britsh man! It's "Alyouminium and petrol". Your American clients will think It's quaint. PS. It's a little know fact but if you spell "Cherokee" backwards you get "Eekorehc".
