Help Match Airplane to Mission

Ray Jr

Ray Jr

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
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Display name:
Rayman
I know there are a million of these threads but they're fun so here's one more. o_O:D

Pilot:
First time owner. 300 hours (C172/C150) - PPL - IFR - CPL in progress.

Mission:
-Eastern Canada- can be cold and wet at times but no mountains
-650 nm east/west trip from Ontario to Nova Scotia and back will be 75% of trips. One Leg preferred.
-3 People. 210lbs, 130lbs, 140lbs (480 total) plus bags
-Preferably not 50 years old. Something newer than 1985 or even 90s would be nice.
-150,000 budget. Not afraid to upgrade this and that overtime. I would rather make changes as I see fit and spread out the cost rather than drop big bucks on a decked out Cadillac up front.
- Ultimate goal to get into TP Single way down the line if that matters

Curious to see what you guys come up with!

Thanks
 
My recommendation is something with FIKI abilities.
 
Well if you want to fly ON to NS, with any reliability, FIKI is going to be the #1 driver on what to get.

TP?
 
$150,000 puts you back closer to your 1980s dates than newer. And there’s a LOT of older aircraft that may or may not have been better maintained and equipped from the boom of the 70s before all manufacturing essentially stopped for a while. Age doesn’t directly relate to condition.

If the trips up there MUST be made and can’t be cancelled for weather, definitely FIKI. And even then, no guarantees.

The jump to a turboprop single will be probably ten-fold your budget, even with an older Meridian or similar for the aircraft, and you’ll need and want and may be required to maintain special recurrent training.

If you’re currently working on IR, I’d say to rent a lot of different types and do some real world trips after you have that ticket. That will teach you more about what you will want and need than anything.

Also curious — is the Commercial ticket involved in this plan? Or using it for something else? It won’t add much value to flying these flights even if they’re for business purposes, unless you’re planning to charge or charter and that’s a whole different ball of wax. Just wondering why you mentioned it.
 
denverpilot said:
If the trips up there MUST be made and can’t be cancelled for weather, definitely FIKI. And even then, no guarantees.
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No, These trips are mandatory, but I would rather miss fewer if possible.

denverpilot said:
Also curious — is the Commercial ticket involved in this plan? Or using it for something else? It won’t add much value to flying these flights even if they’re for business purposes, unless you’re planning to charge or charter and that’s a whole different ball of wax. Just wondering why you mentioned it.
Click to expand...

You're the first person to ask why bother with the commercial. Ya, I don't have any intention to work or charge. I just thought why not. You think it's a waste?

This is 75% of my missions, the other 25% will be flying south till the butter melts. But that will happen less now then it will in the future. I'm in the process of selling my business and time and money will be a little more loose. I'm more concerned about getting the proper experience before TP more so than the cost at this point.

That's all pie in the sky stuff anyway. For now I just want to get back and forth to the maritimes safety and often. :D
 
Ray Jr said:
That makes perfect sense. Seems FIKI adds quite a bit to the price
Click to expand...
It does, but you’ll find yourself canceling trips more often than not without it.

If you can’t swing the price for a FIKI aircraft, than go commercial or bust - my 2c.
 
Ray Jr said:
You're the first person to ask why bother with the commercial. Ya, I don't have any intention to work or charge. I just thought why not. You think it's a waste?
Click to expand...

Welllll... no training is a total waste, but you don’t really need the Commercial to fly stuff like the pros do. It’s a good rating for stick and rudder accurate aircraft handling, but the same training could be done without the ticket or just adding it when the XC hours and such are there. You have a lot of hours to get there if you’re at IR right now.

Many people don’t travel or go long distances with the Private, or sometimes even the IR. If you do more of that after Private you’ll see weather and things (and get cancelled for it) that most won’t see doing the 300 mile hamburger runs.

It’s the old “250 hours of going around local patterns or 250 hours of going places” issue.

The weather in the maritimes appears to suck regularly from what I read from here... not close enough to fly there any for me... and sucky weather has to be seen over seasons and experience built to deal with it. That ticket won’t accomplish that.

Getting the IR ticket wet and going places will, however.
 
I agree with most, you'll need FIKI capabilities. There is a great airplane that doesn't get a lot of love and fits your mission. The Socata TB-20 or TB-21. I'd recommend my Comanche 250 but it is old enough to be Jesus' airplane and it's not an all weather platform. The TB-20/TB-21 has nearly identical performance to the PA24. 1200lbs+ useful load, 86gals of fuel (more than enough range), Lycoming 540 engine, 155kts down low and up to 185kts with the turbo. Where it excels is the 50" cabin width (might be the widest single), two doors, built from 1980s to 2012, available with FIKI, heated prop, both turbo and non-turbo options, and it's a handsome plane!
 
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