What plane would you buy in my situation?

:D :D

Longest I did was KBJC to 0W3 (home). 1333 nm direct. 7 hours 3 minutes from take off to touchdown (according to Flight Aware).

Had some nice tailwinds at 17,000. I hit 229 GS, but it dropped to 227 by the time I could take a picture. All on 10.1 GPH.
 

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You guys are lightweights. I topped the 52g tanks, flew a O-360 break-in flight and then landed with VFR minimum fuel.
 
asicer said:
You guys are lightweights. I topped the 52g tanks, flew a O-360 break-in flight and then landed with VFR minimum fuel.
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So, that means a max of about 4.5 hours. I have made $100 hamburger runs almost that long. :D
 
Pinecone said:
So, that means a max of about 4.5 hours. I have made $100 hamburger runs almost that long. :D
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After I landed I topped the tanks, polished off another water bottle and then flew home before visiting the bathroom. :)

College was 7 hours driving each way. I'd go home for the holidays nonstop.
 
My point was, you were calling people out with your "long" flight, that wasn't very long.
 
Nikhiln25 said:
I’m in my 30s, have a career outside of aviation I enjoy and this is not a career change aspiration for me. I fly for the joy of it.

I have a family, who would be the main people flying with me. I will never need more than a 4 seater. I do go a lot of places around the country for work so flying there my self sounds like a great way to get long cross country trips in. Outside of that the plane will largely be used for occasionally weekend trips within 500nm and then just the local events etc. I don’t see my self flying more than 125-150 hours a year.

my question is- as a first time plane owner should I just go for the plane I want (leaning between a 182 p/q/r or Dakota) or get a simpler plane first like an archer or Cherokee, experience ownership in something similar and get a more capable plane later? For people insimilar situation that went one route or another - do you have any regrets and wish you did it differently?

As a pilot I have 125 hours, got my license earlier this year, and am currently enrolled in instrument training about 50% through. I will probably stop their with ratings. My daughter is young enough where I don’t NEED the full weight capabilities of a 182/dakota today, but probably will in 6-8 years.
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For your experience level, a nice 182 would be perfect. They are about as bulletproof as airplanes come. They have enough power to carry your family and bags. Once you fly it for several years and built time, and you decide you want to cover those 500nm in a little less time, consider a Bonanza F33. Not as fast as the Mooney's...not as roomy as the Cherokee 6/Lance family. But they are also pretty bulletproof. Out of the single engine aircraft I've flown, the Bonanza is my favorite. They just feel built to a similar quality as the corporate aircraft. Good luck!
 
Nikhiln25 said:
I’m in my 30s, have a career outside of aviation I enjoy and this is not a career change aspiration for me. I fly for the joy of it.

I have a family, who would be the main people flying with me. I will never need more than a 4 seater. I do go a lot of places around the country for work so flying there my self sounds like a great way to get long cross country trips in. Outside of that the plane will largely be used for occasionally weekend trips within 500nm and then just the local events etc. I don’t see my self flying more than 125-150 hours a year.

my question is- as a first time plane owner should I just go for the plane I want (leaning between a 182 p/q/r or Dakota) or get a simpler plane first like an archer or Cherokee, experience ownership in something similar and get a more capable plane later? For people insimilar situation that went one route or another - do you have any regrets and wish you did it differently?

As a pilot I have 125 hours, got my license earlier this year, and am currently enrolled in instrument training about 50% through. I will probably stop their with ratings. My daughter is young enough where I don’t NEED the full weight capabilities of a 182/dakota today, but probably will in 6-8 years.
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As a Dad of a family of 4 (kids are in their late teens now) I can safely say that neither my 172 or 172RG have been suitable for the whole family. Space is fine but a useful load of 1000 -1100 lbs isn’t doing me any favors for family trips.

A good friend of mine has a 182, I love that plane. It fits his family of 4 with light luggage. Great entry level, safe family plane, about 1250 useful load. He is looking at upgrading to a 210, which is a stellar aircraft. However there are additional requirements for insurance and higher maintenance costs for the 210 or even a 182RG. The 210 a beast of a family Cessna, but a 182 or 182RG would be a great stepping stone towards the 210.
 
"A fast one, because he intends to go in harm's way."

Sorry, couldn't help it, this thread is 4 pages long now.
 
182 or Dakota is on the right track.

I bought my Dakota in 2017. I now have two kids, and it’s fast enough that we can go where we want in a reasonable amount of time (typical trips are 45 mins to Marathon Key, 1:15 to Disney World), and I really do not have to worry about the weight and balance. The 182 is virtually identical in these regards.

I’ve thought about a Bonanza or an SR-22, but when I think of how well I know my machine, the delta in performance is insufficient to justify a change for the flights we are doing right now.

So, all that to say that this is probably the right category of aircraft you want to consider.
 
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