Favorite Aircraft

[aero99]

There have been some interesting threads about who we are, the cars we drive, sunglasses we wear and even what time we get up.

I thought I would start a new one with your favorite aircraft flown or seen. I think there should be some good talk about experiences with this issue.

Since I only fly 180 hp wonders, I don't have any favorites that I have flown, but the most incredible aircraft I ever saw was a Waco bi-plane with a jet engine mounted on the bottom. If you have seen this aricarft in an airshow you know what I'm talking about. Nothing like seeing a bi-plane, at jet speeds, doing loops and sounding like a jet.

 

[Boeingman]

F-4 Phantom. (Rhino to you Military buffs)


I do miss the old girl.

 

[FlyinBrian]

As much as I really love the 'ol Saab 340 with all of it's gadgets and whistles, My true love is the Supercub.
Nothing is more "zen" to me than flying a slightly tattered old cub 50 feet off the ground at 80 MPH with nothing but a sectional chart for navigation. Sure, going fast and high and far has it's merits, But It just doesn't satisfy my passion for flight like low and slow with the door and window open. When I'm flying between mountains by myself in a cub, I am one with the universe. Not to mention the exhiliration that you get from concentrating on the perfect wheel landing. When I'm flying that plane, all of my worldly worries dissolve, and it's just me and the plane.

Sorry to get all transcendental, but I know some of you know what I'm talking about.

 

[AK737FO]

The B737-700 is cool, but nothing beats flat-hatten down the beach (at an FAA approved altitude) in the old 1943 Boeing PT-17 Stearman. No checklists, no radios, just the sound of a radial and the wind in the wires.

 

[enigma]

My favorite, out of the models I have flown is the Lear 60. Lots of power and small/responsive enough to feel like a sports car instead of a truck (the MD80)

The airplane that I wish I had, would be a homebuilt Steen Skybolt.

My fantasy warbird would be a P47.

My ideal airplane, one: that never goes more than two hours from home, that never overnights, that only flys 15 days a month, that only flys VMC, that uses pilots who get payed $150K a year. What an aircraft that would be.

regards

 

[jetdriven]

Cessna414/421.
Man what a sweet flying airplane, no bad habits, stays trimmed where you put it. Quiet, fast, and roomy. Baron is more fun to fly on a VFR day but the 400 cessnas are better all around, IMHO.

 

[NightFlyer]

Hands down, the P-51D.

 

[Ravengirl]

POCKET ROCKET!

Lear 23! Never had the privelege to fly it, obviously, but if I did...*drools*

Ravengirl

 

[AWACoff]

D-17S. Yesterday's luxury is still ahead of today's. Thanks to Bud Fuchs for my .3 dual recieved.

 

[jaybird]

As for nicest flown V tail Bonanza BE-35 smooth as glass. I had my sweetest landings in that a/c and on my commercial DE ride too.

I think the Mitsubishi MU-2 is cool looking.

Add another to the P-51 pile, talk about a piece of history.

 

[Wiggums]

Any airplane with a radial engine. Also needs to be loud and belch smoke and fire out of the exhaust stack when starting up. Even better, its over fifty years old and leaks oil all over the hanger floor.

 

[aero99]

IF it weren't for this money thing, I' d have to join the list for a p51 right next to an aero L39 czech trainer.

 

[Andy Neill]

The Hughes 369 (OH-6A). After a few hundred hours in it, the controls seemed to be locked to my brain waves - it would respond to where I wanted to go with just a thought.

As far as getting somewhere, it was NOT the ride to have. I suspect the constant tone I have in my right ear is somewhere near the frequency of the OH-6 transmission.

 

[bobbysamd]

Favorite A/C

Warbirds. P-51B Mustang, B-36, B-17 (saw a nice one make several passes where I live last summer), B-29 (I got to sit in the left seat of the CAF B-29 something like 16 years ago). B-58. Skyraiders. C-117 (I remember seeing a formation of them fly overhead as I was sitting in school in the fourth grade - there used to be a static display of one in Pueblo, Colorado).

New warbirds. C-130. C-17 (I think these are way cool).

Military trainers. T-33. T-34 (would kill to fly one - can't be a whole lot different than A36s). T-41B (closest thing to a warbird I'll ever fly).

Nearly any old, round-engined civil airliner. DC-3/C-47/C-53 (there used to be an outfit in Daytona or someplace that typed in the "3s" and I know some still work for a living in the U.S.). Convair 340 (I think I have it right - there was this operator, Florida Air Transport, I believe it was, that had two of them to fly Wall Street Journals from Wiley Post in OKC to Memphis every night five nights a week - I tried get with them just to ride and get my foot in the door - never happened). Connies. Other Douglases. Boeing Stratocruiser, including C-97s.

Classic turboprop airliners. Electras, including P3s. Viscounts (Continental used them in the '50s - I remember that they had this distinctive whine).

Ones I've flown: Citation (major wow - only enough to get my type; just as easy to land as a 172; V1 cuts were strange for this light twin driver). A36. BE55 (got my multi and MEI in it), BE58. Tri-Pacer (only one hour to give a CAP pilot a checkout - fun!). Cardinal fixed and retractable (what a GREAT looking airplane). Seminole (primarily single-engine ).

Those are a few of my faves.

 

[T-handle]

Any WWII era aircraft! Just imagine the days when 18-19 year old baby faced chaps were flying these massive machines, with a ton of raw horsepower!

Now we can barely fly a 160hp C-172 at that age. Long live the B-17 and P-51!

 

[GuppyPuppy]

Favorite that I've flown is by far the DHC-6-300 Twin Otter. It can land on a dime and stop before reaching the end of that dime!!!

What a great bush plane!

Cheers!

GP

Purple is a fruit!

 

[328dude]

I would have to say the B-25 Mitchell. (Old Glory)

Had a blast with this bird in Wichita, KS.

 

[Salty Dog]

The old saying goes, "The two best ships in the Navy are your next ship and your last ship". So I'm looking forward to building multi time while fondly recalling the faithful 172 I use today.

Just to round out everybody's perspective here, though, I'll happily give you all rides in the AOPA Sweepstakes Bonanza as soon as ol' Phil gets down here with the keys for me!!!

 

[aero99]

You won the AOPA's Bonanza?

 

[KingAirer]

I wish someone would give me a new Baron to fly wherever i wanted to, oh yeah and give me a fuel card too.