What would you buy/fly?

Hank S said:
Huh. I always heard "buy your second plane first." It gives you something to grow into, and saves the cost of buying and selling a plane that doesn't fit your needs for very long.
Click to expand...

Even if you bought your second plane first.....you would probably grow out of it and would want your third plane(even though technically it would be your second plane:D)

Always smile and rolled my eyes at the "buy your second plane first" comment. One of the biggest hindsight comments out there for us in GA. "If I knew better I would have bought the Bonanza right away....."

But the truth is....we probably were not experienced enough in the beginning to handle the aircraft....let alone be insured.
 
Why don't we ever see the phrase, "Buy your fifth plane and keep enjoying the first four?" ;)
 
denverpilot said:
There isn't any aspect of aviation I haven't liked yet. Pick any airplane and fly the hell out of it until you're bored and then pick another. Not enough hours in the day nor money to fly everything you want to fly. So you go with one until it's time for the next one.
Click to expand...
I agree. After many years of dreaming of Cubs, Champs and Cessnas, I discovered soaring and my first aircraft was a PIK20b glider that I flew far and wide.

James331 said:
Or a porter for the outdoorsy types.
image.jpg
Click to expand...
This was my Dad's dream airplane, an ultimate bush machine. I saw one fly into KEYW yesterday on floats so you have that as well. Most important to him it was an excellent modeling subject (constant chord surfaces and such). He scratch built a big RC version that he never had a chance to fly. I still have a 12' span rubber powered version he framed up with plans to electrify and radio control it. Dreams sometime take a long time.

I finally bought into the bush plane thing with a tailwheel Maule to bang around in. Fill it up and put it in anywhere. Got my IFR in it and pushed around a lot of mud.
txflyer said:
My dream airplane if I could find it and afford it is an old polished DC-3. A family relative owned one back when oil made you some real money. It was swank. You don't land in a DC-3, you arrive. :yes:
american-airlines-dc-3_picm106-10652.jpg
Click to expand...

I've shared a DC3 dream for a long time and now only lust for a little stick time. An 'arrival' would be nice as well.

But now I fly an RV10 I built and couldn't be happier. Maybe not suitable for primary training but a great second plane for fun transport of you, yours and your stuff. Building, maintaining and flying your own is total immersion and a lot of fun!
 
I've owned two. The Malibu and a 172. Both are sold now because I wasn't using them since I sold the FBO. I will probably buy a good fixer upper Malibu sometime.

I've always had my heart set on a -10 converted 690C commander.
 
Unless you have a big family to haul around, it's hard to beat a C172 as a first airplane. Everything about that airplane is easy and it can do so many things. My first plane, as a low-time PPL, was a 1966 C172G that I bought in 1996.

This days I'd probably go with one of the higher-hp post-97 restart models. But there are so many out there.
 
Think long and hard about your mission, the time you have to actually fly versus other demands on your time, and the costs associated. Buy what fits your needs, not your wants. Selling and buying airplanes costs money, ~$750-~$1500, based upon where they are at and how quickly you can sell what you have.
 
Bill Watson said:
I agree. After many years of dreaming of Cubs, Champs and Cessnas, I discovered soaring and my first aircraft was a PIK20b glider that I flew far and wide.


This was my Dad's dream airplane, an ultimate bush machine. I saw one fly into KEYW yesterday on floats so you have that as well. Most important to him it was an excellent modeling subject (constant chord surfaces and such). He scratch built a big RC version that he never had a chance to fly. I still have a 12' span rubber powered version he framed up with plans to electrify and radio control it. Dreams sometime take a long time.

I finally bought into the bush plane thing with a tailwheel Maule to bang around in. Fill it up and put it in anywhere. Got my IFR in it and pushed around a lot of mud.


I've shared a DC3 dream for a long time and now only lust for a little stick time. An 'arrival' would be nice as well.

But now I fly an RV10 I built and couldn't be happier. Maybe not suitable for primary training but a great second plane for fun transport of you, yours and your stuff. Building, maintaining and flying your own is total immersion and a lot of fun!
Click to expand...



My Dad was ex-Air Force and he's to blame for my lust for a DC-3.

He never had anything bad to say about them and would tell me how tuff they were.

You never hear of DC-3 crashes. I know there's not many of them still flying, but they don't go down.
 
I *think* my ideal plane would be a Maule or a 180, but it changes pretty regularly.

Neal, where was that camping trip?
 
JCranford said:
I *think* my ideal plane would be a Maule or a 180, but it changes pretty regularly.

Neal, where was that camping trip?
Click to expand...

Johnson Creek Idaho......

I go there often......

It is PARADISE.....:yes::yes:


And usually tie down about where he is..... Prime camping spot on the creek 30 feet away....:)
 
Last edited:
I think it's time to find a long lost rich uncle, or start buying lottery tickets.:rofl:
 
JCranford said:
I *think* my ideal plane would be a Maule or a 180, but it changes pretty regularly.

Neal, where was that camping trip?
Click to expand...

Considering that most of my flying is alone or with one passenger, my 172 does a great job of hauling us and our stuff. Especially with the back seat out.

But having two planes would be ideal. One for faster travel (mooney?) and another for poking around. A Rans S7 or another experimental Cub variant. Something that's cheap to fly when you're just out screwing around. A flying dirtbike. A Maule might cover both, but they're not that fast or that cheap to fly.
 
I like the economy of the 180h.p. Comanche. Good speed, 145kts. burning 9.5 gph. Great range and 1000lbs. useful load. I tool around the NW like it's a puddle jumper, but it's also a nice ride for an extended x-country.

20ihab.jpg
 
A 180 cessna is tough to beat! . Especially a well cared for 180 like this one. It's why they have lasted so long. Versatile and fun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top