What airplane would fill this mission?

John B wrote:

Hello all,

I'm looking for an airplane to purchase or build, but I can't find one
that meets all of my needs/wants (yes, I know, all airplanes are a
bucket of compromises). So, I'm asking all of you out there for
advice on any airplanes that would fit this profile.

Important to Haves:
- could be kept outdoors (eliminates fabric?)
- can carry 2 people
- could be eligible for sport pilot flight (1232lbs gross)
- could cruise at 95+ kts
- could do limited/basic aerobatics
- has at least reasonable short/soft field performance (say
1500-2000' grass)
- is relatively cheap to fly (engine 115hp or so, decent TBO,
5-6gph cruise)
- it's not a one-off design that has no parts support or can't be
insured
- if I have to build it, it needs to be "easy" (I've never built
something, a quoted time of ~400hrs maybe?)

Nice to Haves:
- side-by-side seating
- tricycle gear (mostly for insurance)
- could be used to teach my Dad to fly (in terms of flying/landing
qualities..I'm thinking sport-pilot-esqe, so I don't know about the
regulations/legalities yet)
- I'm partial to high-wing, just because of the view down, rather
than the view up.
- Is a type-certificated airplane (I am seriously considering a
homebuilt, but would prefer something that I could be flying sooner
rather than later)
- could have gyros/ifr certified? This is very low priority, but if
it could not be grounded by "benign" ifr, that would be a bonus

From my research, I can't find an airplane that meets all these
ideals.

Do you want to go flying, or do you want to spend a few years building an
airplane and then go flying?

I've got nothing but respect for those that are up to the task of
building their own plane, and maybe one day I'll have the time, skills
and patience (and money) to build one of my own (I'd love to - who
wouldn't?), but I think it's important to keep in mind how you want to
spend your time. Building a plane is no small undertaking. Homebuilts
certainly are very, very tempting, but I think for a lot of us the time
and effort required are beyond what we are able or willing to commit to.

As for your requirements, many of us have been down this road before.
For me, a simple Cessna 150 fits the mission pretty well, and with the
exception of the sport pilot qualification, the aerobatics and
super-short field capabilities, it fits yours too (you WILL have to
compromise). As pointed out elsewhere, you could get a C-150 Aerobat if
that's important, and there are 150HP 150s available that make great
short-field performers. Of course, the plane is limited in many ways,
but any airplane is, and for me at least, the 150 fits my needs well
enough. There are another handful of older airplanes out there that would
work just fine as well: need four seats? a 172 or a Cherokee. Maybe an
Ercoupe or a Champ (can't find much cheaper flying than that). If a
taildragger is OK then a Luscombe gets you more style at the cost of some
interior room and carrying capacity. There are plenty of decent older
airplanes you can buy for the cost of a very modest new car, and which
you can fly on the cheap.

My recommendation: subscribe to Trade-A-Plane for a few months and read
the ads just to get a feel for what your money gets you. Look up the
type clubs for the 2 or 3 models you identify and watch their websites
for insights. Talk to owners of these planes about their experiences.
Bum rides and fly a couple of them. Then start looking for a good one,
and be patient until the right one comes along. Then take a deep breath
and don't look back!

Good lick!

David H
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
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