fred wrote:
: I'm a newbie working on getting a PPL.
: People tell me that if I'm serious about flying, I should seriously
: look into purchasing a plane - in the long run it'll be cheaper than
: renting.

It can be. If you are handy and find a mechanic who'll let you do a lot of your own maintenance, that helps.
Having a partner or two definately helps.

: If I buy (used, of course, but I'm open to the possibility of
: joint ownerships/partnerships),
: I'd need something that seats 4 adults and a small amount of luggage.
: Expected useage would be trips of a few hundred to about 500 miles.

If you need a plane that can actually *haul* four real adults on a trip with luggage and enough fuel to go 500
miles, you're talking about a pretty high-performance single. If you're looking at something with 4 seats that can
occasionally haul 4 people short distantances without luggage, then you options are much more varied.

: I'm learning in a Cessna 152. My gut tells me that I'd like something
: with a bit more speed than a C172, but I'm not seeking a high
: performance aircraft.
: High wing vs low wing is not a major issue.
: Cost could be an issue.

The airframe determines the speed you go. The engine power determines how much it will haul. If you want to go
much faster than a 172, you'll pretty much need to go retract or burn a LOT more fuel.

: What I seek is a table laying out performance and
: payload characteristics for your basic single engine prop planes.

: So what is the airplane equivalent of a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic?

A Cherokee 140 and a Cessna 150.

: Thanks in advance.

-Cory

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* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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