Most comfortable airplanes

Challenged

Challenged

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Challenged
Factoring in items such as (not all of these are requirements, but general items to consider in each plane):
  • Roominess
  • Seat comfort/ergonomics
  • Ease of Loading and Unloading
  • Baggage hauling ability and useful load
  • Speed to destination
  • Environmental factors (air conditioning/heating/noise/pressurization)
  • 40' hangar (added in edit)
  • 4 FAA people (added in edit)
What do you think are the most comfortable piston single and piston twin airplanes? Set a max budget of ~ $150,000, but would be generally curious as an aviator to know your opinion outside that price range too.
 
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Challenged said:
Factoring in items such as:
  • Roominess
  • Seat comfort/ergonomics
  • Ease of Loading and Unloading
  • Baggage hauling ability and useful load
  • Speed to destination
  • Environmental factors (air conditioning/heating/noise/pressurization)
What do you think are the most comfortable piston single and piston twin airplanes? Set a max budget of ~ $150,000, but would be generally curious as an aviator to know your opinion outside that price range too.
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Where are you flying and what's the mission and target speed?

A PA24 is pretty comfy

S108 is comfy

A skywagon is comfy and super easy to load with the stretcher door.

Maules have really nice doors
 
Challenged said:
Factoring in items such as:
  • Roominess
  • Seat comfort/ergonomics
  • Ease of Loading and Unloading
  • Baggage hauling ability and useful load
  • Speed to destination
  • Environmental factors (air conditioning/heating/noise/pressurization)
What do you think are the most comfortable piston single and piston twin airplanes? Set a max budget of ~ $150,000, but would be generally curious as an aviator to know your opinion outside that price range too.
Click to expand...

In the twin category maybe a P337.
Like most piston twins cheap to buy.
But these things are so complicated, unlikely cheap to own. ;)
The ultimate versions are Rileys.

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/25106653/1979-cessna-p337h
 
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Always heard a Beech Sierra is comfortable. lots of loading options with the 3 doors. Just slow.
 
Challenged said:
Factoring in items such as (not all of these are requirements, but general items to consider in each plane):
  • Roominess
  • Seat comfort/ergonomics
  • Ease of Loading and Unloading
  • Baggage hauling ability and useful load
  • Speed to destination
  • Environmental factors (air conditioning/heating/noise/pressurization)
What do you think are the most comfortable piston single and piston twin airplanes? Set a max budget of ~ $150,000, but would be generally curious as an aviator to know your opinion outside that price range too.
Click to expand...

Regarding the PA24 Comanche
Probably the roomiest of the 4 place singles.
Comfort/ergo is more subjective than roominess.
Single door is a negative.
With tip tanks I have over 1250 useful load, around 750lbs with full fuel.
150kts is what I plan for.
A/C - no; heat, yes; noise, yes, there's noise; no pressurization, and without it being a turbo, there's no real need for it.
 
Something like this..??

43.jpg
 
The Rockwell Commanders are huge inside, two doors, trailing link gear, and IMHO are one of the best looking piston singles to this day. However, they're not the fastest in the class, ditto with useful load and have several ADs.

At 150k I'd probably opt for a decked out turbo 182 RG. No pressurization but add A/C (is there a kit STC for the RG cessnas? hmmm) and it has pretty much everything else...

...also at 150k starting to get into older SR22 territory.
 
At $150k I would think used SR20. Really nice interior ergonomics. Side stick is great for non pilot front passenger.
 
Comfort? First Class plane tickets.
Comfort really does not exist at that price point. You have to compromise way to much to have comfort in that price range.
The most comfortable piston planes I have flown or been a passenger are two:
Diamond DA-42
Cessna 421C

You will notice geared engines, much quieter, less vibration in the cabin, engines separated from the fuselage....
Nothing else comes close.

Tim
 
Twin Bonanza. It's basically a flying living room. Mine has a ~1200lb payload (useful load after full fuel). With 4 adults, each person has an entire seat in between them and the person beside them, and we can haul more baggage than we can fit into the rental car. $150k would get you a nice one with $$ to spare.
 
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bradg33 said:
Twin Bonanza. It's basically a flying living room. Mine has a ~1200lb payload (useful loaf after full fuel). With 4 adults, each person has an entire seat in between them and the person beside them, and we can haul more baggage than we can fit into the rental car. $150k would get you a nice one with $$ to spare.
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Yeah, those are sweet!!
 
500 and 680 series Commanders are nice. If you can get it in the door, it will fly it. A 680E runs about 200-225 kts and has a useful load of about 3000 lbs.
 
Thanks for the input so far. It's interesting that the two planes I personally put in this list aren't listed yet: A36 and 310. I guess the A36 is relatively narrow?, so something like the Lance is likely more comfortable for passengers, and the 310 is lacking ease of entry, but seems to be fairly wide once you get in. I think both of those might have AC available, which would certainly help with comfort here for about 1/2 of the year. I also edited the original post to reflect a hangar size of 40', which would knock some of the above out I believe; a twin bonanza would be sweet though.
 
steingar said:
Yet another thread where everyone posts up their favorite aircraft.
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Well, of course.

But I challenge anyone to go for a ride in the back of a Twin Beech and then honestly say it’s not the most comfortable GA piston twin ever made.
 
As far as SEPs....Cirrus, 182 and bigger, Commander, Socata, Velocity, the bigger pipers, RV-10....
 
Fearless Tower said:
Most comfortable piston single: PA32
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Yes, that is a good contender. We rented a Saratoga for many long vacation and business trips in the 1990s, and Mrs. Pilawt still says that if money were no object that is what we would own. But as I sit here today with an aching left knee, I must deduct points for the PA-32 and anything else that requires the pilot to enter the aircraft by climbing over the wing and squeezing down into the cabin, especially from the wrong side.

For ease of access, I can't think of anything this side of a Breezy that's easier than a Cessna 177. Open the door, sit on the seat, swing your legs in, and off you go. The interior is relatively spacious as well, but the original seats themselves are typical Cessna, so not overly comfortable.
 
It's not the J3, that's for sure.
I was going to make a crack about Piper cockpits being designed for midgets, but then I have to go after Lears, and Citations and .............................
Just not worth it to list them all.
 
Comfort for a 4/5-seater? - probably Commander 114/115 or Piper PA24 series. Commander has two entry doors, available air conditioning, and probably the most comfortable cabin without going to a 6-passenger cabin (PA32/twin), but won't win any speed contests at 160kts or so without going turbo. Trailing link landing gear covers up a lot of landing goofs. Socata TB20/21 is somewhere in that group as well.

1590283.jpg
 
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Fearless Tower said:
A36s are nice, but they are indeed tighter (and less baggage space) than any of the PA32s.

You basically trade some comfort for speed.
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So how do they compare as far as useful load, etc? I remember the old ad back in the day in Flying Magazine with the pic of them loading an upright piano in the back of a PA32 and taking off.
 
For that entry price, you can get a pretty good 421B, 200 knots, pressurized and very comfortable front and back. Care and feeding are a separate issue! I figured 55-60 gallons the first hour, depending on altitude and 42 GPH after that. Great useful load, just need to find a really good one or they will eat you alive in maintenance, even a good one won't be cheap. A 414 might do the trick as well, but probably out of your price range, it's bigger more comfortable 340! :D
 
I think the DA40 is one of the most ergonomic aircraft I've ever flown, that coupled with unbelievable visibility gives it my vote. The downside is the giant wing with low loading throws you around in turbulence.

Honestly though any aircraft with a new, well done interior will be very comfortable IMHO.
 
I'm a bit biased - but my vote is the Commander 114. I have an older model - but, I have plenty of useful load, large cabin compared to other singles, 2 doors for people loading and a cargo door. As others pointed out the trailing link gear is nice and beefy. The IO-540 is a robust lycoming engine. Someone mentioned ADs - all planes have them - I don't think Commanders have anymore than others and I know they have less than some. You won't win any races in a normally aspirated model - which is true. I flew from FL to Denver in a day in mine - it was a long day - but - it was enjoyable.

The TB20/21's are also comfy and have the performance - but - the prices on those are up there.
 
Craig said:
500 and 680 series Commanders are nice. If you can get it in the door, it will fly it. A 680E runs about 200-225 kts and has a useful load of about 3000 lbs.
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Took a quick look on trade a plane and that’s a lotta plane for the money?!? Is age what really dings these as far as value??
 
steingar said:
Yet another thread where everyone posts up their favorite aircraft.
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Negative. The P337 I suggested is anything but my favorite airplane. And you would never catch me owning one, that's for certain.
But it was an honest shot at answering the OP's question within the stipulated criteria.
 
I will tell you about a comfortable plane. Though I've never flown one I have spent a few minutes at the controls in the right seat. It is not real fast...maybe 140 mph. No pressurized cabin or air conditioning to make for comfort. It is a single engine plane that is pretty easy to get in and out of if you are good with a ladder. It will haul a ton and has no problem fitting 4 good size adults. Oh that back seat is a bit of heaven.

Now for the coolest part. I've been told that one can put a 5 gallon bucket on the floor in front of the rear seat. The pilot can trim the plane, stand up, turn to face the back of the plane while standing in the isle and yup, you guessed it, take a leak in the bucket without spilling a drop. Now that is some comfort...especially when you are on a solo xc. Yes, the big old Stinson SR and V-77.
 

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