Author doing research in need of pro advice

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jadenapa

Filing Flight Plan
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jadenapa
I am currently writing a fiction novel and doing some research. One of my characters is a commercial pilot based on the west coast. When he's not working, he is flying his small aircraft and often flies up to 300-400 miles. I was hoping to get some advice from professional pilots, specifically:

- As a professional pilot, what type/manufacturer/model of a plane would you choose to own? Price does not matter, but it should say "I'm a pro pilot who loves flying" and not "I'm a show-off"
- It should be an older model (can be "vintage") - the story is taking place in the 1980s
- Ideally, it would seat 2 incl. the pilot
- How far would this plane fly? Would he have to stop halfway and refuel or easily fly up to 400 miles on a full tank?

Please keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about planes or piloting one :)
 
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A 1979 A36TC Bonanza. The obvious choice for the time period, and the state of the art in the 1980s. Advertised range 774 mi, cruise speed 223 mph.

img.axd
 
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wilkersk said:
A 1979 A36TC Bonanza. The obvious choice for the plot, the time period, and the state of the art in the 1980s. Advertised range 774 mi, cruise speed 223 mph.

img.axd
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Agree on the bonanza, but real pilots talk in knots.

Also does an airline pilot buy a plane that is a great cross country machine when he can fly free? Or does he buy something with a little more soul (aviation passion) and uniqueness? Does he build his own plane?

Oh the options...
 
Commercial pilots have a tendency to favor twin-engine airplanes as that is what they are used to, so a Twin Comanche fits that bill. Bonanza a solid choice too. There is likely a lot more to concern yourself with for the story line than just the airplane. There are particular choices and particular domiciles that might be realistic. Some depends are whether you are using a fictional airline or one of the ones that existed back then.
 
Seanaldinho said:
.... but real pilots talk in knots.
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Not according to Plane&Pilot magazine, where I cobbed the pic.

Seanaldinho said:
... does an airline pilot buy a plane that is a great cross country machine when he can fly free? Or does he buy something with a little more soul (aviation passion) and uniqueness? Does he build his own plane?

Oh the options...
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He could have a fully restored Stearman, .... nah! Been done already...

If we're talking passion, he wangled a deal one of those WWII surplus birds, painted it purple and flies from airshow to airshow to promote is company..... ;-)
 
Seanaldinho said:
Also does an airline pilot buy a plane that is a great cross country machine when he can fly free? Or does he buy something with a little more soul (aviation passion) and uniqueness? Does he build his own plane?
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I don't own, but I've flown with plenty that do, and it seems to be a mix. Preaching to the choir on PoA, but you're generally not choosing GA over the airlines because of the cost! Sometimes it's an airplane that he/she grew up salivating over, and bought one because they now have the money. Cessna 310s for example aren't uncommon. Some fun stuff - taildraggers, aerobatic, warbirds, and one guy in my base even owns several WWI replicas. It really seems to be all over the map.
 
jadenapa said:
.... but it should say "I'm a pro pilot who loves flying" and not "I'm a show-off"
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For a different spin, how about a homebuilt that he assembled himself? Maybe something like a Long EZ.

upload_2020-6-4_12-2-51.png

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Long-EZ

You could add some interest to your character if he built his own plane. The Long EZ is a 2-seater with a range of a couple of thousand miles. It's a bit unique, with a pusher prop at the rear and moveable canards for pitch control. The plane was introduced in 1979.

Might even be fun to give Burt Rutan (the designer) a cameo appearance in your story. He's an interesting character.
 
jadenapa said:
- It should be an older model (can be "vintage") - the story is taking place in the 1980s
- Ideally, it would seat 2 incl. the pilot
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Assuming said pilot's life revolves around aviation, Thorp T-18. Popular with airline pilots back in "the olden days".
 
wilkersk said:
If we're talking passion, he wangled a deal one of those WWII surplus birds, painted it purple and flies from airshow to airshow to promote is company..... ;-)
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So funny. My dad, an airline pilot, owned a Purple T-6. How did you know?
 
Where are you located? Take a drive to a local, small airport, talk to folks there. If there's a flight school, pay for an introduction flight. Getting first-hand experience is always more credible than 2nd and 3rd hand info.
 
The most common aircraft for both that era and now would be the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. They're 4-seaters(technically) and could make that 300-400mi trip on one tank of fuel in 3-4hrs given decent conditions. Such a trip would be a pretty typical private pilot flight too.

Other similar aircraft options that might be more interesting but still common for that time- Cessna 177 Cardinal, Piper Commanche, Mooney M20, Beechcraft Bonanza. There are variants of all of the models I've mentioned so it might be worth looking deeper.

You didn't mention if you were a pilot or not, just wondering if you know about how headwinds/tail winds affect travel times, that we figure fuel in terms of hours not miles, and things of that nature.
 
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:yeahthat:

He hadn't flown it before but wasn't worried? Who flies a plane with no instruction or check out ride?
 
Timbeck2 said:
:yeahthat:

He hadn't flown it before but wasn't worried? Who flies a plane with no instruction or check out ride?
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Especially a jet (presumably) capable of Mach .083 and 554 mph at 45000 or 50000 feet with paying passengers!

EDIT:
Interestingly, 554 mph TAS is about Mach 0.839 at 45000, so allowing for typo on .083, I feel like I have to give the author a little bit of credit there.
 
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Seanaldinho said:
Agree on the bonanza, but real pilots talk in knots.
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Not this one. The vast majority of my time is in airplanes with the airspeed indicator displaying in miles per hour. 800+ hours in my Super Viking, initial instruction in the very first 172D with a rear window, quite a bit of time in Citabrias and Decathlons, and 10+ hours in a Great Lakes biplane. All with mph not knots on the airspeed indicator. The POHs for those planes call out the V speeds in mph also.

[Edit] Forgot to add the 20+ hours in a Lake amphibian. Also in mph.

In fact, I just checked my logbook. Only 138 hours in planes with airspeed indicators in knots. Over 1000 hours in the mph group.
 
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Definitely not an airline pilot but the wife knows quite a few from her days. One had a family 182. Two of them have built their own RV's (forget now which ones - but both are tail draggers). Another one we know via family just purchased a RV (also tail dragger). Heck, if you want one there's an RV4 sitting in my hangar right now in need of a buyer. If you are local to the Twin Cities you can come and sit in it and make airplane noises :) Its a 2 seater.

RV4pic.jpg
 
1986 Waco Classic (YMF-5) a resurrected 1935 Waco biplane. Brand new, two passengers in front cockpit plus pilot in rear. 400 miles would require a fuel stop or a lonngggg flight.
 
I would need to know something about the character to reply meaningfully. Clothes fit the (person). Or, as we say around here, what's the mission? A pilot just trying to get back to their aviation roots? LA based pilot travelling north to see the kids when the ex has full custody? Single person with a dog and a penchant for adventure in their time off, stumbling into romance along the way?

BTW, if the final chapter includes a wedding under a gazebo, I refuse to offer advice. :vomit:
 
Commercial pilots have a tendency to favor twin-engine airplanes

I don’t think so. We have three airline pilots here on the central coast and two of them use their airplanes to commute to work. One has a Cessna 180 taildragger and a polished Globe Swift. The other has a Grumman AA5. The one who doesn’t commute in his plane has a Aviat biplane that he gives aerobatic instruction. All of those models would be appropriate for an 80s pilot.

Another pilot who flies a Pilatus for work has a Cessna 180 and is building a 2/3 scale P51. And the fourth commercial pilot who used to fly King Airs and some kind of jet, flies a Great Lakes biplane.
 
I don't know about the pro airline pilot's perspective...but I would have thought for not "show-off", something more classic like a cessna 170, a Luscombe 8, Piper Cub, Aeronca Champ....
I'm thinking it wouldn't be so much about going places as it would be about low and slow and fun.... or maybe getting off the beaten path with some bush flying.

Now if you'd have said show off...then I'm thinking aerobatic, like a pitts special or an eagle...
 
wilkersk said:
Oh, I've heard of your dad. I think just about every aviation buff has (You're not unknown yourself, sir!). But, I was referring to another PNW aviation legend...

P44-74423.jpg
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Ahh yes! Of course we can’t forget that airplane.
 
Timbeck2 said:
:yeahthat:

He hadn't flown it before but wasn't worried? Who flies a plane with no instruction or check out ride?
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Meh... Moving from one Make/Model to another in the same Category/Class with comperable performance specs should not take much more than a review of the POH.
 
catmandu said:
I would need to know something about the character to reply meaningfully. Clothes fit the (person). Or, as we say around here, what's the mission?
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Ditto to this. Tell us more about his character, and we'll be able to be more helpful here. Is he...?

The nostalgic type, yearning for the simple pleasures of flight without all the modern bells and whistles, and content to "putter along" on a sunny day?

The type to want to do loops and rolls on a nice weekend?

The type who wants the adventure of exploring new places a few states (or provinces) away?

Someone with a usual particular flight mission, like to take the family up to the mountain resort, or take the buddies golfing?

These would all lead to very different aircraft suggestions...
 
Timbeck2 said:
He hadn't flown it before but wasn't worried? Who flies a plane with no instruction or check out ride?
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ahem... [raises hand] Piper never made a 2 seat Pawnee. If you're going to fly one, you're going to be your own check pilot. I think I was maybe a month into my first banner towing gig when the Supercub had a mechanical issue and couldn't fly that day so the boss looked at me and said well I guess today's the day you teach yourself how to tow with the Pawnee.

I think there was also a time later on when I was flying jumpers. The company acquired a ratty 206 when they bought out another jump operation. It showed up and sat in the grass for a few weeks. The first busy day when we had mechanical issue on one of the other planes, the boss looked at me and asked if I'd ever flown a 206. Nope. 'Here's the keys, don't screw it up.' That thing sure didn't like to climb as well as the turbo props we were flying.
 
Timbeck2 said:
He hadn't flown it before but wasn't worried? Who flies a plane with no instruction or check out ride?
Click to expand...

My first flight in a Pawnee was not on purpose. I just taxied out to do a maintenance run up when a freak strong gust of wind lifted the plane off the ground. I did one loop in the pattern and landed.

My first time on skis was a solo flight as well. At least the plane owner told me what to expect, and what to expect was the fact that there were no brakes....

Plus with several hundred square miles of flat tundra around it would not matter if I missed my landing point by a few miles....

Then again these were small piston planes, not a large turbine.

A dear old friend that has since passed told me about his first flight in a nose wheel plane, a P-39. The ''instructor'' sat on the wing and showed him where everything was in the cockpit, gave him a few power setting and speeds to work with, then sent him on his way. That was a cross country from somewhere in Georgia to Arizona. That route took him near Gallup, where his then fiance was living. Since it was on a Friday he asked if he could stop in Gallup for the weekend.

No, continue on to Arizona.

Well, as he told the story, just as he got near Gallup, the engine started running rough so he made a pre-cautionary landing in Gallup. He called maintenance and was told to stay put, we will send someone out on Monday to look at it.
 
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