What are my options?

[Bighorn]

LSA or E-LSA Highwing, Tandum seating, Very Easy to get in and out for a guy that's 6'3 275, ????

[raytoews]

Back off on the twinkies:)

A friend once told me, as I was stressing about making my airplane lighter. "easier for you to lose a few pounds than for the airplane"

Point taken.

[rodandy]

While many of us could afford to drop a few pounds, I've seen very few LSA aircraft that have a full fuel useful load adequate to haul 2 standard FAA passengers (170 lb.) and any significant amount of luggage. If the pilot or passenger is even 20 pounds over that standard size it means carrying less fuel and the corresponding decrease in range.

[txopenair]

Bighorn, welcome to my world. I am also 6'3" and 275 +/- lbs depending on the particular day. I have a Fisher Celebrity Biplane with an IO-240 Continental. It is tandem open seating, solo from rear seat. The building plans allow for some flexibility, especially for setting forward the rudder pedals accommodating our long legs, and the seat space allows for optimum mounting. If you love old time low and slow this is an excellent option. If high wing is a must for you, I had also considered the Fisher Dakota, but I did not like the side by side seating. I also have 40+ hrs. in an Aeronca Champ which meets all your stated requirements and qualifies as an LSA, Once you have been taught how easy it is to make entry into this tandem closed seat aircraft it is a workhorse. I have also been recently looking at acquiring an Autogyro which offers another alternative for large stature individuals as well. BTW: I hate twinkies!

[Bighorn]

TXO

Thanks for the reply....I hate twinkies too. I will look into your ideas. It's nice to know some one else has the same challenges :)

[Dan Miller]

Try World Aircraft's Vision. It will take 350lb pilot, 6'6". 48" cabin. Still LSA. So, it would be probably a single crew aircraft if a 350lb pilot was in the front seat. See it at Oshkosh, other places this spring/summer. www.worldaircraftco.com (http://www.worldaircraftco.com) or replly to me personally.

DAN

[WWhunter]

Dan, While those are nice planes and I did look at them at Oshkosh, they are side by side seating and Bighorn requested tandem.

For LSA in the certified category the Champ is probably the biggest cabin size for tandem seating. Not sure about the Interstate Cadet but I would guess it is similar to a cub. Here is a list of the certified planes that fit the LSA specs: www.sportpilot.org/learn/lsa/standard_certificate_aircraft.html
Unfortunately with your weight and fuel you are going to be at 'legal' gross, but we all know these old planes will carry a lot more. If looking for a Champ I would definitely find one with 85hp or more. I know of one with an O-235 for sale. LOL
Hope you find something soon. If the weather gets better my offer stands, but I think with my Champ on floats and the two of us aboard and some fuel, we may submerge the floats a bit.
Keith

[DBurr]

There used to be a nice website, bigpilots.com, which had ratings/reviews of various aircraft and how well bigger guys fit in them. Sadly, the domain expired last year and appears to never have been renewed. A February 2011 copy is still available on the Internet Wayback Machine (archive.org). Good luck. At 6'-6" and 220# myself I understand your issue. My favorite Usenet quote from the late R.S. Hoover (the VW engine guru, not the Aerocommander Bob) is "A lot of homebuilts were designed by midgets for others of their kind..." :)

[txopenair]

Bighorn, just as a follow-up here is a link to an earlier EAA Forum that addresses some LSA aircraft and their useful load data which at least provides you some reference aircraft to research and consider as to your specific wants and requirements. http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?692-LSA-or-Ultralight-with-best-useful-load/page2
Of course useful load does not equate to cabin space especially concerning leg and shoulder room. As a suggestion, if you can swing a trip to Oshkosh this year that would be your best bet to sit in all types of LSA aircraft in one location and feel how comfortable you fit in them instead of relying on paper stats and dimensions. Good luck!

[Bighorn]

Bighorn, just as a follow-up here is a link to an earlier EAA Forum that addresses some LSA aircraft and their useful load data which at least provides you some reference aircraft to research and consider as to your specific wants and requirements. http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?692-LSA-or-Ultralight-with-best-useful-load/page2
Of course useful load does not equate to cabin space especially concerning leg and shoulder room. As a suggestion, if you can swing a trip to Oshkosh this year that would be your best bet to sit in all types of LSA aircraft in one location and feel how comfortable you fit in them instead of relying on paper stats and dimensions. Good luck!

TXO

Thanks for the link. We were at "Slosh Gosh" the first part of the week. It was the first time back in many years. So much to see that we didn't make it over to the expirimental area. I was thinking I should go again for this reason. Don't think I'll fly again though, all went very well BUT I think I had to clean my pants after I got there. I get to a towered airport once in a blue moon so all of that was just a bit much. I got to give them credit though they do 1 Hell of a job!