Farfle
Well-Known Member
Hello all, After the build of my first aircraft (Belite pt 103), and the completion of my pilots license and now ownership of a cessna 172M, I have found myself in an employment position where flying back and forth to work a few times a month is a very real possibility.
The flight is from the Central Oregon area to the LA area. I have successfully done it in two hops with the cessna, but it is a looong 6.5 hours and 650 miles in the buzz box. Add a stiff headwind and it very easily becomes a morning-to-night adventure with two fuel stops. Being a VFR pilot, my worry is that over the span of a day, the weather can change a significant amount, and being able to make the run in one hop to potentially be "on top" for the middle portion would make flying the route a little less stressful.
My question to you guys is, what experimental aircraft are out there in the one to two seat range that wouldn't break the bank on a build, and would shave that trip down to a more manageable 4-5 hours, and hopefully be able to do it in one hop.
Something like the RV-3 is attractive, but the taildragger-only is a concern. My taildragger flying is fairly limited, and I dont want the extra risk associated with the sometimes large crosswinds that appear in central oregon. A solid crosswind performer would be a plus.
For weight and space concerns, I am 6'3" 230, and cargo would be max one hefty backpack.
The flight is from the Central Oregon area to the LA area. I have successfully done it in two hops with the cessna, but it is a looong 6.5 hours and 650 miles in the buzz box. Add a stiff headwind and it very easily becomes a morning-to-night adventure with two fuel stops. Being a VFR pilot, my worry is that over the span of a day, the weather can change a significant amount, and being able to make the run in one hop to potentially be "on top" for the middle portion would make flying the route a little less stressful.
My question to you guys is, what experimental aircraft are out there in the one to two seat range that wouldn't break the bank on a build, and would shave that trip down to a more manageable 4-5 hours, and hopefully be able to do it in one hop.
Something like the RV-3 is attractive, but the taildragger-only is a concern. My taildragger flying is fairly limited, and I dont want the extra risk associated with the sometimes large crosswinds that appear in central oregon. A solid crosswind performer would be a plus.
For weight and space concerns, I am 6'3" 230, and cargo would be max one hefty backpack.
