david.h
Pre-takeoff checklist
No, not really. Just commenting on the two doors. Excuse me while I back out of here.....
Starting to look at what I want and need some thoughts
- Thread starter dragon_soldier
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Pinecone
En-Route
Definitely not for <$250K
My 252/Encore with Monroy extended range tanks is 495 with full fuel. But only one door.
At 65% in the mid teens I get 174 KTAS on 10.3 GPH.
But WHY do low wing planes have a single door on the RIGHT side???????
MountainDude
Line Up and Wait
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MountainDude
My recommendation is a C182 P or Q, with a BRS. Your wife will love the BRS, and it may save your lives in case something bad happens. After the BRS eats up 85 lbs of useful load, you should still have close to 1200 lbs of useful, which is plenty for your needs.
Rgbeard
En-Route
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DO NOT LET YOUR WIFE anywhere near a PA-32 of any kind unless your checkbook is in-hand. Not sayin’. Just sayin’.
WDD
Final Approach
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Vintage Snazzy (so my adult children say)
A PA-32 would be cool, but is the OP cool enough for a PA 32?
Supereri
Pre-takeoff checklist
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Supereri
Even after the initial purchase shock she can fill that beast up with purchases.
My fully grown family of 4 fits wonderfully in my 182F. My sons is 6'4 and has room to lounge in the back seat.
1091 pounds with 79g usable (617 full fuel). It trues at about 130 knots, maybe a tad under, without wheel pants and fixed cowl flaps. It's a wonderful airplane and easy to fly. That being said I'm thinking of something faster (SR22, V35, 182RG, M20J/K/R, 114B, TB20/21). The problem is I know that the cost of that speed will be expensive. Higher acquisition, insurance, MX, not as roomy or easy to get into, CoG issues, etc. Some or all of these will be issues on the planes I mentioned.
If 130-140 knots sounds good to you then you cannot go wrong with a 182. A 7 hour car trip goes to about 2.75-3 hours by 182.
Jeff Oslick
Final Approach
Depending on where speed is on your priority list, because your payload needs appear to be a bit less than typical, I'd put a 182RG on my list. You probably don't need a turbo unless you're planning for mountain out west, but the turbo could be within your budget too.
SoonerAviator
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You know you want to. Low-wing, 2 doors . . . the line guys will be like "Hey, a Commander!", the FBO girls will be like "never heard of it" (but still wink at you because it looks sexy). Courtesy car is gone because the guy with the Bonanza got there a couple of minutes before you.
Rgbeard
En-Route
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On the third day of Christmas, my true love said to me:
"It's been fun visiting mom in St. Louis, but it's time to get home." Let's *ALL* go together to Phoenix. So, the PA-32 was packed to the gills, with:
Three people
Two pugs
One cat
Enough luggage to think we're moving rather than visiting
And a f*%$ Christmas Tree
(No, really. I'm not kidding. A plastic-ey thing my wife fell in love with... I dunno.... I don't ask. It's about three feet tall, and like a big green cone with lights, and ... well.... I'll stop here.)
It fit - and it shipped.
"It's been fun visiting mom in St. Louis, but it's time to get home." Let's *ALL* go together to Phoenix. So, the PA-32 was packed to the gills, with:
Three people
Two pugs
One cat
Enough luggage to think we're moving rather than visiting
And a f*%$ Christmas Tree
(No, really. I'm not kidding. A plastic-ey thing my wife fell in love with... I dunno.... I don't ask. It's about three feet tall, and like a big green cone with lights, and ... well.... I'll stop here.)
It fit - and it shipped.
WDD
Final Approach
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Vintage Snazzy (so my adult children say)
I had to zoom in to find the face of the third person hidden in the Where’s Waldo picture puzzle you posted.
Abram
Pre-takeoff checklist
My experience is that if you want to actually travel with an airplane, get something that has more seats than you need. By the time you get the bags and people in, you will be grateful for the space!
I had a Piper Saratoga II TC for a few years and thought that was a pretty good airplane for the mission that you are describing and it seems to be within your budget. It could comfortably handle my family of five; has a back door for passengers to enter and exit; had a reasonably large baggage compartment, also with it’s own door; it is a very stable IFR platform; and I would fill the tanks to about 3/4 and could fly for three hours. The fuel burn on it is a bit high for a single, but you get about 160 kts TAS. I had an Aztec that burned about twice as much and only got 170 kts, so that was pretty good.
The negatives of the airplane are that it burns a bit more fuel than some of the other options, it is not the sexiest of the options out there and it drives like a truck.
I am one of those people that really liked to have turbocharged engines, even though the vast majority of my flying was in the Southeast. My feeling about it was that I liked to fly between 9,000 and 11,000 because the air is smoother, there is less traffic and altitude in a single engine aircraft is never a bad thing to have.
Good luck in your search and I am happy to answer any question you might have!
Abram Finkelstein
N685AS
I had a Piper Saratoga II TC for a few years and thought that was a pretty good airplane for the mission that you are describing and it seems to be within your budget. It could comfortably handle my family of five; has a back door for passengers to enter and exit; had a reasonably large baggage compartment, also with it’s own door; it is a very stable IFR platform; and I would fill the tanks to about 3/4 and could fly for three hours. The fuel burn on it is a bit high for a single, but you get about 160 kts TAS. I had an Aztec that burned about twice as much and only got 170 kts, so that was pretty good.
The negatives of the airplane are that it burns a bit more fuel than some of the other options, it is not the sexiest of the options out there and it drives like a truck.
I am one of those people that really liked to have turbocharged engines, even though the vast majority of my flying was in the Southeast. My feeling about it was that I liked to fly between 9,000 and 11,000 because the air is smoother, there is less traffic and altitude in a single engine aircraft is never a bad thing to have.
Good luck in your search and I am happy to answer any question you might have!
Abram Finkelstein
N685AS
I’ve owned…
152’s
150’s
172’s
Vintage Mooney’s (c-g models) (still have an E model)
Mid body Mooney’s (still have a 252 K model with long range tanks).
Saratoga
Cherokee 6
Apache
337
Seneca
Borrowed many a Baron and bonanza
3 people. Hmmmmm.
A bonanza ?
I own a ford excursion. It’s a beast. Diesel. Do I feel like driving around with 7 empty seats? And paying for that gas? No, and the bonanza is the same.
Why get a 6 cylinder engine with three more seats to insure than you need just because the joneses said so?
For that budget, get a J model mooney (4 cylinder), or a K model (6 cylinder turbo) if you’re going over big rocks. You’re actually in ovation or bravo territory (long body mooney, one more foot) with that budget.
Anything else would be typically much more expensive to purchase or maintain, with seats you don’t use $$$.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
152’s
150’s
172’s
Vintage Mooney’s (c-g models) (still have an E model)
Mid body Mooney’s (still have a 252 K model with long range tanks).
Saratoga
Cherokee 6
Apache
337
Seneca
Borrowed many a Baron and bonanza
3 people. Hmmmmm.
A bonanza ?
I own a ford excursion. It’s a beast. Diesel. Do I feel like driving around with 7 empty seats? And paying for that gas? No, and the bonanza is the same.
Why get a 6 cylinder engine with three more seats to insure than you need just because the joneses said so?
For that budget, get a J model mooney (4 cylinder), or a K model (6 cylinder turbo) if you’re going over big rocks. You’re actually in ovation or bravo territory (long body mooney, one more foot) with that budget.
Anything else would be typically much more expensive to purchase or maintain, with seats you don’t use $$$.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk