As I've read many times on this forum, decide on your mission. After stopping the build process on a CH-701 because it was getting in the way of other things that NEEDED to be done, I realized, I just want to fly. Short trips, by myself, with a friend, just flying without breaking the bank. I do however plan to fly to Airventure in 2021, bucket list thing you know. Decided on a Cessna 150, cruise at 100 mph, ha, if I'm lucky, so I just figure about 90 mph and deal with it, 5 to 6 gal an hr depending on cruise setting, that's cheap enough. I can always rent a 172 or a Champ, I'm checked out in both and I can even get some unususl attitude training in a Citabria if I want too, and probably will.
The trip to A/V from South Carolina will be long and slow but the journey is as important as the destination in my opinion. I have gathered some light weight camping gear and I'm on a mission to loose 30 lbs by then so I should be able to carry full fuel, that's a plus, although a 3 hr leg in a 150 is a bit of a stretch for an old guy but I'm not going to have a tight schedule anyway. Being retired and having an understanding wife is a great way to finish out my life. I have friends that have much nicer, faster, roomier aircraft and I do fly with them occasionally and it's great, but for my budget, the 150 gets me in the air anytime I want, weather permitting. One of my friends goes every year and flys the P 51 for an hour, he has a T 6 that he flys every week, I've got stick time in it also. When asked, why don't you just buy a P 51, he said, I get all I want once a year without the expence of owning it! Smart man, he knows his mission.
Bob, I just like to fly