In a few months I'm thinking about buying a plane just for fun. I've been thinking about an Ercoupe, and a few older taildraggers (like a Taylorcraft or Stinson). I've also been thinking about getting a Long EZ or Vari EZ. There is a group of local owners that I have been hanging out with some, and those planes are AWESOME. The speed and range are great compared to the other planes I've been looking at, and they are just rediculously fun to fly. The seating position is great, very relaxed, with a stick on the right side. Very comfortable, and VERY fun to fly. Great visibility, etc., etc., I could go on for a long time. The one complaint I have is that they have little room for baggage. Not really a big deal, 95% of my flying would be just for fun, not really traveling on longer trips. Another thing I really like is the cost. I'm not an A & P, but I could do most of the work myself. One of the local owners is an A & P and will help with or oversee the work you are doing, and then sign it off. I'm an Electrical Engineer, and I have done a fair amount of "hands-on" work, and I'm confident I could decide what repairs/modifications I am and am not capable of doing safely. Basically that means the cost to fly will be LOW.
The only thing stopping me right now is that I'm not sure how safe they are. I'm going to be carying friends and family, and they are taking my word that I am not going to kill them. I want to be able to tell them that and be comfortable with it. I've read every NTSB report on these aircraft. Pilot error is still the #1 cause, similar to all GA aircraft. However there are other quirks that will kill you. Probably the most popular way to get yourself in trouble is to not secure the fuel caps properly. Get in the air, the cap comes off and goes through the prop. Now you're a glider (another nice thing, they are so slick the glide ratio is around 20:1 I believe). Put chains on the caps and that will never happen. Then there are the really scary accidents, like the canards coming off. Then you are a bomb, and you are just along for the (short) ride.
John Denver died in a Long EZ, although it was entirely his fault.
Any thoughts? Opinions? Safe or not? I know how many crashes there have been, but since it is nearly impossible to guage the number of hours flown, it is really difficult to know how much more dangerous these planes are (statistically) than GA aircraft.
The only thing stopping me right now is that I'm not sure how safe they are. I'm going to be carying friends and family, and they are taking my word that I am not going to kill them. I want to be able to tell them that and be comfortable with it. I've read every NTSB report on these aircraft. Pilot error is still the #1 cause, similar to all GA aircraft. However there are other quirks that will kill you. Probably the most popular way to get yourself in trouble is to not secure the fuel caps properly. Get in the air, the cap comes off and goes through the prop. Now you're a glider (another nice thing, they are so slick the glide ratio is around 20:1 I believe). Put chains on the caps and that will never happen. Then there are the really scary accidents, like the canards coming off. Then you are a bomb, and you are just along for the (short) ride.
John Denver died in a Long EZ, although it was entirely his fault.
Any thoughts? Opinions? Safe or not? I know how many crashes there have been, but since it is nearly impossible to guage the number of hours flown, it is really difficult to know how much more dangerous these planes are (statistically) than GA aircraft.