Resource for choosing a plane?

You might check some of the 'Buying an Airplane' books at your local
bookstore. 'Buying and owning your own airplane' by Ellis and 'Airplane
Ownership' by Wanttaja have some useful info.

--
Best Regards,
Mike
http://photoshow.comcast.net/mikenoel
"Douglas Paterson" wrote in message
...
So, I've decided to go for my first airplane. As I get started looking
for "the" airplane, I'm hoping I can find some help here in narrowing my
choices. The more I look, the more overwhelmed I get. I'm starting to
think that finding & buying the damn thing will be anticlimactic--deciding
*what* to buy is the hard part!!

What I'd really like to find is some sort of direct comparison tool--like
you find in an auto magazine, say--such as a table with columns listing
features, with added commentary on each model's pros and cons. From
reading this group, I've found a couple of browsing tools, but nothing
that really hits the mark. Suggestions? Ideally, I'd really like an
online database that I can play with different parameters and see
different results....

While I've got your eye, I may as well solicit direct advice, too. All
the opinions I've formed so far are written in Jell-O, so please poke
holes in any misconceptions you may spot.

Me:
~4,200 hours: mostly in heavies (various C-135 models); a few hundred in
USAF trainers (T-37/T-38); and about 150 in GA SEL airplanes (Cessnas,
Pipers, and Grummans). PP/SEL, CP/MEL, Instrument, & ATP tickets. My
only GA complex time is the ~4.5 in the Seneca I took my ATP in.

What I've eliminated:
- Twin: in my budget range, twins seem to double (or more) operating
expense for little if any performance gain--redundancy seems to be the
real value-added for entry-level twins. Not that I'm knocking redundancy,
but this prospect will be a wallet-strain as it is.
- Experimentals/Homebuilts/Warbirds: I don't have the fortitude to deal
with the idiosyncrasies of non-certificated. First time out calls for
baby steps.
- Turbines/Floats/Fabric wings/anything else "weird": baby steps again.
- Combine all of the above: I've eliminated everything that's NOT a
certificated, piston, SEL w/ metal hull/wings.

Assumptions/Considerations:
- I will be starting to fly soon w/ a local club that has Cessnas (fixed
and c/s prop models) and Arrows--in addition to currency (I haven't flown
GA for 8+ years, and my last heavy flight was February [now in staff job
]), I plan to use that time to get comfortable in a small airplane
again, comfortable with a c/s prop, etc.
- I'm less concerned about acquisition cost than recurring
costs--especially if I can find a circumstance where spending a bit more
up-front buys a plane requiring less outlay for maintenance, insurance,
whatever. I've set a ceiling of $100K, but that's only a notional number
at this point. All things being equal, cheaper is better, of course....
- I've had mixed information on just "how much" extra maintenance (read:
$$$) is required on a retract vs fixed gear, and/or c/s vs fixed prop.
What about turbo-charging? I really need to learn in this area....
- I have no idea what my insurance situation will be; I've been assuming
that any time-in-type requirements won't be too restrictive given my
experience, and that I'll be able to get that time w/ an instructor easily
enough.
- I live in Colorado Springs. Airport elevations here run between
~6,000' and ~7,000', and I'm told 10,000'+ density altitude is commonplace
in the summer. Do I need turbo-charging?
- I want a "real" four-seater, whether that means a heavy-lifting
four-seat or a six-seat. I'm also pretty broad across the shoulders, and
not small in any dimension (6'0", 250#), so comfort is a consideration.
- I want reasonable speed--150 knots-ish seems about right, more is
better....
- I prefer low-wing, but that's a marginal distinction for me. I do
wonder if I'll ever get the urge to land on grass/gravel/etc, in which
case I assume I'd want the high-wing w/ fixed gear, yes?

Thoughts:
It sounds like I want a Mooney for speed & fuel economy, a Dakota for
lifting, and Bonanza for size--or something like that! That brings me
back to my original request, for a means to make direct comparisons
between the various choices out there--I'm having trouble determining what
& how I need to make trade-offs without that sort of tool....

Thanks for any help!

--
Doug
"Where am I to go/Now that I've gone too far?" -- Golden Earring,
"Twilight Zone"
(my email is spam-proofed; read the address and make the appropriate
change to contact me)

Heh. Those two titles just arrived from Amazon today. "The Illustrated
Buyer's Guide to Used Airplanes"
by Bill Clarke is on backorder, they tell me to expect it in a week or
two.... I've got LOTS of reading & learning yet to do before I write a
check....

Thanks!

--
Doug
"Where am I to go/Now that I've gone too far?" -- Golden Earring, "Twilight
Zone"
(my email is spam-proofed; read the address and make the appropriate change
to contact me)

"Mike Noel" wrote in message
. ..
You might check some of the 'Buying an Airplane' books at your local
bookstore. 'Buying and owning your own airplane' by Ellis and 'Airplane
Ownership' by Wanttaja have some useful info.

--
Best Regards,
Mike

For what its worth, I just became a first time aircraft owner a few
months ago. In my case I did decide to go with something "weird" vs
sticking with a more common aircraft. I started out with the same
philosophy you have, and ultimately decided that since I have good
access to a local rental fleet with C172c, a G-1000 C182, and a C206;
that I couldn't justify the cost of buying something I could rent.
Since 75% of my flying over the past 5 years has been for recreation
vs. 25% for travel, in the end the recreational side won out and I
purchased a trainer warbird. So far its been a great decision.

There are quite a few of the "weirder" planes available for the same
price as a 182, 206, or Cherokee Six; so acqusition cost isn't a
differentiating factor. Also, the Experimental Exhibition registration
on some of the warbirds isn't hard to figure out or comply with even
for a first time owner.

In the end, go with whatever plane you will get the most enjoyment out
of. It will never pay back financially vs. renting or joining a club,
but it is still great to own the plane and have the flexibility to fly
it whenever you want.

Good luck shopping...
Eric
1959 Pilatus P-3
http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html

Eric,
A bit off-topic from the original post: did I read that right on your
webpage that the P-3 has a Max speed that's twice the cruise speed (270 kts
135 kts)? Are there different criteria for these speeds in Europe?

Marco Leon

wrote in message
oups.com...
For what its worth, I just became a first time aircraft owner a few
months ago. In my case I did decide to go with something "weird" vs
sticking with a more common aircraft. I started out with the same
philosophy you have, and ultimately decided that since I have good
access to a local rental fleet with C172c, a G-1000 C182, and a C206;
that I couldn't justify the cost of buying something I could rent.
Since 75% of my flying over the past 5 years has been for recreation
vs. 25% for travel, in the end the recreational side won out and I
purchased a trainer warbird. So far its been a great decision.

There are quite a few of the "weirder" planes available for the same
price as a 182, 206, or Cherokee Six; so acqusition cost isn't a
differentiating factor. Also, the Experimental Exhibition registration
on some of the warbirds isn't hard to figure out or comply with even
for a first time owner.

In the end, go with whatever plane you will get the most enjoyment out
of. It will never pay back financially vs. renting or joining a club,
but it is still great to own the plane and have the flexibility to fly
it whenever you want.

Good luck shopping...
Eric
1959 Pilatus P-3
http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html