"Pull Early, Pull Often"

[Colonel]

Ugh. I believe there is often an economic solution to many problems in our lives.

The guy should get enough life insurance so that his wife has mixed feelings when the phone rings when he’s at the airport.

Fun Fact: I pay ‘way more for life insurance than I do for medical and dental, and I have very good medical and dental. People in Canada have trouble believing that but …

[David MacRay]

I would like to try out the side yolk but I don’t like the springs which seem redundant.

One of the very few planes I don’t really like. V-tails and the one with no rudder pedals make the list too.

I did like the lamacoid my buddy had stuck to the panel of his V-tail which I never rode in. Forked Tail Doctor Killer.

[Slick Goodlin]

I flew a V-tail Bonanza once and wasn’t a fan. Too bad because I think they’re an iconic airplane and it kind of bums me out that I’ll avoid proudly standing beside one of my own. Something about that V-tail caused every movement to get a sympathetic movement on another axis, which just starts a never ending chase, AKA ‘the Beech wag’ unless you know how to stop it. I learned how to stop/prevent the wag but it flew in the face of everything I had done to fly an airplane to that point.

As for the pedal-less Ercoupe, I really want to get some time in one but not enough to stick my neck out and buy it. A friend of mine is looking at Ercoupes for sale right now and I hope he likes me enough to let me take his for a rip should he buy one.

[Colonel]

You can fly an Ercoupe with the top down and steer it by sticking your arms out the side.

The one I flew had rudder pedals which made me feel better but I don’t think they did very much.

It was an interesting experiment. If I owned one, I would probably have to put an LS in it.

[David MacRay]

Yeah don’t get me wrong the V-tails look neat and are fast. I just really want a nice effective rudder.

I’m not a conventional gear snob but I don’t fear them anymore. Something short coupled would probably make me nervous.

I don’t think I would mess around with anything like a Gee Bee. I’ll leave that sort of thing for way better pilots than I have ever been. I would like to sit in one and feel the controls. Maybe I couldn’t get though the little door.

[Squaretail]

You can fly an Ercoupe with the top down and steer it by sticking your arms out the side.

Unfortunately, that experience is terribly unappreciated in aviation. An amazing lazy sunny day flying fun. If you're going somewhere for a piece of pie, its the best. Lemon Meringue if you can.

Landing in a crab is a bit strange. Not as cringe inducing as the crosswind gear in a 185, which has the feeling of landing in a shopping cart.

I hitched a ride in a Cirrus once and it seemed like an excellent way to get around the continental US.

The thing is is getting around efficiently was your goal, you could spend your money a lot more effectively. There's a lot of airplanes that do whatever job you want the Cirrus to do better, for way less money. The 182 (new) has more range, endurance and a better load hauler, if slightly slower. Even the DA-40 is comparable cruising, and somewhat more efficient fuel burner. (11-12 GPH range opposed to 15-16) Mooneys go faster, for same range profile. If new airplane isn't one of your requirements, the used market opens up even more options where you can spend money to drop in a new engine and still have money left over for lots of gas for the price differential.

If one looks closely at the Cirrus its got a fat wing and a fat fuselage and its heavy. The Cirrus has a higher empty weight than the Cessna 206. But then when you click on Cirrus's web page its main selling feature is "stylish cabin with lifestyle comforts" Its an airplane that's supposed to be as much like a car as it can. If that's its priority, it shows. Its not even the best at that, I liked the Socata better, at least made you feel like you're more sports car, less sedan.

[Colonel]

I used to love lemon meringue pie, until one day I helped my wife make it.

Jesus, that was stressful. It's a lot more work than a normal fruit pie.

Now I don't like it so much.

Oh yeah. Aviation. It's probably just me, but I feel dirty when I fly a single-engine prop nosewheel aircraft (SEL).

I am obnoxiously proud that the majority of my SEL time is tailwheel. It's not much to show after 50 years of flying, but there you have it.

Oddly, I don't feel that guilty flying nosewheel MEL. Don't enjoy nosewheel MEL much - it's like when I drove the Ford 8000 snowplow around the airport - but I don't feel outright dirty like when I fly nosewheel SEL.

I don't mind flying nosewheel SEL if it's a jet. No idea why. Maybe because there's no reason to make a tailwheel jet - it's not like you need the prop clearance, now?



Do you feel dirty when you fly nosewheel SEL or this just my weirdness?

[Squaretail]

I used to love lemon meringue pie, until one day I helped my wife make it.

Who said anything about making pies?! Pies are best when you just eat them. I also like a good Key Lime pie, but I'm really not picky. A day with pie is always better than a day without pie. Unless you're one of those weird cake people.

Do you feel dirty when you fly nosewheel SEL or this just my weirdness?

No, Yes.

I don't worry about wheels are any more than I worry about where the wings are, where the throttle and stick are, whether its a stick, or yoke or wheel, or whatever. Maybe it used to matter, but I realize as I get older that people who are hung up on little things are missing out on big things. After all, I don't regret or feel bad about flying a Cirrus. It gives one perspective, and you don't get far in flying by saying no to flying airplanes. At least if you want to fly more airplanes.

[David MacRay]

I like big paved runways. Tricycles are fine. I don’t have access to them often enough either.

I feel just fine when I get to fly a C-172.

[anofly]

I like being in the air. I dont have much tailwheel time. I have some.
I have a relatively large amount of time in a 250 comanche. Its a much better plane than a similar vintage bonanza.
its slower, and a bit heavier on the controls. BUUUT its way cheaper to maintain. Has a C of G that does not wander around as you burn fuel. Piper were masters of using off the shelf stuff like bearings that were" good enough". Beech made their own that were perfect ( and are very expensive)
a similar vintage beech is faster, but not as much as the book says.
Beech has a continental engine...Comanche has an "underworked" O 540 lycoming.
YMMV