So, SSD, I'm not huffing, I'm reminding. In the past, I might have spoken poorly about a type, then someone who knew a lot more about it than I did showed me something charming about it! I learned that I looked silly and narrow mindely petty, and I stopped doing that!
I'll put my 150 up against a Chipmunk for carrying my wife, two small bags, and two bikes, from a cold Canadian winter to the Bahamas in two days, and for less cost than the two airline tickets would have cost - but that's just me, and the way I like to fly (and by the way, landed on the beach on the way). I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the Chipmunk either, it's just a different plane. But I can also loop and roll my wife and bikes international carrier (with good arm muscles
).
If you leave your Chipmunk floating where I leave my heavy aileron flying boat floating, my flying boat will still be floating there in the morning, not so much for the Chipmunk! I'm not dissing a Chipmunk, I'm eager to fly one, and enjoy the experience. I'm not going to walk up to you, and yours on the apron, and point out the oil spots on the ground between the shadows of super great ailerons, I'm going to smile and try to charm a ride in it. Would you like to borrow the extra bike I just flew in to that airport in my 150? Or come for a splash in the local lake?
I don't need to huff, as I'm proud, to own and to brag that I own a 150! (and a really nice one!) and I fly wherever, whenever, without a worry about it letting me down, or being beyond my budget to maintain. If you can't be happy that I'm proud of that modest accomplishment in personal aviation, don't worry, I'm still proud that you're here, singing the praises of a fine Canadian product, and encouraging that genre of aviation!
For Gertude: