Post the first airplane you purchased - Page 3

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Post the first airplane you purchased (Page 3 of 3)

Posted: 12/14/2017 1:42:05 AM EDT

[#1]

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Quoted:
The old 23...lots of fond memories and delusions.

http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acimages/learjet23_n73ce_2_yanksairmuseum12.jpg

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@ pcsutton

Serios? Business or personal and what Time frame.

Posted: 12/14/2017 1:49:02 AM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
<==== 1962 Aero Commander 500B (with pilot door, fully deiced/hot props & windshield, turbochargers, extended baggage compartment and a few other goodies).

Purchased in 1999 and still flying it regularly (that means "obsessively" to you normal non-pilot folk).

/TCP

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@TCpilot
That's Amazing. I always loved those. Do you anual it or is it under a maintenance program?

If you anual it what are your average yearly cost including fixes?

I designed an executive interior for one last year. It was never finalized as the owner went through a nasty divorce and the plane was sold. His divorce included selling our Engineering drawings, burn test, and DER approvals to the new owner. It was a fun plane to work with and I respected how much then owner loved the plane.

Posted: 12/14/2017 1:56:20 AM EDT

[#3]

Posted: 12/14/2017 1:56:37 AM EDT

[#4]

You guys are living the dream.

For a long time I've been paid to fly other people's stuff. In some amazing places, in a lot of shit holes, but I do dream. Flying my own airplane, how, when and where I want, that is the dream.

Posted: 12/14/2017 2:04:37 AM EDT

[#5]

ETA:

Not my first.. but first one that doesn't fit into the toy category.

Posted: 12/14/2017 2:05:28 AM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:
If it flies, floats or fucks, you're better off renting it!!!

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But then you don't. When you own your own plane or your own boat, you find places to go with it things to do with it. When you rent he just stop doing it, or at least that's been my experience. When it's costing you $100 an hour you just don't say hey let's go to lunch. But when you're plane is sitting there you do.

Posted: 12/14/2017 2:06:50 AM EDT

[#7]

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Quoted:
https://i.imgur.com/4Xg9ak4.jpg

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I've been wondering if your name was connected

Posted: 12/14/2017 2:13:26 AM EDT

[#8]

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Quoted:
I've been wondering if your name was connected

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Posted: 12/14/2017 10:31:26 AM EDT

[#9]

My first, most likely the last. I'll never be able to afford the kind of airplane I'd get any enjoyment out of, and 30 years of flying for a living has pretty much destroyed any desire to fly for fun. These days I'd never fly anything besides day, VFR in a light airplane, and traveling any distance at less than 400 Knots ground speed just isn't any fun anymore.

It's all I can do to get my wife in first class on my airline, she would never go flying in a little airplane, and none of the kids have any desire to be involved in aviation.

Sadly, I don't think I'd shed any tears if it blew away in a tornado, or the hangar collapsed some time.

Posted: 12/14/2017 10:43:35 AM EDT

[#10]

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Quoted:
Post the first airplane you purchased? I can't even afford a first airplane.
Guess I'm just going to have to be poor somewhere else!

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I can barely afford to buy the glue to put together a model airplane!

Maybe I should have tried to do something with My life.

Lucky for Me, the USAF let Me play with Theirs..
I always wished I could afford a bug-masher.

The Ol' Crew Chief

Posted: 12/14/2017 10:49:08 AM EDT

[#11]

Never owned one, but I flew a PA-11 once, a father of one of the kids in my church's youth group was an airline pilot and former A-4 pilot. When he found out I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy, he said, "Let's go flying" after church one day. Tandem cockpit, and I was the backseater, so I couldn't really see much up front, but we had the door latched open so we could look out over LaGrange. Flew out to my house and "dive bombed" it. Only time I've ever flown a plane, but I kept her shiny side up

Posted: 12/14/2017 11:01:50 AM EDT

[#12]

Lousy picture, but a great airplane.

Attached File

Posted: 12/14/2017 12:53:45 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
@TCpilot
That's Amazing. I always loved those. Do you anual it or is it under a maintenance program?

If you anual it what are your average yearly cost including fixes?

I designed an executive interior for one last year. It was never finalized as the owner went through a nasty divorce and the plane was sold. His divorce included selling our Engineering drawings, burn test, and DER approvals to the new owner. It was a fun plane to work with and I respected how much then owner loved the plane.

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I have it annualed every year. If nothing serious needs attention, it's around $12k for the annual. Every 3-5 years something goes haywire though. This year, it's the fuel cells (5). They finally started leaking, and they're all original 1962 cells except for one of the wing cells that we replaced a few years ago...with a cell produced in 1960. So here I sit, looking up at a cloudless blue sky, awaiting a $4,900 center fuel cell that damn well better show up before this weather pattern changes!

I live in an expensive place to store airplanes; my tiedown is $337/month. No hangars available for a 50' wingspan near me, and they'd be $3,500/month if there were. I block the airplane for 30 gal/hour (let's go fast!), but I can get it down to ~23 gal/hour burn if I'm gentle. So ~$130/hr. for fuel. I refuse to track any other costs; I'm better off not knowing.

On multiple occasions I've considered upgrading to a 980 Turbine Commander, several of which I've flown, except that this airplane fits my mission profile perfectly. There's really no good reason to make the leap. Every time I fly, I marvel at what an incredible piece of machinery it is.

/TCP

eta tiedown cost

Posted: 12/14/2017 1:55:18 PM EDT

[#14]

@TCpilot: I can't see a Commander without remembering Bob Hoover, "The Pilot's Pilot".

Posted: 12/14/2017 2:12:52 PM EDT

[#15]

I have a lot of good memories of this one.

Attached File

Posted: 12/14/2017 2:39:33 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
@TCpilot: I can't see a Commander without remembering Bob Hoover, "The Pilot's Pilot".
https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/7c/f1/7cf1f2b5-01f6-4e78-ae5b-7548f39ee64b/hoover-bob-2.jpeg

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@kpel308, I became interested in Commanders after seeing Bob fly his routine at Stockton in 1994 or so. I was lucky enough to have dinner with Bob a couple of times over the past 15 years, he'd come to our Twin Commander Group get-togethers. One night was a table for 4, 3 of us & Mr. Hoover

. He told epic stories, and beat into us the "NEVER STOP FLYING THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY AT REST" philosophy. He says many pilots die because they quit flying before the airplane does. Valuable life lesson.

My mechanic has a history of repatriating Commanders from South America, where maintenance is questionable. I've flown a bunch of them prior to restoration, so I've had electrical, engine, and hydraulic (gear, flaps, brakes) failures in these airplanes. All non-events, with the redundant and robust systems in these airplanes. I love these machines.

Interesting side note, I've been in the "Hoover Hornet". That airplane (which is now in the Smithsonian) was sponsored by Victor Aviation (engines), and they were based at my home field. Bob's plane was always there for a couple of weeks per year.

/TCP

Posted: 12/14/2017 3:56:32 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
@TCpilot
That's Amazing. I always loved those. Do you anual it or is it under a maintenance program?

If you anual it what are your average yearly cost including fixes?

I designed an executive interior for one last year. It was never finalized as the owner went through a nasty divorce and the plane was sold. His divorce included selling our Engineering drawings, burn test, and DER approvals to the new owner. It was a fun plane to work with and I respected how much then owner loved the plane.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
<==== 1962 Aero Commander 500B (with pilot door, fully deiced/hot props & windshield, turbochargers, extended baggage compartment and a few other goodies).

Purchased in 1999 and still flying it regularly (that means "obsessively" to you normal non-pilot folk).

/TCP

@TCpilot
That's Amazing. I always loved those. Do you anual it or is it under a maintenance program?

If you anual it what are your average yearly cost including fixes?

I designed an executive interior for one last year. It was never finalized as the owner went through a nasty divorce and the plane was sold. His divorce included selling our Engineering drawings, burn test, and DER approvals to the new owner. It was a fun plane to work with and I respected how much then owner loved the plane.

Just waiting on that lottery win.

The Dash-10 Grand Renaissance Commander has been a dream of mine for many, many years.

Beauty, performance, and NOISE. Gotta love those Garrett turbines.

https://www.eagle-creek.com/twin-commander/grand-renaissance/

Posted: 12/14/2017 4:07:54 PM EDT

[#18]

Error 404, large wads of cash not found.

Posted: 12/14/2017 4:09:53 PM EDT

[#19]

Attached File

Posted: 12/14/2017 5:15:55 PM EDT

[#20]

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Quoted:
Error 404, large wads of cash not found.

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Quoted:
Error 404, large wads of cash not found.

@M82Assault: I have bad news. This happens immediately after the acquisition of an airplane, and then perpetually thereafter. Myth: "That guy has an airplane...he must be loaded." Truth: "I own an airplane. I am always 5 steps from bankruptcy."

Quoted:
Just waiting on that lottery win.
The Dash-10 Grand Renaissance Commander has been a dream of mine for many, many years.
Beauty, performance, and NOISE. Gotta love those Garrett turbines.

https://www.eagle-creek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/twincommander900ext1mn.jpg

https://www.eagle-creek.com/twin-commander/grand-renaissance/

@mucknuggle: The howl of a pair of 1,017SHP Garretts on the ramp is unequaled (but they're pretty quiet in flight). That Turbine 1000 will outclimb my airplane on one engine. Fully loaded. When my airplane is empty and running perfectly. And then it will carry you and 9 of your closest friends in pressurized comfort at 310ktas, at FL310, nonstop from SF to DC (eastbound anyway).

King Air pilots always say, "yeah, but those Garretts make so much damn noise." Standard Commander pilot reply: "Well, when I throttle back to King Air speeds, they hardly make any noise at all."

/TCP

Posted: 12/14/2017 8:04:20 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
If it flies, floats or fucks, you're better off renting it!!!

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That's what the folks who have little, say...

So they can feelz better...

Posted: 12/14/2017 8:35:48 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
@M82Assault: I have bad news. This happens immediately after the acquisition of an airplane, and then perpetually thereafter. Myth: "That guy has an airplane...he must be loaded." Truth: "I own an airplane. I am always 5 steps from bankruptcy."
@mucknuggle: The howl of a pair of 1,017SHP Garretts on the ramp is unequaled (but they're pretty quiet in flight). That Turbine 1000 will outclimb my airplane on one engine. Fully loaded. When my airplane is empty and running perfectly. And then it will carry you and 9 of your closest friends in pressurized comfort at 310ktas, at FL310, nonstop from SF to DC (eastbound anyway).

King Air pilots always say, "yeah, but those Garretts make so much damn noise." Standard Commander pilot reply: "Well, when I throttle back to King Air speeds, they hardly make any noise at all."

/TCP

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@TCPilot

I'm well aware, I've done plenty of research on the matter my post was more "I don't have the large wads of cash to buy one so I can be poor and happy for the rest of my life."

Posted: 12/14/2017 9:13:44 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Just waiting on that lottery win.

The Dash-10 Grand Renaissance Commander has been a dream of mine for many, many years.

Beauty, performance, and NOISE. Gotta love those Garrett turbines.

https://www.eagle-creek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/twincommander900ext1mn.jpg

https://www.eagle-creek.com/twin-commander/grand-renaissance/

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
<==== 1962 Aero Commander 500B (with pilot door, fully deiced/hot props & windshield, turbochargers, extended baggage compartment and a few other goodies).

Purchased in 1999 and still flying it regularly (that means "obsessively" to you normal non-pilot folk).

/TCP

@TCpilot
That's Amazing. I always loved those. Do you anual it or is it under a maintenance program?

If you anual it what are your average yearly cost including fixes?

I designed an executive interior for one last year. It was never finalized as the owner went through a nasty divorce and the plane was sold. His divorce included selling our Engineering drawings, burn test, and DER approvals to the new owner. It was a fun plane to work with and I respected how much then owner loved the plane.

Just waiting on that lottery win.

The Dash-10 Grand Renaissance Commander has been a dream of mine for many, many years.

Beauty, performance, and NOISE. Gotta love those Garrett turbines.

https://www.eagle-creek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/twincommander900ext1mn.jpg

https://www.eagle-creek.com/twin-commander/grand-renaissance/

After reading up on Commanders, my opinion has done a complete 180. I thought they were fugly (even with Hoover's piloting behind them) but now they've instantly grown on me

Posted: 12/14/2017 11:04:58 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
It was a kit plane. I had to build it. It looked like this when I took possession

https://usercontent2.hubstatic.com/1345603_f520.jpg

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sadly that and balsa models are as much as I can afford, fuck you guys.........

Posted: 12/14/2017 11:13:06 PM EDT

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:
My first, most likely the last. I'll never be able to afford the kind of airplane I'd get any enjoyment out of, and 30 years of flying for a living has pretty much destroyed any desire to fly for fun. These days I'd never fly anything besides day, VFR in a light airplane, and traveling any distance at less than 400 Knots ground speed just isn't any fun anymore.

It's all I can do to get my wife in first class on my airline, she would never go flying in a little airplane, and none of the kids have any desire to be involved in aviation.

Sadly, I don't think I'd shed any tears if it blew away in a tornado, or the hangar collapsed some time.

<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/user/nimslow/media/IMG_0384_zpspieltw8f.jpg.html"></a>http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/nimslow/IMG_0384_zpspieltw8f.jpg

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I would take it and love it and hug it and call it george.

Posted: 12/15/2017 12:25:53 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:

After reading up on Commanders, my opinion has done a complete 180. I thought they were fugly (even with Hoover's piloting behind them) but now they've instantly grown on me

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Quoted:

After reading up on Commanders, my opinion has done a complete 180. I thought they were fugly (even with Hoover's piloting behind them) but now they've instantly grown on me

@MadMonkey Yes! Another convert! I will never forget, I watched a P-51 and then an F-15 perform prior to Bob Hoover pulling onto the runway in his Shrike. I distinctly thought, "what is this idiot going to do in this aerial pickup truck?" 5 minutes later, I was speechless. And now I own one.

Quoted:

@TCPilot

I'm well aware, I've done plenty of research on the matter my post was more "I don't have the large wads of cash to buy one so I can be poor and happy for the rest of my life."

@M82Assault Keep on trucking and don't give up the dream. We're all a mere lotto win away from that *one* thing

.

/TCP