Aircraft for IFR Training and Beyond

Yep saw that one, will look at it when I get to TX next month if still around.
 
Just an update if anyone is interested. In the end I ended up with a 64 Pa-28-235 Cherokee. After much searching that plane came out on top mainly due to the following:

1. Useful load
2. Overall MX Costs
3. Descent performance (125 to 130 Indicated in cruise) and climb of 1000fpm even when it's hot.
4. Auto Fuel STC compatible and the plane has it as well.

Here's a few pics of the new bird after I got her home to TX from CA.

Szopa_planesmall03.jpg Szopa_planesmall05.jpg
 
Eric S said:
Just an update if anyone is interested. In the end I ended up with a 64 Pa-28-235 Cherokee. After much searching that plane came out on top mainly due to the following:

1. Useful load
2. Overall MX Costs
3. Descent performance (125 to 130 Indicated in cruise) and climb of 1000fpm even when it's hot.
4. Auto Fuel STC compatible and the plane has it as well.

Here's a few pics of the new bird after I got her home to TX from CA.

View attachment 71027 View attachment 71028
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Congrats! Beautiful airplane! Keep us in the loop and enjoy
 
kath said:
If you want to use a plane to get somewhere efficiently, you want to optimize miles per gallon which can be translated into "miles per dollar".
But if you want to build *hours*, the relevant measure is gallons per hour, which can be translated into "hours per dollar". Totally different mission, for which you want something that flies slow and sips fuel gently. Getting there faster just means you don't get to log as many hours for your money.
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True, but you can always throttle back. And the fuel flow reduces as the 3rd power of the speed reduction, at least to Vy.
 
Fine looking bird! I wish you all the fun in it.

I appreciate the bacon wrapped steering wheels.

It would be fun to play around with LOP if I was just tooling around building time.
 
Love those yokes..!!!

szopa_planesmall05-jpg.71028


And the rest of the plane as well.!!

Where ya at in Texas.??
 
My first plane was a Warrior. I regularly flew it up and down the East Coast... from Ft. Lauderdale to Boston. It was the plane in which I got my IR, and it was very reliable. I had three children, and my wife and I managed to fly a number of trips with the three of them strapped in back. When we moved to Atlanta the travel needs changed, and the children got bigger, so I moved on to a Lance with club seating. That was a great family plane, but the children got even bigger, and they went on to college. I now have a DA40, and it's great for my needs. While it's outside your proposed budget, perhaps with a partner you could swing it. It regularly cruises at 142 kts TAS at about 9.5 gph (Someone posted a 145 kt groundspeed for a turbo Arrow, which is a meaningless number, as it's totally dependent on the wind direction and flight path.), and it has a G1000.
 
An M20 C or better yet E would be in your price range and would fit your two people and baggage criteria, be fuel thrifty and a stable instrument training platform. Just go to the proper lengths to find a solid example.
 
MBDiagMan said:
An M20 C or better yet E would be in your price range and would fit your two people and baggage criteria, be fuel thrifty and a stable instrument training platform. Just go to the proper lengths to find a solid example.
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Nice to tell him that just after he gets his newly-bought plane home! But I agree with you. M20-Cs rock!! I get 145+ KTAS and 9 gph, plus the wheels go up. :cheers:
 
The aircraft you're looking at would all fit the bill, but once you cross the 150 HP barrier, there won't be any auto-fuel STC. I've also done IFR training in practically every light plane you mentioned excepting multi's. The C-172, 177 (Cessna's best light single in that 150-180 HP range), AA5s, PA-28 140-161s will get you 105-115 knots so that's puts you a little under three hours on your (average) 300 mile trip. Even if you found something that might work, few (in my experience) airports dispense auto-fuel and it's a real pain in the ass to lug it to the airport in any useful quantity. You're better off just burning Avgas and so is your engine. An 182 or Archer will get you a little more speed at the cost of a little more gas. They're also slightly heavier and so a little less bumpy and of course the service ceilings are bit little higher. When you look at retracts, factor in the increased insurance and maintenance, the potential to gear-up, etc...but you get a fairly decent bit more speed, but all come with a substantially higher price tag.
 
Hey guys, just FYI already bought the plane :) but appreciate the comments.

Looked at Mooney’s and long story short they are just too tight for me, I would need a few months of yoga just get in and out of one. (Yes I did try)

The plane has the Autofuel STC it’s rated for 87 octane. I agree lugging is a pain but good to have the option.

Flew it back from Sacramento CA to Dallas and averaged 130Kts indicated on 12gph so fast enough for me, and for time building can throttle back and do 100 at about 9gph.

Lastly based at 0TX1
 
Eric S said:
Hey guys, just FYI already bought the plane :) but appreciate the comments.

Looked at Mooney’s and long story short they are just too tight for me, I would need a few months of yoga just get in and out of one. (Yes I did try)

The plane has the Autofuel STC it’s rated for 87 octane. I agree lugging is a pain but good to have the option.

Flew it back from Sacramento CA to Dallas and averaged 130Kts indicated on 12gph so fast enough for me, and for time building can throttle back and do 100 at about 9gph.

Lastly based at 0TX1
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Eastbound groundspeed is exciting! A few years back, after getting comfortable but far from mastering my Mooney, I took my wife from WV to Cody, WY and back. Made a few extra stops enroute for interesting lunches and sightseeing. Overall, we averaged 127 knots westbound and 151 knots eastbound a few days later (all calculated using measured distance between airports and logged flight time).

Welcome to ownership! Fly the wings off of it, have fun and learn lots, but above all, FLY SAFE!
 
@Hank completely agree on the Eastbound speed. At one point (Albuquerque to Lubbock TX) we were getting 155 Ground speed with 125 indicated.
 
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