jnmeade
Cleared for Takeoff
An older, adult family member with limited range of motion and mobility has me looking for a small, cross-country, used plane that is very easy to get in and out of without assistance. Experience shows that ingress and egress over a wing is very difficult.
Mission profile: 600 nm leg plus reserves is preferred. Few longer trips anticipated.
IFR, prefer modern panel w/waas. Will file most flights.
FIKI probably not affordable but any features appreciated.
Prefer under $100k, anything over $150K not attractive, $200K absolute ceiling and unlikely to pay that.
May fly under new medical rules, so over 6,000 lbs and FL180 not needed, but like to go high. Turbo preferred.
ATP with about 3800 hours including considerable piston and turbine twin time. Have owned T210.
Would probably fly it 100+ hours/year, nearly all on x-ctry trips. Will own. Not interested in renting or club. Have hangar.
I expect to fly for another 10+ years, so it would be nice to buy with engines that will be under or not too much over TBO in 1000 hours.
Resale is absolutely of no consideration to me.
May fly half the time solo, much of the rest with one passenger, but want to be able to carry 3 plus adults and baggage.
The likely candidates seem to be:
Cessna 182. Simple and relatively inexpensive. I see it as a 2++ pax plane. Probably would work but not sure my heart is in it. Nothing smaller like a Cardinal, no.
Cessna 210 maybe what I'm leaning toward. 4++ pax in my experience.
Cessna 337 you hear good and bad. 4 pax depending on seating. Cheap and 2 engines.
Cessna 206 family models probably too expensive and a bit slow. 4++ pax as I'd use it.
I have time in all of them except the 206. There is good Cessna expertise nearby.
Piper Cherokee 6 or derivative - over the wing won't work but is the rear door a feasible entry/exit point? I have some time in them but it's been a while. (Yeah, if the pax was in a box it would be an easy fit).
Any additional reasonable suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Yeah, it would sure be nice to be able to consider Beech, Piper, Cirrus and so on, but they won't work. I have a lot of time in Cessna 401/402 and some in C303, C310, but I think the potential maintenance and operation bill of most twins would be too heavy. There is more chance that avgas prices will go up than go down. I'll fly LOP if possible, but even then......
Mission profile: 600 nm leg plus reserves is preferred. Few longer trips anticipated.
IFR, prefer modern panel w/waas. Will file most flights.
FIKI probably not affordable but any features appreciated.
Prefer under $100k, anything over $150K not attractive, $200K absolute ceiling and unlikely to pay that.
May fly under new medical rules, so over 6,000 lbs and FL180 not needed, but like to go high. Turbo preferred.
ATP with about 3800 hours including considerable piston and turbine twin time. Have owned T210.
Would probably fly it 100+ hours/year, nearly all on x-ctry trips. Will own. Not interested in renting or club. Have hangar.
I expect to fly for another 10+ years, so it would be nice to buy with engines that will be under or not too much over TBO in 1000 hours.
Resale is absolutely of no consideration to me.
May fly half the time solo, much of the rest with one passenger, but want to be able to carry 3 plus adults and baggage.
The likely candidates seem to be:
Cessna 182. Simple and relatively inexpensive. I see it as a 2++ pax plane. Probably would work but not sure my heart is in it. Nothing smaller like a Cardinal, no.
Cessna 210 maybe what I'm leaning toward. 4++ pax in my experience.
Cessna 337 you hear good and bad. 4 pax depending on seating. Cheap and 2 engines.
Cessna 206 family models probably too expensive and a bit slow. 4++ pax as I'd use it.
I have time in all of them except the 206. There is good Cessna expertise nearby.
Piper Cherokee 6 or derivative - over the wing won't work but is the rear door a feasible entry/exit point? I have some time in them but it's been a while. (Yeah, if the pax was in a box it would be an easy fit).
Any additional reasonable suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Yeah, it would sure be nice to be able to consider Beech, Piper, Cirrus and so on, but they won't work. I have a lot of time in Cessna 401/402 and some in C303, C310, but I think the potential maintenance and operation bill of most twins would be too heavy. There is more chance that avgas prices will go up than go down. I'll fly LOP if possible, but even then......
