Top 3 Aircraft

[wyoranch]

Totally random thought. What are your favorite 3 aircraft that you have flown. When I say flown, I mean flown, not a 'Gee Whiz' ride, but rather you have time in type. OSH has me thinking of all the planes I have time in and the planes I just LOVED to get into.
1) A lightly loaded Cessna 150. I have tons and tons of time in them and I still think I could land one in my living room and have it stopped before the kitchen.
2) Pitts S2 - just more fun than you should be allowed to have...
3) Cheyenne 400LS, I always got a kick out of flying that thing. A true rocket, faster than a Citation, lands like a Cherokee and just flat out sexy....
Rick

[Frank Giger]

1) My Nieuport 11. Just a fun plane to fly - low and slow and just a little sweetheart.
2) Champ 7AC. It's not sexy. It's not high performance. It just likes to fly.

3) Ug. I don't have a number three, as I didn't like the FlightDesign CTLS and a C172 is a friggin' Buick with wings.

[rwanttaja]

1. Bowers Fly Baby. Just pure fun to fly. Been flying them just three months shy of 30 years, guess I'm hooked.
2. Cessna O-1 Bird Dog. Again, fun machine and you can legally make machine-gun noises on the radio.
3. Stinson 108-3 Station Wagon. Not as much fun, but a good classic travelling machine.

Ron Wanttaja

[wyoranch]

Ok,
So maybe I should have said top 5..... You guys are making me remember some really fun airplanes I have had the privilege of flying. So I won't mention the Tiger Moth or the plain ol' Cub, because that would make 5 and 5 is NOT allowed.
Rick

[Floatsflyer]

1) Cessna 182- so stable and sturdy to the controls touch, feels so solid, a super utility airplane, and can carry a big payload. Flys relatively fast and is a true, reliable and high performing cross country aircraft with 235 hp.

2) Cessna Hawk XP on floats- got my float rating on this airplane and learned how to fly a constant speed prop at the same time. A fantastic floatplane, almost as solid and sturdy as a 182, quick, powerful with 205 hp, and can carry 4 people with half tanks on floats. Spent many wonderful hours on the water and in the air with this great bird, wish it was still around.

3) Cessna 172 on floats- just pure fun, fun, fun but slow, slow, slow, 2 people only and full tanks, four hours of unmitigated fun(before fill-up) visiting your friends and relatives at cottages.

4 & 5) After flying seaplanes there just isn't anything else that matters or counts.

[Bob Dingley]

1) Piper J-3: First solo on skis in Maine in Feb. Later, the FAA replaced the CAA and the gaps in my training (hood time) were filled by the Piper J-3 Instrument Trainer. After 14.7 hrs of hood, I got my PVT. Couldn't wait to say good-by to the J-3. Miss them now.2) Cessna 172: Just a good old all round airplane. Almost went for the Birddog as #2 like we had in the guard, but the Hawk is more useful.3) Bell Huey: Military variants are up to the "Yankee" and "Zulu" models now, plus a bunch of civilian types. (212,412, 214ST) Its the current age's DC-3. My first meeting was as a Guard pilot reporting in to a Med Evac unit in RVN. "So this is what they look like up close." Got 1 hr, 45 minute instruction and was signed off. I was assigned to a crew, after sunset, we launched for a mission to evac some ROK casualties in the middle of a combat assault. After I met the Sikorsky 76, I couldn't wait to say good-by to the Huey (twin). Flying the "Igor"76 is like dancing with a ballerina. I know, I only had 3 choices.Bob

[Bob Dingley]

I want to change my #2 from the 172 Skyhawk to My Luscombe 8A. I loved that plane. The type has a special place in sport aviation. Back in the mid 40's Moody Larsen bought the company from Don Luscombe. Some wild eyed ruffians were whole heartedly putting the spurs to any plane that they could lay hands on. Skid marks all over the sky. Cub, Champs, T'crafts even Stinsons. CAA was concerned. Larsen pushed for some testing. CAA had some well known Acro pilots do this. They started with the 8A & E. I have a copy of the letter to Larsen approving a list maneuvers with entry speeds, etc. That list had the letterhead removed and was attached to Luscombe POHs as an "Acrobatic Supplement".

[Bill Greenwood]

Spitfire MK 1X, or any Spit espec early Mk s, would love to fly a V
P-51
Piper J3

and if you are going to 5 it would be Tiger Moth
and perhaps the all time classic DC-3, but I really only have some stick time, not a full pic flight

[Dana]

That I've logged time in?

Stearman: Big, solid, heavy, you can't do anything that will break it unless you run it into something solid.

Tiger Moth: Just a totally classy plane.

Taylorcraft: I'm biased here, having owned one and having some hundreds of hours in it... with practice you can do some amazing things with it.

[Gunslinger37]

#1 is the Huey military and civil versions. 8000+ hours over 50 years from the UH-1A to the 214ST.
#2 would be the Sikorsky S-76..did flight testing in serial number 760001.
#3 is any of the Champ, Citabria, Decathlon family. I have owned, rebuilt, recovered, 6 of them.