Looking for a starter plane that is respected

Jim Logajan said:
DC-3

All two engine retractable gear airplanes make great starter planes comparable to a C-150. Not.

DC-3%20Dakota%20EBMB%202008%20%284%29.jpg
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That is DAMN cool!!!!

No, not a starter plane. I was answering the question on what I think is cool. It was off topic for sure.
 
Hocky said:
I'm seriously considering getting my own plane. So here's my mission: It will just be for fun VFR flying for two people and some luggage. But... it has to have some decent presence so that if i fly into Oshkosh with it let's say I would have some fellow pilots looking at it and saying "yeah, nice!'

That rules out wimpy stuff like 150's and the like. Budget is $50k to $100k and $1500 a month for everything else.
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Couldn't you just buy a 172 and have it gold plated?
 
Hocky said:
VERY good question.

If I had a point system for coolness, this is probably how it is right now...


Sleek aerodynamic design that "looks" fast +10
Retractable gear +10
Taildragger +20
Low wing +5
High wing without struts +3
Three blade CS Prop +5
Canopy +10
Tundra tires +15
Radial engine +35 (in my dreams)
V12 water cooled turbocharged piston engine +50 ;) (but let's be real not gonna happen)
Two engines +20
Pusher configuration +20

So on my scale a 150 with tricycle gear scores 0...
Cessna 182 scores 5 if it has a three blade CS prop
But a strutless Cessna 177 scores 13 or even 15. I think they're great.
Dell30rb's swift scores 45

Everyone is different but that is the beginning of my "coolness" formula after just a few minutes thinking about it. I could refine it further.
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Let's bump the budget a little and get one of these?

http://www.controller.com/listingsd...NG/1937-BEECHCRAFT-17-STAGGERWING/1316295.htm
 
Hocky said:
VERY good question.

If I had a point system for coolness, this is probably how it is right now...


Sleek aerodynamic design that "looks" fast +10
Retractable gear +10
Taildragger +20
Low wing +5
High wing without struts +3
Three blade CS Prop +5
Canopy +10
Tundra tires +15
Radial engine +35 (in my dreams)
V12 water cooled turbocharged piston engine +50 ;) (but let's be real not gonna happen)
Two engines +20
Pusher configuration +20

So on my scale a 150 with tricycle gear scores 0...
Cessna 182 scores 5 if it has a three blade CS prop
But a strutless Cessna 177 scores 13 or even 15. I think they're great.
Dell30rb's swift scores 45

Everyone is different but that is the beginning of my "coolness" formula after just a few minutes thinking about it. I could refine it further.
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So you want a tail dragging low-wing twin pusher bush plane that "looks fast" ? Can you draw us a picture?

Just go buy the best example of a Cardinal that you can find.
 
:hairraise:
Sac Arrow said:
"It's perfectly normal to get an erection during this part of the procedure" The attractive nurse said as she rolled the patient over for the colonoscopy.

"I don't have an erection though" the patient replied.

"But I do!"
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:hairraise:
 
Sac Arrow said:
"It's perfectly normal to get an erection during this part of the procedure" The attractive nurse said as she rolled the patient over for the colonoscopy.

"I don't have an erection though" the patient replied.

"But I do!"
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The only time I was caught off guard during a digital prostate exam was when the doctor said, "Look! No hands!!!" :rofl:
 
I have been fortunate to own and fly several very cool airplanes. It does give you an ego boost when you know everyone is drooling over your machine when you taxi in especially if you are the one who restored or built it. You get to park in show parking at airshows and often get offers to hangar your airplane free if you are on an overnight. Plus it is fun to talk to fellow pilots that want to know about your plane. If Hocky wants something like that more power to him. Some of us are interested in more than flying A to B. Don
 
Hocky said:
VERY good question.

If I had a point system for coolness, this is probably how it is right now...


Sleek aerodynamic design that "looks" fast +10
Retractable gear +10
Taildragger +20
Low wing +5
High wing without struts +3
Three blade CS Prop +5
Canopy +10
Tundra tires +15
Radial engine +35 (in my dreams)
V12 water cooled turbocharged piston engine +50 ;) (but let's be real not gonna happen)
Two engines +20
Pusher configuration +20

So on my scale a 150 with tricycle gear scores 0...
Cessna 182 scores 5 if it has a three blade CS prop
But a strutless Cessna 177 scores 13 or even 15. I think they're great.
Dell30rb's swift scores 45

Everyone is different but that is the beginning of my "coolness" formula after just a few minutes thinking about it. I could refine it further.
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Yak-52TW. 95 points.


NX221TSatDVT.jpg




The end.
 
Reminds me of an old high school classmate.. 4'9" , little man syndrome, drove a huge lifted truck to make up for something he must not have had :yes:
All his life he wanted to be cool and respected.. It never happened.. They still laugh at him 30yrs later for trying so hard to be cool lol!!! :mad2:
 
Pinstriper said:
Reminds me of an old high school classmate.. 4'9" , little man syndrome, drove a huge lifted truck to make up for something he must not have had :yes:

All his life he wanted to be cool and respected.. It never happened.. They still laugh at him 30yrs later for trying so hard to be cool lol!!! :mad2:
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Being laughed at by adults who never grew beyond high school values and cliques, is usually a compliment for a person who's comfortable with who they are.

Too bad he never got it. I bet he had a nice truck. He could've hung out with the truck crowd on weekends and no given a **** what anyone else thought of his toy instead of worrying about what others thought of him.

Just be yourself. What others think is a reflection of themselves and their world view, morals, and maturity level. That they "laughed behind his back" shows their true character, without needing any further information.
 
Pinstriper said:
Reminds me of an old high school classmate.. 4'9" , little man syndrome, drove a huge lifted truck to make up for something he must not have had :yes:
All his life he wanted to be cool and respected.. It never happened.. They still laugh at him 30yrs later for trying so hard to be cool lol!!! :mad2:
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I had a similar friend. I knew him for 20 years and I watched him constantly immerse himself in trends, Throwing money into dropping his car, a year later, raising it, then putting neons on it then taking them off and adding spinners, then the tongue ring thing, then the tattoos. Death Metal one year, Gangster Rap the next, Then Country. Whatever the TV said was cool.

Nothing against anyones personal choices but I knew him well enough to know he was doing anything he could to get some sort of admiration. Problem is he was a good guy and didn't need to do all that. Man, if something became popular, the next day he had 2 of em.

I don't think it was his fault. Even young men can have daddy issues. I think his father tore him down his whole childhood and he came out of it with something to prove and never got what he needed to get over it.

I had to part ways when I had my kids and he in his 30s would call me in the middle of the night drunk as hell wanting me to come get him and take him to bars. I would say I was unable and he would proceed to tell me how I ruined my life by settling down and having kids. I didn't have the heart to hand him a mirror and show him what a ruined life looked like to me. so I just went away.

Really wished he had grown up. Somewhere under that chip on his shoulder was a decent guy.
 
How about one of those Cassutt racers? There's a carbon fiber one among others on barnstormers under 50 grand. That's a hot looking aircraft. Taildragger, canopy, low(mid?) wing, and it actually raced so that has got to be worth at least 10 or 20 points on the scale :wink2:

Reno07_81S.jpg
 
FredFenster said:
How about one of those Cassutt racers? There's a carbon fiber one among others on barnstormers under 50 grand. That's a hot looking aircraft. Taildragger, canopy, low(mid?) wing, and it actually raced so that has got to be worth at least 10 or 20 points on the scale :wink2:

Reno07_81S.jpg
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I like those. Gimp needs to update us on his...
 
Pinstriper said:
Reminds me of an old high school classmate.. 4'9" , little man syndrome, drove a huge lifted truck to make up for something he must not have had :yes:
All his life he wanted to be cool and respected.. It never happened.. They still laugh at him 30yrs later for trying so hard to be cool lol!!! :mad2:
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This reminds you? :mad2: What are you trying to say?

All I want to do is fly a cool plane. Not sure how this has anything to do with your short classmate friend whose "something he must not have had" was something that you apparently thought about often.
 
FredFenster said:
How about one of those Cassutt racers? There's a carbon fiber one among others on barnstormers under 50 grand. That's a hot looking aircraft. Taildragger, canopy, low(mid?) wing, and it actually raced so that has got to be worth at least 10 or 20 points on the scale :wink2:

Reno07_81S.jpg
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That looks really good.
 
Has anyone mentioned a Globe Swift? Serious respect there, I would think.

edit: see that is has been mentioned. If I had about $75k to spend, that would be in the short list for me.
 
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alfadog said:
Has anyone mentioned a Globe Swift? Serious respect there, I would think.

edit: see that is has been mentioned. If I had about $75k to spend, that would be in the short list for me.
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Yes several people mentioned it and it is DEFINITELY on the short list.
 
Hocky said:
I'm seriously considering getting my own plane. So here's my mission: It will just be for fun VFR flying for two people and some luggage. But... it has to have some decent presence so that if i fly into Oshkosh with it let's say I would have some fellow pilots looking at it and saying "yeah, nice!'

That rules out wimpy stuff like 150's and the like. Budget is $50k to $100k and $1500 a month for everything else.
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In the more prosaic range, I also think a Tiger nicely equipped would be a nice choice for a starter plane. Personally, I prefer retracts so a Commander 114 or so would rank higher with me.
 
I woke up in a cold sweat last night, after realizing what the OP forgot to put on his wish/point list!

A center stick. I really like center sticks.
 
If you really wanna be legit, here you go. Surviving airplane of two built, and there will never be another one. It's even for sale. ;)

2n71chd.jpg
 
Sac Arrow said:
I woke up in a cold sweat last night, after realizing what the OP forgot to put on his wish/point list!

A center stick. I really like center sticks.
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YES! That gives you serious cred.

I only spent five minutes on my point list. It would be fun (if I had time) to get a more general one and get the number of points per feature dialed in from surveys of a lot of pilots. Biplane, center stick, turbine engine, all very cool. Then the V-tail or some other unsual feature like that is definitely worth some points.
 
flyingriki said:
This meets your criteria of cool, 4 place, cool, luggage, cool......and very fast!

My Cozy MKIV O-540 up for sale - Asking $65,000. Can be packed in container for shipping anywhere.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203045864861916&set=gm.10152280845372605&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/jannie.versfeld?fref=photo
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Drool! Seriously how feasible is something like this for a lowly student pilot such as myself? Assuming I get my PPL over the next month (which is the goal) and I have my fresh certificate in hand.
 
whifferdill said:
If you really wanna be legit, here you go. Surviving airplane of two built, and there will never be another one. It's even for sale. ;)

2n71chd.jpg
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I got to fly with Steve Wolf in Samson. Unreal airplane with an unreal pilot. He put the longest prop blades he could find on it so it would make a LOT of noise. Don
 
yakdriver said:
I got to fly with Steve Wolf in Samson. Unreal airplane with an unreal pilot. He put the longest prop blades he could find on it so it would make a LOT of noise. Don
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That is really cool. I recall hearing this was the only plane he was ever able to coax into a triple hammerhead. Quintessential airshow airplane, IMO. If I had the $$$, I'd buy it and continue in the tradition of Bobby Younkin. :)
 
How about a Stinson gull wing? Brand new rebuild. Engine redone by a real radial pro, run in, ready to go. Rebuilt from ground up. Fuselage covered, wings need to be done. It's on its wheels, ( new) and ready to be finished. Owner passed away recently. For sale. Massey air museum in maryland.
 
dell30rb said:
I like those. Gimp needs to update us on his...
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Ren I am probably going to pass on the Cassutt I was looking at, just too many issues like the wing, prop, zero paperwork/logs, need for somewhat significant mods to fit me physically as well as to meet my mission. Plus I have some anticipated consulting income that should let me focus a little higher up the market in a more ready-to-fly kind of plane.

Love your Swift, gorgeous!

For the OP, a Swift, cool old Luscombe, polished Cessna 170, Yak-52, CJ-6A or even a 7GCBC Citabria would be fun, cool, and reasonable as an entry-level plane IMO.

'Gimp
 
AcroGimp said:
Ren I am probably going to pass on the Cassutt I was looking at, just too many issues like the wing, prop, zero paperwork/logs, need for somewhat significant mods to fit me physically as well as to meet my mission. Plus I have some anticipated consulting income that should let me focus a little higher up the market in a more ready-to-fly kind of plane.

Love your Swift, gorgeous!

For the OP, a Swift, cool old Luscombe, polished Cessna 170, Yak-52, CJ-6A or even a 7GCBC Citabria would be fun, cool, and reasonable as an entry-level plane IMO.

'Gimp
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I like that. I have to attend an "accepting change" seminar tomorrow. We're all prepared with our bull**** bingo cards. I'm going to use "focus higher up the market" and maybe "anticipated income" as one or two of my squares.

(For the record, we all play bull**** bingo when we're required to go to these dumbass seminars or amateur psychology hour as we call them.
 
bartmc said:
I like that. I have to attend an "accepting change" seminar tomorrow. We're all prepared with our bull**** bingo cards. I'm going to use "focus higher up the market" and maybe "anticipated income" as one or two of my squares.

(For the record, we all play bull**** bingo when we're required to go to these dumbass seminars or amateur psychology hour as we call them.
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Are they putting on an "accepting bills" seminar for upper management?
 
jhausch said:
Are they putting on an "accepting bills" seminar for upper management?
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We had to give a one sentence statement stating what we learned. One guy (not me) said and I quote "I learned corporations spend a lot of money on high school level amateur psychology seminars"
 
bartmc said:
We had to give a one sentence statement stating what we learned. One guy (not me) said and I quote "I learned corporations spend a lot of money on high school level amateur psychology seminars"
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I hope that guy had all his drink paid for that night.
 
bartmc said:
We had to give a one sentence statement stating what we learned. One guy (not me) said and I quote "I learned corporations spend a lot of money on high school level amateur psychology seminars"
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Hilarious. And I completely agree.

While corporate America has been far better to me than I probably deserve, some of the petty crap that is part of the day to day blows my mind.

Our company just put in a quiet room where people can go in and take naps.

"Man, sitting at this desk, typing has just got me beat. I think I will get my blankie and take a rest."

Amazes me how many people use that room.
 
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