The Aircraft

Flights & Dreams' preferred training aircraft is the Pitts S2C. The two seat Pitts have been in production for over 30 years. Before then, all Pitts Specials were single seaters and most pilots by that time were learning to fly on nose wheel aircraft. Many found the transition to the single seat Pitts rather demanding. The two seat model satisfied this training requirement and soon became the standard aerobatic training aircraft. In 1982, the 200 h.p. S2A was superseded by the 260 h.p. S2B, which itself was replaced by the S2C in 1999. While retaining the 260 h.p. engine, the C model benefits from a slightly larger wing area and longer ailerons together with a composite propeller. As a result, the low speed handling in particular has improved. This becomes evident during the take off and landing phases, for which the Pitts has always had a reputation of being difficult. While still not easy to land compared with most types, the skills are learnable by those who wish to learn and enjoy the subsequent benefits of flying a Pitts Special.

Pitts Special S-2C Specifications Engine Lycoming AEIO-540, 260 hp Propeller Hartzell 'Claw', composite blades, 78 in, 3 blades Length 17' 9" Height 6' 5" Wing Span 20' Seats 2 tandem Empty Weight 1,155 lb Maximum Gross Weight 1,700 lb Fuel Capacity normal category: 29 gal (28 usable) aerobatic: 24 gal (23 usable) Pitts Special S-2C Performance Aerobatic flight load limits +6 G / -5 G Takeoff distance ground roll 554 ft Takeoff distance over 50ft obstacle 860 ft Maximum demonstrated crosswind comp. 20 kt Rate of climb, sea level, min weight 2,900 ft/min Maximum level speed, sea level 169 kt Cruise speed / endurance with 30 min fuel reserve 150 KTAS / 1.6 hr Fuel consumption @ 75 % power 46 L/hr Landing distance over 50 ft obstacle 1,200 ft Landing distance ground roll 750 ft