Hi all,

I am trying to make contacts the world over and am trying here also -

I am in urgent need of a small plane (Cessna 150, etc) in order to get back and forth from where I live to where my daughter is now living. My family is just too important to me to justify keeping my beloved 914 - and she (my little first and only born) is just to darned far away for me to drive back and forth with any semblance of continuity. Airline travel is flat out of the question as well.

If anybody knows of an individual, or can put me in touch with someone, who would entertain trading my 1971 almost fully redone 914, and a very, very large spares package + some cash for a reasonably decent small aircraft I will be very grateful for life!!

Have a nice one,

Jonathan

I don't think you can expect a small palne to be a dependable mode of trasportation since they are useless on windy days and can leave you stranded at the opposite end due to weather. Have you looked into kit planes? The RS3 is a very cheap plane that flies great as well as the Cozy mark I, II, and III. You can run them with a Chevy Vortech V6 engine which is only like 2.5K from dependable sources. Again, a plane is like a bike only 5X worse because of weather.

Ummm. I don't want to sound cold or cruel here... but maybe it's time to start cutting some apron strings? I know you love your daughter (I have one too) but if you raised her reasonably well to be a self-sufficient, independent person, maybe she needs to start doing things for herself. Daddy can't always be there to change her oil.

The first years are the toughest, then it gets easier. Until the grandkids come along. But unless they live next door, you can't be there for everything. Snip...snip...snip.

It may be that his daughter is young and he and her mother are separated. I would applaud any father that was willing to ditch his toy to enable him to spend more time with his young child.
Of course, if she's 25, you're absolutely correct, if she's 10 it's a whole different deal.

Just a passing thought..

Do you actually have a pilot's license? IF not, it is going to take a while to get one. I would also suggest an instrument rating too. Makes it less likely to get stuck and not able to fly out due to weather (notice I didn't say impossible, just less likely).

there are two cessna's on ebay right now - one BIN $19500 and the other us up to $12,791 - still affordable i guess but not cheap or close to what a 914 usually brings. what are you asking for you car ?? what are you asking for your parts ?? maybe best to put some adds in the classifieds and sell piece meal ?? good luck with everything!

ideally you can find a friend that works for an airline and can get you some buddy passes or similar.

jim

I have your plane ready. Where do I pick up my car?

Honestly, this is the way I see it. If you can't afford to own a 914 and a small plane, you can afford to own a small plane. The economics don't add up.

What are operating and ownership costs on a small plane? Insurance? Do you have to pay to store it? Annuals? I bet your 914 will only cover 1 year of these type of expenses. And we still haven't acquired a plane.

Just a guess but, Airline travel is probably cheaper than plane ownership.

Good Luck, I hope you work it out one way or the other.

NAH! It is windy only from ground level to about a couple thou in altitude, then it still is somewhat windy, but blows in a straight line instead of turbulent like cloe to ground. I did all my training on windy days - gusts as high as 35 kts and no problemo -

Yup!

YUP! With instrument ticket no less....

Unfortunately, the airlines only fly to places where a profit is made. They are not fedex or ups or usps!!

Oh, do not get me wrong - on two days a week there is one flight into the city next to her - but picture this - round trip tickets on special from miami to las vegas round trip = 125.00 per person.

Flight from miami to only 780 miles away - one way - 975.00 - round trip 1435.00

Yeh, advertising on barnstormers as well, got two people interested and I put the ad in this am!!

Hope, hope, hope!!!

we got our fingers crossed for you - jim

It does matter, if GOD willing you never experience the jobless market as I have for the past two years. I want to move next to her, but no jobs there either. All the good ones are in India - and other places where there are no child labor laws -
Good news is avgas is comparable to regular auto - I would own it and not worry about insurance (no regulatory laws requiring it) outside flightline storage is 85 dollars a month - I am a certificated mechanic, I do all my own maintenance -

A decent high time Cessna 150, needing paint, and interior freshening, with a mid-time engine, roughly goes for between 10K - 20K. I found out a long time ago the absolute freedom (terrorist attacks aside) of jumping in and just going whenever and wherever!!

I look at it like this:

Driving = 945 miles one way, and 45 gallons of gas -one way, 70 mph for best mileage, meals, and beverage = 15+ hrs without overnight stoppage. Make it a round trip with hotels and entertainment while there = about 650-800 dollars for a weekend with my little one.

Flying = 612 miles straight line at an average speed of 125 MPH and a fuel use of just over 20 gallons (depending on winds) add in about 4.5 hours in transit (more or less with prevailing winds) and a tremendous savings is realized, just by this factor alone. Entertainment? Go for a flight! My weekend costs would plummet to about 250-300 dollars and eating very well --

It is a good lifestyle -

Most of the people that I know share an interest in a plane.

Have you thought about buying in as a part owner. From what I understand, it reduces the cost dramatically, and still gives you frequent use.

How far away do you have to fly? You can pick up a Cessna 150 fairly cheep but it is at best a 100 knot airplane. You might be better off going into a partnership or joining a club. Aircraft ownership if nice but unless you fly it A LOT it's hard to justify owning outright. You might be better off in a partnership in a much larger and faster airplane. Check Trade-a-Plane and check at some of the FBOs at your local airport.

Cheers, Elliot

Good one!

Yea I have actually. Many of those opportunities disappeard in one of the 5 hurricanes we experienced over the last three years.. I would love to buy into a grumman tiger or chetah - yum - those are fast and responsive birds!!

I know how to get a true 119 kts out of a continental 200 with a McCauley. AND it is still legal and only costs personal time and a few handtools. With my direction of flight, from the times I rented, I keep a pretty steady 135 kt GS there and about 101 back. Gives me a 118 average, not bad really.

The 152 I did most of my primary in had the McCauley and would do 117 kts @ 2000'. Its all in the LE of the prop - how it is 'dressed'.......

Believe me, I would be flying the piss out of it!!! I MUST own, or go broke before really gearing up...

I apologize. I jumped to a wrong conclusion not having more information and drawing a parallel that doesn't exist. I would love to spend more time with my grandkids and they're only two hours away.

You are obviously prepared for this with your instrument rating and aircraft mechanic training. I wish you good luck with your trade and many years of fatherhood and grandkids in the future.

Glad to hear that you have thought this out...

I would suggest something like a Grumman AA-B with a 15HP lycoming. It will make your trips lots faster, and it is comparable in price to a Cessna 152.


Personally, I want a Globe/Temco Swift with a 220Hp engine. Swifts are kinda the 914 of the light plane world.

No worries there friend..........Thanks

Funny, on my last trip to see my wee one, I stopped over at sun-n-fun for the day. WOW! I have lived here since '03 and this is the first one I managed to go to! Corkey Fornoff was there displaying the LoPresti Fury. Words cannot be put into context here as to the absolute WOW factor. He told me the company intends to put a 280 HP Continental in it as standard!!!!!! There are no optins - you get it fully decked out or nothing at all.... It was really cool to chew the fat with a living aviation pioneer also!!

I love the Grumman -1 series. A must have are the extended range fuel tips - I had the chance to see a conventional gear conversion with an IO-320 under the cowl - it would redline at gross without a whimper!!

There have been some problems cropping up with the bonded skins - and a good many STILL do not have the torque tube AD addressed yet - But I agree - Grummans are bad-ass birds!!

This is a club so I wanted to point out that there was a fast plane sold at one time with a 911 engine in it from Mooney.

In 1988 Mooney went to even greater lengths, partnering with Porsche to include their geared engine and stretching the fuselage the last time to produce the first long body M20. All M20Ls no longer use this unique engine. Porsche required owners to return the aircraft for replacement with a more conventional Continental engine due to service and liability concerns. (Many owners objected, to no avail.) M20L production ended in 1990.
Porsche PFM 3200 N03 (217 HP). Porsche 911 derivative engine. Fuselage length adds 20" and cabin 12". First of long body aircraft -- that becomes standard body in 1999.

Bob

You are so right! I have an AOPA mag laying around with a 5 page article on the Mooney PFM - incredible engine porsche made for the bird. The test report regarded many timies its silky smoothness, and ability to run flat out - full time.

Many, many do not know the porsche designed, tested, and world certified a derivitive of the 911 engine for small planes -

I would wager that is why the engine never really caught on - They really did not take full advantage of advertising to let the masses know...

135 MPH ain't anything compared to some experimental planes out there. Long Easys cruise at 180 with 5GPH and you can get a Vortex V6 for change money. They race these engines all the time and are throw away once the TBO runs out. You can even get a customized fan which will push this thing even faster.