What is your dream aircraft?

[Floatsflyer]

As a vintage and seaplane junkie it's the Sikorsky S-39(it would also be the S-38 but I don't have a multi ticket). My emotional attachment to this plane is unnatural. When I spoke to the owner/restorer of the only one flying in the world at Oshkosh 5 years ago, he told me it was for sale. $1.2 million was the asking. I thought I'd offer half honestly not knowing where the money would come from. I called my wife that night. That's when the fight began.

[Floatsflyer]

If I won the lottery I can see picking up one of these: http://www.controller.com/listingsde...SE/1209907.htm

Maybe you don't need a lottery win. This one is less than half the one you posted

GRUMMAN GOOSE (G21-A) • $299,000 • FOR SALE • Price reduced must sell! 1943 Grumman Goose G21A SN 1168, TT 9979 hrs, LE 256 hrs SMOH, RE 70 hrs SMOH; Excellent maintenance history, retractable floats (9000# gross wt), life preservers and raft, extra set of light weight seats. Garmin 430W, SL 30, KLN 89, Garmin 396 with weather, KT 76, Garmin audio panel, marker beacon, and intercom, dual flight instruments, King slaved HSI, and dual RMI’s. Recent annual inspection with list of discrepancies. Hangared in Kissimmee, FL (KISM). $299,000. OBO Call Dennis 863-297-8080, 863-258-1881 (Cell) • Contact Dennis M. Kochan, Friend of Owner - located Winter Haven, FL USA • Telephone: 863-297-8080 • Posted February 11, 2014 • Show all Ads posted by this Advertiser • Recommend This Ad to a Friend • Email Advertiser • Save to Watchlist • Report This Ad • View Larger Pictures

[danielfindling]

Hmm. A New Standard for retirement.

[Todd copeland]

A Glasair III, that's why I'm building one! If I had the pockets, probably a P-51.

[tspear]

There is no one plane.
I want four classes of aircraft:
-- Super long range cross country plane, that goes 400+ knots. Think CJ2++
-- Normal cross country plane, 300-800NM range, cruises 200 knots and can land/tank off at 3K long fields at max weight
-- Beech Staggerwing (no idea why, I just have always wanted one)
-- A series of fun aircraft that will keep changing: seaplane, bush plane, acro....

What can I afford? One plane

Tim

[John Craparo]

Lots of choices. At this moment it is a Magni M-16 Gyroplane.

John Craparo
ASEL ASES, LTA, GLI, PPC, GYR, A-GI, LSRM-AP, GLI, PPC, WSC
You Can Fly Now: your keys to a sky full of opportunity
youcanflynow.com

[Infidel]

What works for me may not work for others. I would like to fly without bothering with FAA medical certification. I have commercial privileges for gliders, so I choose a "self launching glider" AKA motor glider as my dream ride.You don't even need the driver's license for medical cerification as LSAs do. See FAR 61.23 b & c. Yes, you still need a picture ID.


Motor gliders have significant advantages over Light Sport aircraft: Variable pitch full feathering props are common. No speed limits, No weight limits, No altitude limits. Lower age limits. No prohibitions on night flights or IFR if equiped and PIC is current. Glider pilots are authorized to use airplane instrument ratings. Fortunately I have that plus a helo Instrument rating.


An import from Slovenea, the Pipistrel Virus caught my eye. There are several dealers in the US uncluding here in Florida. They are available as kits or ready to fly. LSA airplanes or motor gliders. 41 foot span or "short wing" 35 foot span. Tri-gear or TD. with or without tundra tires. This aircraft is a two time winner of the NASA Challange. Won 5 out of 7 catagories. Best in MPG, 2nd in speed to worlds fastest RV-4, CAFE efficiency and shortest runway. Very clean. Its a glider after all. The prop makes it a near STOL for T.O. The spoilers and flaps make it near STOL for landing. It would only need half of my 1450' farm strip. It can carry a usfull load almost equal its 650# EW. ROC is 1600. Cruises 147 Knots. (I flight planned a Mooney MK 21 at 145) Vne is 165 KTS. Roll rate 45 deg to 45 deg is 1.9 sec thanks to full span flaperons. Load tested to +7G


Well equipped RTF price is 2/3 of a Skycatcher. The QB kit is less. One other thing. You could feather the prop and have the right of way in the traffic pattern.




Bob

Too cool! (Grin)

[Louis]

Maybe you don't need a lottery win. This one is less than half the one you posted

GRUMMAN GOOSE (G21-A) • $299,000 • FOR SALE • Price reduced must sell! 1943 Grumman Goose G21A SN 1168, TT 9979 hrs, LE 256 hrs SMOH, RE 70 hrs SMOH; Excellent maintenance history, retractable floats (9000# gross wt), life preservers and raft, extra set of light weight seats. Garmin 430W, SL 30, KLN 89, Garmin 396 with weather, KT 76, Garmin audio panel, marker beacon, and intercom, dual flight instruments, King slaved HSI, and dual RMI’s. Recent annual inspection with list of discrepancies. Hangared in Kissimmee, FL (KISM). $299,000. OBO Call Dennis 863-297-8080, 863-258-1881 (Cell) • Contact Dennis M. Kochan, Friend of Owner - located Winter Haven, FL USA • Telephone: 863-297-8080 • Posted February 11, 2014 • Show all Ads posted by this Advertiser • Recommend This Ad to a Friend • Email Advertiser • Save to Watchlist • Report This Ad • View Larger Pictures

Thanks, but I'm still going to need to win the lottery. If I win enough to afford the 600g Goose I can get the 300g Goose and fuel and maintain it for a few years. I have to agree with you and say an S-39 would be really cool. I have a short movie my Father took of one that was still earning a living here in Alaska back in the 50's. It would be a kick to get that S-39 and use it for tours up here. Of course that would be one of those business that would land you a small fortune if you started with a large one. Is that S-39 for sale certified or experimental? You just need to find a well heeled partner to help set up a unique flight seeing service. What is Jimmy Buffet up to these days?

[Floatsflyer]

Thanks, but I'm still going to need to win the lottery. If I win enough to afford the 600g Goose I can get the 300g Goose and fuel and maintain it for a few years. I have to agree with you and say an S-39 would be really cool. I have a short movie my Father took of one that was still earning a living here in Alaska back in the 50's. It would be a kick to get that S-39 and use it for tours up here. Of course that would be one of those business that would land you a small fortune if you started with a large one. Is that S-39 for sale certified or experimental? You just need to find a well heeled partner to help set up a unique flight seeing service. What is Jimmy Buffet up to these days?

I have never seen a better price for a Goose, ever...this is what you normally pay for a good Widgeon. It's a steal(wonder what's wrong with it :-) ). Maybe the one that's in your father's home movies is now a part of the S-39 I spoke of. The restorer used about 5 wrecks he found in the Alaska bush and other places to rebuild this one. Took him 40,000 hours and 40 years to complete it--it's quite the story. I'm pretty sure it's certified because the fuselage he used had an N-number and I believe he also had a plate.

Setting up a sightseeing business with it sounds like a fun idea but only in a place with year-long good warm weather so you can fly all the time to pay off the loan. Anyways, it's no longer for sale, dagnabit! Kermit Weeks bought it a short time ago but you can see it at his Fantasy of Flight in Florida.

Oh, Buffet doesn't call me any more.:-)


http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircr...sikorsky-s-39/

[Roger Janssens]

I'm not even a pilot, so 'having'/owning a plane would be a waste of a perfectly good airframe assuming it was airworthy.
But my dream machine: EE Lightning. So I'm just hoping that when the team that is restoring one to flying condition in Stennis, MS, are done, they'll have the money and the desire to bring it to Oshkosh (cf. http://www.lightning422supporters.co.uk/).