This site seems like a very Cessna Site.
Yet yet there is a lot of complaints about how a new Cessna framis valve costing $40,000 and peculater thermostats costing $15,00o and a new wing nut being $800.
Nobody seems happy with anything out of the factor either.
Lots of threads on how to put a R-2800 in a 150 and floats on a 210. ( I really would like to see floats on a 337 though...)
With that in mind If you were a Old pilot looking at retirement on limited means would you still Buy a Cessna?
I can afford that one time buy of a 175 for $15,000 but I will never spend $25,000 to replace a part on it.
Or even $5000
Not going to spend $5000 a annual if I can spend $40,000 up front and have $1000 annuals . same with other operating expenses.
Im a procrastinator so a kit would never fly.

Mission.
Cheep timebuilder.
Mission Revisit my youth flying and camping remote Alaska for various government agencies.( backcountry flying thats why I'm here)
Mission sightseeing rides for family, I'm nearly 300 pounds and will fly alone a lot but I'm Likely to also fly with my son 280 pounds or wife, (aint telling want to eat here again) so I want the ability for 4 seats and 800 pounds in cabin 550 in the front seats.
Ok any thoughts on what you would buy?

205 or a 206 . Might not fit the cheap time builder requirement but at least you would be comfortable in it . Will be nose heavy with two large folks in the front but off the top of my head can’t really see 550 lbs in the front seats of a smaller plane being that enjoyable .

Actually, there was a Cessna 337 on amphious floats for a number of years.

If you’re not seven feet tall, at that weight, you’re not going to sit beside ANYone in just about any light airplane.

MTV

Aeronca Sedan

The roomiest most affordable backcountry flyer there is. I'm 6'3" and 265 and have flown it a few times with my buddy who is a virtual twin to me in size and there was plenty of room. It's got an 800 lb. useful, not 800 lb. payload. Burls Aircraft has full type support. And it's just a wonderful plane to fly!

I love my Sedan.

Where could I find a picture of that 337 on floats?
Do you know the story behind it?


I guess the real question here is would you still go cessna with parts prices as bad as they are or suggest something else?

The brand doesn't matter...and your stated payload requirements completely negate any possibility of a "cheap time builder". Most people start out with a very unrealistic idea of what they need a airplane to do, and what it's going to cost.

Airplanes are expensive, regardless of the brand, and a $15,000 airplane is probably going to be REALLY expensive. For reference, that's half what I paid for a Cessna 140 over fifteen years ago, and while it was a recently rebuilt creampuff, it still required continual maintenance and repair. The idea that everything gets taken care of at the annual and then you just fly all year is, in my experience, absurd.

People don't want to hear this, but most airplanes cost several thousand dollars per year before you even start them, and that's without anything of significance needing to be repaired or replaced. I forget the exact number, but I once figured out what my 170B (another recently rebuilt creampuff with less than 100 hours on the engine) costs per year, MINUS gas and oil, and it was right around $5,000...and none of that was loan interest, as we bought it outright. BTW, A 170 is VERY inexpensive to own and operate compared to any airplane that meets your stated payload goals.

If you think you're going to buy a airplane (ANY airplane) and then just pay for gas and oil and one sub-thousand-dollar annual inspection, you're not. Either go into it with enough wallet, or stay the hell away from it. Being bankrupted by an airplane sucks, and you'll find they're a lot easier to buy than to sell.

To do what you propose you'll probably need at least a 182, so figure $60~80k purchase price with $5~7k per year operational capitol, hopefully some of which can go into the emergency fund, AND gas and oil money...figure 12 gallons per hour in cruise, more for pattern work or maneuvers. And if you need to pull a jug or replace a governor or comply with a propeller AD, you're going to need the money for that, too.

I'm not saying don't do it, I'm saying know what you're actually getting into before you put money down on daydreams.

Good luck!

If you can't stomach a surprise $5000 annual you aren't going to be able to stomach being an aircraft owner. Engine sometimes go tits up, kiss 15-45K away right there...

You can't do much flying for under 10k/year all expenses in, with a certified aircraft, especially one large enough to fit two people your size.

akaviator wrote:

Aeronca Sedan

The roomiest most affordable backcountry flyer there is. I'm 6'3" and 265 and have flown it a few times with my buddy who is a virtual twin to me in size and there was plenty of room. It's got an 800 lb. useful, not 800 lb. payload. Burls Aircraft has full type support. And it's just a wonderful plane to fly!

I love my Sedan.

Yep! +1

Goldinthecreek wrote:Where could I find a picture of that 337 on floats?
Do you know the story behind it?


I guess the real question here is would you still go cessna with parts prices as bad as they are or suggest something else?

Do a google search: cessna 337 skymaster on floats.

Picture is on this site.

MTV

For me, as an A&P IA
It cost me twice as much to operate my C182 as my C170 or C172. That's why I sold the 182. The huff and puff is a twin and will put you in the poor house if you are on any kind of a budget.
But for buying and selling planes, which is what I do full time. I have never been able to come out in the black on anything except Cessnas.
My .02

This is all very good advice. What is your budget? I am selling a very very nice and well equipped 66 182J that I just decided to sell. Let me know if you want more info.

Ditto the Aeronca Sedan. Or a Stinson 108-3 with Lycoming engine upgrade.

You have a factor of 2 problem. Either double your budget* or halve your payload. If I had your mission, I’d start a partnership or a club in a 206.












*i.e., double your $40k budget.

Ok guys lets see if I am understanding what everyone is telling me

To fly into the back country and do a little camping
OR
Take 550 pounds in the front seat and 250 in the back for a hamburger

I need $80,000 up front ,. To budget $10,000 per annual and have a emergency fund of $35,000 ?


Honestly thats pretty discouraging.

Goldinthecreek wrote:Ok guys lets see if I am understanding what everyone is telling me

To fly into the back country and do a little camping
OR
Take 550 pounds in the front seat and 250 in the back for a hamburger

I need $80,000 up front ,. To budget $10,000 per annual and have a emergency fund of $35,000 ?


Honestly thats pretty discouraging.

If I was in your shoes I'd be looking for a 182. They wont cost 10k every annual, but if you allow things to creep up on you then they can.

A Cessna annual ( unless it’s a citation or a caravan or some other multi retractable model) should never be 10 grand unless there was a big discrepancy found that had to be fixed . I have found that my annuals on the 206 tend to be 4x as expensive if I am not there cracking the whip and helping out. Seems like once an airplane is all caught up on its maintance (as in really caught up, not just pencil whipped year after year ) that the annuals should be a relative non event . What I mean by that is letting nothing slide til’ next year and working to keep it that way throughout the flying year . Yes there could be a nasty expensive surprise sometimes but .................

This site may seem Cessna-preoccupied, but it's really just a representation of the overall GA cross-section since we are the run-what-you-brung site-- type not important.

I used to own a Cessna 170B and sold it for reasons, among which was that I was more enamored with rag-and-tube aircraft. I now own a Piper Pacer and a Bearhawk 4-place kit, though I often run with some dirtbags that own great Cessna specimens.

Goldinthecreek wrote:Would You Still Buy A Cessna?

No. You already know the reasons why.

My 2c, if you aren't going to work the aircraft, then why go certified?

For my mission it seemed like certified older planes were a good value.
I have great faith in machines that have been around as long as I have. I am a 58 model ....