pros and cons of lsa vs private

greenhorn

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kile
Hi I am a beginner flying enthusiast and I was looking to buy a luscombe 8a and fly it lsa. my question is should I just buy a cessna 150 and get my private license instead? the planes run about the same cost to purchase. I would like to fly as least expensively as i can.

so whats the diffferance between operation cost and maintenance between those two planes if the luscombe was operated under lsa?

or sould I look for a elsa? I would like to use the plane to travel between idaho and california about a half dozen times a year. any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Do Are you are OK getting a medical, I'd get the 8a and get your private in it, way more airplane for the money, way more fun to fly, and between a 8a and your ICAO PPL you can do much more with it.
 
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The Luscombe does not preclude you getting a Private certificate, the only real reason to limit your pilot's certificate is that you will have a problem attaining a medical, but you can still have a driver's license. If you don't have a problem getting a medical (the trick is you have to know before you go, so do a CONSULTATION with an AME before you give him your Med Express code. You want to know you will pass, other wise you risk the ability to fly as SP.) then you might as well get the PP.

As to which plane, that is a personal thing, if it is just a matter of least expensive, it's hard to get less expensive than a Cessna 150. The primary advantage is that the engine and all parts and accessories are still in production. The 150 will also be cheaper to insure, and the fleet size is so large that any part you may need is available salvage from numerous sources. Neither is a first choice for the long trip, but either will do it if you route for altitude limitations. The one thing you don't bring up is what altitude you will be operating at most. If you live around 6000' or higher, either of these planes will be marginal performers, and you will be likely grounded by lack of performance on hot days.
 
If you have no issues getting a Third Class medical, I would get that first. There is a bill in Congress now that would then allow you to fly from then on without having the hassle/expense of the medical (and believe me, it can get very expensive -- much beyond just the cost to the medical examiner). It is looking pretty good now for passage.

Between the two airplanes you are considering, the Luscombe has more panache, but the C-150 is (in my opinion) more practical and there are more examples to choose from. The C-150 is also a nose dragger and will be easier to handle in crosswinds. Insurance will likely also be less expensive. You can call a broker and get an idea of the insurance costs before you purchase. My guess would be operating costs would be very close, although I am not sure about parts availability and cost for the Luscombe. Both are pretty old airplanes, so won't likely be perfect.
 
Also, as Henning said, altitude of you airport is a consideration. There are a few 150 hp C-150's around that will do pretty well at 6,000'. Just a little more food for thought.
 
By the way, welcome to POA! and the wonderful world of aviation.
 
And I'd vote for a Cessna 150. It can handle windy days better. Has a wide landing gear, tricycle rather than tail dragger, and more places can do the annual. There are 20,000 still flying, are not LSA, and as the pilots age and switch to LSA, they come on the market at a great price.

But be certain of the medical.
 
I wouldn't pay much attention to people saying tail draggers are a issue in windy days, I prefer them in heavy winds. Just depends on the quality of instruction you receive, starting off in a tail dragger you'll be fine as long as you have a good CFI.
 
Welcome to POA,if you can get a medical,buy the 8a and get your private,if for some reason you loose your medical ,you can fly the 8a light sport.
 
The difference comes down to your mission which translates to two basic questions:

1. How much speed do you want/need?

2. What are your passenger/baggage requirements?

Speed an weight capacity are the two limitations of light sport. And IMP, that's all it really comes down to.

They affect some people's missions and not others'. If I want to do some $100 Hamburger hopping with friends, light sport is enough (and a heck of a lot of fun!). If I want to fly down to Florida for a week with my wife, I need something more.
 
If you plan to own/fly a taildragger in the future, it would be much better to start out in a taildragger. Learning to fly with a tailwheel is easy (based on my experience). From what I have observed, transitioning from a nosewheel to a tailwheel appears to be difficult - for at least some pilots - there is some unlearning that you have to do before you start learning again. Transitioning from tail to nose wheel is trivial.
The only issue would be insurance - it will be higher for the Luscombe.

Maintenance will depend on which airplane had been better cared for before you got it.

Private vs. LSA - Private lets you fly at night, higher altitudes, and carry more people than will fit in a two seat airplane. Plus you get to fly big aircraft like the mighty 152. Your call.

And, welcome to POA.
 
Welcome to POA,if you can get a medical,buy the 8a and get your private,if for some reason you loose your medical ,you can fly the 8a light sport.
No.

If your medical is denied, suspended, or revoked. U B Screwed as a Sport Pilot and are limited to part 103, gliders, or hot air baloons.
 
I was looking at 8A's pretty hard recently, but eventually questioned if I had the appetite for dealing with mx issues for such an old airframe, especially one with a standard airworthiness cert.

My flavor du jour is ELSA. Low operating costs, new airplane, no medical required, inexpensive avionics.

I guess I should order a zenith rudder kit and thereby ensure that 3rd class medical reform will pass...
 
No.

If your medical is denied, suspended, or revoked. U B Screwed as a Sport Pilot and are limited to part 103, gliders, or hot air baloons.

If you don't go to an Ame and get denied,you can let the medical lapse and fly Sport.
 
I was looking at 8A's pretty hard recently, but eventually questioned if I had the appetite for dealing with mx issues for such an old airframe, especially one with a standard airworthiness cert.

My flavor du jour is ELSA. Low operating costs, new airplane, no medical required, inexpensive avionics.

I guess I should order a zenith rudder kit and thereby ensure that 3rd class medical reform will pass...

Depends on condition.

My first plane was built in the late 40s, airframe wise it really was dirt simple, overbuilt and as maintenance free as any plane I've seen.
 
Great thanks for the advice the cessna sounds like the better bet with private lic. I should have no problem with the medical. alot of the c150 have high time airframes. what tt should I consider staying under. and also can I still perform simple maintenance on the c150 like oil changes and what not?
 
Great thanks for the advice the cessna sounds like the better bet with private lic. I should have no problem with the medical. alot of the c150 have high time airframes. what tt should I consider staying under. and also can I still perform simple maintenance on the c150 like oil changes and what not?

If you are buying, try to stay under 7000hrs on the airframe, although I wouldn't be frightened of one with 10,000 in good condition.

If you have no medical issues, then PP makes much more sense. In the end you will learn all of it anyway, and having a PP opens up a lot of versatility and aircraft rental options that aren't available to you with an SP. If you develop a medical issue, you can let it lapse and SP operating rules and options automatically kick in.
 
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Do Are you are OK getting a medical, I'd get the 8a and get your private in it, way more airplane for the money, way more fun to fly, and between a 8a and your ICAO PPL you can do much more with it.

I would agree with this but I'd go with the e or f model which are not light sport but are a lot more fun. Just be very careful of the Luscombes history and have a very close inspection made of the spars, etc. By a good mechanics who's familiar with them. Not the sellers mechanic for sure. I'd surely go for a private ticket. Sport is too restrictive.
 
If you buy a light sport airplane and you can get a medical it doesn't matter. Go ahead and do sp first if you want, pp whenever if it suits you. Cost difference if you own and are going to fly your own plane is negligible. Only hitch is if you go sp first the cfi you use will need to be a cfi-a not a cfi-sp for the hours to count towards pp.
 
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