Favorite plane and why?

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Adamoh

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Adamoh
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What are your preferences in a plane? General aviation preferred although I do love them gulfstreams:D
My favorite is a 182Q mainly because we own one. My dad bought it along with his friend a couple years ago and it has spent the last year in the paint shop:dunno: I got my ticket last November and I'm itching to fly that beast. It should be back by the end of next month, hopefully.
 
Every one loves what they own, don't they.?
 
I'm sure that's true, I certainly love my Mooney. However I'm sure most of us also lust after another plane as well. High on my list is a Mooney Acclaim, it's like my C model but longer and faster and gooder :-p. I could write a list of others as well though, most of which I've never had the opportunity to fly, which means the list will probably get longer as time goes by.
 
The one I'm flying at the time.
 
For my personal plane, I expect the last plane I own will be the aeronca champ.
 
I keep coming back to Aero Commanders. They just offer the best mix between roomy cabin class, ruggedness and bush plane-ness. They're like a Suburban or an Escalade - take em to the dirt strip, or pull up by the Ritz.
 
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Mooney M20J 201 or Mooney M20K 231 (LB Engine); Great speed and fuel economy at a reasonable price. Leading candidate for my first plane. My mission probably only requires the 201 but looking for an excuse to justify the added maintenance and fuel consumption of the 231 just so I get the extra speed/climb.
 
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Presently a Falcon 2 195, because I can fly it without any FAA oversight. I just started lessons, but I have to say the early 50's model powerplant is kinda lacking in power and acceleration, and feels very strained by the end of the day.
 
What is MY favorite plane for MY purposes? The L19 Bird Dog, but since I can't afford one, I have it's baby brother, the Cessna 140 instead.
 
Mine. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it.
And because it is faster than my friend's plane.
And it is paid for.
 
Great list of airplanes so far. I've never flown a Cessna 310 but it is the sexiest GA airplane out there.

The one that puts the biggest smile on my face is a Super Decathlon. It has the hearrt and soul of a Champ with fingertip controlls and advanced acrobatic capability.
 
No surprise I love the ones I own... Mooney Acclaim Type S (awesome traveling machine) and Vans RV-8 (great weekend fun machine). These two planes are opposite of one another in nearly every respect: yoke vs. stick, side-by-side vs. tandem seating, glass vs. steam gauges, tricycle vs. tailwheel, etc., which is why they're both so fun and interesting to me.
 
On the Boeing 727, I was lucky enough to fly the right seat for three years. It has hydraulic powered controlls and a quick roll rate. Control feel is artificial by means of a mechanical computer and it just feels right. It likes to go fassssst, it doesn't climb all that well, but that swept wing likes speed. There is something about a 400kt ias climb that feels awesome. The engines are on the tail so adding power doesn't cause a pitch trim change like in underwing engined (non fly by wire) airplanes. Also almost no trim change when adding flaps as the slats come out at the same time. Speaking of trim, the sound the trip makes is awesome. A loud clackity clack that is very rapid when controlled with the yoke switch but there is also a pedestal mounted cruise trim for fine adjustments. The airplane can also descend like an anvil with speed brakes. Landing is a challenge (read fun) because the main gear is so far aft of the CG. A rapid pitch change near the runway will drive the gear into the concrete. There are several techniques to landing that done right will give an undetectable touchdown that is just not possible in less solid structures due to airframe twist and vibration that the 727 just doesn't have. Solid as a rock. The three man crew also makes it more fun to fly, sort of like a team effort. Honestly though, you could probably do just fine without a Co-pilot.
 
I have precisely what I want and haven't been able to dethrone it. Cessna 180 with an 0-520. I've had opportunities to buy 185s and passed. 20 years and counting, still happy. Had a Hawk XP and a couple of Cubs in that time, kept the 180. I'll probably end up in a Cub but that'll be for administrative advantages, not aviation preferences.

As to why? Fast, slow, rugged, comfortable, hails a big payload, versatile on tires, big tires, skis, and floats. Cubs are great fun for flying around empty but a Skywagon shines at going someplace with all your stuff. Ours is like the family's flying Suburban, and that's exactly what we need.
 
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I've only flown a handful. C-172 various models, are the overwhelming bulk of my hours.

That said, of the ones I've flown: Cirrus SR-22 was the nicest and best performing. Piper PA-28R-180 was the most fun I've had, learning the gear, prop and systems. And the Arrow is just a solid feeling airplane.

I've had the yearning for twins for a while and the C-310 is probably the top of that list with the Baron close behind.

I'm also contemplating acro so that opens up a whole new set of planes.

John
 
I think commanders are the coolest looking singles out there.
No hands on experience with them but appearance wise, they are at the top of my list.
 
Beech 18. Honest airplane, flies great, lands like a Beech, (the fun starts when you unlock the tail wheel. :lol: it's non steered full castering) hauls a load, and can be put on floats to make a reasonable camper out of.

Plus it burns MoGas.
 
Keeping the discussion limited to GA piston planes, of the planes I've flown, the Mooney is my favorite. Based on just looks, it's the Lancair 360.
 
Sgu2-22 said:
Great list of airplanes so far. I've never flown a Cessna 310 but it is the sexiest GA airplane out there.

The one that puts the biggest smile on my face is a Super Decathlon. It has the hearrt and soul of a Champ with fingertip controlls and advanced acrobatic capability.
Click to expand...

Yep, everyone should have a 310 for a while, they are great airplanes, and if you operate them correctly, give you a very good capability/$ factor, one of the best, that's why they were very popular. Operate them incorrectly and they will eat your lunch.:lol:
 
If you asked Mrs. P, she'd say the Piper Saratoga we rented for many business and family trips in the early 1990s. Nice traveling machine. If money were no object we'd probably have one now.

As for me, I can't narrow it down to just one. I've enjoyed all of our airplanes, and for many different reasons.
 
There's no doubt, my two favorite planes are my own (it's paid for!) and whatever other plane I can fly at a reasonable cost. Loan me yours?
 
Of all the aircraft that I have owned, there are only two I wish I had back.

The Norseman, and 34V
 
185Fs are nice

Always thought a thunder mustang would be a kick.

For work, PC12 is a nice plane, though I would love to make the same living with a turbo beaver on floats.
 
I love what I own and it's the right plane for my mission by my own definition (pretty "duh" statement, that) but for some reason I have a sick affinity for the old suck-n-blow Cessna 337 Skymasters. I know they have their problems but I've always kinda dug them, especially in military livery.

As far as other aircraft go, my overall favorite of all time is the P-38 Lightning. I remember watching Lefty Gardner fly White Lightnin' at the CAF airshows in Midland, TX when I lived there in the 1990s - it always seemed so graceful and quiet. Wonderful airplane.
 
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Cessna 180 in top condition, hands down. Versatile, plenty of power, will go into small private grass strips and take off again easily, (or most any grass strip.) Easy to fly, speed is decent and will haul a load. Wonderful airplane. My second choice would be a 108 stinson with a 180 lycoming, also in top condition.( No franklins thank you.) I speak of aircraft I've flown and would buy .
 
Cessna Cardinal -- easy to get in and out, handles well.

Diamond DAxx -- incredibly efficient, orgasmically beautiful.
 
Short list:
Aerostar
Twin Aero Commanader
Stinson Reliant
Stinson 108-3
Stagerwing
Cessna 195
And last, but not least, the Comanche!
Why?... Because they all look BAD A$$!!
If it looks right, it usualy flys right!! :yes:
 
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My favorite plane depends on the kind of flying I'm doing. For acro, I loved the Pitts S2A I owned a share of back in the 90s. Once you got away from the ground, you only had to think about where you wanted to put it in the sky and it was there. That same light handling required a lot of care in landing, particularly when dealing with gusty winds. Still, for dancing across the sky it was magical.

For XC work, I really liked the Mooney I used to rent. It was an M20E with the Johnson bar gear. It was simple, fast and a joy to fly.

For hauling stuff in IFR conditions, the straight leg 182 I owned for a couple of years was reliable and stable as can be. It had the Texas Skyways 285 horse engine and was boring, but that stability was great when conditions got ugly. It was the best plane for hand flying IFR I've ever flown.

Now I'm crazy about the Maule I'm currently flying. It's fun to be flying a tailwheel bird again, and landing off airport for backcountry camping adventures is a new thrill that I'm really enjoying. My dog thinks this is the best plane ever because of where we wind up. The back seat only takes 2 minutes to remove and then there is a huge cargo area for camping gear and my mutt. Life is good, but it would be even better if I could own all of these planes at the same time.

No one answer because there is not just one kind of flying. Each aviation niche has a suite of planes that cater to that type of flying and other aircraft are often crappy, or completely unable to fulfill that role.
 
Geeze, I don't think I could even narrow it down to 10 favorites. Too many awesome airplanes out there. To cover my current wants and needs, I'd like a Lance for the family and an RV-8 for me.


I own a 182E. It doesn't top any list I'd ever make, but it's a good one and it's simply the most airplane I can afford, and that's a very short list ;)
 
I've yet to fly a plane I didn't find something to like. Learned in C's, flew lots of P's and got my instrument rating in an arrow, and 4 years ago purchased a Mooney M20C and have enjoyed flying it tremendously. I wish I could afford to add a taildragger and something on floats (Beaver), but I'm very happy with my plane
 
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