I think its great when people get out and try new planes. The Tiger is the
most advanced of the sixties planes, so you should really get a kick out of
a nineties desgin.

Maybe you should try a really new plane before you leap -

Lancair, Diamond, and Cirrus make planes utilizing technology and methods
that are modern! No, they don't build them like they used to, THANK GOD!

On the other hand, if you like retreads billed as "new planes" then Piper
reintroduced the Cherokee Six, and Cessna is about to introduce a "new"
plane (be on the lookout for yet another configuration of an old spam can).

Piper has at least the desire to put out a truly new plane, but Cessna
doesn't give a hoot about folks in the sub million dollar plane market.

In the meantime, I will be praying that we get a new engine to replace the
40 year old engines used in the truly new planes.




"Marty from Sunny Florida" wrote in message
...
Hi all,



Just thought I'd share a marvelous experience. Over the years I've been in
and out of several old single engine cessnas, (c150 and 172's).



This morning, (June 29, 2004), I was invited to try out a 2003 Tiger; an
invitation I couldn't refuse.



I met up with the owner, Gerard at Lantana (KLNA) at 8:30am. It was a
calm,
slightly overcast, hot day, and pretty typical of summer mornings in
Florida. We spent about 20 minutes chatting about the controls and
discussed
a brief flight plan. For a variety of reasons, I was flying right seat.



In a nutshell, "WOW". This aircraft is gorgeous, sleek, purrs like a
kitten,
flies like a bandit fleeing a bank robbery and is comfy like a Jaguar XJ
sedan.



The plane I flew has a loaded panel, complete with an autopilot that's
slaved to the Garmin GNS 430. You select a target destination on the
Garmin,
and set the autopilot to take you there. That's it. Push the right
buttons,
and you're as good as home!



The cockpit is drenched in leather, and the slide away cowl gives all the
open air you'd expect from a convertible BMW ! In flight we popped open
the
canopy just a crack, and at just 2,000ft MSL, it felt like a comfy spring
day. In the 172, even with the windows open, you slowly cook in July.



The Tiger is owned by an ex-Navy pilot, who recently left his position at
American Airlines. A truly wonderful person with a passion for his family
as
well as flying. If there's anyone I'd like to learn from, it's somebody
like
Gerard. Competent, relaxed, and enthusiastic.



If you're in the South Florida area and interested in owning a Tiger,
Gerard
has set up a fractional ownership plan, which is how I found myself in the
seat of this flying wonder. I'd spoken to Gerard a couple of times over
the
phone, but had never met this pilot before today.



I'm back to the drawing board to see how my finances can get me into the
left seat, but it's certainly reachable. I could never come up with 1/5th
million dollars for a new Tiger, but I can buy 1/4 of it if I sneak out
and
sell the wife's car (hush).



If you're interested in this plane, please tap me an email or call Marty
at
561.478.1098. My email is - just dump the z's
and
change the yyy to .net



Hope everyone's having a great summer.



Marty from Boiling Hot Sunny South Florida