Does it ever stop?

Chrisgoesflying

Chrisgoesflying

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Chrisgoesflying
The need for more speed, space, etc. I love my little Cherokee. It does what I need it to do. Hauling me, my wife and puppy across North America east of the rocks. Before that, I had an Ercoupe and Cessna 150. Before that I had an LSA. So, the Cherokee feels roomy and fast when compared to what I had before.

Yet, not only a year into the Cherokee ownership, I started looking at twins and thinking "wouldn't it be nice?" I don't think I NEED a twin, but I know the dog wouldn't complain about more space. My wife wouldn't complain about the fact that I don't restrict the luggage allowance for our trips, I sure as hell wouldn't complain about flying faster, higher and farther. But, I don't NEED any of it.

Plus, what if I get a piston twin and a year or two down the line I'll start looking at turbo props and think again "wouldn't it be nice?" At some point, I won't be able to afford upgrading lol.

So my question to those of you who have been at this for much longer than I have, does it ever stop? Or will there always be that desire for more space, speed, range, etc. even if you don't really NEED it for your mission?
 
some boaters and RVers call it "3-foot 'itis". my nautical buddy had a 25' Catalina but always lusted after a28'. we started with a 26' motorhome, then a 35' motorhome and now we have a 39' motorhome. in short...it never stops. :happydance:
 
If you fly to get somewhere, then there will always be something faster.

If you fly to, ya know, FLY, then who cares if it's, say, 4 hours in the air rather than 2 hours?
 
It stops, at least for some people. I worked my way up the food chain for both personally owned airplanes and professionally flown ones. I'm back where I started, in a Super Cub, and enjoying it. I wouldn't want anything more in a personal airplane.
 
Maybe not bigger/faster, but lusting after whatever you think is cool will probably always be there.
 
I have 6 seats and ~1400lbs of useful. I still look at a Kodiak with lust. Hell, I look at straight tail 182s with lust. Don't even get me started on commanche 400...


There's always another fish in the sea.
 
It depends on your typical mission, and how much operational expense you can bear. For two and regional travel, my 120 kt, less than 8 gph fuel consumption, and cheaply insured and maintained ride is acceptable. I could spend more to go faster, but for a regional trip it just doesn't save that much time. If I can get to, say, Bar Harbor from Central NY in 3 hours instead of a 9+ hour drive, that's a good deal. For longer trips, it's more of an adventure than practical travel, but on the other hand the way airlines are going these days, a 900 nm trip can be reasonably comparable to schlepping to the airport early and making hub connections with long layovers.
 
Remember how as you go up in altitude Vx increases and Vy decreases? Eventually they become the same number and you can't climb any higher?


That's sorta how it works. Aircraft performance and your willingness to spend money eventually meet, and then performance can't go any higher.
 
chemgeek said:
It depends on your typical mission, and how much operational expense you can bear.
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For the most part my mission is pretty tame - local flights of no more than 500 nm one way. But, twice a year I do a longer flight, following the pelicans to warmer climates and then back again. That's like 1,500 nm. That trip is the only flight where a twin and extra useful load would be really handy. I know some will say "rent for those two flights" but that's not possible as I usually stay in the south for a longer period. Some will say "go by airline for those two flights" but that's also not possible because I don't like people for the most part (not people per se, just their coughing, them touching everything, not washing their hands and for some reason oftentimes acting like jerks when on airplanes) lol AND I would not put our dog into the cargo hold of an airliner.

As for the second part, I could probably swing a simple twin like an Aztec or similar. But at the same time, if I don't need one for 90% of my flights, that would be a real waste... But then again, no one really NEEDS a plane in the first place, right?
 
Minimum requirement, I wouldn’t own a plane without a CS prop
 
Sounds like one plane won’t do. You need a club or a partnership that will give you access to both a Cherokee and a twin.
 
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"poor man wanna be rich. rich man wanna be king. king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything"........it's kinda like that. you absolutely need a twin. also, a year or two after you get your twin, you'll definitely need a pilatus.
 
eman1200 said:
"poor man wanna be rich. rich man wanna be king. king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything"........it's kinda like that. you absolutely need a twin. also, a year or two after you get your twin, you'll definitely need a pilatus.
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Yep.

And when the game ends, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
 
eman1200 said:
"poor man wanna be rich. rich man wanna be king. king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything"........it's kinda like that. you absolutely need a twin. also, a year or two after you get your twin, you'll definitely need a pilatus.
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Yeah, but if I bought a Pilatus, I'd be working so damn much to pay for it that I wouldn't have the time to fly it... That's my worry - at some point, I can't afford the upgrade but good to know - it seems like most of you say it doesn't stop so I just have to fight the temptation lol.
 
Well… I started at 3000 lbs, then 8000 lbs, then 15,000 lbs then 50,000 lbs, then 120,000 lbs, then 200,000 lbs, then 300,000 lbs, then 500,000 lbs, then a Pietenpol, 800 lbs.

Hmmm, couldn’t tell ya! I don’t think I’m normal…
 
So, you're asking if a plane can take off from the hedonic treadmill?
 
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It's sort of like a bell curve.
After awhile you start back down the other side, going smaller and slower.
If you're in it for the love of flying, the happy quotient is mostly a flat line, with dips for $$$ problems.
 
Started with a Cirrus SR20. Jumped up to an Aerostar 700.
That was too much plane for my mission.
Went back to a SR22.
Recently sold it.

Likely go back to a twin for my next plane a few years. Want to rent and chase some ratings for a while first. (Seaplane, glider....)

Tim
 
I fly anything I can because I just like flying. Ercoupe or Champ, C-17 or F-14, it’s all fun.

Cheers
 
It’s like boat owners always wanting to go bigger. I did the airplane thing going from a C172 to an arrow to a beech travelair twin, then started down again from a liberty xl2 to what I fly now a Cessna c150. Not fast but fun.
 
I don’t think i will run out of upgradeitis until I hit the top of the single pilot jet range (CJ3+ or P300 most likely).

As a teen I dreamed of one day having a Cherokee or Archer, then a Bonanza. Eventually bought a Cirrus SR22, then upgraded to a turbo FIKI SR22, then sold it and have been dry leasing a C510 since but I am looking to buy an M2 next because I want more speed and range. If money were no object, I’d jump right into a CJ3+ right now (I even have the type rating already). The Mustang seems pretty slow and underpowered…
 
RudyP said:
I don’t think i will run out of upgradeitis until I hit the top of the single pilot jet range (CJ3+ or P300 most likely).

As a teen I dreamed of one day having a Cherokee or Archer, then a Bonanza. Eventually bought a Cirrus SR22, then upgraded to a turbo FIKI SR22, then sold it and have been dry leasing a C510 since but I am looking to buy an M2 next because I want more speed and range. If money were no object, I’d jump right into a CJ3+ right now (I even have the type rating already). The Mustang seems pretty slow and underpowered…
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I want a twin, a Cub or Legend, an aerobatics plane and a small jet. :p
 
I certainly want a faster plane that carries more. My issue is I want to keep my Bonanza as well…. Then I want an RV taildragger... Then I want a Pitts…. But never as an upgrade, keep ‘em all.
 
Eventually you go broke or buy a 747. That's the end game either way.
 
Why pay for one overhaul when you can pay for two?;)
 
You need a friend with a twin (most twins aren’t flown enough from what I see)

Do you ever fly over water? If so maybe you need a twin more than twice a year
 
Randomskylane said:
You need a friend with a twin (most twins aren’t flown enough from what I see)

Do you ever fly over water? If so maybe you need a twin more than twice a year
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I don’t fly over water at the moment but you bet I would be all over the Caribbeans if I had a twin lol.
 
Or, you can look ahead and see where you want to be, and make the jump to that point.

I did that with my boat, and never wanted anything larger (that would have been slower). And hope I did that with the plane (Mooney 252).

The only jump would be to a twin, but that is unlikely due to costs and mission.
 
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