Jack Allison wrote in message ...
I'm wondering if there are any Cardinal drivers that frequent this
newsgroup. I'm in the early phase of considering potential airplanes
for a 2-way partnership and, at this point, a Cardinal is looking like a
very adequate platform for the price and performance I'm looking at.

So, any words of wisdom from folks who have owned one? Looking for
anything...the good, the bad, the ugly...whatever. I've found some
great info. at Cardinal Fliers Online (www.cardinalflyers.com). If
there are some Cardinal drivers that hang around here, that would be
even better.

Thanks!

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL, soon-2-B-IA Student, airplane partnership student

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

I have had a 1969 177A for over 7 years now, and I love it. Wouldn't
trade it for anything in its class. Mine is a simple VFR with 1
NAVCOM, 1 Radio, KT-76A with encoder, 4 place intercom; no autopilot
or fancy interior. It has over a 1000 lb useful load, 48 gallons
usable, and what seems like a large room for rear seat and cargo
space. You sit forward of the wing, so you can see ahead in a turn,
unlike any other high wing, thus giving the best visibility of both
high wing and low. It is the roomiest 4 place I found, with Sundowners
a close second. Entry is the easiest of any plane ever built. Looks,
forget about it. Best looking single too. People buy them for the
looks alone. Mechanically they are as reliable as anything FG or RG.
The O-360 Lyc is one of the best too. Even the 150 HP 1968 model is OK
as long as you don't overload it like some people are prone to do,
with all that room to put things. If this is the size plane you're
looking for, don't let some uninformed people tell you they don't fly
well. They fly better than anything in their class in my opinion. They
are the only Cessna that I would describe the handling as sports car
like. The rumor that they are hard to land is a myth, they just
require a different touch than Skyhawks. Once you learn the technique,
it is easy. Heck if I can land them OK then I would think anyone
could! You definately want to join CFO that you mentioned, if you plan
on buying. There is a wealth of information there. A good pre-purchase
checklist for potential buyers like yourself can be found there. Don't
even think about buying until you have read that list.

Regards,
Bruce Cunningham
C-177A N30464