Chasing a dream
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 6:23 pm
Hello all. I am probably a bit different than many of the Part 103 chasers since I have a "real" pilot license and a current Class 2 medical with no immediate fear of losing it. I am active with flying in Cessna 172, Cessna 182, and an Aeronca Champ. I have dreamed of building my own EAB or ELSA experimental plane for years and narrowing down the right one has been a challenge. My favorite plane always seems to be the last one I looked at!
After a lot of back-and-forth about what I really want to do with an airplane, I realized that there is never going to be 1 airplane that does everything. I like to go low and slow enjoying the ride. The Champ is nice for that since it is quite comfortable at 500 AGL and 80 to 90 MPH cruise. I also like to take cross-country trips with my wife. She hates to go low and slow and doesn't want to be in a plane unless it's getting her to a destination as quick as possible and hauling 5x more stuff than she really needed to bring so the Cessna 182 is her favorite. Unfortunately, it's also a bit on the expensive side when that rental bill hits. The Champ is really cheap to fly, but she won't get in it unless we're just making a 20 minute fly to breakfast type of trip. Owning an RV-9A would be a great choice for her, but we would realistically only do those trips that justify it 1 or 2 times per year. I can rent the Cessna 182 twice per year with a lot of money left over for what owning an RV-9A would cost. Hangar rent alone will pay for at least 1 of those trips and insurance will easily cover the rest so I find myself looking for a very simple and economical way to drill holes in the sky by myself. I don't need 2 seats to do that so I started looking at single-seat options..
There are just a few simple (but heavy) things that I don't want to fly without. I like having an ADS-B transponder, I like having the radio built into the dash, I like having a cabin heater, I like not worrying about cruising a bit too fast, and I like carrying significantly more fuel than I plan on burning. Since I was already planning to build an EAB plane that follows all the FAA rules, I may be the first person to intentionally build a "heavy" Badland plane and put an N number on the tail rather than hoping nobody notices the rule fudging that some may get away with. This opens a few more engine options and removes all the airspace restrictions that legal 103 ultralights have to play by and I can still land just about anywhere.
After a lot of back-and-forth about what I really want to do with an airplane, I realized that there is never going to be 1 airplane that does everything. I like to go low and slow enjoying the ride. The Champ is nice for that since it is quite comfortable at 500 AGL and 80 to 90 MPH cruise. I also like to take cross-country trips with my wife. She hates to go low and slow and doesn't want to be in a plane unless it's getting her to a destination as quick as possible and hauling 5x more stuff than she really needed to bring so the Cessna 182 is her favorite. Unfortunately, it's also a bit on the expensive side when that rental bill hits. The Champ is really cheap to fly, but she won't get in it unless we're just making a 20 minute fly to breakfast type of trip. Owning an RV-9A would be a great choice for her, but we would realistically only do those trips that justify it 1 or 2 times per year. I can rent the Cessna 182 twice per year with a lot of money left over for what owning an RV-9A would cost. Hangar rent alone will pay for at least 1 of those trips and insurance will easily cover the rest so I find myself looking for a very simple and economical way to drill holes in the sky by myself. I don't need 2 seats to do that so I started looking at single-seat options..
There are just a few simple (but heavy) things that I don't want to fly without. I like having an ADS-B transponder, I like having the radio built into the dash, I like having a cabin heater, I like not worrying about cruising a bit too fast, and I like carrying significantly more fuel than I plan on burning. Since I was already planning to build an EAB plane that follows all the FAA rules, I may be the first person to intentionally build a "heavy" Badland plane and put an N number on the tail rather than hoping nobody notices the rule fudging that some may get away with. This opens a few more engine options and removes all the airspace restrictions that legal 103 ultralights have to play by and I can still land just about anywhere.