PILOT SPIN
Pilot Zone => Pilot Zone => Topic started by: acrogimp on October 16, 2018, 09:12:33 AM
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So, the Plus One Flyers club I belong to is adding a gorgeous Cessna 180 to the line, at my home field where I keep the Yak.
$175/hr, 160 mph cruise, 950 useful.....
I am REALLY looking forward to this.
'Gimp
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They fly like a Chevy truck. Of course, it's mostly a 182 with the wheel on the proper end. Wouldn't entice me at all if I regularly flew a Yak-attack. The club check out will be interesting. I have very little time in them - wasn't impressed.
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So, the Plus One Flyers club I belong to is adding a gorgeous Cessna 180 to the line, at my home field where I keep the Yak.
$175/hr, 160 mph cruise, 950 useful.....
I am REALLY looking forward to this.
'Gimp
Good lord, I wonder what insurance is going to cost!
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Ultimate backcountry plane except maybe for a Beaver. That would be fun to do some mountain, and short/soft strips out of the way. Maybe take some fishing trips with it. Now, that's living! Enjoy Gimp!
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They fly like a Chevy truck. Of course, it's mostly a 182 with the wheel on the proper end. Wouldn't entice me at all if I regularly flew a Yak-attack. The club check out will be interesting. I have very little time in them - wasn't impressed.
That tailwheel experience will prepare gimp for a tailwheel Warbird some day. Join the CAF, Gimp. There are several wings or squadrons in CA.
https://www.commemorativeairforce.org/
I really enjoy flying the Fairchild PT-26. It’s good preparation for me to move up to our SNJ next year.
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I really enjoy flying the Fairchild PT-26. It’s good preparation for me to move up to our SNJ next year.
I used to share the pattern with PT-26's, PT-19's and some other Fairchilds as their was a Fairchild restoration shop on the field where I was once based. They are very cool aircraft. My uncle flew a PT-19 during WWII as a civilian flight instructor, and his only comment that I remember was that it was underpowered.
That has to be a really cool experience to fly that plane.
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I have the TW endorsement but haven't done much TW flying since I got the Yak - if I like the 180 I might end up trying to find one eventually.
I am just excited to be about to get access to a plane like this.
'Gimp
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I used to share the pattern with PT-26's, PT-19's and some other Fairchilds as their was a Fairchild restoration shop on the field where I was once based. They are very cool aircraft. My uncle flew a PT-19 during WWII as a civilian flight instructor, and his only comment that I remember was that it was underpowered.
That has to be a really cool experience to fly that plane.
It is underpowered with a 200hp Ranger engine and 2,800# gross weight, but that was probably the point as a primary trainer. It cruises at about 105 mph.
We have a wooden cruise prop on it, so taking off on a short field full of 45 gal of gas, 3.5 gallons of oil, and a couple 21st century Wisconsin boys in warm weather makes for an interesting takeoff. It’s even more interesting flying off a grass field. I sometimes need to leave some gas on the ground.
I love it though. The PT-26 has a canopy, as you know, which makes spring and fall flying pleasant. You can also fly with one or both canopies fully opened, which gives you the best of both worlds. Nothing like flying with your elbow on the rail like your driving a pickup truck.
This is me with a friend from our wing. Picture was taken by my friend’s wife in the back of their deHavilland Chipmunk. He also owns a Harvard, but of course that’s impossible to fly formation with the PT as it’s too fast.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181016/6b7f79728203f1832ea5615dc80f47fd.jpg)
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^^^^^Too cool Stan. Wow.
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Ultimate backcountry plane except maybe for a Beaver. That would be fun to do some mountain, and short/soft strips out of the way. Maybe take some fishing trips with it. Now, that's living! Enjoy Gimp!
Respectfully disagree. It's a workhorse, with payload, but not ultimate back country plane unless one is needing to carry Elk in and out, or weeks of supplies somewhere. A 150HP Pacer with droop tips will do just as well at half(or less) cost. In the Cessna family, the C175 with STOL kit will outperform most C180s. Put the 170 gear on a 175 and it's a better bush plane too. There's a whole raft of EXP planes that will outperform the 180 except for hauling loads - hence the 'truck' moniker.
Personally, what I'm leaning to is a Lake LA4-200EP with bat wings and VGs. The only draw back is the low belly, so best to keep it off the big rocks.
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Respectfully disagree. It's a workhorse, with payload, but not ultimate back country plane unless one is needing to carry Elk in and out, or weeks of supplies somewhere. A 150HP Pacer with droop tips will do just as well at half(or less) cost. In the Cessna family, the C175 with STOL kit will outperform most C180s. Put the 170 gear on a 175 and it's a better bush plane too. There's a whole raft of EXP planes that will outperform the 180 except for hauling loads - hence the 'truck' moniker.
Personally, what I'm leaning to is a Lake LA4-200EP with bat wings and VGs. The only draw back is the low belly, so best to keep it off the big rocks.
When I lived in Colorado it was one of the favorites there because they WERE carrying Elk, and supplies in and out a lot of times. Most of the times you actually want to take stuff in, and out for utility purposes. Same in Alaska, and other places.
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The narrow use-case of CO and AK delivery or pickup does not make for the 'ultimate' plane. There's a club in CO that discusses back-country flying, and I'm no longer a member, but when I was, no one had a C180. Mostly Maule's and old Pipers with a few EXP and the occasional C150TW or C140.
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The narrow use-case of CO and AK delivery or pickup does not make for the 'ultimate' plane. There's a club in CO that discusses back-country flying, and I'm no longer a member, but when I was, no one had a C180. Mostly Maule's and old Pipers with a few EXP and the occasional C150TW or C140.
So because your flying club, no one had a C-180, that somehow invalidates them as a back country aircraft?? ::)
Guess when I've been up in Alaska all those C-180's I saw there must be going to waste............ :o
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There is a lot of good, back country, tailwheel planes. Super Cubs, Maules, etc but for me personally, I'd take a 180 for its ability to haul, and also cruise at a speed where cars aren't passing me on the highway below.
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I’d love to see my flying club add a taildragger of some sort. A 180 is more aircraft than I need but I’d be excited if they’d add a 170, Citabria, or Super Cub. The old 172s can get a bit boring.
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I’d love to see my flying club add a taildragger of some sort. A 180 is more aircraft than I need but I’d be excited if they’d add a 170, Citabria, or Super Cub. The old 172s can get a bit boring.
BTW, welcome to the board.
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There is a lot of good, back country, tailwheel planes. Super Cubs, Maules, etc but for me personally, I'd take a 180 for its ability to haul, and also cruise at a speed where cars aren't passing me on the highway below.
Okay, I don’t like to fly, but I once saw a Maule taking off into a stiff headwind and from that moment to this, I secretly have loved Maules. They are such a classic, simple, no-frills, nimble, perfect example of what a plane should be.