Aircraft you love and hate to fly ...
The oil is for gear, flaps, steering, antiskid, and to stop the airframe from corroding.
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.
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
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
This is a great thread! 
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.
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.
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,
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,
B737-200/300, C340, N22
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.)
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.)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: dans un cercle dont le centre est eveywhere et circumfernce n'est nulle part
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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.
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.
Liked:
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
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
: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
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
Good and the bad
Texas C152 Aerobat 1 up and Citabria both stacks of fun and can T/O and Land everywhere! Baron E55 sports car twin and King Air same as Baron but better 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 
Metro 2-10 Single pilot, auto-pilot worked and enjoyed the night freight. Preferred it to the M3/23.
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
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: in the classroom of life
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Arnold E
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!
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!
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.
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.
Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 1st Jan 2010 at 23:00.
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!
PS. 210 after the RV though
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!PS. 210 after the RV though
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.
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.
Join Date: Sep 2008
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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.
scrufflefish (formerly known as 'sailing')
scrufflefish (formerly known as 'sailing')
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: 3rd rock from the sun
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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..
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
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Who had the pleasure of flying EET? The death machine, if it could go wrong it did in EET.