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At 03:53 PM 2/15/01 -0800, Bruce Abbott wrote: >I am a 45 hour student pilot, close to my check ride and considering the >purchase of a 1946 CD with metal wings, peddles and the 0200 conversion. > Would any of the members comment as to whether this would be a good >choice for someone of my limited hours ? Absolutely! With some provisos: Proviso 1: Metal wings may mean nobody has looked hard at the structure in maybe 40 years. That could be a problem. You need to KNOW (not assume) the condition of the spars and spar carry-through. Assume there is serious corrosion, and be surprised if there isn't. A grounded airplane really sucks. On a metal wing plane, you may really need to talk with our Syd Cohen about his means for conducting the inspection using fiber optics. Proviso 2: The plane is otherwise in good shape. It's hard, as a newcomer to aviation, to have the right contacts to have the right people in your corner as a buyer. Don't mean to discourage you, just giving you the facts. Proviso 3: You can get someone to teach you in the thing. Don't laugh... ...many CFIs are relatively inexperienced pilots. They've done the same thing over and over again, and just aren't equipped to deal with anything but spam-cans. Proviso 4: 415s with pedals are a bit wierd in that you still steer on the ground with the yoke (in most cases). That may flummox your CFI and you a bit. >I have done all my training in >a Cherokee 180 but the club I belong to is getting crowded and sometimes >it is nearly impossible to schedule an aircraft. Many thanks for any >advice. Consider carefully whether this is really the right alternative for finishing up. There are programs (like American Flyers "finish up" program) that are designed to get you through that last little bit of training and get you your PP-ASEL. What I'm saying is... ...in and off itself, the availability of a single rental aircraft is not a reason to buy. What I'm saying is... ...for what you're going to spend on this Ercoupe in the first several months, you could finish your PP-ASEL in style several times over. Maybe you can, some weeks in advance, block out a week in that PA28-180 for the purpose of finishing up. More important than the particular model of plane is its condition. If you find a really good Cherokee 140, 150, 151, 180, or 181 or a (am I really saying this) truly excellent Skyhawk, or Cessna 152 it may cost a bit more, but you will have fewer worries. By 'truly excellent' I mean one with impeccable maintenance, that's known locally, and is probably rather expensive. Assuming you can handle the financing, you can finish up and then decide what to do next; sell for more than you paid, put it on lease-back, or whatever. It may be the thing to do. But don't think 'no sweat, I'll just by that Ercoupe that nobody has flown for a couple of years, and finish up in it.' Greg --------------------------------- to unsubscribe send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
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