Returning to flying and ownership
 

Good Morning,

I am looking for a little advice. My current job as a biz jet pilot has taken me away from the lighter end of aviation and I am now missing it.

My plan is to buy, build or maybe restore a light aircraft, microlight, or gyro.

It my be capable of the following:
Carrying me (I weigh 120kg, although this is going down!)
Carrying a passenger
Fuel for around an hour + reserve
Low running cost
Ok on longer grass strips
VFR and day only is fine
C of A, permit or BMAA are all fine

All suggestions on aircraft type and advice is welcome!

Thanks

Piperx

Getting back in to flying light aircraft is excellent, and will always be a worthy refresher to the "hands and feet" side of your flying skills. Toward that end, a taildragger will be an even better choice than a tricycle aircraft.

As for choice of type, your available spare time, and how you value that time, and aspirations of your calendar to fly, play a large role in what aircraft you choose. If you value your time highly by the hour, or have little spare time, go and buy an airworthy aircraft in decent mechanical condition. If you really want a good looking aircraft with good interior, then spend the extra to buy that too. If you are patient, and have a little spare time, or want to stretch a budget, you can buy less beauty, and work away on that, knowing that the base aircraft is fit and flyable all the way along.

If you have lots of spare time, value it low, and have generous calendar expectations, consider a build or rebuild project. Do not consider a build or rebuild project as a means to economy in your flying, it is not, if your time has significant value to you. Also, if you are short of facilities, a "project' can be more difficult and costly to achieve.

I have known many pilots who wanted to fly without the cost of purchasing a flying aircraft, perhaps of a certified type. They spent years getting it flying, and in a number of cases I can recall, had a "lack of flying skills" type accident, shortly after they did fly, as they had been building/resorting for years, and not flying at all.

I project plane takes a lot of "getting around to" and large blocks of time, not everyone has those. I myself have a restoration project going, which is going beautifully. But, it's taken a year longer than I planned, and is still months away from flying. Happily, I fly each of my other two planes regularly in the mean time, so skills and the desire to fly are not being overlooked in the mean time.

Remind yourself that the break between "certified" aircraft, and "non-certified" is there for a reason. The non-certified aircraft have not demonstrated compliance with the design requirements for handling and performance which certified aircraft have. It does not mean they are the lesser for it, just those factors are unproven. As a pilot of larger aircraft, you might make assumptions about characteristics which you cannot assume are present in non certified types - get to know the characteristics of a non certified type, to be sure they are right for you, before you say yes to it.

If you buy an older "common" certified type, assure yourself of the projected maintenance costs, some of the legacy aircraft, though maintainable with common historic skills, are burdened by less available parts sources, and additional maintenance requirements for "aging aircraft" type concerns. With more specific type questions here, more specific information will be presented.

Gook luck, ask lots of questions....

Thanks Step Turn. Some interesting point. I am increasing leaning to a simple kit aircraft. My job is seasonal and I have way too much time on my hands over the winter months!

Any aircraft suggestions would be appreciated if anyone has any views?

Thanks

Piper

If I had that time on my hands (and the space, and £60k) I would look at building an RV.

Failing that, if I was looking at purely recreational flying then a 3 axis microlight would be what I would go for, esp if primarily for winter months.

You might struggle in a microlight if you weigh 120kg. Check the max seat loadings, and make sure you can find an instructor the size of a jockey .....

Apart from the obvious suggestion of "eat fewer pies" the simple fact is that any microlight is going to leave you seriously compromised, having to trade fuel for load.
Our wonderful Engish weather is also going to leave you wishing that you could use your instrument rating.
Rather consider a good IFR capable workhorse such as the 182 which will offer all of the capability that you need now plus a lot more when you realise that you want to do more.
The 182 is still in production, it has been around since the late 1960s so all of the bugs have been fixed and spares will not be a problem. They hold their value very well so if you change your mind later you will not lose a lot of money selling.

Sorry, I didn't pick up on the 120kg.... But sounds like you are moving in the right direction.

Owning a light aircraft will probably mean I can't afford to eat anyway!

Only looking for 2 seats VFR (will hire if I need more).

Thinking so far: RV12, Eurofox, Skyranger, TLAC escapade. Any others and views on these welcome?

Thanks for the answers so far.

Off for black coffee and a lettuce now!

Piper

Hi,

Welcome back to the lighter end.

Microlights are out.

A typical empty weight for a three-axis microlight is 240-265kgs. That means, even at 240, you have 240 for airframe, 120kgs for you and 20kgs for some fuel for an hour and a bit with a reserve. That equals 380kgs, leaving 70kgs for a passenger. Any more fuel, and the pax gets lighter! And a typical Eurostar will be 265 - so that is a 55kg max pax!

A light aircraft Eurostar will haul more, since it has a higher MAUM. And, yes, you can add a ballistic chute to a microlight and gain a few kilos.

To keep costs down, and do some work yourself, you want a permit to fly type, not an EASA Cert of Airworthiness. So no Cessnas, Robins or Pipers. And VFR only. As you say, for four seats or IFR you can hire.

So we are now left with LAA permit to fly light aircraft.

Good choice out there - need to look at nosewheel/tailwheel, high wing/low wing, short take-off/fast cruise, all-metal/tube and fabric/wood, Rotax 912/100ll guzzlers etc.

Perhaps a Sportscruiser, if you like the Eurostar all-metal 912 powered aircraft?

If most of your flying will be in the winter avoid grass strips, they will be waterlogged so you need a hard runway.

Hi PiperX,

Being a slim 120kg also, and also trying to move it down I looked at a few home builds, My choice would be a Zenith CH750 for STOL or Zenith CH750 Cruzer, they've been in business a while, good support, good forum, and also additional DVD building support available, take a look as an alternative to a RV, probably easier and quicker to build as well.

Regards

Don't neglect the Rans S6 series. Neat narrow two man wing fold if hangarage is hard to come by.

Especially the Group 'A' Rans S6-116. It's a full 1100 lb allowed a.u.w., operated on LAA Permit in the U.K.

There are several around, inside they're big enough for two American males !

Best with the 80 h.p. Rotax 912, a flat four very reliable 4-stroke engine.
Can cruise at 100 mph, can carry a lot, can be used on strips in most of winter if you fit optional approved semi-tundra tyres.

Naturally you can't have all options at once.

mike hallam.

Jodel DR1050, on LAA Permit. Our one is 410.6kg without spats. MAUW 750kg. But wood and fabric so hangar is essential. Several for sale on AFORS.