What would you buy/fly?

Lachlan

Lachlan

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Lachlan
I dream about buying an airplane after I get my private ticket. Some days I think the perfect plane for me would be IFR ready so that I can continue on with my next rating. Other days I think the perfect one for me would be a restored J-3 with a 100hp engine; or a 200hp PA-18 with bush wheels and a belly pod. Then the ubiquitous Cessna that can haul 4 people plus light bags seems pretty good... So, if I had to pick one it would the Super Cub with big fat tundra tires, some Edo floats, wheel penetration skis. What would you guys pick for your favorite all-around aircraft to own, or favorite compromise?
 
IMO, the best airplane to own is the one you can't rent.

I like your idea of a J3 or pA-18. Harder to find those to rent, particularly solo, whereas it is fairly easy to find a 4 seat rental.
 
It gets repeated so much because it's true, it depends on your mission.

For all around utility, speed, IFR, cost, capability and owner satisfaction I bought the plane that I thought was right for me and what I'll be doing.

I needed something to get me from the Houston area to Amarillo that I can land on the farm. It's flat out there so you can land anywhere. Just pick a direction into the wind.


 
txflyer said:
It gets repeated so much because it's true, it depends on your mission.

For all around utility, speed, IFR, cost, capability and owner satisfaction I bought the plane that I thought was right for me and what I'll be doing.

I needed something to get me from the Houston area to Amarillo that I can land on the farm. It's flat out there so you can land anywhere. Just pick a direction into the wind.


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Man....

I can never get too much of seeing pics of that plane....:thumbsup::thumbsup:


Ps... Looks like Zenith 601XL in the background..:dunno:
 
The best is the one you can afford to operate and maintain.
 
A C180 with bus wheels is a great choice, too. No fabric to maintain, comfortable seats, decent cruise speed, land and t/o just about anywhere. What's not to love? :)
 
Beech 18 on amphibs or a Goose or Mallard, even a Widgeon. I could make a living with a Lake Buccaneer though.
 
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one of these works for me.
 

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C182, perfect in so many ways for a dedicated animal rescue aircraft.
 
Pilatus PC-12. There is no substitute
 
Every now and again - well I admit it - every day, I dream of going faster. Much faster. I think there might be a time in my future when I can afford this at double my current costs, but not much more. >200kts, 2 people plus bags, high DA strips but not grass, I can tolerate feeding an IO520/550....but the dream does include using mogas, purchase price <200K preferably <150K. Twins and EXPs not ruled out.
 
One thing I heard somewhere along the way with my primary training was to "always buy your first plane second". Effectively meaning that the first plane is the one you think you want, but it's the one you learn from.

The hardest thing is picking a plane for the mission. If you have a large family, a bigger plane is necessary. Just like burning a hole in the sky? Now is that going to be fast or slow? I see the plane as a tool of going from point a to point b as reasonably quickly and as inexpensive as possible. That's going to be tough, because you can have or the other, but not both.

My suggestion would be to rent for a while, maybe join a small club to share in the ownership expenses. You'll learn a lot of valuable ownership lessons by being part of a group.

Just IMHO... :)
 
ibgarrett said:
My suggestion would be to rent for a while, maybe join a small club to share in the ownership expenses. You'll learn a lot of valuable ownership lessons by being part of a group.
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I belong to a flying club. I don't plan on buying until I have some hours on my private rating. By the time I build up some hours I should either know what I want or know how to figure that out.
 
Have owned five ,they where all my favorites. Still looking for my favorite. It's all about what fits your mission at the time.
 
I like to go fast, so a plane that's as fast as I can afford. Which right now isn't much.
 
Cessna 206,

Once I got in one I was hooked to never return 3 or 4 people, bags and I can land anywhere! Yes Please!

CessnaT206_e4_e.jpg
 
I think it'd be fun to own the cirrus jet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
In a perfect world, I'd own a mooney acclaim, a cub and a retractable heavy hauler 6 seater. Unfortunately, my income says the world ain't perfect so I poot around in a vintage mooney. :lol:
 
Do you fly for fun or travel? Travel style GA ain't much fun IMO, Fun style GA can be pretty lousy as a means of efficient travel.
 
My dream airplane I might actually own one day is a short body baron with 550's. If I win the lottery I'm getting a turbine converted p baron and a helicopter.
 
Any of the extra XA MX types. I like pulling Gs and would like the 400 plus degree roll rate.just need the 200k and the ability to fuel that 580
 
Phoenix said:
Do you fly for fun or travel? Travel style GA ain't much fun IMO, Fun style GA can be pretty lousy as a means of efficient travel.
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I guess it comes down to your mentality,

In my opinion, the enjoyment of flying is not the destination but the trip and some of the views are remarkable. Similar to sailing, if I want to go somewhere fast I take commercial.
 
There isn't any aspect of aviation I haven't liked yet. Pick any airplane and fly the hell out of it until you're bored and then pick another. Not enough hours in the day nor money to fly everything you want to fly. So you go with one until it's time for the next one.
 
ibgarrett said:
One thing I heard somewhere along the way with my primary training was to "always buy your first plane second".
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Huh. I always heard "buy your second plane first." It gives you something to grow into, and saves the cost of buying and selling a plane that doesn't fit your needs for very long.
 
In my opinion, the enjoyment of flying is not the destination but the trip and some of the views are remarkable.
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I agree. I see way too many very capable airplanes sitting in hangars (or worse) tied down outside because people overestimated their "mission." If you are working, have kids, a house, etc., the demands of all that don't leave a lot of time for flying. Better to have an airplane that you can afford to fly when you have time without feeling guilty about wasting too much money on Avgas. The name of the game for me is enjoyment, whether going somewhere or just going flying.
 
N801BH said:
Man....

I can never get too much of seeing pics of that plane....:thumbsup::thumbsup:


Ps... Looks like Zenith 601XL in the background..:dunno:
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I kind of like it too. :wink2:

I have a friend who just bought a Zenith 801 kit to build. Too bad he moved to San Antonio, I would like to have watched and maybe help.

My dream airplane if I could find it and afford it is an old polished DC-3. A family relative owned one back when oil made you some real money. It was swank. You don't land in a DC-3, you arrive. :yes:



american-airlines-dc-3_picm106-10652.jpg
 
This is what I bought, restored and fly. It fits my needs. It is inexpensive to operate, easy to fly and has plenty of room for my wife and I. Most of my flights are less than 200 miles. I enjoy being able to sight see while flying, so a faster plane would just reduce my sightseeing time. Even though it's not the fastest plane around, I still get to my destination in 2/5ths the time it takes to drive.
 

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I dream of a >200kt, turbo, high altitude cruiser. But I'd have to budget carefully.

The best plane is the one you don't have to budget for. I fly a Mooney M20C and can afford to fly it as much as I like, whenever I like.

But I'm beginning to think it needs a hanger mate. Maybe a J-3 or even a Starduster Too.
 
I would choose the Tecnam P2006T twin. I love the Rotax ULS on my LSA, so having a plane with two of them would be double the fun (and capability).
 
We own a VW Westfalia camper, which is all about the journey and eventually getting to our destination. We certainly did not buy it to go fast. Quite the opposite, really. We got it so we could slow down and enjoy life. I look at having my PPL as another way to do something similar to my VW. That's probably why Cubs and Super Cubs are so appealing to me. Low, slow, easy to go to some smaller and quieter places. My first fight was in the front seat of a J-3 when I was 5. Still not over it!
 
A185F with amphibs, and 29s and a baby bush wheel mounted on the land gear for winter time, keep a pair of 8.5s for when you want more speed.


flyersfan31 said:
Pilatus PC-12. There is no substitute
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Not exactly a fun hand flying type of plane though.

Great plane hands down, but not something I would buy for a personal plane, even if I had personal PC12 kind of money.

If you want a fun pilatus, plenty out there.

PC9
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Or a porter for the outdoorsy types.
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If you are in a hurry to get places:
(and these aren't used very much by anyone anylonger, so ....)
 

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If I could I would buy an RV because they are fast and economical. I wouldn't build one though, I'm not particularly mechanically inclined.

Problem is I wouldn't fit in an RV, so here I am in my slow but cheap-to-fly O-300 172G. It's only me 99.99% of the time, so I can't justify even a Cardinal, much less a 182. But a couple times a year I take a longer (500 nm) xcountry, and a 150 kt ship would sure be welcome. Would love to have access to a Mooney or even a 182 for those.
 
MickYoumans said:
This is what I bought, restored and fly. It fits my needs. It is inexpensive to operate, easy to fly and has plenty of room for my wife and I. Most of my flights are less than 200 miles. I enjoy being able to sight see while flying, so a faster plane would just reduce my sightseeing time. Even though it's not the fastest plane around, I still get to my destination in 2/5ths the time it takes to drive.
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Thats what I fly, and I love it!!! Mine here:

daaada39fd4482549cb0f1834a892cc6.jpg


Fits my mission perfectly. Fun to fly, cheap...ish... To operate, plenty of room/useful load for my purposes. Great family airplane for me for years to come!!!


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ETres said:
I would choose the Tecnam P2006T twin. I love the Rotax ULS on my LSA, so having a plane with two of them would be double the fun (and capability).
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If I could afford a rotax twin I would go for an Aircam on amphibs.:yes:
 
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