AA5Bman
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Messages
- 792
- Display Name
Display name:
He who ironically no longer flies an AA5B
Hello all,
I live in Los Angeles and have surfed for years - it's just part of living here, I guess. One of my principal aviation goals is to own an airplane that can handle my longboard and be able to fly down to baja and get in and out of short, rough fields.
The Baja surf mission has some very specific performance/capability parameters:
1. Range: Due to drug-running, the government has limited fuel to - I think - basically three or four spots in all of baja, so everything has to be an out-and-back adventure from one of those fuel spots. Range of 700nm is, my guess, a minimum.
2. Short, rough fields. 'nuff said.
3. Ability to handle the longboard. I know because I've see it done, that a Cherokee six can handle a longboard with its huge, long fuse. I'm not aware of anything else that will do it. I'd settle for riding a collapsible board or shortboards, but even a 182, although it might fit the bill, won't handle even a small board. My Grumman Tiger can actually handle more surfboard than a 182, oddly, but it doesn't have the range, for sure, and the short/rough capabilities? nah...
So, two questions:
1. What planes fit the bill? I know a Cherokee six does, but I can't think of anything else. I'm pretty sure that a 206 is actually too short, although it would be close. Is there any other "stock" plane that could handle it?
2. If you could mod the rear bulkhead of a 182 to allow you to slip skis, or golf clubs (or surfboards) down the tail, that would be probably the perfect plane for this mission, but I'm not aware of any mods available like that. Is there such a thing (I know you can do it for skis in a mooney)?
Thanks for your thoughts... Will be very interested to hear your ideas!
I live in Los Angeles and have surfed for years - it's just part of living here, I guess. One of my principal aviation goals is to own an airplane that can handle my longboard and be able to fly down to baja and get in and out of short, rough fields.
The Baja surf mission has some very specific performance/capability parameters:
1. Range: Due to drug-running, the government has limited fuel to - I think - basically three or four spots in all of baja, so everything has to be an out-and-back adventure from one of those fuel spots. Range of 700nm is, my guess, a minimum.
2. Short, rough fields. 'nuff said.
3. Ability to handle the longboard. I know because I've see it done, that a Cherokee six can handle a longboard with its huge, long fuse. I'm not aware of anything else that will do it. I'd settle for riding a collapsible board or shortboards, but even a 182, although it might fit the bill, won't handle even a small board. My Grumman Tiger can actually handle more surfboard than a 182, oddly, but it doesn't have the range, for sure, and the short/rough capabilities? nah...
So, two questions:
1. What planes fit the bill? I know a Cherokee six does, but I can't think of anything else. I'm pretty sure that a 206 is actually too short, although it would be close. Is there any other "stock" plane that could handle it?
2. If you could mod the rear bulkhead of a 182 to allow you to slip skis, or golf clubs (or surfboards) down the tail, that would be probably the perfect plane for this mission, but I'm not aware of any mods available like that. Is there such a thing (I know you can do it for skis in a mooney)?
Thanks for your thoughts... Will be very interested to hear your ideas!
