I think Aryana said it best. Do what makes you happy-- life is short.

My plane is a '63 182 with a PPonk, MT prop, wing extensions and a STOL kit. On big wheels I think it would suit your mission just fine. On amphibs, as it is now, it is modestly powered and I can't just push in the throttle to correct errors in judgement. Hence my philosophical disagreement with Hammer on what kind of plane to cut your teeth on.

I was 50 when I got my PPL, probably not as sharp mentally or physically as Hammer was when he was learning to fly a low-power plane in the mountains. When you are a low time pilot there is a metric shit-ton of stuff to learn and I think if you can push a few lessons back on the timeline it might just save your life. In the intervening few years I've been learning about weather, mountains, daylight, a lot about wind, fuel and weight considerations, judging strips from the air... stuff like that. It wasn't until this year that I went out with an instructor that started to school me on lift and ridge flying. No doubt I'm a better, safer pilot with that knowledge but I'm glad I didn't have to learn it first. Your mileage may vary.

As I said in my previous post, you'll never wish you had less horsepower but you very well wish you had more.

Lot's of excellent advice in these posts. Take them to heart.

Where is most of your flying going to be? Idaho, Utah, Montana, Colorado, California?

How will you use this airplane 90% of the time? Flying into the backcountry strips, camping and flight-seeing?

If so, go with a plane like a Husky or a hot-rod 170B or a 180hp Super Cub. You'll have way more fun.

Want to throw in a long trip or two every year? Bahamas, Alaska, Canada, Florida? And still go into those same backcountry strips and flight see with friends?

A 185 is the perfect plane. But you could also get a 182. Take the $100k you'd save by not buying a 185 (and the money you'd save on insurance every year) and trick out the 182 into the most badass backcountry 182 anyone has ever seen. Bigger motor/Propellor, Sportsman STOL, heavy duty front fork, big tires, new interior, nice paint job, etc etc. The jet jockeys will never walk by it and say out loud "I don't know what that is but I want one someday" like they will a 185 sitting on big tires, but it will do 99.9% of what a 185 will in the lower 48. Just with less "cool".

Of course you really need three planes; a cub type, a 185, and a Beaver-just because they are so cool and because everyone should have an airplane with a round engine.

albravo wrote:.......I agree with Hammer that you would learn more about the mountains in an underpowered plane but I don't agree at all that a 185 would be a poor choice for that reason. You'll never wish you had less horsepower but God knows you might find yourself wishing you had more. ....

I guess you could recommend that someone learn how to hunt deer with a 22, "it''ll make you a better hunter". Yeah, it can & has been done, but theres better choices- esp for a newbie.
A better comparison to aviation might be to recommend a 6.5 Mannlicher or 7x57 for someone's first elephant hunt. Yeah, its been done (witness WDM Bell), but is more likely to result in your death in the long grass than in a nice set of tusks.

Barnstormer wrote:Lot's of excellent advice in these posts. Take them to heart.

Where is most of your flying going to be? Idaho, Utah, Montana, Colorado, California?

How will you use this airplane 90% of the time? Flying into the backcountry strips, camping and flight-seeing?

If so, go with a plane like a Husky or a hot-rod 170B or a 180hp Super Cub. You'll have way more fun.

Want to throw in a long trip or two every year? Bahamas, Alaska, Canada, Florida? And still go into those same backcountry strips and flight see with friends?

A 185 is the perfect plane. But you could also get a 182. Take the $100k you'd save by not buying a 185 (and the money you'd save on insurance every year) and trick out the 182 into the most badass backcountry 182 anyone has ever seen. Bigger motor/Propellor, Sportsman STOL, heavy duty front fork, big tires, new interior, nice paint job, etc etc. The jet jockeys will never walk by it and say out loud "I don't know what that is but I want one someday" like they will a 185 sitting on big tires, but it will do 99.9% of what a 185 will in the lower 48. Just with less "cool".

Of course you really need three planes; a cub type, a 185, and a Beaver-just because they are so cool and because everyone should have an airplane with a round engine.

I like this [emoji1360]

Gonna give my wife this speech tonight and see how it goes. [emoji1694]

pburns wrote:

Sterlingmossy wrote:Thank you both for your thoughts. Clearly I am new to all of this I have not owned a plane before and have 160 hours TT. I just moved to Idaho (Driggs KDIJ) and would like to continue to develop my flyiung skills and eventually do backcountry flying/camping. The mission would be 1. Scenic flights around the Teton's and backcountry camping. I welcome any thoughts/wisdom that you have for me.

Cheers

Driggs is great,

I have a good friend that lives in Victor and works at Teton Aviation part time giving glider rides among other things, when he isn't flying for Net Jets. If you are looking for instruction for that area (Probably a good idea) I am sure I could get some info on the CFI's there.

Pete

Thanks, it is a great area to fly. I have taken some lessons at Teton Aviation with Coleen (who is great) but would love to know who your friend thinks is the best Tailwheel CFI. Thanks

PM sent.