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Looking to speak to Maule pilots

RobertL18C wrote:

Congratulations seems a nice place to set up a base. It looks like well drained land, so your airstrip could be a decent 300-400 metres.

I assume you think about clearing a path by cutting down a few trees. That’s impossible. Those trees here in the area are quercus ilex and they are heavily protected. You can only cut down dead trees and that needs a permission and inspect. The fines for not respecting the rules are steep. Plus, these trees provide the acorns which is the very important food for the iberian pig from which the expensive ham is made. It would be foolish to reduce the number of those trees.

I’m not really sure how long any potential runway could be. It’s more a question of finding a suitable type of aircraft and then see whether there is a place to land, takeoff and store the aircraft before thinking in earnest about buying one. At the moment my home base is LEBA (Cordoba) and that’s an AENA airport with a long runway and very little traffic. It’s air-to-air radio. The downside is that it’s about 1.5 hrs by car to get there.

Seville is the nearest airport with CAT. It’s 2.5 hrs by car. European business class is pretty cheap and has – unfortunately :-) – some advantages over flying yourself a long distance that requires to land and refuel. Even the possibility of having a decent lunch does not really outweigh the huge cost difference. It gets worse when your business requires frequent travel instead of here and there. If AVGAS and maintenance were cheaper …

Frequent travels around Europe

+ 1 for a Katmai. Years ago I flew one across Europe and then used it quite a bit in Spain, funnily enough in your general area. Should really fit the bill.

That said, why not base the Cirrus at Cordoba (LEBA) and get some UL to get you there? Your farm also sounds big enough to have your own strip, quite a few large farms in Spain have. doesn’t seem to be too difficult to arrange. No need to cut down trees if your access road has any straight stretch that’s long enough.

Stephan what is the mission envelope?

TODR/LDR 300 m ISA +10 SL
75% 150KTAS
IFR range 600 nm
Full fuel payload 600lbs
Cruise climb to FL150 30 min
Dirt strip

The Cessna T206 probably fits the bill with reasonable comfort. The Katmai will get in shorter but it has the nosewheel attached to the firewall, like all 182 types, which makes them a bit more delicate than the 206 when operated off piste.



There is a tricycle Maule, but assume you would stick to conventional.

Last Edited by RobertL18C at 16 Dec 20:15
Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

206 is a brilliant aircraft and many are used in some really rough conditions. Katmai’s have upgraded running gear. The front strut is attached to the firewall with massive upgraded brackets. Take a look at some of the videos on www.katmai-kenai.com to see what they are capable of.
If you need 6 seats then a 206 is the way to go.

EGNS/Garey Airstrip, Isle of Man

I can only speak of my MX-7-180, which is but one of at least four dozen permutations of engine, fuselage, undercarriage, wing, rudder, flap, aileron and seating arrangement produced by the Maule family since 1957. And for each of these “potato heads” there are dozens of STCs, not to mention small differences in rigging which can have a significant effect on performance and handling.

Comparing my airplane with an early M4, or an MXT-7-420, is a bit like comparing a C140, a C180 and a C208.

With that proviso, and bearing in mind that I’ve only flown my Maule for 600 hours, I have found it to be sturdy, reliable, comfortable and docile. I’ve never had a passenger puke on the rear seat (only people and dogs, I draw the line at cats). If it has a handling fault, it is that it is too easy to land, so that it has tempted its owner to visit many places where no other aircraft (not even a helicopter) has landed – nor ever will.

As to whether a typical current-production Maule (say an M-7-235B) could replace your SR22…

Well, firstly, yes, any Maule will be perfectly happy landing in that pasture next to your creek, but you’re going to discover what fun it is cleaning dried cow dung off your wings, struts and tail. And unlike a Cessna or Cirrus which live as happily in all weather as a black-faced sheep, a Maule does expect to live in some kind of aeroplane house or shelter.

If, for the sake of easy arithmetic, we assume cruising ground speeds of 200 and 120 knots for SR22 and M7 respectively, the Maule will obviously be a bit quicker door-to-door for trips up to about 600 nm, but for longer trips the Cirrus will win (provided that you have no hold-ups on the road to and from your “local” airport).

I imagine that the Cirrus is a bit more relaxing to fly, but a Maule on AP is a whole lot more relaxing than driving or sitting in a taxi.

If you are tempted down this path, you may find that keeping a Maule in your backyard changes the way you “use” aviation. You may use it for shorter trips instead of your car or jeep. We sometimes fly to fetch milk and newspaper from the local village shop, or to collect fencing materials andother farm supplies, or to check on friends when the roads are blocked with snow, as well as for more normal business trips. You may stop looking for airports near your destination and instead look for a patch of open ground on Google Earth. Then you will get used to the delicious pause on the phone while a complete stranger considers your request to land in his field – and wonders whether it is some kind of hoax.

That might not work in some heavily-regulated countries but if you fit a tow hook – and learn how to use it – you might be able to wangle occasional use of gliding airfields.

Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

There is a tricycle Maule, but assume you would stick to conventional.

I agree, I can’t think of a good reason to buy a tricycle Maule. No matter how strong the nose gear, it adds weight and drag, impairs ground handling, throws mud and gravel into the prop, limits prop-to-ground clearance, prevents the use of full size Alaskan Bushwheels, and the silly little 21” diameter 8.50×6 nose tyre can’t be used at less than about 16 psi.

I did own a “STOL” tricycle airplane for a while (a Zenair CH701). It was a gas to take off in 30 metres from short-ish grass and tarmac, but as a bushplane it was as much use as tits on a bull. It couldn’t hydroplane into a gravel bar, and even 10” rocks on the sea shore would bounce it around.

Last Edited by Jacko at 17 Dec 00:07
Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

" even 10” rocks on the sea shore would bounce it around."
Most tailwheel aircraft would not handle even one such rock, with ordinary tyres of course.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Most tailwheel aircraft would not handle even one such rock

Which is perhaps a way of saying that most tailwheel aircraft are, at best, somewhat sub-optimal bushplanes

Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

Spats/wheel pants, small wheels, and soft sand are a great combination.
Beach softness can change with tide, waves, and wind.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Maoraigh wrote:

Beach softness can change with tide, waves, and wind.

and with engine RPM as well, too much power and you start digging a hole for your wheels?

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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