Experimental or Certified?

[FlyingRon]

I have owned a certificated (albeit vintage) aircraft for nearly 20 years (a Navion, imagine a bigger, louder, more fuel consuming Tiger). I've dabbled with the idea of a homebuilt, either something simple and fun like a Fly Baby, or perhaps (since I also live on a airpark on a lake) something like a Sea Rey.

If you want to FLY, I'd recommend getting something already built (either a certificated ship or an already built homebuilt). This will give you something to do (and keep your skills up) while you dabble with the idea of what you are going to build yourself. Even the simplest homebuilts are going to take several years unless you are tremendously dedicated to hacking away at the thing in every spare moment. It is suspected that a lot of the infant mortality of homebuilts come from pilots not keeping their flying skills up right prior to their test phases.

[1600vw]

One big problem is the person whom just built their own airplane and then insist on doing the first flights. This is no time for a low time pilot to fly something never flown. Have someone whom does this do it for you. I am lucky and have such a friend. I have no idea how he got into this, but anytime someone in my area has an airplane that needs its first flight they call Lynn.

In Decatur IL a few years ago we had something like this happen. I knew the man whom inspected this airplane for the FAA. He told me he told that man...Do Not Fly this for the first time but have someone fly it for you. He insisted on being the first pilot to fly her, told his family, I am going to fly my airplane and see you later. Neither happened.

I believe the NTSB found pilot error to be the cause. Loss of control.

Same if you purchase an airplane. Have the first flights flown by someone else if you are a low time pilot or transitioning from a different class to a HB. This person can give you a lot of input as to what the airplane does and doesn't do.

Don't be a statistic.

Tony

[Louis]

There's a Cessna 150 on Barnstormers now for $13,900. You could probably find an Aeronca Chief in about the same price range and a Chief is so cute you're wife wouldn't be able to resist!

[Frank Giger]

My wife said " I will support you all you want in your aviation dream, just don't EVER ask me to get involved". I guess one reason I will always fly a single seat. Aviation is a one person hobby for me.

But the amazing thing, in my area I know of a few other men whom are just like me. Just one difference. I log onto sites like this and look for others. These men troll sites like this but will NEVER post.

Sometimes I don't blame them.

Tony

Oh, I'm with you, and have always been upfront about it. She's actually flown with me twice, and does go to the rare EAA chapter dinner - but then again, I'll go if she has some company dinner function.

Flying is my thing, not our thing. We have loads of things we do together, but she has things she likes to do that are akin to having a root canal to me, so we respect each other's spaces and don't criticize.

Of course it's inconsistent. She'll very gently say "honey, enough airplane talk, it's giving me a headache,"* on Monday and say "Well, my husband is not only a Sport Pilot, he's building his own airplane" with a surprising amount of pride in her voice on Tuesday to someone.

* Poor dear suffers from the occasional migrane and the longer I talk about flying stuff the louder my voice gets with the rise in excitement.

As to our original poster, I'd go with a certified plane for cost and convenience. And use parental influence to put the aviation bug into the daughter.

[FlyingRon]

My wife was afraid to fly when we met (even commercially). I managed to nail a turkey buzzard with the wing of the 172 on her first flight. Her third flight with me was going to Oshkosh. By the next year she had her license. By the next year after that she was flying the Navion in to the show. We were volunteers of the year down in Vintage this year.

The only downside is she wants to fly half the legs.

[I_FLY_LOW]

Go certified to start, then maybe take your time later on, and build something with the family.

[pacerpilot]

Go certified to start, then maybe take your time later on, and build something with the family.

That's very good advice.

[Sal_Ruiz]

Thanks everybody for the advise. Yep I shall go certified and I'll be asking for advice to buy a plane soon next year. And just maybe in the future once I get promoted to a more reasonable schedule (6 days on out of town 3 days off right now) I may try to build or rebuild a plane and by then also hopefully have more experience.

Just one question. . . Is it me or lately there is a shorter supply of used aircraft than the previous years?

[zaitcev]

Just one question. . . Is it me or lately there is a shorter supply of used aircraft than the previous years?

It comes and ebbs. I kept a spreadsheet for several years while I was hunting for my airplane. You could see Mooneys come on the market and go, 150s raise and fall in price, all in mysterious waves. Except for Cherokees, of course. Those pests are unkillable like roaches.

P.S. The Cherokee in my forum avatar had enough major damage that it never flew straight. Reportedly it crashed, the owner repaired it, and then the day he came to look at it fixed the shop dropped it off a jack and bent the spar. Owner sold it broken for a funny value to an out-of-town FBO. The FBO owner fixed it up, but it never flew straight ever since. I passed my checkride in it.

[Max Torque]

Sal, It's actually a buyer's market right now! Of course, people selling don't want to act like it. Be aware that a lot of people selling airplanes are worse than used car salesmen! I've checked out dozens of planes over the years and one must be extremely careful. There are lots of good honest people selling, but there are also way too many who aren't honest. Do not buy a plane with a "fresh annual" that was performed by the seller's mechanic/IA. Have your own mechanic inspect the plane/do the annual/etc. not the seller's! Good luck! Tom