• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Picking a Plane

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

flienlow

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
30
Location
Somewhere,CA
Picking a Plane has got to be the most difficult decision in the world. Airplanes are like Motorcycles, seems like you need more than 1 to do different things in different Situation.

There also seems to be a standard progression pattern in Aircraft ownership where someone to buys a Certified AC at first. After a $10k annual or 2, they say to hell with this mess, and go light sport or homebuilt experimental. There are those with little financial concerns which this does not apply, but for the average Person, this seems accurate, no?

On top of the high cost of Certified AC, the further challenge one seems to face is Capability vs simply having a flying Toy. While I am sure it’s possible, you’re not going to fly that Trike thing to Alaska, are you?

And what of Fat@$$ Jake? What do you tell him? “Dude…you’re 3 hundo and that exceeds Max Gross takeoff weight without any fuel so…No, I can’t take you flying.” ??

Then there is the cost of even the "Toys." You can spank a buck twenty pretty quickly with a Light Sport Plane. Your new Light Sport to used Certified Airplane cost appears to be close which further muddies the water. Combine all of this with low plane inventory and here I sit. – Perplexed.

Mission: We are a family of 3 with a small fur-demon that may ride on the wife’s lap.

1.We would like to do Sub 200nm trips to visit family and friends and the occasional 700nm trip to remote family and friends.

2. Would like the plane to be somewhat STOL for off airport flying.

3. Would like the Plane to be able to convert to Floats.

4. Fly to Canada and Alaska on floats to fish

5. Would like the wings to fold for storage.

The Glasair Sportsman 2+2 Fits this mission to a T. Although it is still not a perfect plane. To build a new one will cost over $300k. To find a used one (if you can) will cost over $200k. Put either one on floats, and it will be more. Unfortunately, both ways are going to exceed my budget.

It is at this point where I am now forced to compromise. But to what end?

I could build a Zenith Super duty:

  • Wings do not fold
  • it is very slow.
  • I estimate the resale to be very low
I could buy a Maule M-7 235? This seems to be a somewhat viable option. I would lose the folding wings. Maintenance costs would be high. Not sure of insurance or caring for older fabric wings. I bet its also a pretty thirsty plane as well.



But hell… now that I am having to compromise in the first place, should I succumb to buying the “Toy” now?

Aerotrex A220

Kitfox S7

Aeroprakt A32

Ch750 STOL



All of these planes will be cheap to fly. I will lose the 3 place and Fat@$$ Jake still cannot go with me. This first 2 have wings that will fold for storage if desired and all will function as a floatplane for at least 1 person. Although, I am not certain if I can haul 2 people and Dead Fish while on floats. I suspect I cannot.



This is the situation from my lens and is my dilemma.



Thoughts?
 
Back
Top