Decisions, decisions...

[RyanShort1]

Ok, so pending the final arrangement in a month or so, I may have my Taylorcraft sold. Which - brings up a dilemma. I have actually had a fairly good bit of success with bringing in sport pilots and that was why I bought the Taylorcraft in the first place until I realized she had the history problem. I'm fairly certain that the business model would be just fine if I had gotten the right aircraft to begin with.

The dilemma is whether or not to go ahead and get another Taylorcraft or a Chief to replace it, or to go ahead and look at a Cessna 120 or 140 instead.

Here's the deal, the aircraft has to be a tailwheel for sure, that I know. It also has to be multi-purpose for it to be worth $4 AMU's of insurance a year... If I get a light sport bird, I can actually use it for some of the private pilot training and do 10 hours in a Cessna 172 to supplement it, but it does have it's limitations. The other idea is to get a non-LSA bird and just focus hard on getting students who want to be private pilots...

I personally have my doubts about the whole private pilot medical deal ever coming through, but a DPE / CFI I know that is respected is NOT replacing an LSA recently damaged on the thought that this is likely to happen, in which case the Cessna 120 or 140 might be just fine.

Any thoughts?

Ryan

 

[dnhill]

A LSA can be used for all of the private pilot training if it is approved for night flight (which many are).

 

[RyanShort1]

A LSA can be used for all of the private pilot training if it is approved for night flight (which many are).

That's true - but usually that's the more more modern aircraft. A lot of the older birds like the Taylorcraft, Chief, Champ, etc.. are too heavy for their gross weights if you start adding all of that stuff.

Ryan