What plane would you fly "just for fun" and to build experience?

My choice would be a Grumman Tiger. Fun to fly. But fast enough to go places if you end up wanting to do that.
 
I had a 1941 85 hp Piper J4A that I sold just pre COVID. Has the Piper J3 wing, conventional gear, stick, side-by-side, with lots of interior and head room, doors on both sides & pussycat ground handling. Am 86 here but still riding my 2 remaining BMWs.
 
nrpetersen said:
I had a 1941 85 hp Piper J4A that I sold just pre COVID. Has the Piper J3 wing, conventional gear, stick, side-by-side, with lots of interior and head room, doors on both sides & pussycat ground handling. Am 86 here but still riding my 2 remaining BMWs.
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Now you're making me want to get another BMW. : )

(I've actually thought about it, especially if this flying thing doesn't work out due to my age making it too hard to get insurance.)
 
Lunar Module said:
especially if this flying thing doesn't work out due to my age making it too hard to get insurance.)
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Have you thought about ultralights? Might be worth looking into if you're wanting low, slow, local fun.
 
Lunar Module said:
No. I'll have to do some research. Thx.
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Cool. I just hate the thought of you walking away from aviation because some dude with an actuary table doesn't want to offer you insurance. You won't be flying far or in clouds, but I hear it's basically equivalent to an airborne motorcycle, which seems up your alley!
 
Taildraggers = fun.

Don't be afraid of ground loops. It's not some dark art. Very much like riding a bike, all about balance. A good instructor will have you competent in 5 to 10 hours. After about 50 hours on your own, your risk will be no worse than a tri gear plane, and you'll be better at crosswinds. And if you want to explore grass strips and Backcountry, well that's what taildraggers are made for.

Citabrias are inexpensive, plentiful, easy to maintain, versatile, and loads of fun.
 
Nothing wrong with a taildragger for a low time pilot, after all, thousands of pilots learned to fly in Cubs and the like. My first plane, bought when I had around 100 hours, was a taildragger (Taylorcraft). Yes, insurance will be more, at least at first.

Consider what your mission, what kind of flying you want to do. Right now I'm a biplane guy, but I could see myself in a bush plane or seaplane. But I could never see myself owning a 172 or a Bonanza, just not my kind of flying.
 
AvNavCom said:
True, but no Cessna has every made me happy like the little Citabria made me happy when I could just jam the heel brake and swing the tail around in the run-up area or before I put her back in the hangar! Ah, the little silly things that make us smile.
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You can do that swing around with a tricycle Grumman, Cirrus, Diamond, and a number of LSAs too.
 
Jim K said:
Off-topic is our middle name. "Pedantic Off-topic Americans. POA.
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You're definitely trying to set the place on fire.
Lunar Module said:
So I was wondering if any of you might have any suggestions or recommendations for someone in my position?
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Consider a Cessna 150/152. Or a 150 Acrobat. Nice little things, cheap* to operate and maintain, easy to find people that can keep them flying.

*cheap by aviation standards
 
I can only think of one or two airplanes I *wouldn't* fly just for fun and to build experience. I've already been very fortunate/lucky, and I've learned something from every type I've flown. Sometimes it's been as simple as "Don't get in one of these again."

Nauga,
who is more particular about the "whom" than the "what"
 
Welcom to the forum,at your age the insurance companies will be a major factor on what you will fly.
 

What plane would you fly "just for fun" and to build experience?​

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C-206. Most of my (intentional) off airport landings were in a 206. Fun plane to fly, short field, long field, no field, doesn't matter. Just load it until the nose wheel starts to comes off the ground, good to go.
 
I think bush planes are awesome if you have a place to take them, I don't think it's misguided at all. In norcal I think there are some good places for that, it would be so fun! The NX cub is definitely a unique aircraft! I would love one especially if it was the version that you can convert to a taildragger with a few tools and a few a hours. Personally I fly a carbon cub just for fun, not really to build experience though. I can't think of anything I'd really rather have than my cub, if I'm footing the bill myself. It is simple, has great avionics & autopilot, Does 115 knots true on 8.50's, and I've finally reached a knowledge point where I can do most of the maintenance myself, including signing off the condition inspection on my own (even though I still hire an IA to come check my work). If you have the cash for an NXcub, I say go for it! There will be plenty of people that poo-poo the cost and the nosewheel, but you know what, a lot of that comes from a place of jealously for affording the airplane, and I say that as someone who couldn't afford a brand new NXcub. If you could do a builder assist experimental NXcub at the CC factory, that would be something I doubt you'd ever regret.

What I would choose would be entirely budget dependent, but honestly for your area and experience level, and if you're not looking to land ont he side of a mountain, but want something that can handle 1000ft grass/gravel all day, a cessna 182B could be a great airplane. A good one should be obtainable for under $100k. Maintenance will be the tricky point because there's no way around it on 60+ year old airplanes. Personally I would budget at least $5000/year for maintenance on one. Would I rather have a Carbon Cub or an NXcub, yes, as long as I didn't need to cruise at 130 knots or carry 4 people, which I don't. But you could save at least 1/4 million on the cost of acquisition of a 182.

Also, a 172 has such a huge range of what it can be. Check out 907 greenbean to see how far one could take one by keeping it light and adding power.
 
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