Sheltering from the rain under an aircraft is only half a step away from having litres of water channeled down your neck.
Having spent two two-week touring holidays, (very fortunately in scorching heat), I can attest to being very happy to have a high wing to shelter under. Either while sorting kit, organising flying or waiting through delays of some kind.
In the uk winter it’s not uncommon to just faf about in the cabin doorway while waiting for a shower to pass…….and I never really thought I’d get a high wing.
I’ve grown to love it.
https://www.justplanetrading.com/shop/planes/grumman-american-aa5-cheetah-g-judy/
Practical simple 2+2 – a second hand IFR GPS and Mode S would be needed for light IFR.
I’d agree the high wing is nice for shade or rain shelter.
Next grief is climbing into the 172 on the left side, the step in the gear is too far behind to be of any use, I either hit one leg into it or end up in a weird position that’s not compatible with sitting on the front seat. If I skip it it’s a high step to the floor, and when launching up I have a >50% chance to hit my head in the door frame or roof.
I guess I need a difference training just for how to move around and into a 172.
Climbing on a Piper wing is like climbing 2 steps.
High wing downside: you stack your crap on the passenger seat not realising the door is a supporting structure for the stack of crap….then your iPad meets its doom when someone opens the door. Must get that screen replaced soon.
Zuutroy
iPads are built with a self destruct mechanism that defies all logic…………. except to make Apple more money.
Dropped my iphone many times. 4 years old, still going strong.
My iPad has fallen three stories and remained unharmed thanks to a Zagg protective case.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Antonio wrote:
I would not recommend a 210 as a first owned airplane, much less under EASA reg and much less such an early version. Nothing to do with piloting but rather “owning” skills.
Ok, I am interested to hear why. Not because I question what you say but because I’d like to know for future reference.
Apologies @Mooney_Driver, this remained unanswered. Owning skills are more related to relationships with your airplane, your budget, your maintainer, your CAMO, your authority…Managing all of those can be fun but also very cumbersome and frustrating unless you realize significant benefits in exchange. There are plenty of examples in this forum.
The complexity of those relationships also grows at least in proportion to the complexity of the aircraft. Just as an example, the landing gear in a pre-’79 P210N or a 210M or older have no fewer than 10 actuators and one accumulator as well as 10 switches , whereas the gear in a 177 has only a grand total of 2 actuators and 4 switches.
Some CAMOs and aviation authorities insist that all of those actuators must be opened up and all seals replaced every five years, with a lot of potential associated problems. Once ELA2 can use self-declared maintenance programs it will be easier.
Older 210’s also have an engine-driven hydraulic pump (vs an electro-hydraulic power pack on later ones) which needs a hydraulic mule for troubleshooting most of the problems, making for expensive maintenance. IN the old times when most shops knew 210’s it was not a big problem, but nowadays it is different: few shops have a mule and even fewer know how to deal with 210’s.
Unless you are a very experienced or very mechanically inclined owner, getting into an older 210 can easily become frustrating before you can realize the benefits. a T/210M or newer would be my recommendation.
Once properly maintained then they are very reliable and combined capabilities and performance are difficult to surpass in the SEP world.
Antonio wrote:
whereas the gear in a 177 has only a grand total of 2 actuators and 4 switches.
There are some models of 177 in which certain parts simply are NLA. The way it was explained to me is the models that have the 182RG or later type set up are the ones to have. I was talking about buying a certain model and my IA would not entertain it. The earlier model 210’s with the electro hydraulics are ok, they can still be good value. If you have good jacks and good arms you can pump the pressure up by hand with the lever instead of a mule. I’ve also read you can make an adapter for an electric drill to do the same. The mule I have seen was too cumbersome to use for most people. There is an early model 210 I would like to buy and it doesn’t put me off it.
Antonio wrote:
Some CAMOs and aviation authorities insist that all of those actuators must be opened up and all seals replaced every five years, with a lot of potential associated problems.
You see the flying schools with the 172RG having to do this and it is a real pain. You are right about ELA2 making a big improvement to the realistic maintenance of these A/C.
Antonio wrote:
a T/210M or newer would be my recommendation.Once properly maintained then they are very reliable and combined capabilities and performance are difficult to surpass in the SEP world.
This is very true, the legacy model 182’s and 206’s are so expensive now due to their utility uses, that they make the 177/210 look good value now.
