Going to buy new plane tommorow. Thoughts Please

And most flown by pilots who are a legend in their mind. If they could remember what's on their mind.

SCCutler said:
To expand on prior suggestion: the 182 is what I think of as the "universal airplane"; it is fast enough to be a solid traveling plane, it's simplicity helps to keep maintenance expense in check and dispatch reliability high, it'll carry a buttload of people, stuff and fuel, and do so well and legally, and it's an excellent instrument platform.

In addition, of course, is the simple fact that a 182 will always have a solid resale market.

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Edit:

There were some 182s built with the nosewheel on the back, and in the process of forgetting the nosewheel, some of them are also missing the paint. Be wary of these.
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dennyleeb said:
Cessna 182S 1999 750hrs
430 Waas, active traffic, xm weather
165K

2003 Ovation 2 800hrs
A/C 530/430 no WAAS, has active traffic, alt preselect
230K

1977 Lance 4000 TT 400SMOH
480 WAAS, Charts, nice MFD
would want to overhaul panel w/ G500, acive traffic, SVT, 330, 340, engine montior (glassL
115K before upgrades prob 45-50k
old stuff bothers me a little
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I have a Cherokee 235 because it has 900lbs left for passengers and bags with full fuel (84 gallons)...you really can't get it out of CG..and it is fast enough to fly cross country. Unless you fly 1000nm trips you will have to double the speed of a 182 to see any real time savings. Don't let them beat you up because you want to stay well within the margins...I totally understand where you are coming from. That all being said, 165k is way too much for a 99 182.
 
FWIW, when I bought the Aztec I was also looking at a Lancair 360.

Ask me over a couple margaritas at Wings how I came up with those two choices - it actually was very logical. I made the right choice (but still want a Lancair 360).
 
With your requirement of active traffic and such, I get the impression you want to do as little work while in the air - you want someone else/something else, paying attention to the traffic out there. In fact, you want something flying the aircraft.

For 150 miles in the speed of any of the 3? You'll just be getting to cruise altitude by the time you need to start descending! How often do you plan to fly KY-FL vs. the 150 mile hop? That's really the deciding factor.

Second - it also appears that you intend to flip the aircraft after a relatively short period of time (less than 3-5 years). In that case, you want the aircraft that will hold it's value. Can you justify 40K+ avionics for this?

For the Lance, you'll be spending almost 1/2 again the price of the aircraft. Do you believe the resale value will justify this?

Frankly, for your mission description, all of them are unreasonable. For a 150 miles, it's probably faster, cheaper and more practical to buy an SUV. 2.5 hours (or less) driving time, about $15 gas, lower insurance, no need for avionics expense, etc.
Flying in any of these aircraft will require about .5 hours on each end (preflight, put away) so there's really not much difference.

I'm becoming fond of the new Ford that looks almost like an old station wagon for my next car.
 
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murphey said:
Frankly, for your mission description, all of them are unreasonable. For a 150 miles, it's probably faster, cheaper and more practical to buy an SUV. 2.5 hours (or less) driving time, about $15 gas, lower insurance, no need for avionics expense, etc.
Flying in any of these aircraft will require about .5 hours on each end (preflight, put away) so there's really not much difference.

I'm becoming fond of the new Ford that looks almost like an old station wagon for my next car.
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Since when did utility trump Joy of Flight TM?
 
flyersfan31 said:
182

Lots of endurance

145KTAS is plenty for your missions. One long one every now and again won't matter.

Short/soft field capability. Take it virtually anywhere -- Bigtown Class B or Littletown grass strip.

Manufacturer still in business.

Great for sightseeing - high wing makes a big difference.
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Andrew said what I was going to say

EdFred said:
Because you are doing all short trips, the speed advantage of the Mooney is practically non-existant. Get the 182.

Yep, you heard that from me. Get the high wing. :eek:
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Exactly!!! If your prime mission is 150nm you won't see the speed advantage of the mooney very often.

The 182 is the most versitle of the group however if you want to combine speed and pay load then the Lance does make a lot of sense IMHO its got about 15 kts over the 182 and is like 40K less.

Now the math. Figure in your upkeep and panel upgrades over the number of years you plan on keeping it and see how that compares to your 40K savings on the Lance.
 
I dunno...

Everytime I've purchased something with a particular mission in mind, it still opens up horizons, and expands options.

I've always thought the advice to "Buy where you'll be three years from now, not where you are now" is pretty sound.

:dunno:
 
EdFred said:
Because you are doing all short trips, the speed advantage of the Mooney is practically non-existant. Get the 182.

Yep, you heard that from me. Get the high wing. :eek:
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METAR HELL 201652Z 29003KT 10SM SCT 250 M01/M20 A3002 RMK YES ITS FREEZING OVER

Seriously - buy the 182. It's the single-engine equivalent of the DC-3 for a reason. You'll rarely find something to hate about it, and a used one holds its value well.
 
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It is over. I went with none of the above. LOL

2005 T182T 500hrs, G1000, active traffic, SVT

cant wait to get it
 
dmccormack said:
So glad we were so much help. :rofl:
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Actually some were some help. I think the 182 best fits my mission. I thought this but every person on here that gave input said go 182. I will be gentle on the engine and cautious of shock cooling.
 
dennyleeb said:
It is over. I went with none of the above. LOL

2005 T182T 500hrs, G1000, active traffic, SVT

cant wait to get it
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Awh, you'll hate it in a short time and start looking for something better, what a waste, who in their right mind would want that dog......

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You'll love it. With the 'T', you'll be able to almost fly at almost Mooney speeds if you choose so (while burning a bit more fuel though....) and you still have enough room and carrying capacity to fill the seats. There are a good number of really nice and low hour 182s on the market and the one you have under contract sure sounds like it is one of them. As mentioned, get dual from someone familiar with turbo operations on lycoming engines.

Keep us posted, glad we could be of help ;).
 
dennyleeb said:
It is over. I went with none of the above. LOL

2005 T182T 500hrs, G1000, active traffic, SVT

cant wait to get it
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How much did you pay? Previous owner dumped some $$ into those avionics too.

Forget shock cooling - pay attention to your turbo cool-down procedure after you're done flying.

I used to have an '04 T182T.
 
Enjoy it. The turbo will be helpful for longer trips. I'm really wishing I'd opted for a plane with turbos. Oh well, next purchase maybe.
 
It is hard to go much wrong with a 182.

They make an excellent stepping-stone on your way up to a Bonanza. (grin)

Congratulations!
 
dennyleeb said:
Please no more RV talk(I would not fly in one if I won it)

I am looking for help on making decision hopefully from people who have experience with the planes I am looking at

most of travel now within 150 miles but live in KY and have home in FL would like to travel more than curently, but like to take friends to dinner now in then to close cities
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I hear that. I am a Mooniac, yes, I admit it. It is a serious medical condition that thank God the FAA has not put it on the list as yet. Of course, I am not the only one stricken with this and if you pursue this foolishness and purchase an Ovation, then you, too, will become infected and worse, doomed to a life of flying Mooneys and being dissatisfied with anything else.

Frankly, I am astonished that you are considering other planes--so there is hope for you. So hie thee to the 182 and be free of any concerns associated with the mania that grips all Mooney pilots.
 
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