Congratulations! Now what? Once you've cooled off from having to watch your favorite team win on a 19-inch TV while those tickets burned a hole in your pocket, it's time to think about what's the perfect aircraft for you.
Are you a social flyer, family type, or rugged individualist? Do you like to putter around the local area most weekends, or do you regularly head out on trips of two or more hours? Is the terrain you cross mountainous or covered with water? Do you drive a family car or a fast, low slung, brightly colored sports machine? Do you have specific flying needs that require specialized equipment? And last, how much cash do you count on spending? Answer these questions and you're likely to find the airplane that's right for you.
Social or Not?
If most of your flying is solo, you probably don't need an airplane with lots of seats. You may still opt for a greater useful load (the weight an airplane can carry, which includes fuel, people, and cargo), but a two-seater, or even a sporty one-seater may be just right for you. On the other hand, if you most often travel with a group of 200-pound people or three kids and the spouse, you definitely should be looking at six-place machines.
The high-wing, low-wing option is always something to think about at this point, too. A high-wing airplane, such as a Cessna or Maule, is fairly easy for people to step into, especially those who might not be so nimble, such as elderly folk, women hampered by tight skirts and high heels, or the handicapped.
Low-wing airplanes such as the Piper Warrior, Archer or Dakota require passengers to climb up on the wing, then all pile in through one door on the right side. That's not the easiest way to load and unload people with limited physical capabilities. The larger Pipers, such as the Lance or Cherokee Six, have a double passenger door in back (as do the 36-series Bonanzas), facilitating easy loading and unloading of both cargo and passengers. There are mid-wing aircraft, too, with their own entry and exit foibles.
Some low-wing singles have right and left-side doors, such as the Commander 112 and 114, and some, such as the single-engine Grummans, have a sliding canopy. These are easier to get into and out of than a single-door airplane, but passengers still must settle down into the cabin rather than step up into a high-wing airplane.
Local or Long Distance?
I have airplanes for each mission. The Kitfox is excellent for puttering around the local area, but the Cessna 210 is what I fly for trips of more than 200 miles. If you rarely venture more than 200 miles from home, speed and service ceiling (unless you live in the mountains) shouldn't be much of an issue. Go for efficiency and simplicity.
The more efficiently the airplane converts fuel into flight and the simpler its systems (fixed gear, for example), the less expensive it will be to fly. You needn't worry too much about extended range if you rarely fly for longer than two hours at a stretch. Instead, look for something fun in a good around-the-town machine, with features such as short takeoff and landing (STOL) ability, or the capability to retrofit with skis for winter or floats for summer.
A lot of taildraggers and tricycle gear airplanes fit into this category, from the entire high-wing line of Champion Citabrias, Decathlons, and Scouts, to the Piper Cubs, to the venerable Cessna 150/152 and 170/172 series of aircraft. A host of older, classic airplanes would also make great puttering machines. Don't discount them just because they're old. Often, loving hands have restored these classics.
If you want to travel long distances, you'll be looking for an altogether different beast. True traveling airplanes are fast, efficient, and have good payload capacity (carrying four to six hours of fuel). The best traveling airplanes have high service ceilings for climbing above weather and riding out the ripping tailwinds often found above 18,000 feet. Such airplanes have oxygen, and some are even pressurized. They have turbocharged engines designed specifically to operate most efficiently in the thin air of the high atmosphere.
Because all flight operations above 17,999 feet are under instrument flight rules, your machine should have a full complement of IFR instruments and avionics. Weather avoidance gear, including a Strikefinder, Stormscope, or radar, and a GPS navigation system are ideal components for a real traveling airplane. Last of all you need to be comfortable if you're going long distances non-stop, so you'd best pay attention to cabin and cockpit amenities such as an intercom, soundproofing, ergonomic seats, instrument panel layout, and of course, overall cockpit/cabin dimensions.
Most mainstream certificated airplanes embody some, if not all, of the characteristics of a good traveling machine. After all, the whole reason humans finally took to the air was to get from point A to point B as fast and directly as possible, wasn't it? Closer scrutiny, however, will help you ferret out the right traveling machine for your needs and your pocketbook.
You may find pressurized, turbocharged airplanes such as the Piper Mirage or the Cessna 210P are a bit rich for your blood, but that a refurbished Mooney from a reputable mod-shop is just right. Keep in mind, a good traveling airplane needs to have range, reasonably modern avionics, and speed - as well as a comfortable cockpit.
Look Out Below!
Some people wonder what the great advantage of two or more engines is. I maintain that the answer is not much, until you're flying at night over the Sierra Nevada mountains or across a large body of water such as the Gulf of Mexico. You're flying along, listening to the drone of your six-cylinder single engine and, as engines are wont to do sometimes, it hiccups. You look down. All you see for miles around is distinctly inhospitable terrain or water. You wish you had two engines. It's as simple as that.
A heavily loaded light twin has little to no climb capability on one engine, and the yaw caused by the thrust of the good engine along with the drag of the failed engine makes the airplane difficult to control. That's the downside of a light twin. On the other hand, if one engine on a light twin fails in cruise flight, you should be able to continue flying to a nearby airport and make a safe landing. That's the advantage. Also, some light twins have better payload or range capability than their single-engine counterparts, and depending on the model, maybe some climb and cruise speed advantage. If that's your need, start shopping for a twin.
Form, Function, or Both?
Wait, don't tell me - your other car's a Lamborghini? Porsche? Yeah, right. Odds are, though, if you drive a sexy car, you'll shop for a sexy airplane. It's a personality thing. These days you're in luck because the smooth lines of composites make for some real lookers.
If the relative "newness" of composite technology makes your life insurance agent queasy, think about a flush-riveted machine such as the Mooney or Piper Mirage, or even the older but still good-looking Piper Comanche.
Siai-Marchetti and Aerospatiale make some of the hottest-looking production singles in the world, and Cessna's 300-series aircraft are considered the sexiest in the sky if you're in the market for a light twin. Need more airplane than that? Check out these sleek turboprops, the Cessna Conquests I and II, the Piper Cheyenne and the TBM 700.
Special Requests
For some of us, the deciding factor in the airplane we buy has more to do with our own unique quirks, flying styles, or dreams. A friend of mine dreams of competition aerobatics - he needs an airplane with an inverted oil system and the ability to handle g forces. Another friend stands 6-feet-4-inches tall - he needs a roomy cabin and/or custom adjustable seats. Still another friend wants to win best of show at an air show - he needs a classic or antique, ripe for restoration.
If you're a flight instructor searching for a trusty steed, you need an efficient traveling machine that will double as a trainer. Got some time on your hands and an affinity for tools? Consider buying an aircraft kit and build your dream machine yourself.
How much can you spend?
The ultimate measure of how much airplane you can buy is the depth of your pockets. The seller's asking price isn't your litmus test, either. Instead, sit down and figure the everyday costs of flying and caring for your aircraft, and add it into your estimated monthly payment (assuming you finance the purchase). Develop an average monthly cost for your new bird, or, if you'd prefer, break it down into a cost per flight hour.
Do the math. Now ask yourself, can I really afford this machine? If the answer is no, keep shopping. You can find airplanes to suit nearly every pocketbook. But if the answer is yes, head out to the bank. Hurry, before your dream bird flies away.
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