I’ve owned a Debonair, a Glasair, a T210 and now a Cherokee 6 - 260. I like the useful load of the Six (1,598 lbs), the wide voluminous cabin, the simplicity, the reliability, the low maintenance costs, the large CG range, the nose baggage compartment, the IFD550 and the Aspen PFD & MFD. I like that the fuel and maintenance costs are easily affordable for me. I like the three notch manual flaps on the Cherokee. I like that, while an engine overhaul wouldn’t be good news, the cost wouldn’t poleaxe me. I like that I can afford to keep everything fixed and keep the cosmetics attractive.

I miss the fuel economy of the Glasair and the mountain altitudes flying capability of the T210. The Debonair was the best looking of the group. I miss the speed of all three.

I like that my only child and his Kansas City family are only 3 hours away by Cherokee. It is 10 hours by car, 7 hours by airline (layover/changeover). And I like that I can load up my wife, our five birddogs, shotguns, hunting gear, a bunch of wife stuff and 84 gallons of fuel and head for Montana, an easy one day trip.

She gives me reprieve and keeps me sufficiently distracted from the other things chipping away at my sanity in the real world.

It is only a moment, but a priceless one.

They love me back. Both of them.

Does that make me a bigamist?

Reminds me that dreams do come true.

We have a long history together since I spent one third of my adult life creating her. She's beautiful, fast, inexpensive to keep, and doesn't require a lot of maintenance. Living mostly on Social Security, I can actually afford "the other woman".

It’s hard to beat the Baron as far as speed, utility, and economy for what we want.

We’d need pressurization and turbocharging to step up from it, and I don’t really care to do so.

The Champ belonged to my Dad (sold it before I was born), and I grew up seeing pictures of it and hearing stories about it. When I got the opportunity to buy it, I couldn’t pass it up.

Because it flies.

And is loud.

And fast.

And smells good.

And is handmade and still performs flawlessly while being twice my age.

Also a lot of fun.

And pretty.

But mostly because it flies

Freedom....
To roam
To be alone doing something I like
To take the family places they would never see
To experience things few get too
To not have to deal with the TSA
To spend a lot on lunch

Because with the airplane it's reasonable for me to go home from work because my daughter has a play. It was a 10 hour drive each way never gonna happen for an overnight in the middle of the week. First time I did it the look on her face was worth everything it cost and more.

I love my Bonanza because my Dad had a Debbie years ago. First airplane I ever flew that felt like a BIG airplane, and not an assembly of beer cans. The Debonair's controls felt like they were on ball bearings.

My Bo is stiffer than that, heavier, autopilot, etc., but still smooth. That impression left a mark on me because I was used to flying ragged out flight school planes where the cables were so loose they sometimes slapped the inside of the skin.

Dad's C205 was probably a more utilitarian choice, only a Cherokee 6 hauls as much on 260hp. The Beaver was a blast, but basically like owning a jacked up 4wd PU in NYC without a mission for it. Starduster Too was also a blast, until the temps dropped below 70 deg, not a lot of baggage capacity.

When I roll the hangar doors back I always feel filled with awe at the beautiful work of art standing before me. Every curve, bump, wire, line and bow artfully and also with great craftsmanship put together to form a unique graceful machine. Pulling it out onto the ramp, pre flighting the airframe and then pulling the propeller through I am transported to a simpler time. When I climb into the cockpit, buckle in, prime the engine, switch the mags on and yell "clear prop!" I begin the process of becoming a pilot of something elemental which requires intense focus and concentration and yet yields relaxation. The engine belches, coughs a sweet smelling smoke and catches with the unmistakable sound of nearly 100 year old technology that pulls my imagination back in time. Lined up, throttle in, tail up and lumbering off the runway I feel absolute freedom. As we fly low and slow I become one with the machine and all of my senses are in tune with the act of FLYING! Landing and only able to see the runway from the corners of my eyes I feel a sense of accomplishment as we roll to a stop. The hours spent cleaning every part of the plane from bugs and oil give me a sense of tactile connection. And finally closing the doors I feel satisfied, confident, euphoric even. And a bit sad. But I go to sleep at night dreaming of next time.

That is why I love my Waco.

The first time I saw my Bonanza I was not blown away. The paint was not perfect. The interior was pretty dated with blue leather. The avionics were a mixed bag of new and old. I thought this A36 would be a stepping stone to bigger and faster planes, owning it for a few years at most.

My numbers told me the A36 was superior to anything in its class, including the Cirrus and Columbia that I was also considering. Then I flew it home and realized it was something special. More than just the numbers of speed, range and useful load.

My first real flight in the airplane was when my instructor and I left Waukesha, WI on a summer afternoon and flew to Kearney, NE for an overnight stop. It was a magical flight that I will never forget. 170 kts (ROP ) felt like mach 2 for me. Not only was it faster than the Archer I'd just sold a few weeks earlier, it felt like tank in comparison.

The following year I had a G600 installed along with another 430W, a JPI 830 and tip tanks. The next year it went to Ada for a TN system. A few years later I installed a new leather interior. In between I've made smaller upgrades like new UV glass, G&D inserts, an all electric panel and more.

This summer it will have been 10 years since I bought my airplane and it has really grown on me. The temporary fling has turned into a happy marriage. It fits me like a glove and I trust it completely. I can fly in the flight levels at 200kts burning 17 gallons an hour or putz around at 1,000 feet burning 10. I can fill the tips and fly a 1,100nm trip non-stop or I can stay light and use a 2,000-foot runway. I can open the barn doors and fill it with luggage or cargo that would amaze other single piston owners. Most importantly, it has never left me AOG in over 1,200 hours of flying.

Occasionally I will get the itch to fly higher and faster while burning Jet A or in a pressurized twin. Going from 200 kts to 300 kts will cost me between 4x and 6x the cost of my Bonanza. When that itch subsides it makes me appreciate my airplane that much more.

That is why I love my plane.

Yes it will but it will make poverty fun!

Because my kids think every kid in school has a plane and flying to the Bahamas is just what people do. They also think everyone lives on a lake for that matter. Baffled looks when told otherwise.

Because it is a vehicle of escape. The Great Escape, that only the very few of us with the license to fly these beautiful machines, can make happen. No other contrivance can liberate us form the cares of this life than our cherished airplanes.
"For once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk with your gaze cast skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return". (Leonardo DaVinci).