*Big* Step-Up Planes?

Ray Jr

Ray Jr

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Mar 13, 2019
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Rayman
Hi Gang,

I'm looking for stories of people who took big steps in their step-up planes.

How many steps did it take to get from your 172ish plane into whatever tank you're flying now?

Cheers!
 
I had kind of an inverse bell curve: B206 (TH67), UH60A, UH60L, UH60M (full glass/FMS/AP), Cherokee 140/180, to C310. They all have their specific mission, and like the 310 the best so far. This spring, into the EMB 145. Plan to wrap it all up (in a couple of decades) with the B777.
 
I went from a C-152 to a C-182 to a C-207 to a Piper Navajo to a B-99 to a C-414 to a C-425 to a C-206 to a King Air 90 (my least favorite plane) to a Piper Navajo.

Now I fly my 1947 Military surplus secretary desk.
 
Zeldman said:
King Air 90 (my least favorite plane)
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Why was it your least favorite? And, of that group, which was your favorite? I always thought the Navajo was a fast, comfortable, under appreciated plane
 
Cirrus SR20 to Aerostar 700 at roughly 350 hours.
Back down SR22 when mission changed.

Tim
 
C182 as a first plane with only 30 hours as a student over the 15 previous years in C150s. Whether it was or not, it felt like a big step for a newbie like myself.
 
Weekend Warrior said:
Therman Munson. Good example of too big a step.
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I came upon that crash on my way to work; he was my favorite player, lived about a mile from me. Thurman, BTW.
It's not so much the size of the jump as much as the lack of training, and the lack of a proper instructor with him (it was an unqualified person, IIRC, that should have noticed he forgot the flaps.)
Our USAF and USN gets people flying big and fast stuff quickly.
 
Tantalum said:
Why was it your least favorite? And, of that group, which was your favorite? I always thought the Navajo was a fast, comfortable, under appreciated plane
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The King Air 90 was small inside for the outside size. For air ambulance the C-425 and even the C-414 was roomier inside. And the 425 was a little faster in the air.

Starting the 90 by the checklist takes forever. I can see why most pilots in the 90 do most of the start up procedure during shut down.

The Navajo, Chieftain model is a work horse. It is a great plane and was a lot of fun to fly in the bush. But my all time hands down favorite will always be the 206. I have landed a 206 at international airports, goat trails on the side of a mountain and beaches. I have taken off loaded to the gills. As far as loading and W&B, if the nose wheel is on the ground when I sit in the pilot seat then we are good to go. For the 206, if it fits, it ships.

One time I iced up a 206 so bad I could either hold airspeed or altitude, but not both at the same time. I landed, removed the ice and continued on. (not in icing conditions) For light ice, no big deal. Just do what it takes to get out of icing on keep on going.

I have taken off at -4500 density altitude in the village formerly known as Barrow, and 10,000 D/A in Flagstaff. I have taken off in and landed in winds strong enough to make it difficult to stand in. And cross winds that made take offs and landings to be done sliding up to 45 degrees from center line. Yet the 206 just goes and goes.

I might have just talked myself out of a Mirage and back into a good 206.
 
kep5niner said:
I had kind of an inverse bell curve: B206 (TH67), UH60A, UH60L, UH60M (full glass/FMS/AP), Cherokee 140/180, to C310. They all have their specific mission, and like the 310 the best so far. This spring, into the EMB 145. Plan to wrap it all up (in a couple of decades) with the B777.
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Which 145 carrier you going to.
 
A regional - they have United and American paint jobs.
 
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172 to piper arrow to beech travel air to current liberty XL 2.
 
I learned in a 182 and went to a 310R, 414A (liquid cooled):eek: 441 (best one yet), 551 easiest twin to fly, 414A, 421B and now 425. Biggest step was 182 to 310 for me. 310 to 414A basically learn the pressurization system, 414A to 441, big jump in speeds in climb and cruise, 441 to 551 learn to slow down and it takes a bigger push of the throttles to stop the sink. 414A to 421B not much except remember the fuel tank math. 421B to 425, learn to crank the engines all over again!
 
150 to 172 and Cherokee rentals to Taylorcraft to powered paragliders to weightshift Quicksilver to Kolb Ultrastar to Fisher FP-404 to Starduster One to Hatz biplane. Yeah, my path is a bit different... The Starduster was the biggest jump, the Hatz is a step down in performance but it's the first two seater I've owned since the T-Craft. The Starduster was the first plane I ever owned with a starter and electrical system.
 
Flying 152’s during private training, to heroically taking the left seat of a B757 and saving the lives of everyone on board after the pilot passed out - that was a big jump!


........oh wait, that was just a dream I once had.
 
Trained in a 150 and a 172. Bought a Cherokee 180 after training and owned for 4 years and just bought a V35.
 
150, 172, 210, PA-32R, C-402, Twin Otter, BA-3100, B-737, A-320, B-777, and back to the 737.

Lots of other GA also.
 
152 rental through getting my PPL, then bought a 182 a year later.

I keep reading turboprop threads...I need to stop. No real need (like I didn’t need the 182).
 
I still remember my complex training, and stepping up from a C-172 to a Cardinal RG. It felt big. Looking back on it now, it still makes me chuckle. Hate to be morally relativistic, but perspective is everything in this life.
 
I went from a Cessna 152 to a Lancair 360. About the same size and weight, but the Lancair had more giddyup.

If you're going to count work planes, I got a buddy who went from a Cherokee 140 to a CRJ900. I think he's got me beat.

C.
 
I remember how much power it seemed the 172N had when I got checked out in it after earning private in 152's (and a couple 150's). Wow, that was a step up for sure.
several various singles and a bit of twin time, some complex...but mostly 172s over the years
then a bunch of time in 172RG's
all those step up and down just sorta ran together in my memory...not like that first time in the 172
..then while working a while in 172RG's towards a commercial rating my big step up to a B777 cl D sim for an hour or so..... wow what a step up!
 
Ryanb said:
Flying 152’s during private training, to heroically taking the left seat of a B757 and saving the lives of everyone on board after the pilot passed out - that was a big jump!


........oh wait, that was just a dream I once had.
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Even my 3 year old has done that. He has 0.15 B757 left seat time. Ignore the cones in the background. 7E352BDA-F74C-4A30-8CC9-24973F6B9477.jpeg
 
My wife went from about 120 hours in the Skyhawk direct into our Navion. Most of my flight time, prior to the Navion, was either in Skyhawks or their smaller brethren (150/152). I had a spattering of ours (probably less than ten) in an Arrow and about 40 hours in a Cessna 170, before I moved up.

On the other hand, the Navion is not a particularly difficult airplane to fly control-wise. The challenges come from learning the systems (how the gear goes up and down, how your particular engine is controlled, the hydraulic system for controlling the flaps and gear, etc...).
 
152->172->Archer->b55–>303->421
 
More like baby steps for me:

160hp 172 -> 180hp PA-28 -> 182 -> Mooney 201
 
Biggest step up I ever did as a pilot was going from flying a Duchess and Twin Comanche to a DC-3. That was a bit of an adjustment.

As far as ownership goes, my path was Cessna 170, B55 Baron, 1933 Waco, Beech 18, T6.

Biggest challenge was actually the step down from the Baron to the biplane. The Waco is still probably the most challenging plane I fly.
 
My first owned plane (quite possibly my last) is a 310. I consider it a big step-up. It’s been a blast/great decision so far.

Knocking on wood
 
these full lists some of you have posted I find interesting. I thought it'd be interesting to look through my logbook and see how it went,leaving out the repeats
C152-C172N-C120-C177RG-C172P-C150M-M20F-PA23150-C172D-7AC-PA23160-C140-7GCBC-PA44180-PA28181-C172M-C172P-C172RG-B777simD-C182RG-PA28200-C182P-PA28161-PA28200R-C172S-C172F
I keep coming back to those cessnas!
 
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