Ben Hallert wrote:


1. Getting qualified in a new plane. Since I might go from a low wing
Cherokee to a high wing 150/152, I guess there would be some real dual
time needed to get everything down. Unless I can find an instructor
who's wafer thin, I could see this being a complication.

Your insurance provider will probably want you to have a few hours dual in
the Cessna before turning you loose solo.

3. Flying alone as a 220-240lb person, would a 150/152/Tomahawk be ok?
I climb at 800-1000FPM in the Piper Cherokee, and I'm sure it'd be
slower in the 152, but how much worse? I'd hate to spend the first
half of my cross-country flight climbing.

This would be a good exercise in doing weight & balance and performance
calculations. While you're at it, throw in a hot day at a field that is a
few thousand feet above sea level. One of your local FBOs should have a 15x
manual.

I've researched and researched, and most of the cost of ownership
number breakdowns I've seen on Usenet were 5 or more years old.

The calculations haven't changed. Gas costs a little more and insurance
costs more, but some things vary according to your location such as hangar
rentals. You just need to plug the current prices in to your spreadsheet.

I have the bug, what's the prognosis? Will I live free with my own
plane I can blast around in? Or will I be shackled by the chains of
FBOs forever?

Perhaps you could start a small flying club with a couple of others in your
area and get something a little more capable?

Have fun,

Jim