Aircraft you love and hate to fly ...

[aseanaero]

What aircraft have you flown regularly that puts a smile on your face and others you would be happy never to sit in again ?

LOVE

C310R - nice all round aircraft , solid , looks great with that long nose

Pilatus Porter - turbine, great build quality and could dive like a Stuka

C210 - single engine 310

Pitts S2A - open cockpit and pilot skill builder

HATE

C152 - underpowered, with 2 fat asses on a 45 deg C day it would be lucky to get airborne

Robin R-2160 - a flying Renault with the same build quality , some loved it I hated it , the only nice thing about it was being able to taxi with the canopy open on a hot day. What's with that tail ? Lots of tacked on surface area to fix up a crap design.

[777WakeTurbz]

Love = Beechcraft Baron 58... What can i say that anyone who has flown a Baron doesnt already know... Superb flying machine! :ok:

Hate, Hate, HATE = Cessna 172... Omfg how i never ever want to fly one of these aircraft ever again!!! :yuk:

[Aerohooligan]

LOVE:

C210 - I fly it for work, but it's a great machine. Lots of power and nice and stable.

Citabria - 0-1000' in 3.3 seconds. Plenty of power, aerobatic and a joy to fly with lots of windows to look out of at funny angles. Simple, too.

HATE

C172 - Underpowered, mushy controls, almost all examples old and tired. Too many hours spent doing CPL navs in 'em.

C152 - Anaemic performance, hot and high = burning and death. Cramped as hell when your instructor was 6'2" and 120kg.

[clear to land]

Love: DHC6: Does exactly what it was designed to do brilliantly. BE20 and BE90, Super as it does everything well and comfortably, 90 for the aileron responsivesness and challenge in the flare. B206 as doors off is just great!!!:ok:

Average: B737 due to the amount of aileron work required in a strong crosswind, to achieve an average of wings level, and a completely useless speedbrake! B777: Does everything well, especially with GE power, but still just a truck.DHC8: Always a challenge for a smooth landing with those oleos.:)

Hate: Nothing really, although the C150 series doesn't do well in power or comfort 2 up, it was fine single pilot. Same with the Traumahawk! :bored:

[The Green Goblin]

Love:

Pistons:

Most IO-520 powered machines with a particular fondness for the A36/BE58 and the C210.

Turbines:

Can't beat the Conquest :E

Hates:

P68 and the Seminole!

[remoak]

Love:

BAe 146 - the last pilot's airliner before automation killed all the fun;

FK27: well harmonised and a challenge when stuff went wrong - you have to love the pneumatics;

BAe J32: when empty, like a little sports car (particularly with water meth);

Siai Marchetti SF260: You'd swear you were in a jet fighter (and could be if you had the TP);

Tolerate:

Various Boeings and Airbii: efficient, but soul-less

Shorts 360: Only the Irish could design the systems on that one - the fuel tanks live directly above the cabin;

Grumman AA5B: much better design than equivalent spam-cans;

Piper Arrow and Seneca III: just feel solid, if unexciting

No thanks:

Any C152/172/182: utlilarian to say the least

[Alex 009]

Love: Cessna 185 - very rewarding to fly if you fly it well

Hate: 152/172s - as per reasons already stated.

[wateroff]

Love - A340-600

Love and Hate - Metro (always getting me through another day, but quietly waiting to pounce):sad:

[KRUSTY 34]

Gotta agree with you on the Shorts 360 remoak! Previous job was flying the delightful (if ergonomically challenged) D/E 55 Baron. What a sweet fun ride they were.

Jumped into the Shorts and was completely horrified. About the only aircraft I had flown previously with that much adverse yaw was probably my mate's Citabria, or perhaps the old beat up glider I flew once as a teenager!

Also, no seat rake adjustment may be fine for your average 6 footer, but for those of us with slightly shorter arms, just reaching the power levers from the right hand side was entertaining. But the thing did have headroom. 7'3" in the main cabin if memory serves!

[chewi]

Hate: Got to be the Metro, the pig of the sky a plane that trys to kill you on a regular basis.

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Ten posts and no-one has yet bagged the GAF Nomad?

[M14_P]

Love the Yak 52, Tiger Moth and Pitts Specials S2A/B S1S

HATE the P68 and Cherokee 140.

Here is a wee addition to the thread, what about machines you are (looking forward to flying) planning on or close to having a crack in?

For me it is definately the DH Rapide and Pitts Model 12.

[M14_P]

Can you guys please explain what is so bad about the Metro - I will now never fly in one of these planes, hearing their pilots speak so lowly of them, scary stuff. :sad:

[heightdeprived]

Ten posts and no-one has yet bagged the GAF Nomad?
Ask a Philippine Air Force Pilot

[Pinky the pilot]

Ten posts and no-one has yet bagged the GAF Nomad?

Paging Tinpis.

As for me...
Love; Chieftains. Pawnees with a 250hp engine

Hate; Seneca 1.:ugh: Cherokee 140.

Somewhat indifferent re 'Bongo vans' despite having the characteristic hearing loss caused by all the time I logged in those things.

[the wizard of auz]

Love: C208B, C310, C402c, C404, C421, C185, C188, C210, DHC6, PC6, PC12, PA18. R22, B47G, EC130.
Hate: C152\150, R2160, P68, PA30\34, PA28-140/160/180.
I'm sure there are others in both lists. I will add them as I remember them.

[The Truckie]

Best - Aerostar and Kingair B200

Worst - Beechcraft Sierra. (What a hunk of junk!!)

[PA39]

:ok: Love ANYTHING with wings....even the boxes they came in!! All aircraft are like women. Must be handled gently, looked after and well maintained!

[empacher48]

Love: Nomad, ATR. The Nomad was just delightful and in a crosswind isn't too dissimilar to the ATR, both love to heel over in a crosswind!

Hate: GA8 Airvan, those things aren't designed to fly straight, run out of rudder in any crosswind over 15 knots, are extremely uncomfortable and are a prick of a thing in turbulence!

[sru]

Loved every experience:-

Baron
Good solid and reliable Beach.

BE200
Big baron but burns kero absolutely loved its flexibility.

PA31
350 was nice but you needed a good ginger beer, the under carriage rigging could generate some concerning moments.

FK27
Loved the fact that it was all pilot driven. It was really air driven, manual fuel trimmers, and you gotta love the prop system. High aspect wing and cable controls taught you a lot about anticipating the delay to an input.

FK50
Nice, A bit of glass and a modified wing.

B767
Out of anything I have flown this rates highest. Awesome power, roll rates approaching fighter rates and when you got the wheels on the ground could stop in about 600m. 330kts to 10nm? No worries and still would be stable at 1000’ Up and down the East coast or 12 hours to SHA. Loved flying it into / out of Hamilton Is. (1700m Water at each end!)

Auster / Tiger moth
Nothing like still flying at 30kts and trying to land !

PA38 / C150/2

Preferred the Axe. When it stalled it stalled! Not just mushed, taught me and the student a bit of respect for aerodynamics !


:ok:

[conflict alert]

Rated but not current on all types are :-

Aircraft
C150 C152 C172 C182 C182RG C180 C185 C206 C210

PA18 PA20 PA22 PA25 PA28 PA28R PA28RT PA32 PA38

AA1 AA5 GA7

Citabria, Airtourer

(flown but not rated - BAC167Strikemaster, DC3, B58, C208, Gomad, TigerMoth, Beaver)

Helicopters

R22

(flown but not rated - R44, H300, 500)

Gliders

Rhonlark (not the correct spelling - its got a few other letters)
PW5, LS4, Janus

Microlights

my earlier years...I can't remember all the names of the different types and never bothered to log them

SIM

B737, Saab340

Loves - all of them, strap it to me
Hates - Nil
Wishes - WWI and WWII aircraft if it weren't so damn expensive

I will die a happy man

[18-Wheeler]

Can you guys please explain what is so bad about the Metro - I will now never fly in one of these planes, hearing their pilots speak so lowly of them, scary stuff.

I'll explain, as it's also my most hated aeroplane.

The Metro.
The cockpit was designed by a midget and anyone of even normal size is very uncomfortable in them. Especially if you have long legs as the pedals are simply far too close to the seat so you have to bend your legs so far that it's practically impossible to get your feet onto the pedals at anything like a comfortable angle.
Fortunately the brakes, although fitted, don't actually work; they are there for show only and to amuse the ground engineers. So it's really not that important to get your feet where you would normally have them.
The control column was designed by a personal trainer, to improve your fitness by means of a continuous physical workout whenever any movement at all is required as they forces needed to move any control surface is in the tens of kilograms. If you can't benchpress two or three hundred kilograms, forget it.
Fortunately again, the engineers that designed the Metro had a sense of humour and made the ailerons so they don't really work much. They will roll the aeroplane roughly as fast as an oil tanker can turn, but no faster.
Whilst on the subject of controls, I must mention the rudder; like most small aeroplanes it also control the nosewheel steering and this is where the Metro engineers must still be peeing their pants with laughter, with the nosewheel system being the result of something like ten completely unrelated bits of machinery all incorporated to make the Metro perform the complex tasks of .... left ..... and ...... right. The nosewheel system requires approximately two weeks to do a complete systems test on the taxi out to the holding point and so many Metros must return to be refueled before flight. Fortunately it works randomly but the aeroplane can be steered on the ground by means of futilely stabbing at the brakes (I use the term loosely) and moving the power levers to vary the noise left to right.
Then there's the stall detection and Stall Avoidance System, which is designed to kick in just before landing; to do this, it senses a completely normal airspeed in the landing configuration just before landing, and then activates the stick pusher without warning, thus making the Metro land on the nosewheel and bounce down the runway.
Normally this would be uncomfortable for the passengers, if you are carrying any, but they are probably still unconscious from the lack of pressuristation due to the Metro being fitted with door seals made from molten ear wax and the bleed source a small 12 volt hair drier fitted to each engine. Even though the door seals may keep a tiny fraction of the air in the cabin and they whistle a loud revelry to keep the punters awake, they are often wearing foam ear plugs to block the noise and are likely to be blacked out from the cabin being something like 1,000' below the cruise altitude.
Fortunately, the Metro engineers had already considered the dual problems of trying to keep the passengers subdued and also making the ailerons a mere amusement, so they gave the machine a tiny little thin wing that only works when you are travelling along at many hundreds of knots. The wing is also very handy for smacking your head into, to remind you how lucky you are to be in aviation .... in case you had forgotten.
Speaking of engines, again the Metro engineers excelled themselves by choosing engines that have the unique blend of being complete and utter p***ks to start unless you have a nuclear power station plugged in (good forethough again - the ground power plug is often on the side of the nacelle near the prop, to help keep the ground crew cool as they unplug you), they also make more noise than said nuclear power station blowing up, and they also take 1.2 weeks to complete a start cycle. So at least when flying a Metro you develop the ability to think ahead. The propeller is also capable of reverse pitch, and this is used to make more noise on landing with the noise reflecting on the airframe to slow it to taxi speed.
Back to the cockpit. Whilst it may seem great fun to blast around the skies in a semi-pressurised aircraft that can barely be controlled - assuming it'll start - you can't actually see where you're going due to the windows being too small. To be fair there's a large-ish window on the side, but it often vibrates so much that nothing useful can be seen from it. This is assuming you're lucky enough to be flying in warm weather, for in colder conditions that require window heat only the window directly in front of each pilot has a tiny section of it heated, so if you thought you couldn't see much before you will see even less now.
The various controls & instruments in the cockpit were strategically positioned by means of a very large shotgun and many cases of beer I suspect. Fortunately, most of them don't read very accurately or indeed at all. A large number of the switches were labelled by means of picking suitable-sounding words from a brown paper bag. The radar is merely a Nintendo Gameboy converted to black & white, yet still has the batteries removed so it doesn't work. Every internal light is designed to illuminate dimly and also burn you if you foolishly fiddle with it to make it brighter.
If you do decide to go attempt to commit aviation in one, you first have to tackle the front door. It's hinged at the bottom and has a single handle to open & close/lock it. Sounds simple, but again the trusty Metro engineers decided that the door should be fitted with a totally reliable lift-assist device that detects the strength of the person trying to operate it, and if the person is weak then the door is scheduled to get no assistance at all, and vice-versa. The chains fitted to either side to stop the door from (mostly) plunging deep into the ground when opening are also designed to fall to the side when closing the door to make it jam, with the bonus of also damaging the door seal. But the Metro engineers weren't finished there, they decreed that even if you'd managed to lift the heavy door up and grow another arm or two to get the chains out of the way, then it has just enough twist in it so it simply won't shut. Well some doors are scheduled to only shut when slammed for the 3rd or 4th time with at least a grunt and swear word. It's then impossible to visually sight if the door is close as the inspection ports for the door pins are made from cataracts extracted from the eyes of old pilots. Fortunately it works nearly perfectly every single time you shut it from outside, though it must be a member of the flight crew that shuts it, not any old person on the ground. Engineer humour again I suspect ....

I like the water/meth on takeoff.

Does that answer your question?

[Arnold E]

I cant believe that nobody has mentioned the RV"s, so I will. Love the RV7, flying one today, messing around in the cloud tops. Lots of fun and a delight to fly.:ok:

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Have time on:
C150, 152, 172, 172R, 177R, 180, 182, 182R, 185, 206, 210, 310, 402;
PA18, 23, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 38;
BE23, 24R, 33, 35, 36, 55, 58, 76;
M20;
DH82;
AUST.

Favourites? C402, BE35, PA18, C185, BE55
Hates? None
Intense dislikes? Austers - complete waste of rag and metal tubing!

Dr :8

[HarleyD]

While I wouldn't neccessarily say that I 'loved' all the 100 + types that I have flown, I must say that there has always been a level of enjoyment. Can't say that I really hate any, but some were definately more frustrating than others (PA25-260 with wing tip tanks that ALWAYS fed unevenly was sometimes a real pig when spraying on a windy day). Still it's all character building really.

I have flown many of the hates here and found very few of the 'faults' listed that were actually the planes fault. If you want to learn aero's properly start in a 150 aerobat, master that and everything else is easy because you have learned to fly aero's properly, it is an excellent trainer and enrgy conservation is everything. Would I rather fly an S1S or a flogged out old C150a?...it would depend on the day and I wouldn't be disappointed with either.

Like the Scots say about the water of life:

"There's Whuskie, and there's guid whuskie, but there's nae bud whuskie"

Even that scabby old Pawnee taught be just a little bit more about getting the best out of anything that I fly.

HD

[paulg]

18 Wheeler. Great review. Thanks for the laugh. Just a minor technical question if I may. Do the engines take 1.2 weeks for start cycle or is that 1 to 2 weeks? :D

[an3_bolt]

Love:
Pawnee 250
Super Cub
Boeing 767

Hate:
Cessna 207 "Skycoffin"

[Inbound Outbound]

Give me any aircraft that's got wings, wheels, an engine and a nice comfortable throttle and i'll be more than happy to fly it nonetheless!

[The Green Goblin]

18 Wheeler, absolute gold and all so true.

As much as it is true however I secretly enjoy flying the old girl as it is hard to fly and therefore satisfying when you fly the numbers and she goes down the slope on rails.

A greaser is a hard landing in any other type, but when you do get a good greaser it is hard to wipe the smile from your face grappling with the NWS back to the ramp (by which stage you're sweating bullets as the cabin heads past 85 degrees no matter how much you fiddle with the Bleeds and speed levers)

All in all I love her :E

[frigatebird]

Loved the Metro as the first command on a pressurised single pilot machine with monochrome radar, Omega nav and a good autopilot. Pity about the windscreen becoming less than transparent over time. Agree with the muscle building biceps required for roll control, but when all the hydraulic fluid has been pumped overboard because of a line anurism, and she still all works in reversion mode, - will do me. Could even get them with a rocket in the tail. (playing Devils advocate) Queenairs are lovely. Bandits not bad. Twotters fun. Barons are sportscars. And the trailing-link undercarriages on Titans and ATR-42s will leave you with a warm glow on touchdown every time. After the girls have brought the coffee... :cool:

[Pilotette]

18 Wheeler..absolutely classic post! You did fail to mention however that the physical workout extends beyond the control inputs..you also get to do some cardio when pulling the props through about 20 times!

an3_bolt..aww come on, the 207 "skycoffin" can be a bit of fun! Especially when loading/fully loaded :rolleyes:

My favourite thus far, like many others, has to be a Baron.

[Wally Mk2]

Yes "18" a most amusing post:-) Put yourself down for a gold star there for that one:ok::-) After reading that post anyone whom flew the flying pencils deserve a medal:-)
I have had the misfortune to see the end result of a Metro2 that slammed into the side of a rock covered hill to the Nth of TW many years ago, the result was total destruction, RIP to the sole occupant, obviously the pilot. I think the Rego was VH-SWP? Anyone recall? I didn't think you could condense a machine of that size into a few chaff bags:sad:

No real 'hates' for any flying machines.

Loved the DH104 (Dove) but was about as ergonomically designed as a Skoda but flew/handled the best, typical Pommy A/C, flew beautifully if you could get it all working in unison:-) Pneumatics??? Every time I drained the air tanks I got oil spitting out, me thinks the Pomms where joking using air for powering the brakes, flaps & U/C, more like hydraulics!
Also loved the PA39, 'twin can' although 12volts on early models meant lower the U/C & pray:-)

Marginal: C150H, 2POB, much fuel & 40Degs.......ROC? about the thickness of the VSI needle!:) MB-EN one screaming Northerly day in the C150H had the old girl stationary as we watched the cars on the beach rd go past us!:-)




Wmk2:-)

[aseanaero]

Geez 18 wheeler you really do hate the Metro , good post

Someone said to me once the Metro was the F-104 Starfighter of turboprops

If you want to learn aero's properly start in a 150 aerobat, master that and everything else is easy because you have learned to fly aero's properly, it is an excellent trainer and enrgy conservation is everything.

I won the 1990 SA Sportsman Category in the SA Aerobatic Championships in a C152 Aerobat against everyone else flying Robins, I was Pitts rated at the time and Chris Sperou told me he wanted me to fly the sequences in the C152 "anyone can do it in a Pitts , see if you can do it in a 152", man it was hard work , especially a half loop with a roll off the top , luckily the next part of the sequence was a spin.



.

[Doodlebug]

Loved the ASK13; the C310Q (310R wallows around too much for my liking); the glorious C404 Titan; obviously the B200 (friend of mine got airborne in one carrying TWENTY-SEVEN men, women and pipsqueeks total - refugees stormed the aircraft under fire and they had no other choice other than to depart in a hurry but it flew all right!) as well as the Lear 60. Oh, the C210, I need say no more.

Dislike the GLEX a bit although I mustn't complain (nice looking and fast, but the autopilot/flight-director setup is not the most user-friendly); the C402B (flies ok but god forbid you lose one!) as well as all the slab-winged and soulless Cherokees/172's, etc. What happened to Chipmunks, Swifts, Cubs, Moths etc, etc? Sad.

Not rated on one, but got to have a go in a Yak 52 with an acquaintance. Now t h a t thing was fun as well as seemingly indestructable! :}

[chimbu warrior]

Lots of interesting posts so far...

I can't say I've ever really flown anything and hated it. Liked everything so far, but some less than others. Have flown 150/152/207 and found them okay (even a heavy 207 out of Oksapmin on a windy afternoon). Flew the Metro as well, and quite liked it. I did enjoy 18-W's post though.

C185 always proved fun, but my all-time favourites would be Grumman AgCat, Twin Otter and Shrike.

I still look forward to flying new and different types.

[Shredder6]

For me.....

Loves:
C180
Piper Super Cub
DHC2 Beaver
B1900 - The C model nicer to hand fly, D model better performance all round.

Hates:
Seneca 1
minicab
Tomahawk - only flies due to the curvature of the earth I reckon....:uhoh:

[Peter Fanelli]

Agree with the muscle building biceps required for roll control, but when all the hydraulic fluid has been pumped overboard because of a line anurism, and she still all works in reversion mode,


A Metro has hydraulic flight controls?

:confused:

[frigatebird]

Some bits of the airframe use the oil, but you can still get by without it (provided the nosewheel uplock release ferrule hasn't slipped). No drama

[wateroff]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh no... I thinnk he means the NWS.

[frigatebird]

Haven't you ever had to manually drop the gear? The oil is for gear, flaps, steering and antiskid.

[18-Wheeler]

The oil is for gear, flaps, steering, antiskid, and to stop the airframe from corroding.

Fixed.
Yes I've had to do a few emergency extensions in days gone past.

Better post something positive I guess ....
Best aeroplane I flew was, unsurprisingly, the 747 Classic. It's the best because it's fast, had four engines, lots of room, and a Flight Engineer. The only downside was that they carry about 15 hours of fuel, which is about 12 hours too much.

[j3pipercub]

Loves

Cub, any kind
BN-2. Love em. Built like trucks and perform like them :)
C208. Just awesome
DHC6. Big refined islander
METRO, see below

Hates

C172, C152, C182, Auster. All just average.

And as for the metro. She aint that bad, I love em, as GG said, you get a free workout while you fly and if you get a greaser, you're smiling for a couple of hours. The cockpit aint too bad and on the inside its quieter than a bongo.

It is huge fun to see the metro salute as you pull it into beta and taxi past someone :)

All I all it could be worse, it could be a 1900. Mind you I am a blind midget.

j3

[NZFlyingKiwi]

This is a great thread! :ok: I've only flown a few different GA types so can't comment too much on likes or dislikes, but I will say I love the PA-18 - so much fun after flying 172s.

[poteroo]

Love and respect Cessna 180's The nicest model was the original 180, or the 180A, (with the 'sharks' mouth cutaway lower cowling). It was lighter on the controls, faster, and had an instrument panel so bad that you always kept your eyes outside......where they need to be!

After the 180, it would have to be its' parent, the Cessna 170. A bit underpowered, but lovely balance and handling .... you just need to rip out the back seats and fly it as a 2 seater. Great tailwheel trainer - kept the students sweating until it was chocked & locked!

In the twins......recokon that the D model Baron takes some beating. A little rocket....well, in pistons anyway.

Lot's of ordinary aircraft, but none so bad that I'd not fly them if maintenance was up to par.

happy days,

[chainsaw]

:ok: B727-200, F27, C441, C310, C414, Bandierante, C180

:hmm: B737-200/300, C340, N22

:eek: BN2, P166

[glekichi]

I'm shocked at the bagging the old 152 is copping.
I've never had more fun in any other aircraft.

The (trike) Cessna singles just get worse and worse the bigger the model number! (Although I haven't had the chance to bash around in a 210.)

[senshi]

C402/404.. gentlemen's twin.

Metro.. not quite the gentlemen's twin, but separates the men from the boys.

S

[Frank Arouet]

A lot of you would remember the first time you had sex, so by this standard the 150 should be the most memorable aircraft if not the best.

Similar for the Auster. I doubt most could taxi one with a stiff crosswind. Not only did you need the dexterity of a chimpanze to manipulate the flaps, but you needed the touch of a surgeon to land one. If anything taught the difference between seduction and rape, it was the Auster. The Maule may have the performance, but with 28 knots on the dial an Auster could land and take off "anywhere".

Horses for courses.

What you want may not be what you need.

Love: Glasflugel Hornet.

Hate: Nothing.

[Forward CofG]

Liked:ok::
AC 690: was a hell of a lot of fun. Climbs like a homesick angel, short field is pretty good and sits low to the ground like a sports car.

Be55/58: sporty and fun for a piston twin

C210: reliable piston single

OK:;)
Metro3/23: 18 wheeler is right on most things in his post but I'm not 7ft tall so it wasn't so uncomfortable for me. Quite a stable platform and it can be a little fun to fly on day freight ops, where it can be pushed to it's limits.

C441: good performance. Always felt a little mushy in the controls.

Hate:suspect::eek:
PA-23: underperformer, flight instruments scattered all over panel. (took 1/2 hour to find the Master switch on an Apache), pumping gear up after left engine fails is not fun.

PA32rt: never made a nice landing in one in 250hrs. horrible

FCG

[snoop doggy dog]

:ok::ok::ok: Texas C152 Aerobat 1 up and Citabria both stacks of fun and can T/O and Land everywhere!

:ok::ok: Baron E55 sports car twin and King Air same as Baron but better

:ok: C182 A little work horse that goes anywhere, reliable and fun. C404 Roomy, lots of endurance and loading. Actually, all the Cessnas are good that I've flown C152 thru 208. A320 we have a varied route structure and computer reset fixes just about everything :p

:) Metro 2-10 Single pilot, auto-pilot worked and enjoyed the night freight. Preferred it to the M3/23.

:ugh::ouch: PA31 Every one was made at a different factory with different parts and different people it seemed. Whatever parts were left over on the factory floor just got thrown in each one. However, they got the job done.

These are the ones that I would like to mention :)

[chewi]

Everything 18 wheeler said is so correct. Who had the pleasure of flying EET? The death machine, if it could go wrong it did in EET.

[Jabawocky]

Arnold E :ok:

Yes most folk who have had the pleasure would agree.......:)

Not a lot to dislike about the Retard Vehicle is there? Especially the well apointed ones anyway!;)

[Mach E Avelli]

Love most of 'em but the standout stunner for me is still the DC 3. An aeroplane you can do almost anything with, except go fast.
Hate anything with those stupid heel operated brakes - Austers, Cubs etc. If converted to toe operation, they would probably be tolerable. Also hate bland aeroplanes like Cherokees, Tripacers (silly spring interconnected controls) and nosewheel Cessnas. Yet the same ones in tailwheel configuration (e.g. C140/170/180) are enough of a challenge to be likeable.
Lukewarm about most jets, but did like the 737-200 because it was not too automated, killed mosquitoes with all the excess kerosene coming out the tailpipes, and made enough noise to p!iss off tosspots who keep horses near airports.

[Arnold E]

Wondered where you were Jabba. Most of these blokes have obviously not had the pleasure of flying the RV. Unfortunately I have become a victim of the GFC,:{ so dont know when mine will be going, was flying a mate of mine's. I hope these guys get the pleasure of flying an RV one day!:ok:

PS. 210 after the RV though

[Trojan1981]

I have only a tiny amount of piloting experience compared to most on this forum but here goes...

Loves: PITTS Special (flown S2A/B), Citabria,
Caribou (obviously not rated and I'm sure the DFDA term of limitations has
expired by now!)

Hates: Traumahawk, C152 (don't fit), Back of a Herc.

[Mr Whippy]

Shrike:ok:
C207, pa32:yuk:

[scrufflefish]

I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that one of the most interesting aircraft I've ever been involved with is the C209. One of those rare machines designed by pilots, for pilots.:ok:
scrufflefish (formerly known as 'sailing')

[thrust clb]

Faves: C-206: aviation's Toyota Hi-lux
C-210L with Robertson Stol: Flew one for 1000 hours over 2 years. Absolutely reliable. 155ktas. My first retractible. Snagged at least a couple of dozen lady pax's..:ok:
Pa23-250 Aztec: aviation's Toyota Land Cruiser. Hauls a 700kg load on short strips. Money maker.
Dc-9-30. My first Jet. Manual everything. In 2500 hours of flying the dc-9, i've been stranded only once..a flat tire when the anti-skid failed.
A319/320: Put me in tears during training, but immensely satisfying when mastered.

Didn't like too much: BN Islander. Cramped (i'm 6'0), noisy and slooow. come to think of it , my subaru wrx is faster.

[Metro man]

Can you guys please explain what is so bad about the Metro - I will now never fly in one of these planes, hearing their pilots speak so lowly of them, scary stuff.

Only accountants loved the aircraft. I have more time on them than any other type on my licence (soon to be overtaken by the A320) and spent seven years on them.:{

Heavy controls, M3 has large wing extensions outboard of the ailerons
Deadly stall characteristics, requires a stick shacker and a stick pusher
Noisy
Cramped
Uncomfortable seats
Uses large amounts of runway on take off and landing
Doesn't fly well when iced up but designed to cruise right in the icing levels.
Unreliable hydraulics
Regular pressurisation problems due to cabin door seals
Fusealge bends when loaded making the doors difficult to close
Sensitive to C of G positioning, tends to bulk out so the C of G is often actually well aft of what the load sheet indicates. You find this out only after you get airborne.
Oil leaks, you will go max two weeks with a new shirt before it gets stained.
Doesn't like starting with a strong tail wind or cross wind.
Batteries critical, many anxious moments wondering if it was going to start.
Easy to lock the wheels and blow tyres when landing empty
Regular nose wheel steering problems electrical or hydraulic. Experience of taxying tailwheel aircraft in strong cross winds very usefull in this case.
Engines can be "bogged down", basically if you are not carefull when reducing the prop rpm after landing the engines become a heap of molten scrap.
Order fuel from the bowser in litres, convert to kilos for the load sheet, have the gauges in pounds and the tank dipsticks in gallons. If you deliberately set out to design a more confusing system you couldn't do better than this.
Propellors must be on the start locks for starting or the starter motor will burn out. Sometimes these locks won't engage properly.

Just a small selection off the top of my head, there are many more.

[One of the Night.]

Who had the pleasure of flying EET? The death machine, if it could go wrong it did in EET.

Why so much hate for the old Girl? Good old truck, now destined for coke cans...

[dudduddud]

Now... don't laugh, I am of limited experience:

LOVE:

Cessna 172: Very familiar. you just sorta sit there and the scenery goes past you. Know most things about it and no matter where I went, I could be flying one after a 45 minute checkride.

New Cessna 182: Just goes up and up and up! Takes the gusts and turbulence easily. Autopilot. Fits everyone on board.

HATE:

Grumman AA-1: Engines cut out on the landing roll if you're not careful. Too comfy for comfort. Stall, spin, crash, burn die. Richard owns one.

Ardmore's Cessna 150 tailwheel: Even more 'comfy' than the Grumman. Tail will snap off if you're not careful when landing (tailwheel conversion doesn't include strengthening aft fuselage). Takes 25 miles to climb to 3000' (at 55mph).

[blackbird71]

Love

- YAK52
- C208
- METRO 23
- P601
- AC500
- A321

HATE

- METRO 3H ie Metro 3 with increased MTOW, same engines of course!!
- GRUMMAN AA-5 TIGER with FULL castoring nosewheel, wtf is up with that!

All good experiences but a there were a few times that i wished to be on the ground.

LOVE/HATE

- METRO 3 Loved it for the challenge, hated it for the the times it tried to kill me

[frigatebird]

Metro man
We used to order our fuel in drums - hand pump it in - then convert it into all the other stuff....

[NZFlyingKiwi]

dudduddud - Is that 150 you're referring to CHH by any chance? It looks like an "interesting" piece of machinery. ;)

[remoak]

Hmmm have remembered a few more, reading this!

Like:

DC3 - didn't fly it for very long, but it was wonderful fun. Slow as a slow thing though. Pretty dangerous taxiing downwind in a strong breeze. You always got wet when it was raining - we used to wear waterproof overtrou when there was rain around (water came in around windscreen seals).

B25 Mitchell - sort of a tricycle DC3 with a lot more power and the ability to carry bombs! The one I flew was a camera ship, so was always light and consequently a lot of fun. Nice having a flight engineer to look after gear and flaps too!

Harmon Rocket/RV-4 - lots of grunt and fun to fling around.

OK:

Rockwell Commander - not fast, but comfy!

Mooney Rocket/Missile - all that power made the lack of space and solid undercarriage worthwhile...

Dislike:

PA38 Tomahawk - thought they were an OK trainer until a friend told me to look behind me when in a spin. So I took a student up for spinning lessons and looked behind me - never have I seen a tail moving around so much while still being attached to the rest of the airframe...

Piper Apache - felt like it always had an engine failed, although both props were turning... no power at all.

Beech Sundowner - poor copy of a Cherokee. The Duchess that was based on it wasn't much better.

[Bla Bla Bla]

I'm sure lots won't agree but hate the Cherokee six, bad for loading and just a horrible bit of junk IMHO. I have lots of 206 hrs and it just does not compare.:ok:

[F.QII]

Best ever was the B757, just like a perfect woman
Long legs, narrow body and bloody big norks!!!!:ok:

Mu2 scared me s*#tless on dark stormy nights with lots of ice around:eek:

[frigatebird]

remoak
One for you - B25 Mitchell

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy129/bird__photo/Mitchell/scan0011.jpg

[remoak]

Nice... this is the one I flew - note the "Panavision" nose, grafted on for the Panaflex camera we were carrying... this was for the film "The Memphis Belle".

http://www.simavia.co.nz/fbac01a.jpg

[maverick22]

I'm sure lots won't agree but hate the Cherokee six, bad for loading and just a horrible bit of junk IMHO

Didn't mind the cherokee six really, was just a bit of a pain when it had a bit of weight in the back combined with that long nose... almost like taxiing a tail-dragger.

Someone else has already said it, but I'll say it again the PA32-RT (turbo lance) was a horrible aircraft IMO. Performance was a real disappointment and could potentially bite you on the arse if not flown properly.

A lot of people here don't seem to like them but I have a soft spot for the c172, especially the later SP models with the 180HP Lycoming. Have also flown the XP model and that was better once again. Much prefer a 172 over a warrior (got lots of time in both).

Loved the A36 Bonanza though, an absolute delight to fly.

Probably had the most fun flying an RV7A, but the RV10 was also very impressive (and comfy too Jaba!)

Coolest thing I ever flew... Gyroflug SC-01 Speed Canard (bit like a long-ez but roomier and factory built)

[Bla Bla Bla]

I forgot to say I love the Piper Cub, fantastic aircraft.:ok:

[aseanaero]

Remoak , how responsive is the B-25 ? What's the outstanding qualities that make it a favorite >

[saabsforever]

Like
Fokker F27 friendship, No one has mentioned the old bird, so I just have. Wonderful to fly, rides bumps where modern Aircraft would remove your fillings. Nice comfy roomy wheelhouse. Easy to land, rock solid for IFR work. A very sedate genteel affair all round. Most of all i like all the noise and smoke but it would be nice if just some of the numberous Litres per hour consumed actually generated some power.
C185, But i would say that lived with them all my life and own one.
Dislike
Seneca 1, complete POS
Metro, of course, thats what they are for

[ZEEBEE]

Lots of good aircraft out there, some stand out like the Chippy as a nicely coordinated machine to fly, and of course the C180.

Unlike many posters I have always liked the Cherokee Six and always found it more useful and comfortable than the venerable C206. (except of course for scenics, where the low wing just doesn't cut it.)

Also Doc, I don't see what you've got against Austers...I've owned a couple, flown many more, and while they aren't everything to everybody, they do their job reasonably well and are well harmonised on the controls and pretty easy to fly.

So, I used to think that there weren't any real bad aircraft out there until I came across the Cresco.
The Cresco looked good until I got to fly it and there the experience was like chatting up a gorgeous blonde, taking her out and then finding out that it was a transvestite in drag......total letdown.:(
Noisy....with ailerons lifted from a Mack Truck without the power steering and systems as reliable as a used Ferrari.

[Raropilot]

I would have to say the E110 Bandit :ok: Straightforward systems, built solid where it counts, stable and of course the PT6 - enough said really! :}

[powerstall]

Love: King Air B200 and King Air 350 + Learjet 60xr

Hate: Musketeer, Travel air and the infamous traumahawk. :E

[Bla Bla Bla]

Slightly off topic but I love purposeful tough aircraft like the Beaver,185,Cub and I've never been in one but the Caribou just looked the part and such impressive stol capabilities. Plenty others out there but I can't mention them all. Anyone out there have any Caribou time?

In terms of Cherokee six vs the 206, no competition the 206 all the way.

[Like This - Do That]

A lot of you would remember the first time you had sex, so by this standard the 150 should be the most memorable aircraft if not the best.

(cough cough) 7GCBC for mine, thank you. A chap should have some standards .....

Grinned like a fool for days after my trial introductory flight in VH-MIF - the "TIF in MIF". Loops, rolls, wheeler landings, what a treat for a first flight!

Crumbs the P68 is copping a bagging :confused: - what's the story? After initial multi on the BE76 I found the P68 most enjoyable.

Worst - TB20, what a cruel joke of an aeroplane.

[remoak]

Remoak , how responsive is the B-25 ? What's the outstanding qualities that make it a favorite

It was pretty responsive at the weights we were flying it at, pretty good roll rate - one of our flights was a display for a group of USAF WWII vets, we were doing wingovers, high/low speed passes etc - the wingovers were pretty crisp. I don't have any similar aircraft (ie same era/military) to compare it to, other than the Dak. It felt a lot more responsive than the DC3.

I guess the thing I liked most about it was sitting in what was essentially a glasshouse (the cockpit roof is green-tinted perspex), with a fantastic view and two nice big meaty radials just outside the windows. The advantage over the Dak (for me, anyway) is that the tricycle gear made the whole experience relatively painless. I just don't get what is so wonderful about taildraggers...

Fokker F27 friendship, No one has mentioned the old bird

I did!!! So did sru and chainsaw... :ok:

[who_cares]

Hated the Metro (especially in summer), loved flying it.
The Jetstream32 was far more enjoyable though.

[halas]

The BAe3100 / J31 / Jetstream - Worst aircraft ever!

Coming off the B200 and onto the Jetstream was a huge disappointment.

Similar to the Metro it seems.

The door is at the wrong end. You can't load punters and bags at the same time. And everyone gets a chance to whiff the dunny as they get in and out.
The wing spar was designed for maximum annoyance of the punters, and maximum amusement of the flight crew. Not unusual to find a tooth or two in your nav-bag at the end of a days work.
And to leave the flightdeck during boarding was impossible. You were stuck there.
The recirc fan was in the baggage bay and gulped all the air from the dunny to the flight deck. Not good on the morning flights.
Flight controls were bizarre. It was so pitchy and light on the elevators, yet a Kenworth effort to move the ailerons.
The elevator horn balance was forever in the slipstream, and iced up beautifully. The really funny thing was you didn't notice on climb until it was time to level out. The look on the punters faces when both of you are pushing full force on the yoke and finally the ice breaks off. It's like a Mexican wave when it broke free, from the -0.5G dive.
It was imperative to do this before the stick shaker activated as it shook the whole airframe, and even more importantly to beat the stick pusher that would have put you into a -1.5G dive.
And it was an ice magnet too. Not unusual to pull up at Esperance and hear banging noises from underneath you. When you got out it was all the tens-of-kilos of ice hitting the ground.
The inlets for the heat exchangers on the packs would ice up and turn the cabin into an uncontrollable oven.
And in flight it was downright scary listening to all that ice hitting the fuselage inches from your head.
At 25,000' it was right in the ice belt.
And what were they thinking of with the manual bleed valves, and the numbering on the dials?
And water methanol. Why not put bigger motors on it? Great performance. For a minute!
50Kg of water meth, 95Kg for the plumbing, enough for four shots and five if you managed it well, two pages of limitations and two recall items that if you screwed up, you died.
Operating into the heart of WA meant 40+ degrees, dirt strips and heavy mining staff.
The water-meth took care of the first one until it ran out.
For dirt strip certification the J31 had the whole tailplane off-set by 1.5 degrees to handle a critical engine failure at V1.....classic piece of engineering.
The miners were standard weights apparently.
The punters who regularly had the window seat usually booked their chiropractic appointments in advance - post flight.
The electrics were an over-complicated disaster, especially coming off the B200. And what was with the bus-tie switch above the skippers head. It always had a brown stain around it as it was never left alone and had to be pushed a dozen times during startup.
And make sure the props were on the locks before you do start, and scare the sh!t out of the punters as you select reverse to get them off the locks. This was particularly good fun with a tail wind
Vne 216 knots - who thought up that one?
Two good points though, the Maxarett anti-lock brakes were the bees-knees.
And the automatic flap 50 on touch down was a nice thought too.
So it was good for one thing - stopping!

My progression from there was to the BAe146...just when l thought it was over!

Best aircraft? Just flew it the other day...777-200F TOGA takeoff empty, l think the space shuttle may have got a run for it's money :ok:

[777WakeTurbz]

LT-DT - I agree, the P68 is copping a bagging. Apart from needing to be a contortionist to get into the front seats(especially if full pax) and not bash your head on the fuel selectors/mag switches, it was a nice aircraft to fly.
Admittedly not as exciting as the Baron or Chieftan etc but not a bad aircraft to fly by any means. 1inop perormance wasnt anywhere near as bad as a fully loaded Chieftan in my experience.

Id like to hear why its so bad for those who hate it... :hmm:

[Aerozepplin]

Ha! Yeah the P68 avionics master is in a terrible place. I once knocked it off about 30 seconds before entering a VOR hold. Never idented so many things so quickly.
I enjoyed flying them, although it was only for training, I'd bet there's worse around. Maybe an ancient Aztec or the like?

[Chuck Ellsworth]

This is my favorite airplane to fly.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e353/ChuckEllsworth/aaf4e977.jpg

The ones I hate the most are any airliners as flying by airline has become the most customer unfriendly means of travel since the invention of the wheel .....especially the farce you have to go through in security.

[Bla Bla Bla]

Chuck, check your pm's.

[Joker 10]

T 28 D Trojan simply awesome

[aseanaero]

Joker10 , the T28D is on my wish list , love to have a fly of one of those beasts.

[aseanaero]

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e353/ChuckEllsworth/aaf4e977.jpg
:ok: good one Chuck ! :ok:

[rogerg]

What about the BAC 1-11, lots of noise, smoke and all controlled by cables.
And I got paid to fly it!

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Seeing as some of you guys liked the first picture here is another one taken just before we turned around to take off.

These pictures were taken by TF1 French television during the filming of the commemorative flight of the Aeropostale mail route from Toulouse, France to Santiago, Chile in 1998.

The pictures were taken in St Louis,Senegal in N.W. Africa.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e353/ChuckEllsworth/Africanriver.jpg

[Wombat35]

Well where do I start,

I'm one of the luckyones....

Listed in order of FUN :}


Caribou (night Airdrops on NVG's in the GAFFA) :ok:
MB326 (300Kt low level solo Nav's as a 19/20yearold) :8
FA18 (speaks for itself but 120 - 600kts in one go is a LOT of fun) :{
Citabria (a great challenge to train guys who have never flown a taildragger or been upside down) :}
NA T-6 Harvard (always fun to land flapless on the seal from the back) :eek:
DC3 (just the sound and the smoke and getting the *&*^thing to start properly) :\
M38 Messenger (Electronic devices won't interfere with the Navigation instruments with this old girl, unless one hits me in the head) :p



As for Bad aircraft ... see above if one engine fails :ouch::bored::mad: (hornet aside)

[frigatebird]

Wombat.. Eats roots and leaves.

[Wombat35]

Wombat.. Eats roots and leaves.

You forgot one... shutes
:ok:

[frigatebird]

Ahar..The motto of the nocturnal Wallaby Airlines. You didn't do relief for cyclone Namu, perchance?

[peuce]

Chuck ... that thing looks like it's just about to go down to periscope depth!

[Chadzat]

or its just surfaced!! :ok:

[frigatebird]

Great colourful water shots.
These are all I have, bit faded now with age, and not as colourful as the action scenes, but they show the undercarriage and a little more fuselage.
Will take them off if you don't like..

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy129/bird__photo/Catalina/scan0001.jpg

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy129/bird__photo/Catalina/scan0002.jpg

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy129/bird__photo/Catalina/scan0003.jpg

[sms777]

Love to fly: Queenairs....I have owned and flew many others for over ten years. Sent me broke eventually but never let me down.
Anything Beechcraft in my book. Even a single...:}
Will own a B200 one day....my dream
Aircraft i hate... anything high wing. Feel like being in a hot air ballon

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

56 Baron. OMFingG!

Would absolutely s*it all over 55s or 58s.:E:E:E

(Test bed for Duke engines on a 55 airframe.)

[Wally Mk2]

'sms777' you went broke with the old Queens & now ya wanna own a B200? You have not learnt a thing have you buddy:-):)
Built like a brick sh1thouse the old 200 but cost a bomb to keep in smick order:-) Hope you have mates in the maint game:-)
Loved the 'Cat' pix there 'frigatebird', well done:ok: I recall the old cat @ EN back in the 80's, the one with the wires hanging all over it. Was told years ago that if it ever landed in the water it would go straight to the bottom like the Titanic!:-)

Wmk2

[aseanaero]

The Cat is one of the few flying boats that looks 'right' , 65yrs later it's still a beautiful looking aircraft like the P-51 , Spit and DC-3 , timeless

[Chuck Ellsworth]

They are great for going fishing also.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e353/ChuckEllsworth/NewImage.jpg

That picture was taken on lake Kariba in Zimbabwe during the filming of " Project Okavango " a documentary film we did for TF1 French TV.

When you guys get tired of these pictures let me know. :ok:

[frigatebird]

Bring 'em on Chuck.. We can only drool and wish we were in the left seat :ok: Only have a little time in 185 and 206 on floats, and don't get to use the speedboat licence much now.

[sms777]

I guess you are right again... it was the maintenance costs that killed the fun of owning a Queeny.
I think i will just stick to flying someone else's B200 :ok:

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

if it ever landed in the water it would go straight to the bottom like the Titanic!:-)

That was why you saw Cat pilots with bunches of pencils in their top pockets.

Every time they spat a rivet on the water, they just jammed a pencil in the hole and snapped the remainder off.:ok:

[havick]

love -

PC9
Bell jetranger (good ol truck)
MD500
BK117

hate -

Any form of robinson helicopters!! they are simply a meccano set

[M14_P]

18wheeler, nice write up, I am staggered....
remoak, sounds like an utterly silly amount of fun. :)

[Aye Ess]

I loved the BN2. Had great fun in an aeroplane with 2 moving parts....thought the BN3 would be even funner.....oh,how wrong I was. The trislander was known as the sled. Only got airbourne because the earth repelled it because it was SO ugly. The B1900 not pretty either but a nice aeroplane to fly. The most unreliable was the Jetstream 41. Back in the mid 90s they had just been released onto unsuspecting Australian pilots. That aeroplane just waited til we thought we knew it,then something would stop working or fall off it. It did a good job of converting AVTUR to noise though.

[Trojan1981]

Wombat
Caribou (night Airdrops on NVG's in the GAFFA)

Lots of fun to jump out of at night too:ok:
LAPES in firebreaks around wide bay, with the tree tops higher the aircraft, must also be a highlight!

sigh for a 'bou...

Aseanaero

What is the Robin like to fly?

[PLovett]

What do you get with 40 C207s' piled in a heap and on fire?:yuk:


























A good start! :}

[Wanderin_dave]

So.....an aircraft i both love AND hate to fly (in accordance with the thread title)

Dh-82a Tiger Moth - So rewarding and enjoyable to fly, but so painful and frustrating at the same time! :bored:

[Horatio Leafblower]

Love the D55 Baron :ok:
Love the Chipmunk, probably the only "Dash" I will ever fly :(
Love the C185 :ok:
Loved the Thruster - believe it or not - raw 2-stroke fun. Had 2 engine failures in the 5 hours I flew in it though. :rolleyes:

After 1100 hours on type I remain ambivalent about the Chieftain... and don't care for the Tiger.

Hate loathe and detest only one aircraft; A22 Foxbat: it embodies every stupid home-built shortcut you could ever wish to avoid :ugh:
It has a center stick - fine - but the flap lever is mounted on the roof like an inverted C185 lever, meaning you have to change hands every time you change the flap setting.. and then battle the prodigious pitch change with your "off" hand.

There is no manual trim, only electric trim, operated by an "up" button and a "down" button. The manufacturer has, in their wisdom, used an identical button as the PTT and arranged them with a non-connected button, again identical, all in a diamond on the top of the yoke.

The result is predictable: the former student who owned the bloody thing came to me and said:
"There's something wrong with the radio... nobody ever answers my calls.. and every time I make a radio calls the thing goes out of trim!" :rolleyes:

Happily I left that job before they decided it should be used as a training aircraft :E

[Pontius]

Most fun aircraft = Harrier. Helicopter and fast jet all in one; what more can I say :ok:.

Most fun fast aircraft = Hornet. Simple, well designed and left lots more brain power left to do the job.

Nicest handling aircraft = Hunter (especially the GA11). Just think it around the sky; beautiful ;).

Best airliner = 747-400. En-suite facilities and a great ship. Does what it says on the tin.

Most fun on water = Super Cub on floats. Don’t have a lot of time floating but had a big grin after a few hours in these.

Favourite light aircraft = Chipmunk. Not as fast, agile or swept up as some of the others but great fun once you can get it to do exactly what you want, every time.

Best helicopter = Gazelle. Fast, easy to fly and a great view all round.

Least liked (I can’t say I hate any aircraft) = Jet Provost 3. You’d have to pay me a LOT to get in one again.

Have never been up in a hot air balloon but they look like they could be fun.

[slackie]

Whilst I haven't actually come across an aircraft that I hate to fly yet (although there are some that I like less!), one aircraft was a big surprise.

I'd obviously seen the PBY Catalina trolling around the NZ skies, but never really had the "wants" to either fly or fly in it, but a couple of Wanaka's ago my tower controllers and I were offered a flight after the show in appreciation of the service we'd given the Cat crew...well...what an amazing aircraft. Obviously I never actually drove the thing, but after a full water landing (and taxi) and takeoff on Lake Wanaka, viewed from the bubble, I was a convert. Emerged from the aircraft post flight with an expression rivalling the "Pitts grin".

Thanx David, RIP!

[1279shp]

My current ride is way cool but from the memory banks;

Grumman AA-5. Canopy slid open on a hot day was like cruising in an old american convertible. For those that know him, ask the ex NZGS fish spotting legend why he's kept his all these years!:cool:

Bandeirant - my first 'big aeroplane'. Tough and fun - except at NZWR on a hot day! :eek: Nah that was fun!:p

737-200 - Legend!:D

Overall favourite?? My 'username' comes from its engine power :8 -- the Beech 1900D. Brilliant!!:ok:

[Chuck Ellsworth]

but after a full water landing (and taxi) and takeoff on Lake Wanaka, viewed from the bubble,


Ahhh yes that Cat was one of the first ones I ever flew in the mid sixties, it belonged to Austin Airways and was registered CF-JCV.

Was it the left hand bubble? because on a trip into the Arctic a young eager school teacher gave me a very memorable treat in the left hand bubble, the other pilot wondered why I was gone so long. :E:E

[tinpis]

Awww..everyone forgot the P166y
No love or hate yer just got in it and committed aviation
HYD pumps on first though...:hmm:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/2/8/0/0950082.jpg

[Dog One]

And a mighty fine aircraft I must say.

[Xcel]

Love:
404 for comfort
bn2 for the fun short sh*t

Hate:
none - oh wait
Seneca 1 for its ridiculous claim of being a 6 seater

in serious need of some upgrades and new toys to talk about though...

[redsnail]

Great thread.

Adore:
Hawker 800XP. Love that aeroplane. Fortunately, still fly it. :D

Loved:
Shrike Aerocommander
Bandeirante
Twotter

Enjoyed:
Dash 8
C210
PN68
Cherokee
Sierra

Tolerated:
Shorts 330 & 360. No heating, it was cold in Winter!
C206 & 7
Sundowners and Skippers

Wouldn't be upset if I never went near another one.
C152
Tomahawk

Wishlist:
G550 :E or the G650
PBY Catalina

[hung start]

I love the hawker 800xp aswell , but you should try the 900 xp soooo much better . TBM700 250 kts to 2 mile final and it slows to 65kts nicely .C208 great a/c
Worst , Victa airtourer 100hp version .
Looking forward to flying our new Legacy 600 ,4hrs in a/c so far so good .
wish list , corsair .

[PLovett]

Redders,

I used to think of you as a lady of taste and refinement until I saw the P68 listed as an aircraft you enjoyed.:eek:

Now I shall only think of you as a lady of probable taste and refinement.:}

[Dream Land]

FUN:ok:

MU2 Solitaire

METRO 226 with -10 engines in Alaska, plenty-o-power!

Cessna T210

NO FUN:yuk:

CE441, Fast but real junk compared to the King Air 200

CE421, Too many moving parts, performance under whelming.

[TWOTBAGS]

Loves, Twin Otter;), Falcon 2000 EASy:E, Sikorsky 76:ok:

Likes, Hawker 800 XP (Hawkersaurus-- but still a Gentleman Jet - Gentlefrau for you snails):}

Tolerates, 737NG:hmm:

Hates, BN2 Islander:mad:,Robinson 22:{:yuk:

[Nose wheel first]

Love: King Air :ok::ok:

Enjoy: C402/404, Baron, PA31, C210 and to a slightly lesser extent the Aztruck

Didn't mind the Partial Aviatior

Won't be upset if I never fly another Seneca again..... especially on one engine at 35 degrees and with a reasonable load :eek: (reasonable for a Seneca that is)

Suffered: C207, GA8, PA38 and a few crappy 172's :ouch:

Want to fly: Cessna 195 and MU2 .... sadly I don't think i'll ever get the chance.

[dmussen]

Loved :-
Victa Airtourer
Chipmunk
Jet Provost 3 & 5
Gnat T Mk.1 (superb)
Lightning ("The Frightening")
Tiger Moth (Great fun)
Beaver float
Otter float
210 in the pindan

Interesting :-
Victor B1a Tanker (God made the earth curved for a good reason)
Cherokee 140 (Just plain horrible)
Airvan (cramped leg after 20 mins.)
172 (gutless)
Whirlwind (wobbled too much)

[gutso-blundo]

:)
Pilatus PC9/A
Bell B206B1
Sikorsky S70A-9
Mudry CAP-10 (to fly, not to look at :{)
Bushby Mustang II

:(
Cessna 172
Cherokee 6
Shorts SC3

[redsnail]

PLovett If I was flying the PN68B it meant I wasn't flying the C207! Did good trips in the Partmafia so I guess that's why I enjoyed it. :ok:

Hung start If it was up to me I'd get the 900 instead of the silly 750. (Same as a 800 but instead of 1500 lb of fuel it has another baggage compartment.)

[DBTW]

Flown too many to sensibly list and have to say they all have endearing features. I am certainly lucky in that I always wanted to fly jet fighters, and was given the opportunity from an early age, so my stand out favourites are the half a dozen different military fast jets various governments have seen fit to let me blast around in. The most thrilling and exciting were those based on small mobile platforms, but the others were still huge fun and deserving of the "love" title.:ok:

In GA, the best so far have certainly been those aircraft I have had the honour of owning.:)

In amongst it all there have been several historic aircraft which hold a very special place in my heart.:)

Can't say I ever hated to fly any aircraft. Indeed, I have always considered it an honour and a privilege to fly at all. Something I picked up from my pilot father and other flying gurus was a piece of guidance which, whilst it doesn't instil hatred, does allow quite strong disrespect for bad workmen who blame their tools...:uhoh:

[PLovett]

Redders,

Opinion restored.:ok::} The C207 sucks.:yuk:

[The Wawa Zone]

DHC-1 Chipmuck
Pitts S2A
Pitts S2B
Sukhoi Su29 ... in increasing order of everything.

C185 - everything sweet.
C206 - "Throw it in the back lets go :) " (but check the CG first with a tail-dip).
C210 - Bush Rocket, but not a toy.
A36 Bonanza - 5% better at everything than the C210..
BE58 - the Tank that Flys :)
C 402C - great cockpit layout, everything in the right place, plenty of room.
PA31-350 - learn the systems; some designs came out of the Spastic School.
B1900D - same NACA wing airfoil sections as the Beech 18 so why add more electronics than a Lebanese drug dealer's car audio ..?

Dislikes ? Can't think of one. An aircraft is what it is. "Underpowered" is a relative term. Some things are just better than others (or won't fit in the garage).

Forgot - the 4 seat C210. Pointless - just bizarre.

[flyhigh744]

Love:
744 - Well..what can I say?

Hate:
C152 - Fairly overweight instructor + Australian summer = hell

[SOPS]

:ok:C182RG,C172RG was ok as well

F28..a pilots aircraft

B7777 300ER/200LR ...Queen of the sky

:mad:PA140 a dog

and with almost a 1000 hours on a Seneca 3..I did not think it was a bad aircraft:}

[4Screwaircrew]

L188 Electra, lots of power, 3 man flight deck and delightful handling.

[dan1165]

My CL 604/5 :ok:

[F24]

:ok:
http://www.airventuring.org/fairchild/photos/ground/Fairchild_24_002.jpg
The FA24 is a fun hands-on airplane, nimble, sounds great, looks great, can't tell you the number of fly-by's we do for curious ATC folk. Dropping in at airports is always fun, they stop everything and come over for a look-see. Front seat windows roll down for those hot summer days :)

Also love the C210- fast and carries a load. The Helio Courier carries a load with awesome short (really short) field performance.

Don't really hate any of them, and I've flown a few, they all serve their purpose. I even enjoy squeezing into a 150/152 on a rare day.

[Wally Mk2]

LR35, OCTA & off RDR of course:}

As a few have said don't hate any A/C, all have their places in the aviation world & all have added to the pool of knowledge:ok:.

C150H out of EN during January 36+ deg's 2 up MTOW neg RoC at times & took 'till West gate Bridge to get to a 1000 ft! But man could you land that little toy plane on a dime!:-) A few of us at EN owned one & we charged ourselves $10 bucks an Hr inc fuel!:ok:
Off thread here but many years ago landed said C150 at a mates farm near Yark in Vic. for lunch. Did a low pass to check paddock out first looked long enough & clear. Landed & stopped in about 100 ft or less, was very hard to get the door open, why? Due VERY long grass!!! Took the rest of the day for the town folk to cut us a rwy thru the hay:}:}................experience, can't be bought!:}




Wmk2

[test]

:ok:
Fokker 70 with overpowered RR tay 650 engines
TB 20

:=
C 172

[holdmetight]

Love - PA28 Cherokee. Enough said!
Love - B777 (as a passenger). Would love to sit up front one day though!

Hate - C152. Slow, poor climb performance, claustrophobic cabin, you name it...:yuk::yuk:

[40Deg STH]

Love; DHC6
B744
C170
C210
C180/185
B55D
Tiger Moth

Enjoyed; C310
B737
C182,C172
C500/550
C560
PA30/39
BAE 31/32


Dislike; NONE

Far too many hours in Metro's, they only paid the rent!!!! Just not a pilots aircraft to me. Many years since I flew one and still remember the figures!!!! :yuk:

Wish list; Anything with a radial engine:ok:

[amishtechie]

Love: Cub, Tiger Moth, Islander and Chieftain.

Hate: C152

Want: B737, Edge 540, Mustang and Spitfire

[vdaff]

Nice threads need to come back....

Love - B1900s, King air, B744 and B777s
Hate -C150s

[Adsie]

I have only 280 TT and I have 50 hrs in a PA31 - Love em. They are the best

[Chimbu chuckles]

Flown

Cessna 150/152/172/180/182/185/195/206/210/310/402/404/441.

Piper 28-140/180/235, PA38, PA30/39, PA32-300, PA600-680p/700p

Beechcraft 35/36/76/55/58/80

Dehavilland Chipmunk (a little) Tiger Moths (a lot) DHC6 (a Helluva lot)

Embraer E110

Helio Courier HC250, Victa Airtourer, Pitts S2a, 8KCAB, PT17, RV10.

Jets F28/C560/DA200/BAE146/B767/B777

Probably missed some - there are a few more I have flown enough to feel competent in (at the time) but for various reasons didn't/haven't yet finished the type rating, like the DC3/BE200/T28D. Almost certainly won't with the Dak/Kingair but still hope to get around to finishing the T28D. There are a few more that I have flown but not landed or taken off - T6/Vampire (the mil jet Vampire) and B25 - so I don't really count them. The T6 is on my bucket list.

Never met an aeroplane I didn't like - there is no such thing as a bad aeroplane.

I would still enjoy climbing back into any of the above and still fly a handful of them.

Current in the C180/185/195/PT17/DH82a/RV10/B777. Even enjoyed a few hrs in a PA28-140 in the last few years.

As a few of my mates on this board will attest - show me an aeroplane, any aeroplane, and I get a silly grin. Give me the keys to something I haven't flown before and I get positively giddy...if its old enough to be 'pre keys' I am liable to embarrass myself:ok:

So many aeroplanes - so little time.:}

[ozaggie]

Flown:
C170,172,172XP,177,180,185,206,210/5,208,188a,b,c,
Pa16,18,20,25,28a,b,c,32,32R,
Be24,33,36
DH82,104,114
Airtractor 301,401,402,502,602,802
Transavia PL12 (wtf)
RV6,Helio 250,Tecnam2002,Skyfox,Lightwing,Jab230,PT17,
T6,Auster,Citabria, must be more but can't remember.
The Jab is like poling around a lump of wood, with a suss engine
And the Airtruck speaks for itself, although any machine that
Will lift a tonne of disposable on 300hp ain't all bad.
Loved the DH twins (the Heron was the prototype).
AT402 and 802 the best workers.
Ayres Turbo Thrush, great sprayer off a decent strip.
And to my great delight, never have and hope not to fly a
Dromader. Whoever heard of a Polish camel?

[Old but not bold]

Cessna 170A owned for years and loved every flight, how Cessna reverse engineered this into the 172?????????????
Super Cub was Brilliant
DC9 was the sportscar of heavies, best part was teaching newbies to manualy beat the dutch rolls, they never could. True pilots aeroplane.
giving my age away now

[18-Wheeler]

giving my age away now

It's actually in your profile on display, pretty easy really.
BTW, happy 64th. :)

[Wanderin_dave]

I've been trying to twist the tail off this lately

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k46/wanderin_dave/1307433576.jpg

[Piano Man]

Love: DHC-2

Like: Caravan, C205/6 PA30/39 (and have a very soft spot for the good old PA28)

Dislike: C152/172

[Al E. Vator]

Slight deviation re the original question but.....

Which aircraft would you suggest to own?

With 3 kids and missus (none of whom are massively keen on flying and thus need to be kept in some sort of comfort!) I'll need at least a 6-seater. Preferably I don't want a boring aircraft. It's bloody expensive these days but flying is meant to be fun!

I keep coming back to the A36, Navajo/Navajo CR or C340 for various reasons. Obviously budgetary considerations need to be allowed for and maintenance issues are a big factor. ETR and airframe hours are a major factor too.

Buying the thing is just the start. It's the ongoing expenses that I really need to think hard about. Yes I have heard that if it flies, floats or f***s - rent it! However with my experience so far aircraft aren't too bad - they don't rapidly depreciate like cars and they can provide access to the world that is otherwise impossible, almost whenever you want. Yeah ok I'm probably a romantic when it comes to a/c but I aint when it comes to forking out paper from the wallet unneccesarily!

I've flown heaps of different a/c (from DH82 to 747) and currently fly one of those electric European things with sidesticks - nice enough but not entirely exciting. Ironically the aircraft I'd like I've never flown, hence your advice appreciated..........

Preferred Candidates:
A36: Pros: Build quality, numbers in service, current production, club seating. Cons: Apparently a bit pricey to work on, engine compartment a bugger to access? Purchase price high (for post-83 upgrade models) compared to alternatives from Piper and Cessna.

Navajo: Pros: Heaps around, especially in the US: Got to watch total hours etc. Great pax comfort. Panther mods seem fantastic Cons: Overkill for family of 5 plus occasional grandparent! Build quality and/or accident history needs watching too.

C340: Pros: Cabin, pressurisation. A and RAM models really brilliant with VG's giving extra capacity that basic models lacked. Cons: Pressurisation! Not really necessary in Aus. The late models (1983/4) are dogs apparently.


Practical Alternatives:
C206/210: Great aircraft to fly but too squeezy in the back. Missus not too keen on high-wing.

C303 Crusader: Cheap enough though not many built. Havent flown one. Pilots ambivalent about handling qualities?

Chieftan: Too big for the job but there are some gorgeous low-hour a/c for sale in the US now. A crowd called 'Lock and Key' produce a real beauty.

Lance/Ch 6: A bit boring? Affordable though.
Saratoga: Also boring and new ones very pricey. If paying that much why not get an A36?
Seneca II or III: Good rear space and very affordable. Some have been flogged in training and they are also a bit boring. But they do get you from A to B fine.

B58: Love one but too expensive (esp post-83 models)

C310: Rear seat comfort a bit of an issue. Getting a bit old now too.

Impractical Alternatives:
Cessna 400 series: SID's issues. Spars etc give cause for concern.
Merlin - reading the Metro posts convinced me of that!!
Queen Air - obvious reasons
Cirrus: Plastic and expensive.
Malibu: Not so good for regional Australian aistrips and still expensive.
Duke: obvious reasons too.
King Air C90: I don't have that sort of $. It would have to go online somewhere to justify its existence. More headaches than I'd prefer!
Cheyenne 1 or 2: As above for King Air but seem a great aircraft for the $ these days. Who knows what the future of Avgas is but Avtur is here for a while and these cheaper turbines (esp with Garretts with higher TBO than PT6's) may well be a good investment. A Cheyenne 4LS with the Garretts is just too pricey sadly.
Beech 18: Right configuration. Right engines! Maintenance issues and fuel consumption something of a worry sadly.
Citation 1; I'm dreamin. Actually cheap to purchase but ongoing expenses give me nightmares.
Caravan: Still very expensive.
Anyhow, ideas and suggestions much appreciated!

[metalman2]

Love
stearman
RV6-7
C185
Super Decathalon
tiger moth
PA 20

Like
tecnams
C182
C210
Arrow
Cherokee six

not fussed if I ever fly one again(hate is a bit strong)
sportstar
jabiru
warrior
Ibis GS700

the bucket list
DC3
P40
Pitts
Extra 300
edge 540
Super Cub
C180
Caravan

[yowieII]

Al,
Have a look at the numbers on a V35A, a mate bought one recently and it is an absolute cracker!

[kalavo]

Al take a serious look at the flying you actually do, especially with three kids and a missus who are NOT massively keen on flying.

For a relatively inexpensive, fun toy it's hard to beat one of the RV's - decent climb and cruise performance, beautiful to fly, nice for formation and gentleman's aerobatics. On the rare occasions you do actually want to take more than one other person, rent the A36, Navajo, C310, Baron, C402B, whatever takes your fancy...

...at the end of the day they're all just six seat trucks designed to take people from A to B, and while they might be nice to fly, they don't fit the fun category.

[Dora-9]

This has been one of the more interesting threads to appear on PPrune for a long time. Not just the breadth of types flown by the contributors, but the varying opinions of what actually constitutes a “Loved Most/Liked Least” type.

Like Chimbu (amongst others), I’ve enjoyed every aeroplane I’ve ever flown, assuredly though some much more than others! So how do you determine which you prefer most? Surely it’s not just the aircraft’s qualities, but also the individuals’ situation/lifestyle at the time?

For example, amongst my favourites ranks the F.27. Apart from its feeling of immense strength, in reality it had few great qualities. Sorry, Saabsforever, in itself it was NOT “wonderful to fly”. In addition, the Ansett operation involved the vagaries of flying to Tasmania in the winter, lots of NDB and circling approaches, often in a “black hole” environment. Yet it was my first airline command, and I loved every minute of it.

Old but not bold nominates the DC-9, but was it, as he states, “a true pilot’s aeroplane”?? I thought the handling quite ordinary, you were very much aware of flying servo tabs, you didn’t fly it so much as simply point it. And yet it had a lovely well laid out (by the standards of the day) and superbly quiet cockpit, wonderful automatic systems that should have made Boeing blush and, point to point, it was quick. Everyone on it (including me) loved it!

Wawa Zone names the Pitts. Hmm, in my humble opinion it’s a perfect vehicle for aerobatics but not a particularly “nice” aeroplane.

18 Wheeler mentions the “Classic” B747. Amongst the downsides was a noisy and poorly air-conditioned flight deck. Who can forget a max weight departure – questionable longitudinal stability, a 5 knot margin between max structural speed for your existing flap setting and minimum manoeuvring speed for the next selection, and you had a bank angle restriction between F5 and F1 – all this from memory, no poofy speed tape or smart flight director here. In theory I should have preferred the B744; much better avionics, an EICAS, plus superior handling and it was far easier to land – yet it simply went too far. With my employer you only flew long haul plus a regional trip every six months (your line check) and, as a captain, I averaged two landings per month. I liked it not! To me, the “Classic” will forever be the Queen of the Skies, and again I loved every minute.

So maybe you could add degree of challenge in promoting an aircraft into the “most liked” column? Enough rambling!



Flown:

Beech 18/23/33/35/36/55/58/65/80/90/95.
Cessna 150/172/175/180/182/205/206/210/310/320/337/402
Chipmunk, DH.82, Dove
Piper PA18/22/23/24/28/30
Pitts S2
Victa 100/115, CT-4

Wirraway, Winjeel, Harvard

Lear 45
F.27, DC-4/Carvair

B727, B737, B747, B744, B777, DC-9


Loved Most:

Chipmunk – fabulous handling, it simply oozes character
B777 – easy to run out of superlatives here, what an airliner should be, it always made even me look good
DC-9 – the quietest cockpit ever, a very slick machine
F.27 – a true character-building aeroplane

Liked least:

Cessna 205 – lousy handling & performance, makes a truck seem elegant
PA23 – simply awful in turbulence, it kept wanting to fly backwards
Wirraway – in the circuit I have the feeling that it wants to kill me

[AnyGivenSunday99]

Love - J3 Cub, Beech Baron, c404 Titan

Hate - c172, c402b

Want to try - DHC8, Beech 18, P51

[Green gorilla]

Love any plane that I fly with my hands and feet.

[osmosis]

I'm surprised the Fletcher hasn't been mentioned.

[Slasher]

Love - DH82, Stearman, PA18, Pawnee (tug towing), DC3, Maule Rocket.

Would love - Spitfire Mk IX, P51 Mustang, DH Mozzie.

Would cream in pants - SR71, Lockheed U2, Space Shuttle, Concorde


Hate - Airbus A320.

Loathe - S/E Cessnas.

Absolutely detest - clapped out C402Bs

Despise to the point of violence - GAF Nomad

[Tee Emm]

P51 Mustang,

Slasher. If you feel so strongly about loving the Mustang send 50 guineas to my nominated financial institution and in return I'll send you a photocopy of my log book pages covering 1953 covering A68-113 and others of the A68- rego:ok:

[boofhead]

Slasher, I like to read your posts, you seem pretty knowledgeable usually, but you disappointed me with your comment re the Nomad. Drinking the coolaid again? If you really think that way, you obviously were never taught how to fly it properly. It has nice performance, can take you places not many other airplanes can take you with 12 passengers, handles an engine failure better than most light twins, is fast and pleasantly balanced. On the negative side it is noisy and the engine gear boxes are prone to failure, but unless you own one you would not be bothered by this.
All airplanes have their positive and negative qualities, so do people, so it must be something pretty extreme for you to rate a particular airplane so low.
I only have 600 hours on the N22 but rate it highly and would be happy to fly one again. I seriously cannot see why there is so much antagonism against the airplane unless it is driven by politics or the tall-poppy syndrome, which Australians suffer from so much. Maybe that is a virus, unless you are an Aussie too?
I am also interested in why you hate the A320. I never flew one, but from what I am told by those that do, it is much-loved. Did you fly it? Why do you not like it?

[castrol]

Slasher, man of my own heart re your likes...although I always had dramas with the heal brakes on the cub particularly with wet/muddy boots.

I hate C172's like I hate rap music and car thieves.

I would donate a kidney for a gig in a Porter, turbo Beaver, Otter or amphib Caravan.

Amen

[Slasher]

Tee Emm - is that 50 guineas or 50 Guinesses? ;)

Boof - VERY uncomfortable pilot seat, eng probs in very heavy
rain esp starting. N22 is probably ok in the desert but not in
heavy tropical monsoon wx. I just hated the damn thing. But
that was many many moons ago and maybe since then there's
been improvements.

Perhaps hate is too strong a word re 320 - "Really Don't Like
All That Much" would be more accurate. Manuals are a dog's
dinner, unnecessarily complicated abnormals (although the
Frogs do try to improve the QRH from time to time to make it
less labor-intensive), and every computer-reliant nut on this
thing seems to have this paranoid fear of Direct Law, as if the
total loss of protections will cause one's ultimate doom. And
am 5,000 hours on type and current to answer your last.

Castrol - thumbs up to the Porter. The Maule is the closest
I've ever come to one. I actually own a Cub and its best to
keep a clean and dry set of boots in the aeroplane for them
wet and muddy days.

On warm days I often open the left plastic side window and
rest my elbow on the shelf. Then afterwards I'll close it, and
shortly after forget that I did so and break the damn thing
by shoving my bloody elbow through it! :ugh:

Anyway try doing this when you next jump into one Cas! :}

0vH2yKfDq5Q

[startingout]

Slasher which nomad seat did you find bad? the cushion ones or the military ones? I find the Military style ones to be perfect over the summer months, a little cold at night but it defiantly beats a Metro's seat.

[Slasher]

Neither - more like a thin nylon hessian bag nailed to a seat frame.
Pinky red in color if I recall correctly. Anything over one hour flying
and my lower back became sore as hell, and I was already suffering
from Shagger's Back in those days! :ouch:

[jieunni]

I've only flown three types so I don't have a type I hate yet but I really liked the CT4! Although taxiing was a real pain because of the heavy input needed :sad:

[boofhead]

Slasher yes the seat was not too good, but I liked it, in warm conditions. When it was cold it let too much cold air through. I can see how a big person might be uncomfortable with the seat rails digging into the backside and lower back but it suited me.

To each his own.

[Mimpe]

We took a 1980's Piper Saratoga ( 300 hp ) from Alice Springs up to the Kimberly and loved every minute of it - my favourite GA aircraft for now - the rear seats are a virtual lounge room - the wife or whoever can stretch out feet up and have a snooze. Fully fueled will still take 340- 350 kg or so. Planning TAS over 155 Knots which is handy , and a predictable and easy aircraft to fly with no quirks, and very surprising good on short dirt strips if you nail the approach speed.

I don't hate any aicraft and love them all really - I find the C 182 a bit a a clutz in the flare - agricultural, and nose heavy, but then it has other virtues. Wasnt impressed by the Beech Duchess when i did my twin rating - hardly there, when the S hits the F, but I suppose thats a virtue in a training aircraft....

I'd love to get hold of a late model Mooney.

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

deleted after having second thoughts...

[Aerodynamisist]

I both love and hate the C-206, I love it for the weight it caries and the way it caries it and the field performance at max tow/lw just perfect. I only hate it after thousands of hours due to the tedium of embarking on another 5 hour sortie.

Those I have loved in the past

Long Eze, cramped but fast for the horsepower and fuel burn awesome visibility and flying characteristics.
[
I]Slepcev Storch[/I], go for a ride with Nestor and you will understand

PA28's and c152's aviations answer to the postie bike.

150 horse Victa hotted up postie bike, most comfortable instructors seat in the business.

Hate with a passion

Drifter - cold, windy, slow and pointless

[spinex]

Love:

Baron 58
C208
BE-23 I know, probably in a class of one here, but I just do...
Cub - Piper and Savage versions
C150/2 how could you not love your first, she is what she is....
Tecnam P92 & P96 - modern day C150 but handle better and they have a stick!
and Drifter - unrivalled view out and about as well mannered a taildragger as you'll ever meet. Pure fun

Merely like:

PA-28 - flies nicer than the Cessna equivalent but that single door on the wrong side p1$$x$ me off every time I get near it.
Early Jabiru - could probably get used to the cock-eyed throttle, but did not like the teleflex cable operated ailerons.