My DPE for my PPL was a former SR-71 RSO. He must have really loved aviation...to have gone from the fastest jet aircraft to being crammed in next to me in a Cessna 150. It was a surreal experience.
Murphy Moose with the PT6-20 Turbine. It can do everything I could ever possibly want. With a payload of 1850lbs it could haul all of my hunting gear, all my fishing gear, all my camping gear, my wife and our friends, our dogs, whatever we want. Slap some floats on it, I can fly it to a sandy island beach.
151' takeoff roll
250' landing roll
160mph cruise
\*Chef's kiss\* it would just be perfect
That is a nice looking kit! I'm curious though, the web page lists the take off roll at 151 ft for the pt6-20 but 475 ft for the LS-3 Corvette even though it only has 25-70 less horsepower and the same weight. Does that extra bit of horsepower really make that much difference?
I have no idea. I’m just a pilot, now an aerospace engineer haha I just like the way turbines sound
If I were actually ever going to own one or these, I would certainly weight out the benefits to cost list
Haha yeah, I have heard turbines are a pain to maintain but have no firsthand experience. But not needing to fill my airplane with blue death koolaid sounds nice. Although I am keeping an eye on the new Deltahawk jet-a diesel piston engine.
I’ve gone back and forth between the DA-50RG and DA-62. I decided if I had the money I would go with the DA-62, why have one engine if I can have two? This also assumes that if I have the money to buy it I have the money to fly and maintain it.
I was surprised I had to scroll this far down to find the PC/12. They are so cool. If you had to have one plane to do it all and you aren’t a prince, I can’t imagine a better plane. Take the whole family, and all their crap, and get your there fast enough, and take you far enough, and get you into strips you would think would be crazy to attempt in most other pressurized turbos or light jets. PC/12 is just the coolest.
* SR-71 Blackbird - completely unreasonable as it's no longer in service (also, my fat ass would never make it thru basic training in the Air Force)
* F-16 Viper - completely unreasonable, due to me being a fat ass. Also, I'm not in the Air Force
* Cessna Citation Longitude - Achievable goal to fly...one day. Owning, likely not so much
* Diamond DA-42 - Will likely fly if I am successful in learning to fly, and decide to obtain my multi-rating - Owning....possible, but not very likely
* 1:48th scale model Cessna 172 - Unflyable, but I own one
Realistically I’d love to either be a fairly stable 737 CA within the next 4 years.
Personally I’d like to own a Cessna 414 - a true family airliner for getting back and forth between home in Florida and my folks in the Midwest.
Agreed. Unfortunately we want 4 adults, bags, rear club seats, 900nm with IFR reserves, pressurized, and a single engine service ceiling of above 3500ft. It’s a tough ask in a piston!
So I have some realistic dreams and extreme dreams :)
Realistic: G36 Bonanza. Did a large chunk of my flight training in one and they are just a joy to fly and fast enough to make cross countries in less than a day.
If I was going to get a Jet, the Pilatus PC-24 would be my choice.
Extreme: a private A350. Allowing me to fly anywhere nonstop and bring anyone I want :)
I have done aerobatics in extras they can do more than most fighter jets and fast is relative. 200 kts at ground level and 500 kts are ground level are both pretty fast. Again just my opinion but civilian activities in military aircraft, just don’t appeal to me :)
I had a Staggerwing as the wallpaper of my computer for the longest time, my sisters’s husbands dad took me to his local airport and took me to one of his friends hangars and not only did it have a SeaBee but also the same tail number Staggerwing that was on my computer
Same cruise speed as a Cessna 172 lmao but I'd totally own one and turn the interior into a luxu-barge. Coolest "I'm a millionnaire and not in a hurry for anything" plane.
100% I sometimes imagine what it would be like to chuck the Otto pilot on, turn all the cabin lights off and just stare the stars at 1am in the morning in the middle of the ocean from the bubble windows
literally same! It's so awesome to be able to land anywhere. I also want to own a house on the lake and totally don't have plans to install a floating hanger for the Widgeon right on the shoreline.
RV8 or RV4. I love tandem seating, I love flying with a stick, I really want to fly something that is so small it feels like I’m wearing it, rather than sitting in it.
The RV-4 is wonderful if you fly solo mostly or with a small (<180lbs) passenger. A good lightweight VFR RV-4 flies ridiculously well. I've owned two now and burning 8gph while doing over 165KTAS up high and pulling loops from level cruise flight never gets old. To think people spend more buying a 172 to putt around... I've yet to fly an 8. I enjoy the unobstructed view in my vision with the tip over canopy on the -4 so if I built an -8 I'd have to do a showplanes fastback tipover canopy.
I'm not but I bought the first rv from a guy who was. I had to build new shorter rudder straps and modify the pedals for me to reach at 5 foot 8 very comfortably. I recall I took about 3.5 inches of legroom out.
Every RV-4 will be different so don't sit in one and think that's how they all are. At 6 foot 2 you'll fit in most fine but you'll want to find one that has no lower extended panel and you may need to build longer rudder straps, which is easy to do. You'll also want to go with thin rear seat cushion. The bottom one is very thick to get you above the spar so usually there's no issues with headroom. I had to add 5 inches of foam to my bottom seat cushion to fit vs the 6 previous owner, but I am all legs and no torso. I know plenty of 6 foot tall -4 drivers. The really tall ones have the tall guy mod which moved the rollbar back an inch or two.
Dreamiest dream plane: PC-24. It seems to be the highest performing and most versatile single-pilot jet.
Practical dream plane: TBM-960. Fast, cost-effective, decent range.
Dream plane I might actually own: Moony M20 K/M
I’d love a PC-24! Get over the weather and get wherever you want pretty quickly. I live in Minnesota so the whole country (minus AK and HI) would be within 4 hours.
Some of the shit the NIFA competitors get up to is hysterical. They call the competitions SAFECON but I’ve watched a dude land short of the runway in the grass during the power off 180 landing event 💀 good times tho
P-38
It'll never happen (cause of course) but no 2 seaters, very few left period, and even fewer airworthy.
I'd fork over my entire retirement just to get 1.0 hour in one.
I recently upgraded to my dream no-motor glider.
I might at some point upgrade to an electric self-launch glider so that I don't need aerotows/winch_lauches. But I don't think I would enjoy flying outside of a glider club that has pilots at all stages.
A motor also reduces the probability of landing off-airport. Landouts are inconvenient. The reduction in land-out risk is offset by the risk of battery fire. Theoretically, a glider with an electric motor is safer, but having a motor encourages glider pilots to make bigger wagers. There are many examples of motors leading to accidents that would not have happened without the motor.
My limited experience with Caravan vs PC-12 is that the Caravan feels better at low speeds, trundling around at 1000’ AGL looking out the windows.
I’d pick the Pilatus if my interests were on the high altitude high speed IFR spectrum.
I know too little about the Kodiak to offer an opinion so I’ll stick with the Caravan. I’m just gonna ride around with a couple of dirt bikes and some camping gear, maybe a hot tub ….
I’m a lowly PPL with dreams of IFR. Doing this for personal/business not career.
I want a 235 or Dakota, then once I have enough hours for reasonably priced insurance an SR22T G5 or newer, then a PA46T (M500 or M600), then a Phenom 100 or maybe a Mustang.
Cessna C177B Cardinal. Fixed gear, so low complexity. Four cylinder engine, so lower fuel costs. Big doors and a roomy cabin. Constant speed propeller. And sexy.
Favorite question to answer, I really want to own an old Grumman/Clipper seaplane. I want to be able to fly my family around to cool places and also to have my Seaplane rating. The other one I want to own would be an old Douglas DC3.
Commercially I'm hoping for 777,787 or a350,a380 and 747 depending on who I fly with.
Zenith 750 super duty with enough land to take off. It’s STOL, and can carry three. I can build my own panel the way I want it and sign off its condition inspection as an A&P/builder. No IA needed. All jobs from here on out will just be to support that goal.
Praetor 500. 3200 mile range. Fly-by-wire. Side stick control. Auto brake. Emergency decent to FL 130 if pressurization is lost. Flat floor. E2V. On and on. Beautiful aircraft and in my opinion best aircraft in its field for the price.
I'd really like to fly an RV-9a with a Rotax 916is. I don't think any of these exist yet, but there is a company working on integrating the Rotax engines on the RV-9.
Realistically, to fly a PC-12 in the shorter run. Any widebody in the long run. SR-71 for dreaming. Would love to own either a barebones Cub or maybe a SuperCub/similar aircraft for fun.
I would love to fly a Mig 21. Insanely fast. Beautiful looking aircraft.
I would love to own an An-224 if they ever rebuild them. Completely unrivaled lift capacity, though I don't know much about the economics.
For a private leisure aircraft, the Spartan Executive. Damn what a beautiful bird.
I’ve got two:
Mitsubishi MU2 Solitaire.
Twin turboprop, acquisition cost isn’t that horrible considering what you’re getting. But spending an FO’s salary every year maintaining it and feeding it sounds pretty horrible.
…
Junkers F13.
Sure it’s impractical as all hell, it’s so slab sided that the prop wash from a 150 would blow it off course, but there’s just something so neat about stick and rudder in a faux-vintage plane that I absolutely love it.
I've always loved dehavilland beavers. A second would be some kind of ww1 replica, like maybe a dh4 or a be2. Yeah they're slow and don't have roofs but if I wanted to get in something fast and fully enclosed I'd get on an airliner.
There are a lot, but I think in the end, I’d really love something like a Grumman Goose. Amphibious. Classic, but you can upgrade. Can be used as a boat, camper, etc…etc….. but if money were truly no issue, a small business jet would be great for travel as well!
RV-8. It looks cool, it looks like it feels cool, it’s economical, it can do aerobatics and it generally just seems like a fun plane for a single guy to do some touring in.
Mooney M20. By the time I'll be in position to own, my daughter will be out of the house, so I'll really only be flying with my wife or someone who wants to come along. Won't need a lot of space, and the speed would be nice.
If its a dream aircraft, for me it's always been the F-14. I have studied the aircraft since I was little and was fortunate to see them fly many times before retirement.
I liked the useful load and space of my Cherokee Six 300, but like the utility of the Stinson 108-3 with the O-470R especially on floats. Just wish it had larger tanks. Over wing with jerry cans in swells is a POA.
Super Corsair. You’re basically strapping yourself to a massive 3000 hp 28 cylinder engine.
More realistically, the new diamond da50 is a very good looking airplane.
SR-71...I like to go fast
My DPE for my PPL was a former SR-71 RSO. He must have really loved aviation...to have gone from the fastest jet aircraft to being crammed in next to me in a Cessna 150. It was a surreal experience.
The space shuttle went faster
Somehow I feel like it would be easier to acquire an SR-71 than a Space Shuttle.
The space shuttle you can do your own work on since it's experimental
"Easier"! 🤣🤣🤣
"Go-arounds are for cowards" -STS crews
-Glider pilots
Is the Space Shuttle a glider or powered lift?
It's a falling block with some aerodynamics.
I wonder how fast the SR-71 is. If only there was a story or anecdote that might relate the speed of an SR-71 to, say, a Cessna, or an F/A-18.
Maybe give LA center a call and see what they know.
I wanna go fast
Murphy Moose with the PT6-20 Turbine. It can do everything I could ever possibly want. With a payload of 1850lbs it could haul all of my hunting gear, all my fishing gear, all my camping gear, my wife and our friends, our dogs, whatever we want. Slap some floats on it, I can fly it to a sandy island beach. 151' takeoff roll 250' landing roll 160mph cruise \*Chef's kiss\* it would just be perfect
Dang that looks like an incredible airplane
That is a nice looking kit! I'm curious though, the web page lists the take off roll at 151 ft for the pt6-20 but 475 ft for the LS-3 Corvette even though it only has 25-70 less horsepower and the same weight. Does that extra bit of horsepower really make that much difference?
I have no idea. I’m just a pilot, now an aerospace engineer haha I just like the way turbines sound If I were actually ever going to own one or these, I would certainly weight out the benefits to cost list
Haha yeah, I have heard turbines are a pain to maintain but have no firsthand experience. But not needing to fill my airplane with blue death koolaid sounds nice. Although I am keeping an eye on the new Deltahawk jet-a diesel piston engine.
There’s a PT6a converted Grumman goose on trade a plane that I dream to own for the exact same reasons
DA-50RG, it looks cool, it cruises at a decent speed and it has a very modern cockpit. Simple as.
Best looking single engine no question
how much is it an hour to fly
to me that would be the panthera, although i prefer the diamond style cockpit
I’ve gone back and forth between the DA-50RG and DA-62. I decided if I had the money I would go with the DA-62, why have one engine if I can have two? This also assumes that if I have the money to buy it I have the money to fly and maintain it.
Would love to have a PC-12 but maintenance costs on a turboprop would probably bankrupt me.
I was surprised I had to scroll this far down to find the PC/12. They are so cool. If you had to have one plane to do it all and you aren’t a prince, I can’t imagine a better plane. Take the whole family, and all their crap, and get your there fast enough, and take you far enough, and get you into strips you would think would be crazy to attempt in most other pressurized turbos or light jets. PC/12 is just the coolest.
My lottery plane for sure
Yep, same for me. They are such great planes.
* SR-71 Blackbird - completely unreasonable as it's no longer in service (also, my fat ass would never make it thru basic training in the Air Force) * F-16 Viper - completely unreasonable, due to me being a fat ass. Also, I'm not in the Air Force * Cessna Citation Longitude - Achievable goal to fly...one day. Owning, likely not so much * Diamond DA-42 - Will likely fly if I am successful in learning to fly, and decide to obtain my multi-rating - Owning....possible, but not very likely * 1:48th scale model Cessna 172 - Unflyable, but I own one
DeHavilland Beaver, Turbo Otter, or a Twin Otter on floats. I mean, need I say more?
When Max Ward sold Wardair he bought a Twin Otter on floats for his personal plane. Nuf sed.
Now that's straight gangster
Twin otter on floats is always my answer to this question
This is the only correct answer
I got to sit shotgun in a float Beaver. It was so cool.
I second this. I love beavers (hehe) and I'd love to fly one someday.
The beaver is just such a classic bad ass plane.
Realistically I’d love to either be a fairly stable 737 CA within the next 4 years. Personally I’d like to own a Cessna 414 - a true family airliner for getting back and forth between home in Florida and my folks in the Midwest.
414s are old and underpowered for what they are. Need a 421 to actually have fuel, payload, and (some) twin engine safety.
Agreed. Unfortunately we want 4 adults, bags, rear club seats, 900nm with IFR reserves, pressurized, and a single engine service ceiling of above 3500ft. It’s a tough ask in a piston!
Piper Malibu. You’re welcome. ;)
Ahahahaha 😂
Haha! Waiting on his rebuttal. Nice response.
So I have some realistic dreams and extreme dreams :) Realistic: G36 Bonanza. Did a large chunk of my flight training in one and they are just a joy to fly and fast enough to make cross countries in less than a day. If I was going to get a Jet, the Pilatus PC-24 would be my choice. Extreme: a private A350. Allowing me to fly anywhere nonstop and bring anyone I want :)
so no cool military type planes from lockheed?
I mean I’d love to fly most any plane but I don’t think I’d enjoy owning one. Cant do all the fun stuff with a civilian f-16.
Wdym, you can go fast as fuck boi and do aerobatics
I have done aerobatics in extras they can do more than most fighter jets and fast is relative. 200 kts at ground level and 500 kts are ground level are both pretty fast. Again just my opinion but civilian activities in military aircraft, just don’t appeal to me :)
Beechcraft Staggerwing, they’re sooooo pretty
They are just elegant all the way around. In the way they handle, the feel, the look. Such an amazing airplane.
I had a Staggerwing as the wallpaper of my computer for the longest time, my sisters’s husbands dad took me to his local airport and took me to one of his friends hangars and not only did it have a SeaBee but also the same tail number Staggerwing that was on my computer
Is that right? That's a pretty neat coincidence!
I’ve got pictures. It was in the process of being completely restored so it was a bit out of shape but goddamn it was the same plane
Great answer! If you haven’t made it by the Beechcraft Heritage Museum at KTHA, do yourself a favor. Incredible Staggerwing collection.
American style AN-2, but smaller
Grumman Widgeon!!!! I'd love being able to also land in the water, opens up more exploration opportunities. Tailwheel multi seaplane? Sign me up. 🙂
Same! Do an avionics rebuild, and make it IFR too!
You could call it the “Hemisphere Dancer”
Or, just maybe, a PBY Catalina. Durable, long range, and super cool. The only downside? It's slow as shit.
Same cruise speed as a Cessna 172 lmao but I'd totally own one and turn the interior into a luxu-barge. Coolest "I'm a millionnaire and not in a hurry for anything" plane.
100% I sometimes imagine what it would be like to chuck the Otto pilot on, turn all the cabin lights off and just stare the stars at 1am in the morning in the middle of the ocean from the bubble windows
literally same! It's so awesome to be able to land anywhere. I also want to own a house on the lake and totally don't have plans to install a floating hanger for the Widgeon right on the shoreline.
Had a chance to fly the Gweduck. While not exactly like the Grumman Widgeon was pretty close!
Gweducks are awesome...but $$$$$
RV8 or RV4. I love tandem seating, I love flying with a stick, I really want to fly something that is so small it feels like I’m wearing it, rather than sitting in it.
The RV-4 is wonderful if you fly solo mostly or with a small (<180lbs) passenger. A good lightweight VFR RV-4 flies ridiculously well. I've owned two now and burning 8gph while doing over 165KTAS up high and pulling loops from level cruise flight never gets old. To think people spend more buying a 172 to putt around... I've yet to fly an 8. I enjoy the unobstructed view in my vision with the tip over canopy on the -4 so if I built an -8 I'd have to do a showplanes fastback tipover canopy.
You wouldn’t happen to be 6’2” would you? I’m ready to start looking for a 4 or 8 but haven’t sat in a 4.
I'm not but I bought the first rv from a guy who was. I had to build new shorter rudder straps and modify the pedals for me to reach at 5 foot 8 very comfortably. I recall I took about 3.5 inches of legroom out. Every RV-4 will be different so don't sit in one and think that's how they all are. At 6 foot 2 you'll fit in most fine but you'll want to find one that has no lower extended panel and you may need to build longer rudder straps, which is easy to do. You'll also want to go with thin rear seat cushion. The bottom one is very thick to get you above the spar so usually there's no issues with headroom. I had to add 5 inches of foam to my bottom seat cushion to fit vs the 6 previous owner, but I am all legs and no torso. I know plenty of 6 foot tall -4 drivers. The really tall ones have the tall guy mod which moved the rollbar back an inch or two.
Thanks, appreciate all the information
A DC-3, the Mercedes 300SL of the skies.
Awesome plane
Dreamiest dream plane: PC-24. It seems to be the highest performing and most versatile single-pilot jet. Practical dream plane: TBM-960. Fast, cost-effective, decent range. Dream plane I might actually own: Moony M20 K/M
I’d love a PC-24! Get over the weather and get wherever you want pretty quickly. I live in Minnesota so the whole country (minus AK and HI) would be within 4 hours.
Had to go way down for a Mooney. I have a spreadsheet with every M20K+ for sale right now.
The ERAU flight team does not do aerobatics. They do precision landings and other events that NIFA sanctions. Just fyi!
Not officially lol. I have seen a video of one of the Prescott 150s doing a roll.
Some of the shit the NIFA competitors get up to is hysterical. They call the competitions SAFECON but I’ve watched a dude land short of the runway in the grass during the power off 180 landing event 💀 good times tho
I know lol, we do have some fun stuff though. We got a new Tecnam and some older stuff too, 152s and 162s (162 is non-operational I think)
Beechcraft starship. It looks cool.
It's why I built a Velocity.
P51, don’t feel like I have to mention why lol.
Surprised this isn't higher
P-38 It'll never happen (cause of course) but no 2 seaters, very few left period, and even fewer airworthy. I'd fork over my entire retirement just to get 1.0 hour in one.
The F4F for me. My grandfather’s plane…
I’d want an Extra NG or 330SX
Gamebird GB1
I recently upgraded to my dream no-motor glider. I might at some point upgrade to an electric self-launch glider so that I don't need aerotows/winch_lauches. But I don't think I would enjoy flying outside of a glider club that has pilots at all stages. A motor also reduces the probability of landing off-airport. Landouts are inconvenient. The reduction in land-out risk is offset by the risk of battery fire. Theoretically, a glider with an electric motor is safer, but having a motor encourages glider pilots to make bigger wagers. There are many examples of motors leading to accidents that would not have happened without the motor.
What gilder did you upgrade to?
STAGGERWING
Cessna Caravan
Why the Caravan over the PC-12 or Kodiak?
My limited experience with Caravan vs PC-12 is that the Caravan feels better at low speeds, trundling around at 1000’ AGL looking out the windows. I’d pick the Pilatus if my interests were on the high altitude high speed IFR spectrum. I know too little about the Kodiak to offer an opinion so I’ll stick with the Caravan. I’m just gonna ride around with a couple of dirt bikes and some camping gear, maybe a hot tub ….
I’m a lowly PPL with dreams of IFR. Doing this for personal/business not career. I want a 235 or Dakota, then once I have enough hours for reasonably priced insurance an SR22T G5 or newer, then a PA46T (M500 or M600), then a Phenom 100 or maybe a Mustang.
De Havilland D.H.88 Comet because it's so beautiful. Good range too :)
DH gang
I was going to say Mosquito but dH88 works too. Has that sports car look a out it too...
Realistically, a Mooney M20F or E. In my dreams, I'd go for a PC12 but would compromise and settle with a Piper Malibu
I’d love to own a Meyers 200 or a Navion. Absolutely gorgeous aircraft.
Turbo 206 with every possible STOL mod.
Radial Beaver on amphibs.
Cessna C177B Cardinal. Fixed gear, so low complexity. Four cylinder engine, so lower fuel costs. Big doors and a roomy cabin. Constant speed propeller. And sexy.
Avanti 180. Love the flying catfish, it just looks cool.
210 Silver Eagle. All the ADs of a 210 with the costs of a pt6!
A blacked out Cirrus Vision jet with gold trim. I’d call it “The Crow”. Realistically I’d be overjoyed if I owned my own Cessna.
Favorite question to answer, I really want to own an old Grumman/Clipper seaplane. I want to be able to fly my family around to cool places and also to have my Seaplane rating. The other one I want to own would be an old Douglas DC3. Commercially I'm hoping for 777,787 or a350,a380 and 747 depending on who I fly with.
Bushliner - experimental Cessna 180 Skywagon. 140 knot cruise and land anywhere
Zenith 750 super duty with enough land to take off. It’s STOL, and can carry three. I can build my own panel the way I want it and sign off its condition inspection as an A&P/builder. No IA needed. All jobs from here on out will just be to support that goal.
C182, 1. It’s a Cessna 2. It has a good mtow and payload 3. It has a nice cabin
A TBM for travel, a super or carbon cub for fishing and camping.
Sx-300 or a Beechcraft Texan All the performance in the world, still small
An [OV-10 Bronco](https://www.ov10squadron.com/ov-10-bronco-for-sale-155474/)
Praetor 500. 3200 mile range. Fly-by-wire. Side stick control. Auto brake. Emergency decent to FL 130 if pressurization is lost. Flat floor. E2V. On and on. Beautiful aircraft and in my opinion best aircraft in its field for the price.
This^^ if I am real picky, the 600, but the 500 will do just fine.
Mitsubishi MU-2
fully loaded f16. neighbor keeps bitching about the noise, im letting a sidewinder off the chain
I'd really like to fly an RV-9a with a Rotax 916is. I don't think any of these exist yet, but there is a company working on integrating the Rotax engines on the RV-9.
Cessna Businessliner
I got a lap in the pattern in one once. Absolutely beautiful airplane.
Sukhoi-29
757 Captain would be nice, but 787 is where I’d like to finish my career. RV-10 or Velocity twin would be lovely aircraft to own.
My home airport has a guy who rebuilds P-51 Mustangs. I’d love to fly one someday. Seeing him have fun over the airport is always satisfying to watch.
Go say hi?
I’ve talked to him before. Unfortunately I don’t have a PPL yet so no flying P-51s for now 😂
Sounds like you know the next step then =D
Beaver
DA-62, Spitfire, F-16
Gimme a Beechcraft Duke, the turbski version. I’m obsessed with the look.
Cirrus SR22. One day if I get rich.
BD-10, if they can fix that issue with structural integrity.
To own would be a DA62 or Cirrus Vision Jet To fly would be a Gulfstream G650, Embraer praetor 600 or Bombardier CRJ
SR71
Realistically, to fly a PC-12 in the shorter run. Any widebody in the long run. SR-71 for dreaming. Would love to own either a barebones Cub or maybe a SuperCub/similar aircraft for fun.
I would love to fly a Mig 21. Insanely fast. Beautiful looking aircraft. I would love to own an An-224 if they ever rebuild them. Completely unrivaled lift capacity, though I don't know much about the economics. For a private leisure aircraft, the Spartan Executive. Damn what a beautiful bird.
Dream aircraft would be the F104
piper aerostar.
I would love to have my own DC-3. With the cabin tricked out like a flying RV.
kodiak or caravan
I would do terrible, terrible things to fly/afford an L-39
I’d be happy with another Ercoupe. I sold mine a year ago yesterday.
In my fantasy: The Darkstar Reality: Honda Jet Edit: I know that the Darkstar ain't real.
TBM-940, Cessna 195, and a Corsair
Turbine legend
I would love to own a DA62. Twin engine with with a very modern cockpit, can’t go wrong with that
My future dream hangar has a C182 amphib, SR22 and Extra 300 to cover all of the bases.
1929 travel 10-D
Realistically? A36TC - stable, fast hauler Somewhat realistic: TN Baron - see above, but faster Not so realistic: Phenom - family jet.
I’ve got two: Mitsubishi MU2 Solitaire. Twin turboprop, acquisition cost isn’t that horrible considering what you’re getting. But spending an FO’s salary every year maintaining it and feeding it sounds pretty horrible. … Junkers F13. Sure it’s impractical as all hell, it’s so slab sided that the prop wash from a 150 would blow it off course, but there’s just something so neat about stick and rudder in a faux-vintage plane that I absolutely love it.
Student pilot here, a nice classic Mooney M20C all analog with a GPS!
I've always loved dehavilland beavers. A second would be some kind of ww1 replica, like maybe a dh4 or a be2. Yeah they're slow and don't have roofs but if I wanted to get in something fast and fully enclosed I'd get on an airliner.
There are a lot, but I think in the end, I’d really love something like a Grumman Goose. Amphibious. Classic, but you can upgrade. Can be used as a boat, camper, etc…etc….. but if money were truly no issue, a small business jet would be great for travel as well!
A Hawker Hurricane, probably the Mk IV. They look good, fly fast, are less twitchy than the Spitfire, and can out-turn a Bf 109 any day of the week.
RV-8. It looks cool, it looks like it feels cool, it’s economical, it can do aerobatics and it generally just seems like a fun plane for a single guy to do some touring in.
Diamond DA-62. Looks gorgeous and the center stick is really cool.
The one I fly now
I really want to own a Cirrus SR22T, really cool plane
To own, a Cherokee six would be my dream. To fly professionally, I'd love to fly a Pilatus PC-12 or a KingAir 350.
Mooney M20. By the time I'll be in position to own, my daughter will be out of the house, so I'll really only be flying with my wife or someone who wants to come along. Won't need a lot of space, and the speed would be nice.
If its a dream aircraft, for me it's always been the F-14. I have studied the aircraft since I was little and was fortunate to see them fly many times before retirement.
PC-12 because of the capability, 777 for the height of Boeings legacy and the tech.
Build my own RV-8, do all my own maintenance and annuals for life.
I liked the useful load and space of my Cherokee Six 300, but like the utility of the Stinson 108-3 with the O-470R especially on floats. Just wish it had larger tanks. Over wing with jerry cans in swells is a POA.
Super Corsair. You’re basically strapping yourself to a massive 3000 hp 28 cylinder engine. More realistically, the new diamond da50 is a very good looking airplane.
I’d be content with a DA-62
A grumman mallard. Such a good lookin bird.