4 Seaters to save for?

Cessna 206 would be great for your needs. Never again would I buy a Cherokee six. The sheer amount of weight you want to move is shocking. I won't even touch on the camping, or not camping comments some people made. Will add this, if you want something really different and cool, how about a turbine 185. Go to the website of Aviation Unlimited in Oshawa Ontario to see pictures of it. Its been all I can do to not call them and ask for more information. Lacking will power when it comes airplanes, if I call them, I'm too likely to buy it.
 
If you can find one, agree the Cessna 206 meets your needs, plus the large cabin doors for loading camping gear without banging up your interior loading/unloading.
 
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YKA said:
Cessna 206 would be great for your needs. Never again would I buy a Cherokee six. The sheer amount of weight you want to move is shocking. I won't even touch on the camping, or not camping comments some people made. Will add this, if you want something really different and cool, how about a turbine 185. Go to the website of Aviation Unlimited in Oshawa Ontario to see pictures of it. Its been all I can do to not call them and ask for more information. Lacking will power when it comes airplanes, if I call them, I'm too likely to buy it.
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Fwiw, my tent alone when I go camping is 135 pounds. Its one reason I don't fly out for that 2 week New Mexico elk hunt. What you got against a Six? Sure they're not fast, but find a larger useful load and cabin room for under 100k US
 
My tent is light, never actually weighed it, but maybe 3 lbs.
 
AggieMike88 said:
I know of a really nice 206 for sale...

https://pilotsafety.org/206

Says sale pending, but worth making contact if you are interested

cr=w:1164,h:582


cr=w:1164,h:582


Avidyne 550/440/AudioPanel/ADS-B In/out
Genesys STEC 55-X AP with GPSS
Aspen PFD & Epic Optix HUD
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Proof that a well fitted airplane being sold at the right price won’t be on market for long....

Gary reported today that the sale is done and the airplane is headed to new home.
 
SoonerAviator said:
For what a decent PA32 may cost, it would be cheaper to by an Aztec which will handle the load and space needs. Sure the operating costs are higher, but you'd likely save a significant amount of money on purchase cost versus a similarly-equipped PA32 or C205/206.
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You've offered a puzzle - that's a lot of load you want to carry, and there isn't a way it's not going to be inexpensive. I think the idea above makes sense.
 
AA5Bman said:
Right, but you recommended a G5/G6, not a G1. I agree a G1 might theoretically be in the zone of "budget" aircraft, but G5/G6? Well, for some, I suppose that's a budget aircraft. Like I said, cost is relatively but it's an interesting recommendation to say the least.
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Fair point

AA5Bman said:
Well, I stand corrected - that is one serious camping machine!
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don't know if you're being sarcastic or serious but I brought it on probably a dozen or so camping trips.. most of the camping accessible airports within a 5-hour plane ride of me have paved runways so the grass thing is not an issue and the two doors and the relatively good useful load aren't bad. Sure, it's no stol 182 but I got a good amount of utility out of it

Racerx said:
122lbs
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Wow, I've been camping all wrong, my whole kit including cast iron griddle is under 50 lb

YKA said:
maybe 3 lbs.
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I know, right? Mine fits in a backpack and has those little tent poles you unfold
 
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I couldn't imagine having a tent that is over 120 lbs, i would burn it, and go buy a new lightweight tent. GF and I went on a 12 day vacation this past summer, i gave her the larger saddle bag, and I used the smaller one, on my Honda motorbike. We both had room left over in our saddle bag, and I doubt it was more than 30 lbs total between the 2 of us, add her 109 lbs on the back, and my 174 lbs, it was not overloading the Africa Twin. We pack similarly to fly some place. If we go camping, add another 70 lbs which includes a cooler full of food, bbq, air mattress, sleeping bags, tent, lawn chairs, and more. Maximum including every single thing we can possibly want to take, we aren't over 100 lbs of stuff, and the two of us together weigh 283 lbs, for a grand total before fuel in the tanks, of 383 lbs of the useful load used up.
 
Other than a C-206, how about a Maule O-235 M7 or better yet M9. Camp all day Baby. Course' you need a taildragger endorsement but gooood fun. Just fuel up appropriately.
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YKA said:
I couldn't imagine having a tent that is over 120 lbs, i would burn it, and go buy a new lightweight tent. GF and I went on a 12 day vacation this past summer, i gave her the larger saddle bag, and I used the smaller one, on my Honda motorbike. We both had room left over in our saddle bag, and I doubt it was more than 30 lbs total between the 2 of us, add her 109 lbs on the back, and my 174 lbs, it was not overloading the Africa Twin. We pack similarly to fly some place. If we go camping, add another 70 lbs which includes a cooler full of food, bbq, air mattress, sleeping bags, tent, lawn chairs, and more. Maximum including every single thing we can possibly want to take, we aren't over 100 lbs of stuff, and the two of us together weigh 283 lbs, for a grand total before fuel in the tanks, of 383 lbs of the useful load used up.
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National forest in the mountains for 16 days. Tried the lightweight tent. They leak and don't hold heat. Canvas tent with a floor so the rodents don't get in. Northern new Mexico mountains you get some wicked low flyovers... sometimes at 2am. Talk about an alarm clock!
 
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Tantalum said:
Wow, I've been camping all wrong, my whole kit including cast iron griddle is under 50 lb


I know, right? Mine fits in a backpack and has those little tent poles you unfold
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And I'm the guy that made fun of people with campers. We've got a trailer for the UTV. Tig welded aluminum dual chamber tank that fits in the V-nose. Have 35 gallons of gas and 65 gallons of water both rigged to 12v pumps. No gas cans. Were hunting and anal about scent. Hence the shower hooked up to the water pump complete with tankless on demand water heater. Were there for 14 days and never leave the forest.
 
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WDD said:
You've offered a puzzle - that's a lot of load you want to carry, and there isn't a way it's not going to be inexpensive. I think the idea above makes sense.
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Pick your poison i guess. Higher purchase cost of a single like a PA32-300 or C205/206, or higher operating costs of the Aztec. The BE55 may be an option, too, but I think I'd rather have the Aztruck.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
 
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Huckster79 said:
Look up a bear hawk....
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That's what I was thinking - Bearhawk 5. It's an up to 6 seater. 1288 lb. useful load. Tailwheel. Designed for the back country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearhawk_5
It's amateur built. You can buy sub-kits as you finish and can afford them, and possibly in 5 years you can have a true back country plane. It's also possible to scratch build, but I think that would double your build time. It's new enough, I don't think there are any available for sale.
There's also the Bearhawk 4. Same wings, narrower and shorter fuselage, and a 4 seater.
 
Tantalum said:
Sure, it's no stol 182 but I got a good amount of utility out of it
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Can't you just slowly fly over the grass strip and just pull the chute? I've seen some videos of Cirrus landing pretty short with a chute assisted landing.
LOL, but seriously I fly a STOL 182 and though I love the Skylane I am very envious of the SR22. Not for the speed (in the long run it really doesn't make that much difference even on longer x country trips) but because of the available TKS system. That would sure be nice to have this time of year!
 
AlphaMike said:
Can't you just slowly fly over the grass strip and just pull the chute?
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Can you just imagine if the chute was re-packable by the pilot/user? Buy a couple Estes D or E size motors and off you go!

AlphaMike said:
but because of the available TKS system
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It's a fantastic system.. it certainly came in handy on a few trips up to the Bay Area and up to Mammoth. I'd never cruise in ice but being able to make it up through or down through a layer of ice is amazing. With mountains here cross country flights are often in the 9K-16K neighborhood.. even an otherwise "VFR" day on the ground can have you go through an ice layer. I wont' start a debate here of boots vs TKS, but it's a reassuring feeling seeing the TKS stream down the wing and the ice just melt and blow off. FedEx overhauled their entire Caravan fleet from boots to TKS. Boots might have unlimited use but they never quite seem to get all the ice off..

This was on descent through a forecast and pirep'd "moderate" ice layer. With the system primed and on 'high' never picked up more than what you see in this photo
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Crashnburn said:
That's what I was thinking - Bearhawk 5. It's an up to 6 seater. 1288 lb. useful load. Tailwheel. Designed for the back country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearhawk_5
It's amateur built. You can buy sub-kits as you finish and can afford them, and possibly in 5 years you can have a true back country plane. It's also possible to scratch build, but I think that would double your build time. It's new enough, I don't think there are any available for sale.
There's also the Bearhawk 4. Same wings, narrower and shorter fuselage, and a 4 seater.
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Myra it’s back country capable yet cruises like a son of a gun too. I hear the speed build kit also makes them more valuable if you sell it... that the welds were done by someone who’s a pro welder...

I hear for about 140k you can have one w a brand new lychoming in it... that’s out of my budget ATM but not for forever! That’s a heck of a brand new bird capable of not dawdling along but can land about 30mph and off airport capable...

It’s on my bucket list!
 
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