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Favorite Airplane

My choices - the Avidyne Cirrus SR-22 and the Super Cub. The SR-22 for speed, quality of build, comfort, range and safety. I think that it's what light single performance is all about. The PA-18, simply because I feel like it's what the experience of flying should be all about. That's just personal, of course.

I said on the Cirrus website that if a comparison of the two planes is based on numbers, the Cirrus wins everything except takeoff and landing distances, but for me, if the comparison is based on feelings and fun, the PA-18 wins everything.
 
I agree with whiskymike. I only have 116 solo hrs in a Stearman but once you let the old girl teach you what make her happy she will make you feel like the best pilot in the world and make you look good every landing if you give her her do respect.

Glenn
 
cubdriver2 said:
I agree with whiskymike. I only have 116 solo hrs in a Stearman but once you let the old girl teach you what make her happy she will make you feel like the best pilot in the world and make you look good every landing if you give her her do respect.

Glenn
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My best landing ever was in a stearman, twice, and my worst was in one too. At least it felt like my worst.
 
Pa-18 for flying with the door open and a shotgun sticking out. AirTractor AT-400 with servos on everything for a quick hot rod of a sprayplane, RV-7 for cheap cross country and amazing performance,Cessna U206 for hauling big things out of short places.185 for heavy short but they suck to load,620B Weatherly will haul a amazing load with 450hp but you earn it keeping the Pratt running. 90 hp Supercub with flaps and a hot rod engine built light is a hoot. A36 Bonanza is a nice 4 place cross country airplane and a Cheyenne 1 is nice honest 700+ mile cross country machine.
 
60 degree flaps got my attention on the L19. It was supposed to be limited to 45 by STC but we never did it. I asked my CFI about it during a club checkout so he let me try. Really was an eye opener for a 200 hour PP but probably SOP for an Army Aviator.
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the C130? I've never been in one but had a friend who was CO of the 135th MD NG when they flew them. He had flown early jet fighters etc. and at the time was also flying Lear 35's for USF&G......He said the C130 was a trip. He also liked the DHC-4/C-7A's the 135th flew prior to the 130's.
 
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Interesting comments about the Stearman. I put 94 hours in the Stearman last year. Great fun, but my opinion is that it flies exactly like a J-3. Just makes more noise. And impresses the girls.
 
Hardtailjohn said:
Tcraft (with an 85 on the short mount), Bellanca 14-13, Fairchild 71, and Twin Beech. :D
John
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Always thought the 71 was a neat plane. Be fun to fly one.

Don't really have a favorite but the worst has to be the stearman cropduster with the high lift wing late in the fall. Just as well sit on the frozen ground with a piece of rebar driven in the ground between your legs and a fan blowing on you.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk
 
Only owned and flown 3 planes in my 30 years of airplane ownership. First was a '58 182 with Robertson and 8.50 mains. Great load capacity, decent speed for cross country and a pretty good backcountry airplane. Flew lots of time in central BC. When my partner dinged the prop in a soft field situation in '89 we stepped up to a '67 A185E. In '99 we bought a stock '46 PA12 and started a project. Went with a 1 time (our own) STC for 180 HP and all the bells and whistles we could add, all certified, mostly with field approvals that were still doable in '99. My favorite?? Depended on the mission. Living in Washington and having interest in a remote Alaskan hunting camp the 185 was hands down the winner. 12 hrs SW WA to Anch. at gross weight. The Cub, 22 hrs which I did twice. (Yawn) The 12 was a hoot with 31" ABWs in the Talkeetnas. The 185 would go 90% of the places the 12 would. Due to medical conditions, I'm no longer flying but my favorite was deffinitely the 185.
 
This

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my favorite was the Convair 440 Metropolitan--PW-R-2800-CB17 engines---had never been used as an airliner---a mellow exhaust sound ---augmenter tubes that terminated at the trailing edge of the wing---I hated the DC-3 (nostalgia only)---the Lockheed 1329 JetStar was great but a gas guzzler---garrett engines solved that---it was a pleasure to fly the B-767-300--now I have 2 favorite airplanes--Vans RV-8 with smoke system and a piper J-3 90 HP---both FUN machines---Capt Cub
 
FdxLou said:
Kurt
Thanks. It stands as my proudest and most memorable time in Aviation.
BTW, years ago I had the privilege of a guided tour by your father of his hangar at Eastsound on Orcas. He proudly showed me your grandfathers pilots license signed by Orville Wright. A real privilege.
Lou
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Lou, I wish I would have been there then, would have been fun chatting! I remember Galesburg, wish we would have had more time to visit.

Kurt
 
This is the one that I had the most fun in. If I could afford a Widgeon, I'd probably have one.
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Helio Courier. Probably because I never actually owned one but lost a $4,000 deposit on one when I was in my twenties and the bank chickened out. Would have been too much airplane for me back then anyway!

I'm happy with my homebuilt PA-12, floats and skis.

I have a little stick time on the Beaver and 180, and have flown (as a passenger) on the DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-8, DC-9, L-188, C-46, Bristol Freighter, DHC-2, DHC-3, DHC-6, DHC-7, DHC-8, Vickers Viscount, Vickers Vanguard, Cessna 180 and 185, Helio Courier, Beech 18, 707, 727, 737, 747, 767, and Norseman. That list spans about 60-years. Not as impressive as being a pilot on any of those types, but I surprised myself when I started listing the ones I've just been a passenger on. (edit:) Forgot the ATR-42 and 72, Hawker-Siddley 748, Convair 580, AS-350 and Bell 206, Cessna 208.
 
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Favorite all time was a slick in a far off place. C-45, Herc on the North Slope in dead of winter, Galaxy everywhere, Diesel Eight Douglasarous in Cent/SA and USA at nite. Lots of back side of the clock. Loved them all. How lucky we were. Started in a Cub when the IFR chart was mostly magenta and ending up in a Cub. Sorry it all has to end so soon. Wish I could do it again, especially the first part.
 
In 56 years of flying, beginning with a ‘46 J-3, which I flew when I thought myself immortal, it remains closest to me since it was my first love (airplanes, that is). Several other planes later and much more advanced in a career I met my second love, a 1976 V35 Bonanza. Flew it for 17 years and a sweeter airplane has never been made. I thought of it as my time machine. I could leave my home in Texas after markets closed and shortly after be in the middle of Colorado fly rod in hand and three hours till sundown! With retirement I no longer needed the speed and after a brief hiatus as a groundling I found the rainbow—my 1979 PA-18. Still flying it after 21 years and it has never let me down. And at 77 years young it and I move along about the same speed. So my vote is for the two all time great airplanes, the perfect design of Walter Beech and the simple genius of William Piper.
 
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And, for Pete, I got a ride with these guys from FAI to OTZ:

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Amazing workhorses both.

MTV
 

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After careful consideration, which took two or three minutes, I've think I'll pack up a few clothes and move down to Amarillo. Sure sounds like Joe Wood has learned a thing or two about life from his great pair of airplanes, and maybe some of it would rub off on me.
 
Joe Wood said:
In 56 years of flying, beginning with a ‘46 J-3, which I flew when I thought myself immortal, it remains closest to me since it was my first love (airplanes, that is). Several other planes later and much more advanced in a career I met my second love, a 1976 V35 Bonanza. Flew it for 17 years and a sweeter airplane has never been made. I thought of it as my time machine. I could leave my home in Texas after markets closed and shortly after be in the middle of Colorado fly rod in hand and three hours till sundown! With retirement I no longer needed the speed and after a brief hiatus as a groundling I found the rainbow—my 1979 PA-18. Still flying it after 21 years and it has never let me down. And at 77 years young it and I move along about the same speed. So my vote is for the two all time great airplanes, the perfect design of Walter Beech and the simple genius of William Piper.
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And Joe can take it into the Palo Duro Canyonwith those Big Tired boys. 8)
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A few of my favorites are 90 hp Champ, 90 hp Cub and any Pitts. The less installed equipment the better.
I miss my '55 C180 the most.
The Aero Commander Shrike and 500B are my piston twin favorites. They kept me alive through many poor decisions.
On large trash cans, I flew most Boeings, Lockeed L1011, and the DC8. I retired from the 747-4.
Of all those I enjoyed the DC8 the most. It would fly with a lot of stuff broke. I made a lot of bank with the DC8 preceding and during Desert Shield/Storm.
 
where to start? This is one of those really hard to give a firm answer questions. I spent 20years in a few different types of beechcraft earning a living and love the way they fly, their speed and gravel/ bush opps capability,stable IFR plane that can handle a good jag of ice. For the pure fun of flying it's hard to best cubs,champs, pitts ect. But my new ride i just finished has the control balance and stability of the beech, T/O in 125-150' on bush gear and goes 135mph in cruise, with the regular gear i should see 150kts. It is quickly becoming my favourite plane!It's a glasair sportsman!
 
Super Cub, PA11, Husky,C185,C180, 727, 747-8, 747-400, 747 Classic, 737, C82, DC6/7,SF340 with my son as copilot. Flying with my son was the best like Lou said.
Ernie.
 
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