Looking for Next Plane

[mbremer216]

I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up aircraft.
I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.

I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served me
well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but slogging
along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The Mrs.
tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.

What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.

I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
money.

Any suggestions???

Thanks

Mike

[kontiki]

mbremer216 wrote:
>
> I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
> money.
>
> Any suggestions???
>

There is no substitute for speed in terms of convenience and efficiency.

You are not made of money so that rules out the two viable fixed gear
airplanes (AFAIK) that will give you speed (SR22 or Columbia) so you
are going to have to go with a retract.

Second thing you need to decide is what in your opinion is "fast"?
If fast is 140Kts then a 1970's model Piper Arrow is an option.

If 160Kts is more your idea of fast then take a look at Piper Commanche,
Mooney or maybe a Beech Bonanza. The later the model year of
these airplanes the more they will cost.

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, "mbremer216" > said:
>What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
>still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
>600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
>back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
>items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.

I just wish Piper made a plane that was as wide and comfortable as a PA32,
but in a 4 seater. My wife and I both love that extra width compared to
the PA28 family.


--
Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the
instruments of tyranny at home." - James Madison

[Matt Whiting]

mbremer216 wrote:
> I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up aircraft.
> I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.
>
> I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served me
> well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but slogging
> along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The Mrs.
> tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.
>
> What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
> still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
> 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
> back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
> items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>
> I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
> money.
>
> Any suggestions???
>
> Thanks
>
> Mike

Do you like low-wings better than high-wings? Low maintenance and
insurance costs pretty much rules out a retractable. Something like a
206, Cherokee 235, etc., might be your best bet. However, it is hard to
turn a 600 nm trip into less than a 4 hours trip with a fixed gear,
normally aspirated airplane - at least not one that costs less than $200K.

Matt

[Jim Carter[_1_]]

....and with a pilot's port side door.

--
Jim Carter
Rogers, Arkansas
"Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
...
> In a previous article, "mbremer216" > said:
>>What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
>>still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
>>600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in
>>the
>>back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
>>items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>
> I just wish Piper made a plane that was as wide and comfortable as a PA32,
> but in a 4 seater. My wife and I both love that extra width compared to
> the PA28 family.
>
>
> --
> Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
> "The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the
> instruments of tyranny at home." - James Madison

[B A R R Y[_2_]]

kontiki wrote:
>
> Second thing you need to decide is what in your opinion is "fast"?
> If fast is 140Kts then a 1970's model Piper Arrow is an option.

As is a Beech Sierra.

[Mark T. Dame]

mbremer216 wrote:
>
> What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
> still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
> 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog.

If you want to stick to Pipers, something in the PA28-235 line would be
a good choice. For a little more, move up to an older PA32-300. That
will give you a few more knots and a lot more room. I'm partial to the
PA32-300's myself, but the operating cost is significantly higher than a
PA28-180. I don't have as much knowledge about PA28-235s, but it would
be a relatively simple transition from a -180.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame >
## CP-ASEL, AGI
## <insert tail number here>
## KHAO, KISZ
"Each of nature's organisms, when frightened or confused, reacts in a
characteristic way: Deer flee, blowfish swell up, and government
emits pieces of paper."
-- Bill Stone

[Dave Butler]

mbremer216 wrote:

> Any suggestions???

Mooneys are made for exactly that mission.

[Robert M. Gary]

On May 16, 3:21 pm, "mbremer216" > wrote:
> I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up aircraft.
> I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.
>
> I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served me
> well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but slogging
> along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The Mrs.
> tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.
>
> What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
> still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
> 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
> back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
> items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>
> I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
> money.
>
> Any suggestions???
>
> Thanks
>
> Mike

Mooney

[Robert M. Gary]

On May 16, 5:46 pm, Matt Whiting > wrote:
> mbremer216 wrote:
> > I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up aircraft.
> > I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.
>
> > I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served me
> > well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but slogging
> > along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The Mrs.
> > tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.
>
> > What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
> > still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
> > 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
> > back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
> > items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>
> > I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
> > money.
>
> > Any suggestions???
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Mike
>
> Do you like low-wings better than high-wings? Low maintenance and
> insurance costs pretty much rules out a retractable. Something like a
> 206, Cherokee 235, etc., might be your best bet. However, it is hard to
> turn a 600 nm trip into less than a 4 hours trip with a fixed gear,
> normally aspirated airplane - at least not one that costs less than $200K.

Of course depending on how much you fly the high fuel burn/low cruise
speed of the 206 and 235 will cost you as much as the insurance
difference would in a retract.

-Robert

[Matt Whiting]

Robert M. Gary wrote:
> On May 16, 5:46 pm, Matt Whiting > wrote:
>> mbremer216 wrote:
>>> I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up aircraft.
>>> I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.
>>> I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served me
>>> well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but slogging
>>> along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The Mrs.
>>> tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.
>>> What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
>>> still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
>>> 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
>>> back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
>>> items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>>> I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
>>> money.
>>> Any suggestions???
>>> Thanks
>>> Mike
>> Do you like low-wings better than high-wings? Low maintenance and
>> insurance costs pretty much rules out a retractable. Something like a
>> 206, Cherokee 235, etc., might be your best bet. However, it is hard to
>> turn a 600 nm trip into less than a 4 hours trip with a fixed gear,
>> normally aspirated airplane - at least not one that costs less than $200K.
>
> Of course depending on how much you fly the high fuel burn/low cruise
> speed of the 206 and 235 will cost you as much as the insurance
> difference would in a retract.

That's true. I only wish I could fly enough to make this the case!

Matt

[Mike Noel]

Fast, 2 people and relatively low maintenance sounds like a mission for a
fixed gear experimental. You might be able to pick an RV6A up for around
65, 70K?

--
Best Regards,
Mike

http://photoshow.comcast.net/mikenoel

It is not work that kills men; it is worry. Worry is rust upon the blade.

[Luke Skywalker]

On May 16, 5:21 pm, "mbremer216" > wrote:
> I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up aircraft.
> I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.
>
> I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served me
> well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but slogging
> along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The Mrs.
> tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.
>
> What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
> still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is around
> 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in the
> back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
> items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>
> I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
> money.
>
> Any suggestions???
>
> Thanks
>
> Mike

a 260 Comanche if you like Pipers...

Great bird. I like the Turbo Twin myself but the 260 is a joy to fly.

Robert

[Kyle Boatright]

"Luke Skywalker" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On May 16, 5:21 pm, "mbremer216" > wrote:
>> I am looking for suggestions from the peanut gallery on my step-up
>> aircraft.
>> I am IFR certified with about 500 hours PIC.
>>
>> I currently own a 1968 Cherokee 180D. Good, sturdy bird and has served
>> me
>> well. It's great for sightseeing and taking folks for rides, but
>> slogging
>> along through extended cross-countries can really take it's toll. The
>> Mrs.
>> tolerates flying as long as we are going somewhere.
>>
>> What I am thinking about is something with more speed (who doesn't!) but
>> still has reasonable maintenance costs. The typical trip for us is
>> around
>> 600 NM, usually just me, the wife and a small dog. She likes to sit in
>> the
>> back seat (1st row of the First Class section) and spread out her comfort
>> items. I like her to sit in the back so I can spread out my pilot junk.
>>
>> I'm not afraid of moving to a complex aircraft, but I'm also not made of
>> money.
>>
>> Any suggestions???
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Mike
>
> a 260 Comanche if you like Pipers...

Arn't Comanche's getting a bit long in the tooth to be inexpensive on the
maintenance front? I seem to remember that certain parts (no idea which
ones) are becoming rare, plus the airplane was built back in the day when
labor was cheap, so the airplanes were built without a tremendous amount of
attention to part count or maintainability.

An RV-6A, 7A, or (especially) 9A seems a good fit if the OP only needs 2
seats and if he and his wife can stand sitting next to each other. The
RV-8A would be a good choice too (more elbow room, since the seating is
tandem), but there wouldn't be a good place for the dog...

With time and money, an RV-10 project could result in a 200 mph 4 seater
with low maintenance costs, but most of the ones finished so far have ended
up at $125k or more, because the builders fell into the temptation of "It'll
be a $100k airplane, I can't bring myself to put a used engine in it, and I
might as well have a top notch panel while I'm at it, and leather is nice on
the seats, and..." That's an easy way to turn a $100,000 project into a
$150k project.

If the mission requirement is 4 seats, a little more speed than a Cherodee,
and low maintenance, the Grumman Tigers and fixed gear Cessna Cardinals
might be worth looking at.

Decisions, decisions.

KB

>
> Great bird. I like the Turbo Twin myself but the 260 is a joy to fly.
>
> Robert

[CriticalMass]

kontiki wrote:

> If 160Kts is more your idea of fast then take a look at Piper Commanche,
> Mooney or maybe a Beech Bonanza. The later the model year of
> these airplanes the more they will cost.

Conversely, the *earlier* the model year of these airplanes, the more
they will cost in maintenance. ;)