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#41
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Ben Jackson wrote: In article , G.R. Patterson III wrote: In ten years the new paintjob you'll need will be half that. Get real. A complete recover job on my Maule is less than that -- at Maule. In... ten... years... Yes, Madame Ruth. George Patterson The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise. |
#42
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Stealth Pilot wrote: what you guys have proven to me is that our little airfield 50km south of Perth in Western Australia is even more special than I had believed. It is special indeed. Believe me, if I could hangar at a reasonable cost, it would certainly be one of the 1st items of business after buying a plane. Consider yourself a lucky man. John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180) |
#43
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On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 08:48:38 -0800, "Slip'er"
wrote: I'll leave you guys to slash wrists, bay at the moon in frustration, and I'll just go back to my little piece of heaven. I wouldn't mind a little piece of your heaven. Oh wait, I would be an "illegal alien" there and Australia is a lot smarter than the US on that issue...you'd throw me out. if you promise to bring your Pitts, the Learjet and that C5a gallaxy you nicked from the marines, and you let us fly them, I'm sure we'll hide you in various hangars untill the feds forget about you :-) Stealth Pilot |
#44
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if you promise to bring your Pitts, the Learjet and that C5a gallaxy
you nicked from the marines, and you let us fly them, I'm sure we'll hide you in various hangars untill the feds forget about you :-) Can't get the learjet for you BUT, I have my guys putting the Pitts, Aprilia Falco, and my pickup inside the C5a Galaxy as we speak. My guys tell me that there is room for plenty more contraband Any special requests? Otherwise I'm filling every nook and cranny with beer and wine. |
#45
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You succeeded in getting me looking at Maule's. A 160 or 180 might be the
best compromise for me although I will surely miss having a stick. Slip'er "Maule Driver" wrote in message om... I chose a tail dragging Maule: - choosing a 4 seater over a 2 seater was the best decision. 95% of the time, it is 2 of us flying for a 1 to 5 day trip of aprox 250miles roundtrip. A 2 placer is good for 1 person traveling. 2 people require a 4 placer. - Simple has paid off in reasonably predictable and moderate maintenance; no CS prop, 180 4 cyl, relatively new - Hangaring; I would not be willing to own something that sat out. Not after being in a hangar. - I love the tailwheel - keeps it interesting and different. Makes me feel good. No practical value whatsoever. - Wish it was faster. But having flown only 60 hours this year vs 125 to 150 the past 5 - I appreciate the simplicity and low maintenance. I'd suggest some more exploring of clubs or partnerships Slip'er wrote: All great feedback so far. Keep it coming. I have made a few posts about my efforts to select a plane. I am definitely caught in analysis paralysis. I am also caught up with fear of selling my stock when it is doing so well. I sold 500 shares to buy Christmas presents, two weeks after I sold them those 500 shares were worth an additional $3500. I know this matters little in the big scheme, you can't time the market...etc. But I'm still planning to hold out until the fall and review my plans. Back to the plane. I have only flown Citabrias and Decathalons with a little bit of Piper PA-140 / PA-180 and a PT-23. I love the Citabria/Decathalon but am luke warm at best about the Archer/172/etc. This bird will be parked outside, most likely. I started my quest thinking that a Champ or a Luscombe would fit the bill for a first plane. But I get caught up in the "a 7ECA isn't that much more and I get aerobatics and a bigger engine" which is true but, " a 150hp Citabria isn't much more and I love the extra power" and "wow there are a few nice examples of 8KCABs out there with a CS prop which is nice for aerobatics and cruise, AND they don't cost much more..." So this is my main dilema aside from purchase price, what is the difference in relative maintenance from each of this family when comparing models of similar condition. They typically don't have a lot of "extras" which is fine for me. I am VFR only and don't plan to get instrument rated. (although I have done and will continue to do a bit of training in my friends plane for a margin of safety should I need it someday) If I buy into this group I'd really like to get the metal spar and heavy lift struts. Then more skitzophrenai...Should I really hold fast to taildraggers and stick? Yes! I dream about bush flying all of the time and with my own plane, 3-4 day weekend trips will actually be possible. (ever try to rent a Citabria for a 3 day weekend? Good luck!) Wait, if I go for a faster plane, I have access to more places. If I had say a Long-Eze or other slippery plane in my price range I could really explore America. Wait, I have kids. How often will I be able to realistically take off for 3-4 day trips. That probably isn't a good selection criteria. Best to stick with day trips, again though speed is distance. Hmm, I love the tandem seating but, my kids would really like to be up front and that would be nice for them to learn more and enjoy each others company. OMG, Look at that Great Lakes! No, wait, later! Wait until the kids are in College. That cannot be a good idea right now. So, I really think I'll be looking at a Citabria type aircraft. It seems to be where my "comfort" zone is, probably because I soloed in a 7ECA and most of my time is in Citabrias. The question is, should I buy the absolute minimum aircraft that meets my "needs" or buy what I can afford for maximum fun? One thing is true with Motorcycles, Cars, Boats, and Airplanes....you can never have too much horse power. Part of me says buy the minimum plane ie 7ECA for two reasons. Put the minimum money at risk and use this first purchase as a learning experience. This will increase reserves in case I really screw up and said reserves can also hide some of the real expense from my wife who supports me in this but is also an accountant...and I hear about my excessive hobbies. But if say a 150 HP Citabria is about the same to maintain...why not spend a little extra money? When I really think about it, this wouldn't be such a difficult decision if I were single. The real pain I feel is that buying a plane feels so selfish! This is a huge, expensive hobby for ME. Yes, my kids will enjoy it but I doubt my wife will fly with me until the kids are out of the house. My kids have flown with me and enjoy it but truth be told...they'd rather have a boat (my wife would too). Which clearly means...this is for me. But darn it, I have wanted this all of my life. They just "want" a boat because I brought it up one day when I took them sailing on a friends 28 ft sailboat. Time for my medication... |
#46
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Slip'er wrote: Otherwise I'm filling every nook and cranny with beer and wine. You're taking *American* beer and wine to *Australia*???? Talk about coals to Newcastle! George Patterson The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise. |
#47
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Slip'er wrote: You succeeded in getting me looking at Maule's. A 160 or 180 might be the best compromise for me although I will surely miss having a stick. My 160 is for sale if you get a little futher than just looking. George Patterson The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise. |
#48
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I don't want to bother you just tire kicking but contact me off line and let me know the particulars or a link if you have anything posted on the web. carl dot hixon at cox dot net George Patterson The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise. |
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