Which Plane to buy?

if you choose a Cirrus, I would STRONGLY recommend transition training from a Cirrus Standardised Instructor Program (CSIP) instructor.

Unless you have sufficient experience in this category of aircraft, it is wise for all types to have proper instruction on it. Especially if it is the first aircraft. It has been shown on Lancairs and Glasairs, Falcos and Yankees, that accident rates dropped sharply with better education of the pilots.

My only advice is to not test fly in a Bonanza, because if you don’t buy one, you will know what you are missing.

+1

Budget would be in the region of £160k – £200k

Have you considered a Yak 18, 4 seat, IFR, even aerobatic, and of course real sound in the engine.

It shows how different we are. For that budget, I would get this Yak 52 and put it on experimental register, and this C-180 for travelling

Hmmm, new links

It has been shown on Lancairs and Glasairs, Falcos and Yankees, that accident rates dropped sharply with better education of the pilots.

Absolutely right.

What the SR22 needs is

• aircraft systems knowledge, and
• flying by numbers (true for anything over about 120kt)

The actual plane flies fine. I personally don’t like the sidestick much, for the reasons already given, but it flies fine.

The big difference between a Cirrus accident and a non-Cirrus accident, both caused by the pilot not knowing what the knobs do and/or just getting way behind the aircraft, is that the Cirrus one will come down using the chute, and draws a lot more attention to his incompetence than the other one who ends up dead like so many others.

This has attracted a lot of attention to the Cirrus accidents, plus a lot of commentary not wholly welcome by the Cirrus community, so something has been done about it.

But really every reasonably quick plane should have had training available.

When I got my TB20 in 2002, I could not find any instructor who knew how an HSI worked, let alone how to program a KLN94, so I collected various pilot guides for the avionics from the internet and flew around at 5000ft over Kent (basically EGKA-EGMD and back) while working out what did what. Some of the less common stuff was undocumented e.g. the autopilot would not intercept a track unless the HSI was > 3 divs deviated when NAV was pressed (Honeywell denied that, too).

Well, if we are talking of Eastern European airplanes…. here is another one which sort of fits the budget and is even an SEP.

The ideal family airplane for those who like to travel in stately comfort while not in too much of a hurry

While she’s an overkill for 2 plus bags, reluctant girlfriends or families might well have their eyes pop out at the sight of the cabin.

And the cockpit is pretty well equipped too.

She’s on the market for € 129k, but there are others which are half that or less and also have pretty nice cabins and state.

The upside? Can operate out of 500 m grass fields, will fly up to 700 NM with up to 8 people (this one, the one I flew had 17 seats) at around 120 kts.She’s got a loo

so no need for little johns and janes. It will fit even extended families and is one where even the MIL won’t nag too much. about cramped and dirty old airplanes.

The downside? 150 lph Avgas per hour, up to 10 liters of oil per flight and she needs a copilot / mechanic and a resident mechanic to keep her going. You are going to be popular with the local fuel station (first time I got to ZRH in one I almost gave the fuel truck driver a heart attack asking 1000 liters Avgas and 50 liters of oil) and even the anti noise folk don’t mind them too much as they are “cute” as one lady put it. Oh yea, and at full pax load, expect 10-15 liters of Veuve Cliquot as expendables as well.

I used to fly them in Bulgaria and loved every minute. If I had the money to buy and to fly it, I might be crazy enough to buy one. Actually, my old trainer I did my command rating on this wonderful airplane is for sale for a four figure price but would need the “polish” treatment like the one in this ad. But you’d certainly get attention wherever you go with it.

Ok, I’ll shut up already :)

Rob,

i have some more SR22 information on my website www.airwork.biz, some of it in English … most of it german though.

While Avidyne has a hard time competing against Garmin at the moment it does have some very impressive products. R9 is one of them but the DFC90/100 autopilots and the new IFD540 and IFD440 GPS/NAV/COMs are really great products. I for one will wait for the IFD440 to replace my GNS430s

i would highly recommend an SR22 above serial number 1663 and with the DFC90 autopilot. While the S-TEC55 is not a bad autopilot it cannot compete with the DFC90s safety features like envelope protection, straight and level key and with its general precision and reliability. and theres many other cool features like IAS mode or that you can turn the heading bug beyond 180 degrees. Especially the envelope protection that prevents the autopilot fron stalling the plane while in ALT Hold mode is a great feature. And it doesn’t only work with the A/P coupled but will also warn you when you hand fly the plane.