Poll: Your first plane?

Your First PLane

  • 2 Place

    Votes: 9 14.5%

  • 4 Place

    Votes: 41 66.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 12 19.4%
  • Total voters
    62
  • Poll closed .
Beech Debonaire. It spoiled me for room and handling. I have never had sweeter consistently good landings.

Jim
 
Mine was a disassembled 170A that my dad and I put together and flew for 5 years and 300 hours.
 
"Other"- as in there ain't one yet!
 
Other as in the first and only plane I've owned is a PA-12 Super Cruiser - on EDO 2000 floats (see my avitar). This is a THREE place aircraft.
 
4 Place Archer II.

2nd plane? 2 place Robinson R22 helicopter

What next? 4 place R44 and then the airplane goes (and the R22 stays, 'cause it's lots of fun to fly and cheap as well!).

No more airplanes until someday when and if it looks like I might lose my medical, and then a LSA I guess...

:heli:
 
Arnold said:
This is a THREE place aircraft.
Click to expand...
It'd be..pretty tight... I've got some Super Cruiser time. The one I flew they changed it so there were only two seatbelts. I'd imagine you'd need two ..little kids or something to make three. Pretty sweet plane though.
 
jangell said:
It'd be..pretty tight... I've got some Super Cruiser time. The one I flew they changed it so there were only two seatbelts. I'd imagine you'd need two ..little kids or something to make three. Pretty sweet plane though.
Click to expand...

They originally had only one seat belt and that is a lawful way to operate the aircraft, except for part 135 which is how I operated the PA-12 for a very short time, so we do have two belts back there. In general I found that if the w&b worked the folks would fit. Attached is my very favorite PA-12 pax shot.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0185.JPG
    IMG_0185.JPG
    208.2 KB · Views: 50
My first and only plane is the ultra roomy 4place (at least thats what Cessna says) 172N purchased when I had 6 hrs (partly because another student did a propstrike in the only trainer into a snow bank).
 
Piper Warrior - 4 place. I did most of my primary training in this. Like a lot of 4 place planes, the Warrior doesn't have enough to get 4 full size people in it. Add to that all the stuff I carry, and it's damned near impossible.
If I win the lottery, it'll be a cherokee 6 next.
 
Arnold said:
They originally had only one seat belt and that is a lawful way to operate the aircraft, except for part 135 which is how I operated the PA-12 for a very short time, so we do have two belts back there. In general I found that if the w&b worked the folks would fit. Attached is my very favorite PA-12 pax shot.
Click to expand...
Yow!

(Insert off color joke.)
 
Arnold said:
They originally had only one seat belt and that is a lawful way to operate the aircraft, except for part 135 which is how I operated the PA-12 for a very short time, so we do have two belts back there. In general I found that if the w&b worked the folks would fit. Attached is my very favorite PA-12 pax shot.
Click to expand...

Wow - where can I get one of those?

(is he talking about the plane or the girls?:dunno:)
 
I was originally planning on buying a 4 place aircraft. But I realized that there is only one time ever that I have flown with more than one passenger. Like they say, buy for for 90% of your needs and rent for the rest. Going with a two place aircraft also meant that I could buy now instead of waiting a few more years. :D
 
I have owned my first plane less than a year. In training I had flown Tomahawks, Warriors, Cherokees, Cessna 172s including the RG. So when it came time to look I know basically I wanted a four place. It did not matter if it was a 172 or something else as long as it was in good condition and was well maintained. I found it in a 1980 Warrior II.
 
I voted "other" because 4 seats does not a 4 place make. It is more of a 2+2 (Cherokee 140). A little astray but what would you call a Beech Sierra? There is one sitting in the maintenance shop now that has a third row double seat but only a couple of 4 year olds or midgets would fit in it. I don't see any way that plane could be considered a 6 place (from space or pay load capacity)
 
Last edited:
Other. 1-place. Grob Astir CS (sailplane:D )
 
Mine is the one in the picture Jason, definately 4 seat but 3 place
Dave G
 
I purchased a FG Saratoga with 75 hrs total time.

James Dean
 
12 year old '72 177B w/300 hrs on the reman

3rd row kiddie seat available as well as a stretcher kit

700 hrs in 3 yrs...would have been more if I didn't "share" with the wife...

sold after new paint and interior...and 2nd kid...
 
All I ever wanted was a straight-tail Cessna 182. That's what I bought four years ago, and that's what I still have. I will never sell this airplane. It is exactly what I wanted. I called it a 4-place, but the 4 have to be small or I have to go out with less-than-full fuel. But as 95% of my flying is by myself with a bunch of gear (none of which weighs as much as a person), it's perfect.

Judy
 
Mine was a 2-1/2 seat Cessna 150, flew it for 14 months and put 135 hrs on it. Plane #2 is a 64 172E, most likely the last plane I will buy.
 
My first was a Cessna 182. I almost bought a Piper Turbo Arrow but friends of mine talked me out of that and into a 182. I relied on a friend, who had been in aviation all his life, to help me find a plane. He is the one who found me the 182 that I bought but he apparently didn't pay much attention to it's condition. Being my first purchase I didn't know about pre-purchase inspections but I asked that the airplane have a fresh annual before I took delivery of it. The annual was done by a mechanic that the broker used. It must have been a paper annual because I really doubt he looked at anything. He signed it off and all was well, not really. :(

According to the logs there was some minor damage that had been repaired. As it turns out the damage wasn't minor at all and the repair was horrible. Within three months of my purchase I spent another $11,000 having structural repairs done on the airplane. After that it was one thing after another with avionics, instruments and vacuum pump. In the three years that I owned the airplane I spent $15,000 on repairs over and above the cost of annual inspections. I sold the airplane at roughly a $10,000 loss.

Having learned a valuable and painful lesson on that first airplane, I then bought the Cardinal I have now. I had my pre-purchase inspection done by a maintenance facility that had no connection to the people selling the airplane and I was present during the inspection to make sure they were doing what I was paying them to do.

When I was looking for my first airplane I really wanted an entry level retract. I was interested in the turbo arrow because I had a desire to do some flying out west. It's just too bad that I didn't follow my own interests instead of letting my friends push me in another direction. Not to say there is anything wrong with a 182 but in my case it wasn't what I really wanted, it wasn't equipped like I wanted and then ad the maintenance problems, not a good thing at all.

I love my Cardinal. :)

Jeannie
 
My first,

1954 Beech E-18S-9700, best airplane I ever owned, Boots, Radar, Hot winshield, dual ADFs, Dual RMI, Dual Collins NAV and COM, Dual Transponders, JATO, five seats in back with hot bar, it was a real sweetheart,

Wish i still had her
 
wesleyj said:
My first,

1954 Beech E-18S-9700, best airplane I ever owned, Boots, Radar, Hot winshield, dual ADFs, Dual RMI, Dual Collins NAV and COM, Dual Transponders, JATO, five seats in back with hot bar, it was a real sweetheart,

Wish i still had her
Click to expand...

JATO - really?
 
Yep one on each side on the back of the engine nacelle, they called them JATO, but really they were RATO

they were only good for 6 months, then had to be removed and disposed of, so i fired them off, what a trip, lasted 13 seconds, then the bottom fell out.


Arnold said:
JATO - really?
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
wesleyj said:
Yep one on each side on the back of the engine nacelle, they called them JATO, but really they were RATO
Click to expand...

I never knew that this was available (JATO or RATO) for civilian operated aircraft. Can you describe the context, seems like an interesting situation.
 
FWIW,

A copy of the Beech Service Letter regarding JATO installation is available from www.twinbeech.com .

Beechcraft Service Letter - JATO Installation
Models D18S, E18S, E18S-9700, C45G, C45H, TC45G, TC45HD18S - #42
E18S - #40
E18S-9700 - #1
C45G, C45H, TC45G, TC45H - #6
Kits 565-1, 565-2, and 565-3


Arnold said:
I never knew that this was available (JATO or RATO) for civilian operated aircraft. Can you describe the context, seems like an interesting situation.
Click to expand...
 
Steve said:
FWIW,

A copy of the Beech Service Letter regarding JATO installation is available from www.twinbeech.com .

Beechcraft Service Letter - JATO Installation
Models D18S, E18S, E18S-9700, C45G, C45H, TC45G, TC45HD18S - #42
E18S - #40
E18S-9700 - #1
C45G, C45H, TC45G, TC45H - #6
Kits 565-1, 565-2, and 565-3
Click to expand...

Thanks
 
wesleyj said:
but really they were RATO
Click to expand...

RATO? :dunno:

Rodent Assisted TakeOff?

0205_hampster_wheel-ani.gif


:rofl:
 
Last edited:
flyingcheesehead said:
RATO? :dunno:

Rodent Assisted TakeOff?

0205_hampster_wheel-ani.gif


:rofl:
Click to expand...

Funny, after flying the 182, that is what the 172 (160hp) feels like on takeoff roll. Still, I remember the 300 horses pulling at Chip's Extra, whoa boy does that thing go.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Funny, after flying the 182, that is what the 172 (160hp) feels like on takeoff roll. Still, I remember the 300 horses pulling at Chip's Extra, whoa boy does that thing go.
Click to expand...

I have been flying a 182RG from time to time lately and I agree. When I jump into my 160hp Cherokee it feels like a sqirrel is under the cowl. Even the 172RG (180hp) seems slow.
 
Arnold said:
They originally had only one seat belt and that is a lawful way to operate the aircraft, except for part 135 which is how I operated the PA-12 for a very short time, so we do have two belts back there. In general I found that if the w&b worked the folks would fit. Attached is my very favorite PA-12 pax shot.
Click to expand...

Wow, they're really stuffed in there (for those of you whose minds wander towards the gutter on occasion, I meant the pax are squished into the seat:p).
 
Bill Jennings said:
Funny, after flying the 182, that is what the 172 (160hp) feels like on takeoff roll. Still, I remember the 300 horses pulling at Chip's Extra, whoa boy does that thing go.
Click to expand...

That's what happens whenever I fly a rented Warrior. I keep pushing the throttle forward wondering what's wrong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top