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 Post subject: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 25 Sep 2018, 01:02 
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Joined: 07/10/17
Posts: 79
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The local flying club has three planes: A PA-140, a PA-160, and a C-150. Flying them has really made me appreciate the C-150. I love the high wing's ground visibility. I love the (even better) short field and grass ability. Loading from the ground is so much better than loading from the wing. And I don't mind the slow speed, it's the same $/mile and better $/hour. My only complaint is that I cannot get to Mackinaw Island and back on one tank of gas (have to refuel near Mac Island)

What's your favorite plane? You have to say something positive and something negative.


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 25 Sep 2018, 23:24 
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Joined: 01/10/16
Posts: 1111
Post Likes: +1257
Location: KLBO
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Of the airplanes that I have flown, my choice would be the 1976 Grumman American Cheetah that my Dad and I purchased back in 1986. We owned it for four years. During that time I earned my Instrument Rating and Commercial License in it.

The Cheetah offers terrific visability. The controls are light and responsive. While solo, in cruise flight, the Cheetah had a nose down attitude which left me feeling like I was sitting on a perch, scooting along at 129 mph indicated on 150 hp. It was a special experience flying that airplane. I loved flying the Cheetah.

The bad includes two power losses on takeoff, one at altitude, all due to fluke type circumstances. The other disadvantage is, and Roy Lopresti admitted this, that Grumman had a mindset that they were building a “bonded” airplane. They went to great lengths to find ways to bond the parts when a mechanical approach, nuts, bolts or rivets, would have been a better way of accomplishing the task.

One example of this involved the bonding of the engine cowling. Let’s see, why might that be a problem? Lots of heat, temperature changes and vibration. Not the best environment for adhesives. We had to get our cowling re-glued at every annual.

The other recurring issue had to do with the nosegear and shimmy. It needs to be adjusted just right to avoid the shimmy. There is a special set of washers that have to be installed in the right sequence and with the right tension or else.

My last flight in the Cheetah was September 22, 1990 and I miss it to this very day.


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 26 Sep 2018, 09:26 
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Joined: 01/23/13
Posts: 8012
Post Likes: +5715
Company: Kokotele Guitar Works
Location: Albany, NY
Aircraft: C-182RG, C-172, PA28
My current favorite steed: the club's 182RG. It's comfy, reasonably quick, has enough knobs and levers to make me feel like it's a big-boy plane, and enough power to handle any situation I need. The negatives are that this particular one has an engine that doesn't run smoothly at normal cruise settings and it keeps blowing out oil on longer flights. Trying to convince our maintenance officer that it doesn't behave as well as other 182s.

My favorite past regular ride: 7AC Champ with no electrical system. Pure aviating joy. Easy to fly, but challenging to fly well. W&B works out that I can fly it solo from the back seat, which is both more comfortable and makes it spin better. Slow as molasses, though. On a warm day it flies slower than the cars.


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 26 Sep 2018, 20:02 
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Joined: 09/08/13
Posts: 901
Post Likes: +243
Location: Lander, WY
Aircraft: Duke B60
C-130 Hercules.
Positive: they're just awesome. Negative: I'll never get to fly one.
Realistically, maybe a 182, not the sexiest airframe at the prom, but just all-around useful without breaking normal folk's bank.


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 26 Sep 2018, 20:10 
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Joined: 05/11/10
Posts: 12364
Post Likes: +11353
Location: Indiana
Aircraft: Cessna 185, RV-7
C-172.
Positives: every pilot can fly it ok. Every mechanic can work on it ok. The internet never says, “before you buy, make sure to have it looked at by a Skyhawk expert.”

Negatives: every pilot thinks he can fly it well. No ramp admiration. Climb performance and cruise are barely adequate. Useful load is inadequate.


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 26 Sep 2018, 20:18 
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Joined: 12/03/17
Posts: 8136
Post Likes: +8577
Location: Brevard, NC
Aircraft: Lancair LNC2 - SOLD
Username Protected wrote:
C-172. ...No ramp admiration.
Well that's the important thing, isn't it? I flew C-172s for years, but now that I fly a Lancair, I look down on them. Am I a bad person?


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 26 Sep 2018, 20:48 
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Joined: 08/14/13
Posts: 6058
Post Likes: +4635
Username Protected wrote:
C-172. ...No ramp admiration.
Well that's the important thing, isn't it? I flew C-172s for years, but now that I fly a Lancair, I look down on them. Am I a bad person?


I would bet he’s never flown a Lancair, ignorance is bliss

Same logic leads me to avoid flying a L39, I don’t even want to know

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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 27 Sep 2018, 14:18 
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Joined: 11/27/09
Posts: 972
Post Likes: +498
Location: Knoxville TN
Aircraft: C150J
My favorite airplane?

Whatever I am flying at any given time. I like them all in one way or another.


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 Post subject: Re: Ode to my favorite plane
PostPosted: 27 Sep 2018, 21:54 
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Joined: 03/28/17
Posts: 6628
Post Likes: +7927
Location: N. California
Aircraft: C-182
Username Protected wrote:
The local flying club has three planes: A PA-140, a PA-160, and a C-150. Flying them has really made me appreciate the C-150. I love the high wing's ground visibility. I love the (even better) short field and grass ability. Loading from the ground is so much better than loading from the wing. And I don't mind the slow speed, it's the same $/mile and better $/hour. My only complaint is that I cannot get to Mackinaw Island and back on one tank of gas (have to refuel near Mac Island)

What's your favorite plane? You have to say something positive and something negative.


Since no restrictions were stated, my favorite plane is the Boeing 747 Classics. Of the other planes I've flown and that are affordable to me, I'd have to say the 182. If I had to say which single engine plane I've flown handled the best, I would say the Beech Debonair.


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