Knocking Off the Rust in a Van’s RV-12iS

After a hiatus, a “rusty pilot” tries out a state-of-the-art SLSA.

Friday, October 07, 2022 at 10:00 AM ET

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A Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS SLSA is the perfect way for a rusty pilot to bring back stick-and-rudder skills. (Photo: Dan Pimentel)

Key Takeaways:

Despite a six-year hiatus from flying, the author found the modern Van's RV-12iS to be exceptionally easy to fly, with precise handling and smooth flight characteristics that quickly diminished any "rust" on his stick-and-rudder skills.
The most significant challenge for a pilot accustomed to older aircraft was adapting to the advanced Garmin G3X touch panel avionics, which requires a substantial learning curve but offers extensive capabilities.
The RV-12iS, and modern Light Sport Aircraft in general, are presented as an excellent choice for pilots looking to return to flying due to their user-friendly design, forgiving nature, and modern engineering.

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I have been a certificated private pilot since 1996, and in 2008, became the proud owner of a 1963 Piper Cherokee 235. This followed many years of renting a number of Cessna and Piper products, and buying my own airplane made sense for the advertising business I had at the time.

Fast forward to 2016, and the out-of-state business I was using the 235 to service dried up, and at 12 gph, Katy became quite an expensive hamburger chaser. Factor in the cost of maintaining a 1963 model, and it was obvious that selling the 235 was a smart move.