All Planes I Flew
If you ever wanted to know more about me but never dare to ask, this post is for you. To share more of my experience I decided to list the eight types of aircrafts I flew, in chronogical order.
At first, the swiss built AS-202 Bravo, the basic trainer on which I got my private license. A very simple two seater, 999kg maximum take-off weight (to reduce landing fees), and clearly underpowered with its 160 HP engine. It cruises at 90 knots and stalls are really… impressive. This makes it a very good basic trainier.
Next came the Piper PA28 Archer (and Warrior). A true four seater with better performance. 160 HP for the Warrior and 180 HP for the Archer, and a cruising speed around 120 knots. It’s a much better glider, and managing speed on final became a bit more of an issue. It is on this type that I also discovered autopilots !
Next step up, still in the Piper familly, the PA32R-301 Saratoga. Retractable gear, variable pitch prop, and 300 HP for six seats and a cruising speed of 150 knots ! This is the first complex plane I flew and at the time of writing the type I flew the most, and to the greater distance. I made the transition to prepare for my IFR ticket. Two axis autopilot, GNS430, HSI, … and lot of fun !
For the IFR training, I flew on a Beechcraft Bonanza F33A. It was wonderfully equipped: dual GNS430, Air Data Computer, dual needle RMI. And I’ve been truely seduced by its aerodynamics, requiring precise flying skills.
My next transition was to the first “plastic plane” with a “plastic engine”: the DA40 TDI. I wrote a lot about his in the modern aviation category. FADEC, composite body, a very easy to fly plane. The stalls are impressively stable. Not exactly rocket speed (115 – 120 kts) with the Thielert engine, but fine to fly leisurely. I also flew it IFR with a G1000… making it fully modern ! This picture is the source of the PlasticPilot logo.
I have only 19 minutes and two landings in my logbook with the PA28-236 Dakota. 235 HP, variable pitch prop, but fixed gear. I flew it when my instructor invited me to land on a frozen lake !
When I started the FADEC challenge, I needed more opportunities than the DA40, so I took a familiarization training on Cessna 172 TDI. It was my first Cessna, and first high wing plane, but after the Saratoga and the Bonanza, training on a simple airplane again was not exactly hard.
I had the opportunity to test fly the Liberty XL2 in summer 2007, and to summarize it is a funny little plane once in flight… the hard part is getting it in the air.
I don’t know yet what will be the next one, but it could be PA18 SuperCub for some glacier landing, DA50 when available, or may be a turbo Saratoga. If I get millionaire, I will probably start flying PC-12 or TBM850.
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
Jess Sightler
That is a pretty nice list! I’m particularly partial to the Piper’s on the list, myself, though the only one that I’ve flown is the Archer.
The 172s were never really my favorite airplanes, but anything that flies isn’t all bad.
Like you, I did most of my training on an underpowered aircraft. In my case, though, it was the little 2 seat Alarus (~1600 lb and 116 hp). It’s actually a lot like an underpowered, two seat archer, imo.
Jan 29th, 2008
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