What Plane Should I Look For?

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George The Jeff

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George
I’m 193 lbs, my spouse is 213 lbs. I have two dogs (23 lbs and 25 lbs). I’d probably be carrying around 75 lbs of luggage. I would be flying anywhere from 50 nm (almost every weekend) to 2000 nm (stops included (once or twice a year)). I’d most likely be stopping at concrete strips, or larger airports. Looking for something in the 50 to 300k range.

Currently working on VFR, Will then immediately work on IFR. Training for a single engine plane (I’m in an Arrow currently). I live in Southern California.
 
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Oh, I'll bite and say....
Bo-Nanza. Or PC-12 (although that may be outside your very wide price range... just bump that 500k up to 5M). Insurance shouldn't be too bad for either of these.
 
Kewl, thanks. The bonanza has been on my watchlist for a while, nice to know that it might not be just a fantasy though.
 
In that price range for that mission, bonanza, cirrus SR22, saratoga, turbo arrow, 182/206/210, lot of choices up to 500K. 2000 nm and you probably want 180-200 knots at least. Usually going to mean a turbo something. The short trips more options.
 
@George The Jeff If you’re a new pilot consider something that will ease your transition. Consider insurance and other fixed costs as well. For your mission a late model 182 would be a good fit. A nice 182S or T can be had for $225K to $375K to finish your PPL and use as a trainer for IFR. The 182 makes an excellent IFR platform and a heavy hauler.
 
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I would narrow down your price range. 50-500k isn’t going to narrow the field much.
Fixed gear or retract?
1 engine or 2?
Do you usually want to fly 12000’ or higher?
Modern or vintage?
Do you drive a truck or corvette?
 
I’d go with the late model Cessna 182 or Cirrus SR22. Looking at the pax weights and the dogs I thing the Bonanza is a little narrow. I’m 260 and can attest to it. I needed a 48in wide cabin.


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Retract, preferably. One engine, preferably. Under 12000’. Modern-ish (anything from 75’ to now). I drive a used Prius. I don’t like sports cars or trucks very much, they are too intimidating for me.
 
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My dogs are frenchies by the way, they can both fit in my lap at the same time.
 
Never ever allow your wife to sit in a PA-32 unless you're ready to buy.

Wife and I are "real sized" people, two small dogs, and it's a flying Chevy Suburban.

Sometimes we pack a few things. ;-)
 
George The Jeff said:
I’m 193 lbs, my spouse is 213 lbs. I have two dogs (23 lbs and 25 lbs). I’d probably be carrying around 75 lbs of luggage. I would be flying anywhere from 50 nm (almost every weekend) to 2000 nm (stops included (once or twice a year)). I’d most likely be stopping at concrete strips, or larger airports. Looking for something in the 50 to 500k range.

Currently working on VFR, Will then immediately work on IFR. Training for a single engine plane (I’m in an Arrow currently). I live in Southern California.
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Get through your private pilot. Look to see if there are some other planes in your area that you can rent and try them out.

A 50 nm is just for fun. Short of going over terrain where there is no road driving is much faster for only 50 nm.

That 2,000 nm flight, is that one-way or 2,000 nm round trip? That's a long way in a piston. I did a big across the country trip this year, 3,600+ nm round trip. It's a long way. Commercial is generally better for that; notice I said "generally" not "always".

What is a more common range for where you would travel? Being in Southern California you may want/need to go over some mountains, depending upon where you like to travel. A turbo would be very beneficial if that's the case. If not, then a normally aspirated engine would be fine. Flying to skiing in the winter can be challenging even with de-icing for a single engine piston plane.

Typically any of the good "traveling planes" should work fine. Bonanza, Cirrus, Mooney, Saratoga/Lance, etc. Look for 160 knots or better in cruise.

How much "stuff" do you bring on trips? Is that 75 lbs normal, or what you think you could get down to? We travel light, even on the airlines, except for when we used to drive a minivan and then we brought way too much. :oops: If it's a lot, then Saratoga/Lance or A36 may be a good option for you. If you and your wife are lighter packers, then a Bo, Mooney or Cirrus would work well. Having 75 lbs of luggage is fine for any of those planes.
 
2000 nm one way (LA-Sedona-Omaha-Detroit-Boston)
I’d probably go max 175 nm except for that big trip.
75 lbs normal
 
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George The Jeff said:
I’m 193 lbs, my spouse is 213 lbs. I have two dogs (23 lbs and 25 lbs). I’d probably be carrying around 75 lbs of luggage. I would be flying anywhere from 50 nm (almost every weekend) to 2000 nm (stops included (once or twice a year)). I’d most likely be stopping at concrete strips, or larger airports. Looking for something in the 50 to 500k range.

Currently working on VFR, Will then immediately work on IFR. Training for a single engine plane (I’m in an Arrow currently). I live in Southern California.
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What airport are you flying out of in SoCal? If you're close to Fullerton and want to see what a Beech A36 would be like, send me a PM. I'll be happy to show you it to you and your spouse.
 
Passed my medical, flying from Brackett Field.
I can’t really visit though, I’m at very high risk from COVID because of my asthma.
 
A turbocharged plane makes mountain passage non-events. Climb to 17000 and enjoy the view headed to Boston. We do a Phx-Stl trip once or twice a year and the larger and Turbo’d plane makes it a dream.
 
George The Jeff said:
bonanza has been on my watchlist for a while, nice to know that it might not be just a fantasy though
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It's not a fantasy at all.. for $500K that opens a LOT of options

One requisite you did not mention was speed.. how important is speed to you? What about comfort. What is your rating?

For up to $500K you can buy pretty much any (used) piston plane
 
I'm not discouraging the LA-to-Boston trip, but I don't feel like that's going to be fun, especially for the spouse, a couple of times per year in anything not turbine-powered. I'd leave that one for the airlines in all honesty. If I were you I'd investigate what the mission looks like without that 2K-nm trip in the mix and see what you get. Flying a 50nm every weekend or so makes the aircraft selection a lot different than choosing something capable of doing the 2K-nm trip in any reasonable time. Having a 130ktas aircraft or a 180ktas aircraft on a 50nm trip each weekend is going to be meaningless in terms of time savings, which means there will be a lot of aircraft which can do the job admirably. As the distance/flight leg requirements get longer the cruise speed and pressurization become of greater consequence.
 
Since it's not my money.... Columbia/Cessna 400
 
George The Jeff said:
Retract, preferably. One engine, preferably. Under 12000’. Mordern-ish (anything from 75’ to now). I drive a used Prius. I don’t like sports cars or trucks very much, they are too intimidating for me.
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I think you should get a Moony. small, fast, cheep on gas and retracts.
 
Mooney probably either hauls a$$ in the left lane or stays out of it, unlike the Prius.

Seriously, just keep the Arrow... didn't you say you are currently in an Arrow? They are good for those usual trips you are going to take most often. Then save the $500k and just charter a jet when you want to make the cross country cross country.
 
Fly for awhile. Figure out your mission. What are you really going to do with your airplane (small hint, you don't know right this second). Attend a couple fly-ins, go to Oshkosh. Look at lots of different aircraft. Sit in lots of different aircraft. You'll figure it out. While you're at it, rent a few different aircraft if you can. Figure out what your priorities are.
 
Fracpilot said:
the Bonanza is a little narrow
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Yes! And if it feels narrow in the front you know it's much tighter in the back huddled around that tiny table. Granted, can you actually put people in the back of a Bonanza without it falling on its rear? I know its sacrilege but the "Bo" must be the most disproportionally over hyped plane that's ever existed (oh god, and that damn bar that covers every critical switch... WHY?!?!)

Fracpilot said:
Cessna 182 or Cirrus SR22
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If the guy is planning to fly 2K trips the 182 is going to be remarkably slow. Sure it's a comfortable easy to fly plane but slogging it at 140 knots is going to get old real soon. That first 500 nm trip is going to feel slow, especially when you combine it with a steady 20 knot headwind. The SR22 is great, but given the OPs later post about not liking flashy things I don't see him as a Cirrus buyer

Fracpilot said:
I needed a 48in wide cabin
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indeed.. cabin width is under appreciated but it's nice to actually have some shoulder room without touching the window and the dude next to you. To that end, the Trinidad and Tobago are very comfortable, but not super fast. Although they are retract

George The Jeff said:
My dogs are frenchies by the way, they can both fit in my lap at the same time.
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That certainly is much different than having two labs! You know.. a Mooney might actually not be a bad fit.. fast, well built, miserly. I find them downright awful to sit in from a comfort perspective.. but you'll go fast and burn very little gas in something you can trust was well built

AlphaMike said:
I think you should get a Moony
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agree
 
Mooney's are fast but man they are tight. 2 people 200lbs with 43.5 inches of space. Pass. IMO the only reason to go retract is speed. Personally I prefer simple. There's a reason Cirrus and Columbia chose to keep the wheels down. Wasnt worth the maintenance and loss of useful load for the 5 knots gained. Cirrus is pretty quick too. Not nearly as fast as the Columbia/Cessna 350/400 which boasted to be as fast as the last Mooney. Most Mooney models are really close to the same. Some engines were better than others. Further down the alphabet you go the more modern you get.
 
George The Jeff said:
Also, if I were to get a Mooney, which one would you recommend?
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Honestly that'll depend how much of your 500k you want to use. You could get a fantastic M20J (201, normally aspirated) and the M20K (231 or 252, turbocharged) and still not hit the halfway mark on your budget. You've got to sit/fly in a couple of them first to see if you're both comfortable.
 
Tantalum said:
Fracpilot said:
I’d go with the late model Cessna 182 or Cirrus SR22. Looking at the pax weights and the dogs I thing the Bonanza is a little narrow. I’m 260 and can attest to it. I needed a 48in wide cabin.
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If the guy is planning to fly 2K trips the 182 is going to be remarkably slow. Sure it's a comfortable easy to fly plane but slogging it at 140 knots is going to get old real soon. That first 500 nm trip is going to feel slow, especially when you combine it with a steady 20 knot headwind. The SR22 is great, but given the OPs later post about not liking flashy things I don't see him as a Cirrus buyer
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He mentioned he is a new pilot completing his PPL. An SR-22 might be aggressive for a student pilot and someone new to aircraft ownership in my view. A T182T is in his price range and a good candidate for his continued IRF training afterwards. He can also finish his PPL in a 182. A T182T should see 165kts up high for the long trips.

@George The Jeff might want to shop insurance rates before buying.
 
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George The Jeff said:
Also, if I were to get a Mooney, which one would you recommend?
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The Mooney J model is the standard, often referred to as the "201" which is related to it's max cruise speed of 201mph (roughly 175kts). It's more akin to a sports car in interior fit, so I'm not sure if it's really the best choice if you shy away from sports cars. Like was mentioned, I think you need to figure out the primary mission and set the cross-continent idea on the side for the time being. Just focus on the 90%-mission requirements and see where that gets you. If you're rarely flying more than 200nm on a typical trip, having a retract-gear speed demon isn't going to cut much time off of the trip and it's good bit of extra expense to maintain and insure. You might find that something like the Commander 112/114 or Trinidad TB20 fits most categories pretty well. They're more of a Lexus sedan than a Prius, but it might be a good a good option for good interior space and cruise speed, but won't be elite in any category.
 
God, I think I have, what, like 10 or 15 tabs pulled up for each of the planes that got recommended.
You guys are great! Thanks so much! It’s like an early Christmas!
 
George The Jeff said:
God, I think I have, what, like 10 or 15 tabs pulled up for each of the planes that got recommended.
You guys are great! Thanks so much! It’s like an early Christmas!
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Enjoy the dream!

But, for reality's sake.

Insurance rates are thru the roof.
For a recently minted ppl, figure 20+ hours of additional dual and annual insurance at $5K And up for the first year your IFR will help with that.

$500K plane with no hangar?

Hangar wait lists notoriously long (5 years +)

Renting is generally cheaper than buying.

See if you rent a plane for 100 hours a year before you buy. Even at 50 hours, a stretch for most pilots.

Consider a partnership in a plane. Halves, thirds, quarters... Keeps costs lower.

Best to you... Sorry if I'mma wet blanket.
 
Maule.

Oops sorry, wrong forum.

Bonanza.

If anyone thinks a bonanza is narrow then you can forget a Mooney.
 
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