Which plane to buy for EUR200k

I went through a similar process quite recently, wanted an SR22 but ended up with a C182T. For 2 reasons, the budget for the SR22 would not stretch to a G1000 and also felt the Cirrus was too fast / slippy for my piloting ability.

I got a lovely 2007 182 with G1000 and GFC700 which us an amazing piece of kit for IMC.

My plan is to keep it for 3 to 5 years then trade up for an SR22 G5 once their price has come down and my ability / experience has gone up.

I also considered a 172, DA40, and old an PA28 Dakota with budget left for Avoinics refres (useful load is important to me)

Keep us posted on what you decide, I’d be really interested

Flyer59, you need an ADF in the UK to legally train for your IR.

Flyer59 wrote:

I can understand that somebody might want a DME … but an ADF? In a Cirrus? What for?

It’s not about what I want (I would be happy to see it gone), it’s about what is required. Unless I don’t intend to fly NDB approaches outside of emergencies. PS: And even DMEs are not that common in used SR22s on the market, AFAIK.

As you said it is only required for NDB approaches, and you would never do one of those, outside of training in a SR22. I’d rather do the IR on a different plane than install and ADF in the Cirrus, which is not so easy anyway.

you need an ADF in the UK to legally train for your IR

Isn’t there some way around this, involving a careful choice of airports which have IAPs that don’t involve an NDB, and somehow (how??) doing the same for the initial IR test?

It would be difficult because even most GPS/LNAV approaches here have an NDB in the missed approach segment.

I recall reading a description somewhere that it can be done, in some locations, by arranging matters such that the nearest NDB airport is so far away that the IRT examiner is not going to get you to fly all the way there. Where this can be done I don’t know. One would have to spend time with a map and Jeppview, or whatever…

. I’d rather do the IR on a different plane than install and ADF in the Cirrus, which is not so easy anyway.

Then you lose currency on type, which is about 90% of the game in the IRT… you have to be very current to pass it. It’s easy enough technically to install an ADF in a Cirrus (it was done from the earliest days) but it’s a messy job and understandably nobody wants to do it if they don’t have to. Nowadays there is a remotely mounted ADF which displays on the G1000 but you still have to install the antenna.

Yes, i know the G1000 solution, but it’s too expensive. To install a normal ADF is really a crime, because you really have to destroy the panel, and it’s ugly … Maybe the NDB approaches could be done on a Cirrus that has it already?

The NDB in the missed approach is not part of the GPS overlay of the missed approach then? Strange, i haven’r flown one of those yet …

Flyer59 wrote:

As you said it is only required for NDB approaches, and you would never do one of those, outside of training in a SR22. I’d rather do the IR on a different plane than install and ADF in the Cirrus, which is not so easy anyway.

I’m not talking about training. NDBs appear in quite a few procedures. If I have to choose, then I’ll just install the box. I would prefer not to, but it’s better than ignoring perfectly good approaches. In Garmin installations, it can be blind, just like a DME.

Peter wrote:

somehow (how??) doing the same for the initial IR test?

Well, if an aircraft is not equipped to legally fly it, then it can’t be part of the test. As long as an examiner is willing to do the test in it, you are fine.

This is purely a tech/regulatory question, connected with the initial IR test (the “IRT”).

If you can get an assurance that can be arranged without needing an ADF, then go for it.

Revalidations are no problem. Even in the UK, you can fly NDB approaches using the GPS. You may however need a DME because much of the time the won’t be a GPS waypoint which represents DME=0.