Favorite Airplanes

Your question could be taken a number of ways.  Favorite airplane to fly?  Favorite airplane to own?  Favorite airplane to see flying?  Lots of different answers.  It's really hard to narrow it down to one favorite airplane regardless of how you look at the question.  Here are some of mine...

I really love my WACO UPF-7.  It is definitely one of my favorites.  I love giving rides in it.  I love just going up for a nice evening flight in it.  I love taking it on cross-countries.  About the only thing I don't like about it is that it's a real job to clean!

I love my Cessna 180 too.  It has a great performance envelope and can carry what I need carried, can get into (and out of) any little airstrip that I'd care to go into.  It is fairly comfortable, flies nicely, and has pretty good cross-country speed. Definitely a high point in Cessna's fleet of designs.

Having said all that, if I had to go down to one airplane and stick with just the one I'd probably go with a CubCrafters Super Sport Cub.  It will do much of what the 180 will do, be great fun to fly, and is LSA compliant as well.  Not nearly the "ramp appeal" or pure "vintage" enjoyment as the WACO, but a pretty good all-around airplane.

My "dream list" would include such airplanes as the Lockheed Air Express, the Grumman F8F Bearcat, and the Grumman Mallard.  But the real world intrudes on those dreams, so I'll stick with what I have for now and maybe switch to the Super Sport Cub someday down the line.

Cheers!

Joe

Sounds awesome!!! Thanks for the reply.

                              -Deb

The one I currently own...the Hiperbipe.

I am, however, reminded of the words of the late Frank Tallman; "Every airplane I see, every one I touch, every one I read about, I want to fly...what pilot wouldn't?"

              What pilot indeed...

                                           Chris

My favorite would be an RV, especially the one I own since it fits the type of flying I do right now.  But, glad you like the F-16 so much Deborah.  I've been inspecting them in Fort Worth for almost 32 years now.  It's a great fighter!

Up to this point my favorite one that I have flown is the one I currently own, my Davis DA2A.

Thats awesome!! And I really like that saying....

Mr. Mike, that is soooo cool!!! I have never seen a F-16 up close.....but I hope to someday! -Deborah

 Mr. Nick... That's great!!! Thanks for the reply's!!!

Deborah, as you state that you have never seen one up close, let me tell you about my last close encounter with an F-16 "Fighting Falcon", though the pilots of them prefer "Viper".

I was on approach into Tucson last Spring, as I crossed the last mountain range East of town I caught movement in my peripheral vision.  I looked to my left and level with me were two F-16's descending into Davis-Monthan AFB.  I watched as they glided silently ahead and then below me.  About three miles ahead they turned to the North and continued their approach for landing.

It was a remarkable sight.  For part of the flight the City of Tucson provided the background as they passed between me and it.  For me it was nostalgic.  I was still in the Air Force when the plane became operational.  It was sort of like seeing an old friend from my past.

Yellow with a Lightning Bolt, Cubs bring the most soft and cuddly thoughts.

The small pipers are the start of personal aircraft in my mind.

Thank you all for the replys!!! I really enjoy reading all of them!!! -Deborah

Mr. William....thank you for sharing your experience with me!!! That sounds soooo cool!!! I really enjoyed reading about it!!! -Deborah

Deborah,

I have hesitated to weigh in on this post because not being a pilot myself I feel like an outsider and don't want to intrude.

I thought about it and realize the question wasn't a favorite airplane to fly, so as an admirer I can give you my 2 cents.

First and foremost, any flying machine with a powered rotor on top. The sound of a helicopter running up RPM to reach full speed or takeoff speed / full RPM for lift, is the most exhilarating sound in the world. I love that sound. My favorite helicopter? I can't really say, but check this one out, isn't it beautiful? And for sale too at $7.9 million.

 http://www.aircraftmarketing.com/UserFiles/Uploaded/cms/07-20-2010-ec155b1-sn-6652-specs-photos.pdf

I think the F-16 is beautiful from a design standpoint, very graceful / sleek looking but any of the vectored thrust fighters are incredible to watch flying. They walk across the sky while flying straight up like rockets, just amazing.

 I am very fortunate to live right here in EAA country and take in AirVenture so it's very difficult to choose just one plane or type.

 I used to( 1979 - 80 ) travel to Abbotsford, BC to the airshow there. It was an eight hour drive over the pass from Eastern Washington, but it was well worth it. I saw the debut of the F-18 and the A-10, both fantastic aircraft. I was able to walk through the C5 Galaxy, WOW, that's one huge plane. The Vulcan bomber flew for the show, really cool.

Out at EAA, two of my favorites are the P-51 Mustang and the Super Corsair. Just the sound of those great engines is enough to put a smile on any gearheads face. That big 12 cylinder Merlin in the P-51 and the 28 cylinder Radial, yes, that's four banks of 7 cylinders, in the Corsair. That's got to get any motor freak excited. When they fly, I can just imagine what it must be like to be a pilot and be able to fly those incredible and very historic aircraft. If you think of the contribution to the war effort that the Mustang made. Turning the tide of the war and developed in such a very short time. The history of the Tuskegee airmen that flew them and their contribution to the war effort. Just amazing stuff.

 
So now that I've rambled on for awhile I might also go into a little more history as well. My dad was a pilot / flight instructor, had his commercial rating. He quit flying the year I was born but he flew in the good old days, J3 Cubs, Aeroncas, Aerocoupes, Navions, etc. He owned a P-22 trainer for awhile, it is now in a museum in Alaska. So I guess the P-22 has a place as well in my favorites although I really never knew the plane, there were pictures of it with my dad and older brother and sister in it hanging in our house when I was growing up. My dad and mom came out to visit and we went out to the EAA Museum. They really got excited when they saw the Aeronca. Apparently they had spent a lot of time together flying around the local countryside in the Aeronca so that too has a place for me although from a thrill factor, it doesn't have much pazazz.

Best Regards,

 
Bernard

Favorite airplane is really a tough one.  There are those we greatly admire, but probably never get a chance to fly.  Many of my favorites were mentioned above.  As far as looks, I'd say the coolest looking jet aircraft, in my opinion, would be the Vulcan bomber.  Old, biplanes, however, are the most aesthetically pleasing in my eyes.  The UPF-7, like the one Mr. Norris, who posted above, owns is really high on the list as far as looks go.  Flys nice too.  I got a little bit of stick time from a guy who used to sell rides in one in Wasilla (AK)  I got time in both a Great Lakes (1976 2T1A) And a Tiger Moth.  If I could own one of the two, I'd probably go for the Tiger Moth, just because of it's leisurely vintage character.

A plane I'd really like to own, but couldn't afford would be a Grumman Goose.  It would be hard to beat for traveling around Alaska and taking about everything you'd need.  Then there's the Aeronca Sedan.  That's the plane I do own, but has been in the process of a "one winter recover job" that started in the fall of 1998.  I had some fun times in that plane, and hopefully, will again soon.

As far as owning planes, A Cessna 180 would be a really good all around family plane, especially up here in AK.  I'll have to settle for the Sedan for a while, however.  The Aeronca Sedan is sometimes called the "poor man's 180".

Then there's the Cessna Caravan.  Not to exciting in most peoples books, but I spend most of my working hours in the cockpit of one and it's reliably carried me over some pretty remote country and fed my family in the process, so I'd definitely have to put it on my favorites list. 

Bernard, Is the PT-22 you mentioned the one that's in the Pioneer Air Museum in Fairbanks?  I'm a member of that museum and our EAA chapter meets there every month.  I admire that plane every time I'm in there.  My kids think it's really cool too.  If you get a chance, could you please elaborate some on the history of that plane?  Thanks....Louis

Louis,

The plane is in a museum in Fairbanks. The tail number is N50880 per my older brother. He is a pilot also and ended up with the original propeller that my dad had to replace. It was manufactured by Sensenich 1939 - 1942 according to their records. The plane is a 1942 model I'm told, again by my older brother.

My dad purchased it sometime around 1950 - 51 and sold it sometime around 1956 - 57. It was purchased by George Clayton and he placed a tank in the front seat and flew it to Alaska from Washington State so I'm told. His interest was due to his training in the military in PT-22 trainers. George flew for many years in Alaska for the Airlines.

 My younger brother, also a pilot tracked the plane down a few years ago and my parents went up to Fairbanks and saw the plane and visited with George and Virginia. The amazing coincidence was that Virginia had been a flight instructor in Washington state prior to her marriage to George and had been one of my dads first flight instructors signing him off on his first solo. My dad soloed before he had his drivers license. That was about 1943. She is now in her 80's and just took her first instruction / lesson for rotary wing. How cool is that???

 
Deborah,

 
Sorry for hijacking your post but thanks for giving us the opportunity to share airplane nostalgia and history.

 
Bernard

Thank you Mr. Bernard and Mr. Louis for your replys!!! I do most of my flying in a J3 Cub, and I enjoy it thoroughly! I am blessed enough to have a neighbor who loves to have me fly along with him in his classic plane! Hope you all have a wonderful evening! Thank you all for taking the time to reply....I really enjoy reading them!!!    -Deborah

My favorite planes are a mixed bag.

All around, nothing is as show stopping to me than a Nieuport 11 or a SPAD XIII.  Wings and wires, wings and wires...

In helicopters, it's the UH-60 Blackhawk.  Best passenger experiences ever.

In modern aviation, it's the A-10 Warthog.  The cannon makes one long noise, ripping the air.