AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2017 - 79

Training Starts Here.
The problem is when first-time buyers
define their mission parameters in narrow
terms. Two people, $100 hamburger runs, a
few longer trips? That screams Cessna 172
or Piper Cherokee/Warrior. Four people,
luggage, longer trips? Get thee to a Cessna
182 or a Beechcraft Bonanza. These are
fine airplanes and they're awesome at what
they do-but are these buyers passing up
other options?
Art Friedman of Santa Paula, California,
went shopping for that very Cessna 182
he was convinced would make a "serious traveler" that could haul four people,
two dogs, and luggage. "When I rolled up
to the ramp in my Cessna 150, I could tell
[the 182] was a rat without every getting
out of my plane," Friedman said. While he
was checking out the 182, the airplane broker came out to greet him, and agreed that
the 182 was not a great prospect.
"Would you be interested in a 210?" the
broker asked.
"I can't afford a 210," Friedman said.
"Oh, I'll bet you can afford this one,"
the broker said. He led the way to a 1964
Cessna 210D with recent avionics, and
quoted an asking price less than the fixedgear Cessna Cardinals, Piper Cherokees,
and comparable airplanes with "coal-burning radios and peeling paint" Friedman had
considered. The 210's owner was being
forced to sell the airplane in a divorce.
Friedman bought the aircraft and flew it
18 years and 4,000 hours.
After logging hundreds of hours in
Cessna 172s and a Garmin G1000-equipped
182 for instrument training, Joe Goodin of
Stafford, Virginia, also thought he'd eventually purchase a 182.
"I never saw myself owning a Piper
Arrow, but I stumbled into a partnership
and bought out one partner, and I'm about
to buy out the other. After 800 hours in my
Arrow, I do not regret it," he said.
When laying out the mission, it's wise
to factor in the weather and the terrain
you might encounter. Jeff King wanted
reliable family transportation for six people. He knew that, if he intended to base
an airplane in Michigan, he could expect
frequent icing in the winter. He also

planned to fly the airplane in night instrument meteorological conditions, and over
Lake Michigan. These details, along with
the desire for an easy-to-fly airplane and
lower insurance costs, led King to a 1965
Piper Aztec, which he keeps at Hillsdale
Municipal Airport in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Similarly, Dr. Bruce Chien of Peoria,
Illinois, said his mission is to transport
"650 pounds of humans" and safe passage
over the Rocky Mountains in the winter.
He chose a turbocharged Piper Seneca II
certified for flight into known icing conditions, which he has flown for 18 years and
approximately 3,000 hours.
For some, the mission is about more
than getting from place to place. It's about
the desire to own a piece of history, or to
fly an airplane for fun as well as investment, which led Dan Wilkins of Portland,
Pennsylvania, to a 1941 Waco UPF-7. Or the
desire to mesh good cross-country performance with an Experimental amateur-built
airframe, which prompted Todd Stovall
of Dumfries, Virginia, to build a Van's
RV-10. Or even simply wanting something
sporty and fun, which drew Gene Mohr of
Sacramento, California, to a Van's RV-6.
If your mission is so specific that it
almost dictates your make and model, you
might be like Roald Lutz of Albuquerque,
New Mexico, who started with the proposition that "they had to be taildraggers."
First was a 1957 Piper Pacer, chosen for its
ability to deliver climb, short-field, highaltitude, and reasonable cross-country
performance on a tight budget. He transitioned to a 1952 Cessna 195 when the
occasional need for a fifth seat arrived, and
for the improved power, speed, and range.
In 2013, Lutz acquired a 90-horsepower
1983 Skyote, which is a single-place homebuilt biplane. It's not clear what portion of
his mission this fulfills, but "it's the sweetest-handling ship I've ever flown," he said.
If you join a flying club you can have
a flexible mission and perhaps a choice
of airplanes to meet your needs-or, if
you're like Lynnwood Minar, you join a
flying club because you have no mission or
model in mind. "I still don't, but I have the
luxury of a tailwheel, a 172 and a 182, and a
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2017