This is my grandpa Dale’s plane and I’ve spent countless hours in it since I was a little boy. It’s sad that that time has come to an end but it makes me happy to see such a nice video put together about it. Thank you!
I was a Grumman salesman/demo pilot in the late 70's out of Atlanta Fulton County. I went down to Savannah at the very end as Grumman was getting out of the single business. Our dealership bought some of them pretty cheap since Grumman had a field of them and wanted them gone asap. They were and still are fine airplanes. Thanks for the chance to reminisce.
@@nunyabidness3075 Great question. Tight money policy to stem inflation preceded the recession in 81'. Interest rates in 80' were 13.74% & rose to 16.63% in 81'. This effectively killed spending on luxury vehicles like light aircraft. Also, like the post WWII period, general aviation had overbuilt. The supply of new and used planes was greater than demand in a period of recession.
Was building a Vari Eze in late 70s. Used to drive out to Mojave airport on Saturdays to have my smaller parts inspected by BURT RUTAN himself. He was just starting to sell his kits. Saw him at the Watsonville Fly-In in 1977 with his Vari Eze. It sure attracted pilots like bees to honey. So I started to build one. Getting to my point. Parked next to his hanger was his Tiger. I figured that was a pretty endorsement. Never had enough money for one. And stopped building my Vari Eze when I got married.
Owned a 1979 Tiger, absolute joy to fly. I would take it into LAX to work on it in a hangar I had access to. Initially ATC was a bit perplexed but when I flew final at 115 knots not compromising traffic flow they had no problem and welcomed me with open arms.
Back in the 80s I flew all the GA planes. Lynx, Cheetah, Tiger, and the Cougar twin. I loved all of them. The visibility from the cockpit was amazing to someone coming from J-3s and Cessnas. They weren't aerobatic but did handle somewhat like little fighter planes.
Got almost all my private hours in Cheetahs at Fletcher Aviation at Hobby airport in Houston. Maybelle Fletcher gave me my Private Pilot check ride on my birthday in 1992. She was one of the original 99s. I have probably 85 hours in Grummans. Love these little speedsters.
In the mid-late 1980's used to own a share in a Grumman AA5A 'Cheetah'. Lovely aircraft. Fast (for its modest horsepower). Frugal fuel consumption. Roomy cabin. Good leg room in the rear. Loads of baggage space (the rear seats folded away to reveal an armoured floor onto which luggage / cargo can be strapped). But the best bit of all was its helicopter-like forward visibility. There's a lot of good to be said about Grumman singles. Happy days.
My condolences to Dale, I love to see the pride of ownership in a well maintained and loved plane. Many thanks to Dale for keeping it up so well. I’m the caretaker of a Comanche which I hope to pass onto the next loving caretaker when I reach that time.
Mark, I really enjoy watching your videos. my friend Jason Scholten and I just brought back a 1973 Grumman Traveler from what was potentially a sad end to a beautiful airplane.
Just watched the video. Nice job. I have owned both a Cheetah and my current Tiger since 1999. Couple of other items to note. After about mid 1975, the Cheetahs all came with 52 gals. Also, the rear seats of both the Cheetah and Tiger do fold down to make for a very large cargo area. I have heard of some owners actually sleeping back there in a sleeping bag. Just don't sit up to quickly!
Hi Mark. Over my 37 years of flying light aircraft the Grumman Tiger was one of the nicest. Excellent visibility, handling and speed. Great all rounder.
Never flew the Tiger, but flew a good number of hours in Travelers and Cheetahs. Always wanted to own a Tiger. Loved how responsive the Cheetah is compared to Cessna. And yes, it does get very windy with the canopy open in flight. Love your videos.
Sorry, but the Traveller was also a 4-seater. It was the 1st 4-seater (AA5) til end of 1975 when the modified AA5A came to the market as the Cheetah. The 2-seater are called yankee clipper, or trainer, or even other names. The Tiger is the AA5B til 1979 when they stopped production. Then in 1989 American General restarted production of the TIGER as AG5B til 1993. In 1999 Tiger aircraft started another line of AG5Bs basically unchanged. There even were a few of AG5Bs with G1000 panels made. Tiger aircraft went bankrupt in 2006. Today all is owned by True flight holdings but no aircraft is being produced so far. They are trying for years to put an 200hp IO-360 with c/s-prop but that’s sort of stalled. I had a 1990 AG5B for a few years. Liked it! Traded it for a Bonanza. Sometimes I miss the simplicity of the Tiger. Especially when it comes to refueling and maintenance… 🙈😉
Mark, thanks for all your videos as they are so well done. That being said and having flown and owned Grummans from their initial introduction, Timm Holzhauer's stated history of the line is entirely accurate and complete. As Timm indicates, you stated in the video that the Traveler is a 2 seat airplane. it is in fact a 4 seat airplane with a 150 hp 0320 Lycoming which later morphed into the Cheetah. Thanks and keep up the good work. I always look forward to your videos.
Thank You Mark and Dale! What a sharp little aircraft. Your videos are always a treat Mark. They do make me miss my home state of California though. I grew up in Glendale (Los Angeles), but my wife and I moved to Kentucky in 1995. Still would love to hear your story Mark, how you came to be in the States, your aviation journey, number of types flown, Etc… I’m not even a pilot and find it all interesting. Keep up the great stuff Mark.
Great video. I like the HUD instruments for the viewer. I've always liked the look of Tigers, lovely aeroplane, useful too, great visibility, good fuel burn, what's not to like. Thanks for sharing 👍😊✌️💜
The new HUD is awesome! Your videos are pretty much all anyone would need to pick wich aircraft they plan to buy... or plan to dream about for years. Nicely done.
That is In very nice condition, obviously loved and cherished by the owner over the years. Had the privilege of flying in one with friend. Beautiful plane.🇦🇺🇺🇸👍
I have several hours in N1194Z, the production line “sister” to this airplane. Flew 94Z out of Eglin AFB Aero Club back in ‘97. They had a couple more Tigers, all 93-94 models at the time. Great cross-country airplane and very fun to fly.
Man I love these videos and that plane. My favorite is the one you did on the warrior comparing to the Cherokee. I learned a lot about my warrior . Thanks a lot!
Tigers are a real joy to fly i love the way they perform in most environments. If they had made it with a stick and with conventional gear i would have bought one back in the day!
It was the late 80's (I was in my mid 40's). I decided I wanted my pilot's license and was getting it. We flew out of Lincoln (just down the hill from you in Placerville, a bit north of Sacramento). Most of the training was in Cessna 152's. But we had a Gruman Tiger. I was doing my second solo cross country. They said 'want to take the Tiger?'. Well, of course I did! The trip was a cross country, including a landing at Livermore (in the rolling hills towards the SF Bay area). I was NOT a very good pilot (student with few hours), and had never been to Livermore. I was flying with radios, charts and ground (freeway) sightings. I thought I knew where I was, but I was 'just a little' off. When I called the tower at Livermore, I did not realize that I was already practically on the airport threshold. But in I came (I believe they gave me a straight-in approach) ---- very hot! Being a novice, I pushed the plane onto the ground ----- and porposed the plane several bumps onto the ground (especially bad with that springy front nosewheel strut). VERY embarrassing. Even tho it was two strikes against me (a late call to the tower and the botched landing), they did not make fun of me (to my face anyway). But it was a great learning experience --- I guess sometimes you learn more by screwing up than being perfect. What a great plane, and very special indeed!
iF FLOATING, just cut the flaps, that will cut the lift. But dont let the nose pull up. keep at 2 feet over runway. Low wingers tend to raise the nose when you cut the flaps, high wingers tend to LOWER THE NOSE INSTEAD.
Pretty looking Tiger Mark! Many of the aircraft you feature here on the channel I've flown at one time or another. I concur that Grumman Tigers fly nicely and fast!
I worked on the AG production run in Greenville, MS. It should be noted that there are some rivets on-board, at each end of a bonded joint. THese are anti-peel rivets that stabilize and strengthen the airframe by removing one of the modes that a glue joint can fail. The bonded structures make it a simple plane to build. So simple they were considering offering it as a kit. Any homebuilder would be able to tackle the assembly. THere were some interesting ideas around to develop the airframe. There was one partial airframe sitting in a corner that had been intended to fly on 6 cyl to possibly go after military training. But that was not to be.
As a young lad, when I would buy flying magazines, I was always excited when an issue had a Grumman on the cover. Unlike Cessna 172’s and 182’s, which looked like, well, Cessnas, the Grummans looked like little WWII fighter planes. Too bad they didn’t sell better.
love the new "taxi the tiger and show the logo" animation! some smart design features- bonded honeycomb, latches on the engine cover. and now you're telling me it has RV-level of responsive controls? nice. "yes this is a road" is the number one FAQ for this channel.
Had two of 'em. A real pleasure, and a Traveler which was notably less so with the shorter horizontal stab and bull-dozer nose. One correction.... The Traveler, 150hp, was a four seater (a Cheetah w/o the aero clean-up), before LoPresti waved his magic wand. It was the Yankee (ex Jim Bede) that was the two-seat trainer.
The Traveler is a 4 seater with an O-320 Lycoming. Same as the Cheetah but the Cheetah and Tiger share a different horizontal tail and cleaner aerodynamics. That’s a good looking plane you’re showing.
The AA5 is my favorite GA single. Points like a little fighter. The Rudder feels a lot stiffer than the Cherokee or 172 since it is short coupled. I've flown Travellers and Cheatahs and other than top speed there is very little difference in how they handle. In Texas that canopy is great...in rainy climes not so much. You can fold all of the seats down and an adult can sleep in it (I have not tried it personally). Fantastic plane.
As others have noted, the Traveler was the '72-75 150hp four-seater, then aerodynamic improvements turned it into the '76-up 150hp Cheetah (which could have the standard small OR the optional larger fuel tanks) Built earlier were the 2-seat AA1- series, Lynx, Trainer with a standard 108hp, but many of those have since been STC'd to re-engine with 150hp. BTW, the initial design of the Grumman AA1 was the work of Jim Bede, and intended to be a kit-built, who later sold it to Grumman.
I have 100+ hours in the cheetah working on my ratings out of Falcon Field in Mesa in the mid 70's. Loved it. Good instrument platform. ILS approaches were a snap, over the outer marker, full flaps, power back, trim and it'll basically fly itself down the glide slope. Hot day in PHX?, roll the canopy back a bit, lol!
I own a traveler, you almost right....:) my cruise is 115mph/120mph 104kts on an lycoming o320 150hp, at 7.5 to 8.5 gallons per hour, best low budget airplane and when its hot as hell that canapy is great, and unlike cessna 172s you don't need hardly any right rudder, the fuel tanks leak like a SOB...but I love mine.
Great video. I have almost 500 hours in Tigers. You should also mention that the rear seat backs are removable and the frames fold forward like a station wagon, giving tremendous volume for cargo. Also, being short, the plane is susceptible to PIO unless you keep the speed under control on landing. Other than that, it’s an incredibly fun and useful aircraft.
Actually, the Traveler also has 4 seats and 150/160hp and was the direct basis for the Cheetah/Tiger. The Tiger Vertical and Horizontal fins are the same size as a Cheetah.
A couple of corrections for Mark. One, the Traveler / AA-5 was 150 hp and four seats. Second, the Cheetah / AA-5A was also 150 hp, though some have been modified to 160 hp. The two seaters were all AA-1s, AA-1 to AA-1C. The Tiger is a AA-5B.
180hp in a small package sure makes for a speedy plane. The canopy is reminiscent of a WWII fighter like a P51. If I buy this plane I'd paint my own WWII style noseart. Speedy Gonzales I'd call it, complete with the cartoon character running in a cloud of dust. Arriba!! Arriba!! Andale!! Andale!! And then I'd buy another Grumman Tiger. Except the nose art would feature Sylvester the Cat! 😂
Thanks for another fun video, Mark! Missed the cockpit tour, guessing something happened with the video, stuff happens. Enjoy the HUD too, but seemed like the turn and bank was still turning long after you had rolled out. One suggestion/request: would love it if you mentioned the asking price of the airplanes you’re reviewing that are for sale. Would be fun to know. Thanks again!
The data I used for the overlay comes from the GoPro camera and it isn't 100% accurate. I try to match it up, but yeah ... the turn coordinator looks like it has a meth habit. - Don the Camera Guy.
Amazing. Thank you for sharing. I have a 74 Grumman traveler and I love the experience. Question: How do you get the heads-up display on your videos? Thank you and keep doing what you're doing my friend.
I'm assuming Grumman intended to sell these to the Navy as trainers. Oh well their loss (the Navy I mean). These seem like such great planes. I love the sliding canopy and smooth lines. Beautiful plane.
Had 47 hours instruction in a Cheeta. Super easy to land and made every landing look like a pro. Interesting thing about opening the canopy in flight, you would think the wind would catch the canopy and slam it back to the rear, but if opened, would constantly creep to the closed position. Unfortunately the day before I took my checkride in the plane, my ATP rated instructor went up with another student and both were killed in the crash in IMC. R.I.P Nadal, N26136
Nice little plane but I prefer a high wing aircraft for rollover protection. A high wing aircraft with the wing mounted overhead such as in a Cessna is just like a big rollbar.
Thanks Mark and Dale. I’m shopping for a Tiger right now but I’ve never flown one (I got my first airplane ride at 10 years old in a Cheetah). I’ve flown a Cherokee 180 and this appears similar but faster and cooler in the summer. What’s the back seat leg room like compared to a Cherokee 180 or Archer? Are there any disadvantages compared to the Archer? Intended mission is 3 people and baggage x-country touring.
One extra thing I just remembered when the owner was on a test flight there were 4 adults on board and the performance was great.@@skywagonuniversity5023
Hi JabariHunt! We use an app called Telemetry Overlay. It uses the GPS data from the GoPro to create an approximation of the actual instruments. It isn't 100% accurate, but it does give you a good representation. - Don the Camera Guy.
Hi Mark my instructor let me do my first solo cross country in a tiger AA5B were normal he sent you in a Cessna 150 /152 for your first solo cross country when ready thanks again Mark cheers David
How much difference is there between this plane and a 1975 GRUMMAN/AMERICAN GENERAL AA5B TIGER? I like all you say about the plane you videod and am considering this 75 to finish my license wiht and build my hours and maybe keep as I will be travelling to 2 different destinations between 300 and 500 miles away.
