Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: TLC62770(at)aol.com
> Scott,> You should really enjoy the Hatz. I've been up in a Piet and in Bob> Eicher's prize winning Hatz and they were both a blast. The Hatz> controls were heavier than I thought they would be, especially the> rudder, but they were still adding gap seals at the time.I've flown in Al Sherman's Hatz at the Cottage Grove Hatz-in. I found thecontrols much heavier than in my Stinson, but really didn't think they weremuch more than in a Cub or Champ.> There is more room in the Hatz, too.I found the rear pit on the Hatz to be a good fit, but man it is a trick toget into the front cockpit. Kinda sorta twist and turn and contort to get in.:-)I have never been in a Piet before. How does it compare with the Hatz?Scott________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: "David B. Schober"
Scott,You are right about having to bend over and climb into the front pit ofthe Hatz, with your back against the bottom of the wing, but having thelower wing to stand on helped a little. Kind of typical of small twoseater biplanes without doors or large wing gaps. I'm 5'10" and 170lbs, so it wasn't too bad. The Piet I flew in is actually a Gregaversion with a small door on the right side of the front cockpit. Toget in the front cockpit you climbed up through the right wing struts Xcable bracing, grabbed the right front cabane strut with your righthand, put the left hand on the coaming between the two cockpits, rightfoot on the wire spoked wheel (make sure it is chocked!), then swing theleft leg over the door sill and in you go. Not difficult, but I'm notsure how it would be without that little door. Some of the other guyscan probably comment on that.Once in the Grega cockpit the fit was snug with the jacket I had on,with my arms touching the upper longerons. The Hatz front cockpitseemed to have another inch or two of room at the shoulders and was alittle deeper. The Hatz also had a slightly larger windscreen and wasless drafty.On the fun scale they were both a blast to fly, with the Hatz being the aerobat of the two. Both were sensitive in pitch (compared to anAeronca) with the Grega more so than the Hatz, both had heavy butresponsive ailerons, and the Grega had a lighter rudder. It is easierto wave at people from the Piet, though! Now a Hatz with some wirespoked wheels would be slick!MikeHatz630(at)aol.com wrote:> I found the rear pit on the Hatz to be a good fit, but man it is a trick to> get into the front cockpit. Kinda sorta twist and turn and contort to get in.> > I have never been in a Piet before. How does it compare with the Hatz?> > Scott________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: Larry Pasley
Once I got in the front pit of the Hatz I had plenty of room. The windscreenwasn't tall enough for me so I had to keep hunched down a bit (no goggles).Other than that I loved flying it.Scott________________________________________________________________________________