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What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:00 pm
by Mal K9
I’m putting the cart in front of the horse but I need options down the road.

Looking for something to fly within 75 miles of the house on weekends and 1-2 trips every few months to fiancés parents 175 nmi away.

Me and her are 300 lbs combined would like to throw a overnight bag for each of us in there.

At first I was thing cub or champ, then someone threw Kitfox out there. What say you experienced pilots

Would like to be 30kish

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:19 pm
by TimTaylor
I don't know the answer, but I would search all used light sport aircraft in your price range and consider any you come across that meet your needs. Some additional considerations are do you need an electrical system, electric start, radios, etc.? Are you going to tie it down outside or pay for a hanger? Do you want a conventional gear or tricycle gear airplane?

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:29 pm
by Mal K9
I would like electrical system for what you mentioned .

would like to stay away from fabric if possible. Will be tie down until the hangar gets finished here at the strip. Would also like as close to 100 HP for our hot summers here in South Mississippi..

Prefer tricycle

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:33 pm
by TimTaylor
You need this...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cessna-162-Sky ... Sw7eldKcGE

I'm just wondering why this airplane is so inexpensive.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:39 pm
by Mal K9
Very inexpensive. Maybe parts will be hard to come by? I wish it said what all was done in 5k annual

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 8:05 pm
by Warmi
I keep seeing Skycatchers being sold at much lower prices than other comparable LSAs ..

It is probably combination of the fact that it is perceived as a complete orphan and a commercial failure and was not a great LSA to begin with.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 9:12 pm
by drseti
TimTaylor wrote: I'm just wondering why this airplane is so inexpensive.
Maybe because it's an orphan.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:10 pm
by Sling 2 Pilot
TimTaylor wrote:You need this...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cessna-162-Sky ... Sw7eldKcGE

I'm just wondering why this airplane is so inexpensive.
Gee Tim, maybe cause it’s unsupported? There are plenty of LSA’s out to choose from, but I’d steer clear of a Sky Catcher.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:36 pm
by Scooper

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:53 pm
by drseti
Scooper wrote:Ercoupe?
They're a great plane, and I've done lots of instructing in them. Just be warned that, because of past STCs, there are very few 415Cs that still meet the LSA requirements. They're very well supported (by Jim Dyer at Univair, which owns the type certificate), and they have a super type club (see http://ercoupe.org). I came very close to buying one when I retired in 2007.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 11:35 pm
by TimTaylor
drseti wrote:
TimTaylor wrote: I'm just wondering why this airplane is so inexpensive.
Maybe because it's an orphan.
I've seen plenty of them selling in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. I've never seen one in the 30's before the one I referenced on eBay.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 8:08 am
by ShawnM
Another reason it's so cheap is because it was a flight school plane with close to 2000 hours and so COSMETICALLY it could be 2 or 3 out of 10. You can see details in pictures alone. Flight schools dont care about "pretty", it's all about income with their leasebacks. Maybe it wasn't well taken care of in that regard. Seems cheap but as other said it's an orphan.

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:27 am
by Mal K9
So basically it cannot get a airworthiness certificate

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:46 am
by Warmi

Re: What LSA for local and 175 nmi trip

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:12 pm
by FastEddieB
Mal K9 wrote:So basically it cannot get a airworthiness certificate
Which aircraft are you talking about?