What should i get?

[Seth]

11 hours ago, Samurai Husky said:

Well if you want to keep drooling: 

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1416579/1981-beechcraft-b60-duke-turboprop

Now THATS a twin. IF you can afford it. 

 

Fuel load / range is the only issue with the Duke Turbine by Rocket - they do an amazing job with their concessions (Mooney Rocket and Missile).

Neat to look at.  Way to high budget and too advanced right now (but you know that).

Have you flown a 172 or PA-28 yet?

-Seth

[bradp]

1 hour ago, Yetti said:

If we are talking 32 GPH plane, why not just get one of these.  I got to sit in it last weekend.  Pretty sure two dogs would fit in the back cockpit and look pretty cool looking out the canopy also.

 

 

Too many ADs involving spars ...dogs probably wouldn't fit the noise.  I'm no fun.  I know.  

[Yetti]

8 minutes ago, bradp said:

Too many ADs involving spars ...dogs probably wouldn't fit the noise.  I'm no fun.  I know.  

ya but when you move onto hail research you have a great platform.   I would think the fleet has all had their wing spars reinforced by now.  http://www.ias.sdsmt.edu/institute/t28/plane.htm

Not sure exactly how you talk a pilot into penetrating the leading edge of convection to get hailed on.

[Samurai Husky]

Yep not making any final decisions for a while, no need to; Once I PPL im going to see about getting training in a mooney first, before i buy. Better to let someone elses plane experience the landings. If i deem it to hard then i will settle on the 182.

[Godfather]

Wow, in a week we have moved you in and out of a Mooney...340->Bravo->182.  By next week we'll have you putting the dogs in the back of a 152 and wondering if you should purchase some rail tickets to Phoenix :).

Try to get some block time in a 172 (any type of panel) for your solo work and finishing your ppl.  Go back to the cirrus and start your ifr training and get serious about buying a plane!

[carl]

Have we considered the small jet.?

I may have missed this question, Sam ,What is you occupation ?

Carl

[Samurai Husky]

Soo i definitely cannot afford a jet. 

I am a IT manager for a small IT outsourcing firm. 

I am also being severely humbled by landings. Right now i wouldnt trust me to land a RC Plane, let a lone a real one.

-Yeeeeaaaaaa, it posted!

Edited April 8, 2016 by Samurai Husky

[glafaille]

From time to time we are all humbled by landings.  

The secret to good landings is a good "set up".  If you are not properly set up 2 miles out, it becomes increasingly difficult to land smoothly.  With experience you will be able to recover from being "out of shape" within the 2 mile window.  But you should make every effort to have everything set up, trim, flaps, pitch attitude, power, airspeed, rate of descent, everything by the time you are 2 miles out.

If you are set up 2 miles out your odds of a good landing increase exponentially.  If set up properly, there is little to do but a little flare and a little crosswind correction.

Easy peasy!

[Samurai Husky]

Yea, my instructor said not to worry because every time we have gone up its been unsettled air; One day i would love to have smooth air to practice in just so that i can see what its like  right now we get little 5 mins 'windows' before we start bouncing around again. Flying is really fun when you arent bouncing around.

I got all the simulator hardware and have been messing around with it; I think one of my problems is poor rudder control for keeping the airplane lined up right. It seems like every time we land i have to point the plane 20-30deg off to the right in order to track the runway straight. IDK, but at the end of the last session even he said the weather sucked and had a hard time landing at home base. 

 

[bradp]

Ok if you are serious about it Id jump all over this plane... Damage history but 3400 since.  1700 useful load.   Fuel tanks are limiting but a long range / tip tank conversion is available for about as much as you'd probably put into panel upgrades while increasing the capability of the airframe.  

https://sites.google.com/site/bonanzan9031s/home/1968-be-36

[Steve Dietrich]

On 4/6/2016 at 6:23 AM, bradp said:

Too many ADs involving spars ...dogs probably wouldn't fit the noise.  I'm no fun.  I know.  

Are there AD's for the T-28 or are you thinking of the T-34

[bradp]

13 minutes ago, Steve Dietrich said:

Are there AD's for the T-28 or are you thinking of the T-34

I was thinking of the T-34.  

[Shadrach]

On April 6, 2016 at 9:15 PM, Samurai Husky said:

Well if you want to keep drooling: 

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1416579/1981-beechcraft-b60-duke-turboprop

Now THATS a pig. IF you can afford burn money. 

 

FIFY. That duke has a maximum non-fuel payload of 1117lbs. A C441 will carry more, at a higher speed and on less gas. But Dukes do look cool...

 

[Shadrach]

Sam, 

I would recommend that you rent for a bit.  You're a dreamer and that's a good thing. However, you need to bolster your experience by flying different aircraft so that your analytical side can really decide what is right for you. You're a ways off from that!  You've got a sock full of money. Keep it under wraps while you gain experience. That will enable you to make a more educated mistake!

[Samurai Husky]

LOL That video was hilarious!

@Shadrach

Yea, before i buy any plane i will put some hours into it; My problem is that to rent 'other' types of planes, i will need a CFI to ride with me. Either that, or fly 120-200 hours first then do a 10hr check ride. At that point, it seems like its makes more sense to just buy something. Once i am PP, the only planes i will be able to fly will be the cirrus the trainer Archer II or the 172's, but not the new ones, the older one. Which is fine, I can continue to rent the cirrus for a little while, but the owner put it up for sale and isnt willing to let me take it for a vacation with out paying a hefty minimum on the plane(3hrs a day). Also while pets are allowed, they have to be crated and there is no way i can get 2 crates large enough for 2 huskies in the back of a cirrus, just the thought of getting my dogs into crates, is scary. 

I want to see if there is somewhere where i can get my complex rating in a mooney. Just to have the experience of flying one and how hard it is. That way i can judge how far i am away in terms of skill level to owning one. If it doesnt work out, then i still think a 182 is a good 2nd choice. 

BTW, we finally had a day of calm winds and flying the cirrus wasnt as bad, there were points where it was actually rather enjoyable. I also learned why i was having so much trouble with rudder and breaks. I would say it, but knowing some of the members on this board i would probably be called a idiot for saying it was the problem.

[carusoam]

Come east for a weekend. See a hangar full of owner's Mooneys. Take the mystery out of the decision process. Fly from the left seat. Then decide...  (M20J for rent)

http://www.airmodsflightcenter.com/flight/rental-and-instruction-rates

It is that easy...

Best regards,

-a-

[Samurai Husky]

I thought everyone wanted me to call Don? Besides, i dont think i would want to fly one with out a CFI in the right seat; I am learning my limitations and comfort levels. 

Looks like the clubs M20M is back on the 20th; (yea) though still a little early to be looking at it. I just dont know what the clubs policy is in terms of a CFI checking it out for purpose of training. 

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not saying don't buy something, but maybe make it something that is marketable as a trainer so you can upgrade when ready?

There will always be a market for 4 cylinder Cessna trainers. I think a Cessna 172 Hawk XP would be a fantastic first airplane. 210hp, good climb, load carrying and reasonable speed but with easy and forgiving handling characteristics. Easy to resell.

[carusoam]

1) 'Everyone' is too strong of a word...

2) Don is an excellent resource.  His plane is a Bravo/M20M, not really entry level, trainer or a recommended first plane to own.

3) There is no logical way to rent a complex high performance aircraft without flying with an instructor first.  PPL first, HP/complex is an additional signature in your log book.

If you find yourself alone in the cockpit of a complex high performance aircraft without a PPL in your pocket, STP....   Stop, Think, Plan....

The airmods rental is half of a solution.  The other half is a CFI. They also have Mooneys for sale there.

Spend a weekend making progress towards eliminating things from your decision process.

Fire up the Bravo simulator in MSFS.  Fly (simulated) around your area.  Call Don.  Set up an appointment to go for a 'lesson'.

Come away with a feeling of how challenging this type of plane is.  If it is easy for you, set your goals higher.  If it is really overwhelming set your goals realistically lower.

If you don't have time, or don't want to spend the money, these are acceptable reasons to stay the course with a more simple airplane...

Skipping a few steps to get to the next level is just skipping a few steps that you will want to have...

All the good stuff actually takes time to acquire.  It seems that you may have forgotten some of these details Or haven't picked them up for some reason....?

Best regards,

-a-

[Samurai Husky]

looked at those, need more distance. Also they go for about the same price as a T182RG. With the 182 between me and the dogs and 92g of fuel still leaves me 300lbs of payload left. Take out those back seats and i might be able to gain another 100lbs. So its a plane i dont necessarily have to keep just for training, its something i can hold on to for a few years. So i consider it the best 'plan b' option. 

@carusoam

LOL, no plans on being solo in a complex with just a PPL; But to your point, thats the plan. I have a plan A and a Plan B and to a lesser extent a plan C (meaning if i have to rent, then I have to rent); Though i would be more interested in a 20R not a M; Still i understand the point that its not a good first time buyers airplane, im going in with low expectations. If its too hard, its too hard. I am not willing to make a long term financial commitment to something i cant fly and will just sit there. 

But I am still a long way off from making that decision. Palo Alto airport is probably the most challenging airport to land at within 200 miles; Between all the air spaces, the short final because of the airspace, the short/narrow runway, constant cross winds, the amount of traffic in and out of the airport etc. I feel that if i can nail landing in this airport, then i can land most places. That's not just my opinion, several others have told me the same thing.

[carusoam]

You can get pretty good at short and narrow fields using long wide runways... Practice, practice, practice...

This part of the PPL trying call performance take-offs and landings.  Short field and soft fields are part of those techniques.

Take a look at 201er's videos in the carribean.  He lands pretty close to the numbers and the nose wheel comes down pretty close to the centerline...  No trick photography involved.

Best regards,

-a-

[Samurai Husky]

yea i saw them; I have been watching all of the video's on this site, especially of the landings. I have also been paying attention to all of the little adjustments that are going on during the base and final. 

In the past 2 lessons, I think i have come a very long way, but because of that, i clearly see how much more there is to go. I might end up delay going solo, he said we are getting near the end, but again, i don't think i have the confidence to land at KPAO on my own. If i cant land at home base with certainty and confidence, then there is no point in solo'ing. 

 

 

[Shadrach]

18 minutes ago, Samurai Husky said:

looked at those, need more distance. Also they go for about the same price as a T182RG. With the 182 between me and the dogs and 92g of fuel still leaves me 300lbs of payload left. Take out those back seats and i might be able to gain another 100lbs. So its a plane i dont necessarily have to keep just for training, its something i can hold on to for a few years. So i consider it the best 'plan b' option. 

@carusoam

LOL, no plans on being solo in a complex with just a PPL; But to your point, thats the plan. I have a plan A and a Plan B and to a lesser extent a plan C (meaning if i have to rent, then I have to rent); Though i would be more interested in a 20R not a M; Still i understand the point that its not a good first time buyers airplane, im going in with low expectations. If its too hard, its too hard. I am not willing to make a long term financial commitment to something i cant fly and will just sit there. 

But I am still a long way off from making that decision. Palo Alto airport is probably the most challenging airport to land at within 200 miles; Between all the air spaces, the short final because of the airspace, the short/narrow runway, constant cross winds, the amount of traffic in and out of the airport etc. I feel that if i can nail landing in this airport, then i can land most places. That's not just my opinion, several others have told me the same thing.

Sam,

I'm not trying to piss in your Cheerios here, but your a few hundred hours (at best) away from throwing the dogs in the plane and embarking on a 600NM XC over high and hostile terrain.  You don't know what you don't know... A 172 is a good aircraft to train in and the XP makes it a useable  XC aircraft after you get your license for trips to Minden and San Diego with careful planning.  

[Samurai Husky]

Your not pissing in anything; Your saying things I already know; 

I hope you dont think I'm crazy enough to jump into a airplane and fly to PHX on my own the first time out? I plan on taking a CFI with me of course. Even if its a day trip there (lunch) and back. It's because i dont know what i dont know that I am being cautious. 

Also, i would check the flight plan from KPAO to KFFZ when using the victors. It doesnt cross the rockies or the Sierra's. For the most part, i would be flying over similar terrain that i currently fly over to get to my practice area. For a very short amount of time i would need to pop up to 11500, but mostly to stay out of air space. So its all stuff i am already used to. 

 

[mike_elliott]

1 hour ago, Samurai Husky said:

I thought everyone wanted me to call Don? Besides, i dont think i would want to fly one with out a CFI in the right seat; I am learning my limitations and comfort levels. 

Looks like the clubs M20M is back on the 20th; (yea) though still a little early to be looking at it. I just dont know what the clubs policy is in terms of a CFI checking it out for purpose of training. 

 

Why don't you give him a call, go fly with him for an hour in his plane in the right seat while you observe. You might save your keyboard from wearing out here asking questions that only you can really answer with experience. You may hate flying in a fire breathing dragon like a Bravo and move on or make an offer on the first one you see for sale. who knows till you pick up the phone and make that call!