New member with a Cub question

[JB in Alabama]

Hey Guys,
Im a new guy, just joined tonight.

I'm 48 and grew up with my dad owning first a J-3 Cub then others after having the Cub for about 10 years. So from when I was 6 to 16 I spent ALOT of childhood time in the Cub with dad and always loved it!
I have some pretty cool old photos! BUT, I don't have a license. I keep looking at these SuperCubs for sale and thinking maybe its just meant to be.

A question that keeps coming to mind is a 3rd seat in these doable or not?

i seriously doubt my wife will ride very often but my son would be all over this.
As a child myself, dad mostly took rides to another town to get lunch or coffee and a coke but is longer travel really sensible?
So what I'm really saying is, can you guys sell me on this SuperCub thing?

 

[Greg Campbell]

Welcome, The Supercub has all the perks. There is no upgrade from a J3 a friend once said. The Supercub is almost as much fun, but has power, range, and payload working for you. It's allot of Airplane. There are allot of guys on here that know a ton more than me, but I here that third seat option is not the best of rides. I can't advise you on wether you should start out with a Supercub, but you have come to the right place for advice. I hope you will go get your License, Aviation will fill your is a blast. Again welcome, Go get that License, you won't regret it! Take care Greg

 

[aktango58]

3rd seat for a small child is fine.

3rd seat for an adult is uncomfortable...


But if you only need it once a year, who cares????

Kids, airplanes, good friends... But seriously, there are many aircraft that will fill the bill. I prefer the 18 because I fly in the brush, heavy, and demand that it can stay together. For just an observation bird there are so many... t-craft, luscome, champ, citabrias... but we have the best site!

 

[NimpoCub]

I'd say that if you're just getting your license, go for the J3 or similar. Learn how to fly, but more importantly, learn what your "mission" will be. If you want to fly airport to airport, most anything will do. If you want to do flightseeing, off airport exploring/camping, you'll need a special plane. Like any vehicle, what you want it to do for you will largely dictate what to buy. Your first airplane will likely not be the ultimate, unless you can accurately describe your use for it (mission). Have fun in your quest, and soon you'll meet the "buds" you want to hang/fly with!

 

[cafi19]

From a mom's perspective and a safety point of view...I'm not sure I'm a fan of the third seat for the child. You will be a newly licensed pilot. That's a lot of pressure. Just sayin'

cafi

PS Not discouraging you.. Get your license. You will NEVER regret it!

 

[sierra bravo]

Third seat egress potential in an emergency sucks. I wouldn't allow my kid or my wife to ride back there. If you need 3 seats, get a PA-12.

 

[Bill Rusk]

I agree with SB. May be possible, and with all the mods and paper can be legal, but I would not want to try to egress from there. Not safe. In my opinion.

PA-12 is a fine airplane.

Bill

 

[Jack358]

I agree with NimpoCub. I tell all my students that are considering purchasing a plane for the first time to buy what will fill their mission at least 70% of the time and rent or borrow a plane for the other 30%. If the majority of your flying is just flying around by yourself or one other person you would be wasting a lot of fuel if you purchased a 206 so the family could take a vacation once a year.

 

[Cub junkie]

Of all the two place airplanes I have owned and flown I have flown solo about 80% of the time. A cub with the third seat is not a family airplane. A PA12 can be. Buy a J3 and when you need 4 seats rent a 172.

 

[sierra bravo]

When my kid left home I sold the Cub and kept the 180. I enjoy that airplane. Get what you want and get good in it. Especially if you're taking family.

 

[JB in Alabama]

Thanks everyone for the sage advice.I guess my first thought was a J3 Cub because so many of my childhood hours were spent flying with my dad....good old days. Of course, I was pretty good at washing that baby too! I have no interest in doing anything unsafe with the family of course. I had started on my license when I was 15 but girls got in the way. My dad had me land his 150 then later his 172 ...he said it was just in case he had a heart attack or something..

And the advice is sure appreciated ill head in the license direction first!
it sounds like y'all have been in my shoes here at the starting point.

 

[Alex Clark]

Over the years many of my flight students and many of my flying friends have purchased planes that were too big just to satisfy the imagined desires of their spouse's. I have lost count of how many bought a large plane to discover that their spouse only went flying once in the last 10 ten years. My kids loved being in a PA-12...
Whether you are a mom or a dad, sometimes the best time spent with a kid is one-on-one time.

 

[Scooter7779h]

SB x2. And thanks for selling the -12! ;-)

 

[JB in Alabama]

Makes sense, I just looked at my dads 172 logbook from 1975 to 1978 and noticed that Mom went with us very few times! It was a fun read though! We burned a lot of fuel to visit airports all over the south for burgers and visits ....but it was great fun and wonderful memories. He had some darn good friends we visited also with some amazing WW2 stories.

 

[aktango58]

buying a little light aircraft with a small fuel burn might be easier to justify going around the patch just because...

SB is right on the 180, a fantastic aircraft. But if my mission is not to go to a particular place with Lyn and the dogs and gear, but just to soar for a look see, the J-3 would be my choice.