Highwings outperform even when when parked.

Best of both worlds is having a combination of low and high wings. With wings overlapping I fit two high wings, one low wing, a Bass Boat, Vintage pickup, golf cart, a car or pickup(whichever I’m not driving at the time) with a good bit of workspace left over plus a bathroom. I waited years for this hangar. As a bigger bonus, its three miles from home located on arguably the best municipal airport in Texas.

Life is good!
 
An Annual on a low wing is more tiring than a high wing due to having to

walk the long way around.

Mooneys are tough.

Difficult to “ Limbo” underneath!
 
Difficult to get underneath?:rolleyes: I am almost 72 years old and even though I am feeling my age, I have no trouble at all getting underneath the Mooney anywhere. There is this device called a “Creeper.” It is flat, with caster wheels underneath and facilitates work from below.

If you’re younger than me and unable to get under an airplane, I would recommend diet and exercise.:)
 
I'm not younger than you.

My focus is not doing the inspecting; it's getting around or under it multiple

times in a small hangar.

The Skate/ Snow Boardy thing does have good points!
 
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Hey guy’s, one thing to keep in mind is a flat tire and something parked under the wing. A buddy had a flat tire on his Husky and when walked into the hangar the wing tip was pretty darn close to the ground. Had there been something under that wing it would have been bad. He did have over sized tires on but even with 8:50’s on it there still would have been an issue. Something to keep in mind. Although not a common thing it is possible and it has happened.
 
Well the new water pump sure seems to have solved the leaking issues in that green old Chevy
 
I've got a low wing, and right now there's a sofa and a boat parked under my wing. Of course, Navion "low" wings are still about five feet off the ground at the tips.
 
Magman said:
An Annual on a low wing is more tiring than a high wing due to having to walk the long way around.
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Back when I rented Cessnas, the growing collection of dents on my forehead eventually convinced me to walk around the long way around anyway.
 
But what about fueling? I guess that’s why they have ladders at the pump?
 
sourdough44 said:
But what about fueling? I guess that’s why they have ladders at the pump?
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You know, they designed and made these planes back when people were young, fit, and light, so climbing up on a strut to fuel was not a problem. Plenty of pictures of my grandpa in the 30’s of a bunch of young men clowning around, landing on beaches, recovering crashed airplanes, and nobody was over 40 (maybe even 30) in any of the pictures. And no low wings in any of my pictures either.

But yes, for the majority of the aging GA population, we now have advancements like ladders, fuel trucks, linemen, and even low wings of those that can’t handle getting fuel up over the height of their heads.

It is nice to still be young.
 
sourdough44 said:
But what about fueling? I guess that’s why they have ladders at the pump?
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You can always stop at a bigger airport and get a ramper to fuel it.

I have to get into and out of the bloody cockpit every time I fly, I don't have to refuel it every time or hardly at all if I don't want to.
 
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bnt83 said:
I hate GA refueling equipment, the huge heavy hose and nozzles might make sense if you're getting 250 gallons or more per service but why lug around that heavy stuff when the average Joe gets less than 100 gallons of 100LL.
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I’ll bet the large hoses are based around durability as well. What other hose routinely gets dragged across as hot asphalt many times a day and abused with kinks, and stress of rolling it in and out. Plus it has to never ever leak or fail as the consequences could be pretty bad.

Again, they didn’t design these airplanes for 80 year olds. Nobody would. They did design a Lincoln continental for an 80 year old, and that is why they are comfortable and easy and airplanes are not. Start making them with huge doors, plush seats, easy fill gas tanks, air conditioning, cup holders, adjustable air ride suspension and you will have the performance of the Raptor.

But my 92 year old flight instructor owns a Cardinal and still manages to push the plane into his hangar and refuel it, so.......
 
bnt83 said:
You can always stop at a bigger airport and get a ramper to fuel it.

I have to get into and out of the bloody cockpit every time I fly, I don't have to refuel it every time or hardly at all if I don't want to.
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Yeah, it's hard to choose which evil is worse for that (especially with a bad back) -- trying to contort myself through the tiny Cessna door under the wing, or getting in through my current big, easy Piper door, but having to step up on the wing to do it. Our planes are much too small for comfort, either way.

I do appreciate the big door when I've had to get something large into the plane, like a wheelchair -- you can slide it over the seats and into the back almost hassle-free.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
I’ll bet the large hoses are based around durability as well. What other hose routinely gets dragged across as hot asphalt many times a day and abused with kinks, and stress of rolling it in and out. Plus it has to never ever leak or fail as the consequences could be pretty bad.

Again, they didn’t design these airplanes for 80 year olds. Nobody would. They did design a Lincoln continental for an 80 year old, and that is why they are comfortable and easy and airplanes are not. Start making them with huge doors, plush seats, easy fill gas tanks, air conditioning, cup holders, adjustable air ride suspension and you will have the performance of the Raptor.

But my 92 year old flight instructor owns a Cardinal and still manages to push the plane into his hangar and refuel it, so.......
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A little arthritis in a hand and boom, giant PITA lugging that heavy crap around. 30 feet of 1.5 inch hose with an 8 pound nozzle on the end..
 
Most fueling hoses for 100LL are standard automotive service station stuff (at least from the pre-vapor recovery days). They need a reasonable bore size, conductivity, and durability both for being dragged and anti-kink.
 
bnt83 said:
A little arthritis in a hand and boom, giant PITA lugging that heavy crap around. 30 feet of 1.5 inch hose with an 8 pound nozzle on the end..
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Yeah, and the ones that shoot out like 20 gallons per minute suck too... I want to fuel the plane, not wash the wings with $5 avgas!
 
thomasdr72 said:
Yeah, and the ones that shoot out like 20 gallons per minute suck too... I want to fuel the plane, not wash the wings with $5 avgas!
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In the rain or cold, though, the ones that dribble out 1 gallon per minute can get pretty frustrating after a while.
 
Magman said:
An Annual on a low wing is more tiring than a high wing due to having to

walk the long way around.

Mooneys are tough.

Difficult to “ Limbo” underneath!
Click to expand...

The Boeing 737 is a low wing, but people routinely walk under its wing :)
 
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