That’s pity and likely the case for many aircraft flying these days where insured value is way under market value (we recently doubled our syndicate aircraft insured value but only as we plan to share it with a third person)
Can I ask why you don’t think you will fly very much? I note from your blog that you have flown a Pitts an aerobatics. Whilst I understand why you might want to give that a miss as like me you are now in the troisième age
There are still some nice experimental machines around for not a lot of money eg the Super Emeraude and many are really fun to fly.Have you looked at Speedjojos YT videos? I think flies out of Cannes. They gave me impetus to try something different.
The ULM scene is getting better all the time and the friendliness of the scene and the fun of flying in and out of short fields is a real buzz IMO.
The problem comes if you want to go IFR then everything gets expensive even the Bristell or the Elixir.
People go on about mission but I don’t know about you but I really couldn’t define one mission except perhaps to enjoy flying.
On the other hand having done a bit of flying behind the Rotax I have been tempted by the twin equivalent of the C 182 in terms of running costs, ie the Tecnam 2006P. But I’m not sure I can justify the cost to myself.;)
$120k is €100k – you will unfortunately not get nowhere with that for big-bore RG tourers. Not even if prices are going down a bit these days.
$120K at the current exchange rate is €117,762.
If I were @johnh I would give it some time and see what interests me in say a year. Prices are not going up and having done some flying in Europe to learn what it’s like he will have something to reflect upon. Also I suspect that whatever he’d decide to buy for European flying in his area might be less costly than €118K.
gallois wrote:
Tecnam 2006P.
I did my multi CPL in one and the 2006P is a nice aircraft. Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- runs on between 9 and 10 gls mogas or 100LL
- docile in engine-out situations (but can bite!)
- modern design, glass cockpit (there are some with round gauges, but I don’t think there are many)
- easy to get in and out with high wing, also for pax with separate door in rear
- great visibility
- does about 150kts (in yellow; Vno is 135kts, Vne is 167kts) in level flight
Cons:
- not the greatest load hauler
- with 2 big(ish) guys up front it goes out of fwd CG quickly
- CG shifts fwd in flight (the wing is behind the front seats) as you burn off gas
- very poorly designed ventilation; amazingly for an airplane that was designed in southern Italy, the ventilation is horrible and because of a safety switch you cannot leave the doors open on the ground (engines cut out if you open them). Only vent is a little storm window on the pilot side.
Very sorry to hear what happened to you @Johnh but happy that you are here to tell the tale.
Like @gallois says and as likely already noted by yourself, the ULM scene in Fr is quite something and growing nicely AIUI. I sometimes lurk around a bit on https://basulm.ffplum.fr/
And since France is a country with so many faces, so you can spend the rest of your days discovering places to go. There is actually an ULM field very close to your place on the SW coast, but no doubt you knew that, having been woken up by some nasty buzzing Rotax 
But I can’t see a ULM very near Nice. They are all SW of Mandelieu. Don’t know if the distance is an issue for you.
The ULM offering is very varied of course. From fast cruisers to bushplanes. There is a lively market of used aircraft as well.
Interesting. Thanks 172driver. I like twins and I like flying IFR especially when visiting the UK or just going longer distances with my wife.
I don’t need to get anywhere fast and the fuel flow and low maintenance appeals. Overhauling both engines or even replacing.both with new is around the same cost as a good overhaul on a C182T. Like most twins its got a good rate of climb on both engines, better than most 4 seat SEPs and you get in and out of quite short strips even grass ones.
I understand the single engine climb is around 200fpm which is comparable with other light twins and you don’t get as much leg ache asymetric as you.do on the DA42 especially during the clean up. Did you find this?
/OT
engines cut out if you open them
Great, so when a door pops open inadvertently or that switch goes bad you get a dual engine failure as an add on.
Snoopy wrote:
Great, so when a door pops open inadvertently or that switch goes bad you get a dual engine failure as an add on.
Apologies, I actually I had that the wrong way round (just checked the manual – it’s been a while since I last flew one of these airplanes). If the engines are running you cannot open the doors, they are locked by a pressure switch. However, there is a manual emergency override. The reality of the matter is that you cannot taxi with an open door and only have the little storm window as vent. AFAIK most people who operate these airplanes in hot climates have a small portable aircon installed in the back.
I was curious, sounds like it’s the same mechanism as found on the Partenavia P68.
Very sorry to hear about this accident :-(
dublinpilot wrote:
We are all trained to immediately add power and go-around if there is any question over not having enough runway left.
I think that is a training habit which needs rethinking! If the plane is still flying properly go around. But once the plane is on the ground leave it there even if it means overshooting the end of the runway. Adding full power on the ground because you feel not to have enough runway to stop is a extreme risk. The remaining runway to take off again is very limited. Running over the end if the runway close to rotation speed is really bad while overruning the runway with a little speed remaining while braking usually is not great but rarely catastrophic.
Just two examples below of accidents caused by late go arounds gone bad. Especially the first one is a real tragedy:
