What aircraft should would suit me best for hour building?

[sgarvey]

Hi all,

I've decided to do my hour-building in the States. I'm not sure where but I'm in the middle of looking around. I have been looking into C150/152s but I'm not sure whether they would suit me. I'm going to do my hourbuilding but my girlfriend is coming along with me. We weigh about 24 stone (160kgs) between us and we will have a certain amount of baggage. Would the c150/152 be ok for hourbuilding of would I need to look into a c170/172 or the likes?

Aeroflight Inc. at Charleston Executive airport have rates of $38hr inc fuel which I thought was excellent. Has anyone flown with them before? Would you recommend them? Thanks a mil.

Steve

[VFE]

It might've been there where I flew into one stormy night last year or is there another large airport in Charelston? Can't remember myself.

A C152 will be perfect unless your girlfriend is taking loadsa baggage. Probably best if you tell us how much in your estimation this baggage is likely to weigh. Is it just flight gear or the whole travelling shooting match of shoes, clothes, make-up, hairspray, hairdryer etc?

The executive unit at the Charleston I went to was rather swish. Sweeties in the toilets and all that caper. . . .

VFE.

[FougaMagister]

It also depends what time of year you're thinking of heading there. Summers can be quite hot Stateside and a C-150/152 would be "power challenged" with a high density altitude, your girlfriend and yourself plus baggage on board - to say nothing of the reduced baggage space on this a/c.

I would recommend using a PA-28-161 Warrior instead (although a Cherokee-180 would do, albeit at a premium). It should cost you less per hour than a C-172, and you do get more space for luggage (including on the rear seats) and for yourself than in the C-150 series. Also, if you take the plane for a while, at least you can check your engine more thoroughly (since you can open the cowling).

Hope that helps.

Cheers

[sgarvey]

Thanks a lot guys.

[wheels up]

Personally I would go for a 172 or similar, especially if you are going into hot, high airport at MAUW. A C150 with full fuel doesn't carry a lot of baggage and performance isn't spectacular at the best of times, although adequate. High density altitudes erode this performance considerably.

Then again if you are going in winter and sticking to the lower altitude airports you should be fine - do your homework to see how much baggage you can take. You could always leave the girlfriend behind!

[muppethead]

Hired a C152 last Dec from San Diego and toured around USA with 2 pob and shed load of baggage (just within limits)

Managed 8900 feet over the mountains. Performed impeccably, best experience of my life flying into Vegas!!!

Best of luck
Mupp....

[Send Clowns]

The knackered Cessna 150s as supplied by certain British-owned outfit a little North of Daytona Beach, FL are capable of 12,050 ft, 2-POB, with child rear seat fitted. I can personally vouch that as the absolute ceiling, can go no higher

[Gin Slinger]

SC - that is impressive. A certain now deceased flight school in Naples, which also was the 'SFT Florida Connection' for a short while, had a no doubt similarly crappy C150 which was only capable of 9500', one POB and no kiddie seat.

SG - might be worth doing a bit of time in a PA-28 too - the chances are you will do your CPL in a PA-28R. The low wing landing experience is slightly more floaty than a Cessna, plus there's just power to necessitate a bit of right rubber to keep the ball in the centre on the climbout - something I don't recall is needed in a C150, or at least it didn't come up until I'd stepped into a PA-28 for the first time on CPL lesson #1. Also due to the immediacy mechanical flaps, you'll get into the push-on-the-yoke-and-retrim regime when you feed two stages of flap in on base.

God I wish I was doing my hour building again. I envy you!

[sgarvey]

I had a look into the Pa-28 140. It seems cost effective and also has room for baggage. I havent flown one yet but I'm doing my PPL training on a PA-38 if that is anything to go by.
I'm starting my hourbuilding in July so I'll be in hot climates. I intend to fly over arizona, death valley, the rockeys and others. Would the engine be powerful enough for this? The overall weight of myself, my giflfriend and the baggage shouldnt be more than 30 stone. I've read a few accounts and stories about long distance flights in hot conditions from

http://www.harvsair.com/training/flightreports.htm

If anyone has any other stories I would really appreciate hearing them as I'm sure many others would too.

[T1000]

hello there

hoping to go hours building next year on a 150 like sgarvey in the states. Looking forward to seeing how you can possibly downgrade from a 152....
Although Florida is packed with the hours-building packages, does anyone know if there are many other schools in the USA who do them? Wouldn't mind flying into Las Vegas.

also do most schools over there let you fly your cheeky little 150 nationwide?

[C172Navigator]

I last flew in the States in 2002, rented a C172M from Gulf Atlantic Airways http://www.gulfatlanticairways.com. The current price is $74 for a C172, $54 for a C152 and $74 for a PA28. They're based in Gainsville, northern Florida. Would recommend these guys.

The year before I rented a PA28 from Sterling Flight Training, Jacksoville, Florida - http://www.sterlingflight.com/.

I have some info on my trips at http://www.holiday.flyer.co.uk.