If you were going to add another type to the log book in 2016...

On my wish list …

… would be some traffic patterns in a Super Constellation. I am told that somewhere in Florida one can still do that. More expensive than I can afford, sadly…

Realistically there is nothing that will be added to my logbook next year. My employer has no plans (of which I know) to change to another plane. And for everything else I would have to pay myself. I’ll rather do a weekend trip with my family than put out 500 Euros for an hour in a Pitts.

Type wish list: Grumman Duck, PBY Catalina, Shin Miewa, Chinook Helicopter. I have a chance at the PBY, though gas is $1500 per hour, on top of the dry rate (which I have not had the nerve to ask!)

This question made me realize that I currently fly all the types I want to fly and that I realistically can fly with my current setup (of renting).

Mind you, these are all rather “standard” ones and nothing exotic, but I’m not too much drawn to exotic types yet – rather exotic places.

• I fly the C152 when I’m on my own, when I want to get in the air quickly and easily – there is almost always one available nearby, so it (ideally) takes me about 45 minutes from the decision to fly to be on the runway. I still really, really enjoy flying the C152, like it was the first day. It really feels like “recreational flying” to me now. The mental workload is low, I usually stay within the home area and just fly for the sake of it. Beautiful.
• I fly the C172SP of the same rental outfit when I take friends on local sightseeing trips. This is the newest, shiniest airframe I can get hold of and I find it more reassuring for people who are a bit nervous about flying than presenting them an older, shagged-out “spam can”. It also has a “car” feel to it with the car-like seats and seat belts, the G1000 makes navigation rather easy and “visual” (“look, guys, this is where we are now…”) and it has an AUX plug for music (which i can control to be played to PAX only or to myself as well, if no radio transmission).
• I fly a simple C172 for trips where budget is a priority because the three club-based ones I can use are the cheapest way for me to get into the air (yes, much cheaper than the school-owned C152).
• I fly the P28A for most trips now. It’s my favorite travel tool.
• I recently added the C182 RG (turbo and normally-aspirated) for long and/or high trips now. It is going to become my favorite travel tool, but I feel it requires more currency (increased complexity overall and nose-heavy landing), while so far I have less currency in it than in other types. Mission for 2016…

There’s nothing I’m really missing right now. If money were no issue, I would very much consider the PA46 Meridian that the school I rent from has on offer. I’d also love to fly the Cirrus, if there were one around and I had money to spare. In spring, I’m planning to take part in a single-day aerobatic introduction in the Extra, but I guess that will hardly count as “adding a type”.

So I guess I’ll stick to growing the list of places for now, rather than the list of types…

AX2000 which I’m quite looking forward to.

Everything else one can buy time on

747, 777 or 787. Going to be moving to one of the three at some point before the summer.

Personally hoping to fly the queen of the skies!

Josh wrote:

Personally hoping to fly the queen of the skies!

Dragon Rapide?

Josh wrote:

Personally hoping to fly the queen of the skies!

+1! Alas, I never will….. my plan is to add the tailwheel endorsement and fly the Cub. Low and slow for fun…..

Dragon Rapide?

+1, although the sky has many queens.

I’d like to fly the Bo207 next year. And a J3, perhaps.