What Was Your First Complex Airplane Flown?

[Corona]

Now, back to the real topic at hand. Here is the Leadville version of the White Hen, Kwik-E-Mart etc. (you guys are gonna love this!) http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/[email protected]/detail?.dir=/ab1a&.dnm=c9f8.jpg

Ah, yes...two functions with the same orifice. Gotta appreciate the variety there...

Oh, M20F Executive. Unreliable POS IMO, but handled real nice, like most Mooneys.

C

 

[Spooky 1]

DC4, Belguim Congo 1962

 

[Benhuntn]

B757 with the Pegasus FMC and PW 2040's.

 

[bafanguy]

DC-3, 1968......and proud of it.

 

[TDTURBO]

Haven't flown one yet, but have been looking at a cheap Mooney nearby. The only complex that I have ridden in was a Meyers 200 (kinda different). What do you Comanche fans like about it?

Now, back to the real topic at hand. Here is the Leadville version of the White Hen, Kwik-E-Mart etc. (you guys are gonna love this!) http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/[email protected]/detail?.dir=/ab1a&.dnm=c9f8.jpg

LMAO, now that's a classic!

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

PA-28R-201, the beutiful Arrow III.

 

[Flyin Tony]

First was Comanche 250

I have been flying a M20 with a guy I know and I will never give up the Comanche unless its a M20K 252 or a rocket 305

 

[Goose Egg]

1960 M-20B. Had the da mnedest time getting the manual gear up and down.

-Goose

 

[Lead Sled]

Things have changed...

My first airplane was a brand, spanking new 1967 Mooney M20C. I had my private and right around 80 hours - all of it in Aeronca Champs, Cessna 150s, and Cessna 170s. Mooney had a special promotion going, for $16 your friendly local Mooney dealer would put you in the left seat and give you a demo flight that would last 30 minutes or so. That's what I did. Back then, there was no endorsement requirements.

A couple of months later, a business associate of my father flew his Mooney M20E into town to meet with my father and to have some work done on the airplane. After the work was performed, there was some disagreement as to whether or not the bill had been paid (it had) and the friendly folks at the maintainence shop paddlelocked the tiedown chains. An attorney was consulted and the owner was advised to cut the chains and get the airplane "out of Dodge." The owner called me at home, I was a junior in high school, and asked me if I had ever flown a Mooney. I told him yes, but that it had been a couple of months. He told me to hurry and meet him at the airport. When I got there, he gave me a bunch of gas money and the keys and told me to go have some fun. I wasn't supposed to tell him where I was going so he wouldn't be lying if anyone asked if he knew where the airplane was - he could honestly say that he didn't know.

I jumped in the airplane, pulled the POH (emphasis on "handbook") out of the glovebox and got the fuel injected Lycoming started. I remember getting out to the runup pad and quickly reading the manual to get the various speeds and power settings and away I went. I flew to a nearby town and shot a few landings to get comfortable with it then I called a couple of my flying buddies and off we went for a fun flying weekend.

It was probably not the smartest trick I ever pulled, but it was legal. I was pretty stupid back then. By the way, the Champs I flew cost me $4 an hour wet, the Cessna 150 was $60 for a 10 hour block, and the Cessna 170 was $7 wet. However when you're making $1.50 an hour bagging groceries that was still a lot of money.

'Sled

 

[lowlycfi]

Arrow