Plane Banter - March 2008

It has been several months since I started my search for a light aircraft. There has been more discussion about the plane amongst my family, friends and business associates. Word has travelled quickly and not always accurately. One of my business associates dropped by office to tell me that he heard a rumor that I bought a learjet.

Meanwhile, I am planning on having a gang over at my home in the evening for some dinner and drinks. More plane banter. After a few martinis you would be surprised how people can attack your hobby. I quickly retaliate while dispelling the learjet rumour by showing them a picture of the plane that I bought. It was quite an evening!

The Negotiation - February 2008

I do consider myself to be a good negotiator. However, when you are ill informed you are quite disadvantaged. I already knew that the Aventura seemed to be a good value based on the comparables at the Air Show and other searches I had done but I wasn’t sure how much room there was for financial maneuvering with the manufacturer of the Aventura. Bob seemed to have integrity, a love for flying and I wasn’t sure about his business acumen. I soon found out.

Bob had a spreadsheet of the costs of the plane and options. What quickly became apparent was some of what I consider to be a basic appendage of the airplane was an option. A heater was an option because in the warmer climate, most people don’t have a need for a heater. To upgrade from what looked like bicycle tires was an option. The list went on, however, when we got to the roof and it being an option I couldn’t contain myself. However, once again, Bob explained to me that in the warmer Southern climates, some people don’t like to have roofs on their planes. What I have since learned is this is the norm for the light aircraft industry. You may look at a kit plane that appears to be reasonable and affordable, but as you start adding luxury items like a heater and roof – look out. It is what it is.

We got to the bottom line and Bob gave me some flexibility with the electronic options. He explained that if I could find the electronics cheaper elsewhere, he would either match the price or I could buy them from another supplier. This seemed fair. He explained that there is not as much margin built into the price as what I think and I agree to proceed with the purchase of an Aventura with a four to six month delivery date.

My must haves and other option necessities on the plane has pushed the price from a seems very reasonable to a reasonable price. Hooray for the strong loonie!

Trip to the Aventura Factory - February 2008

I have been doing more research on light Aircraft and I have convinced myself that I could spend the next few years looking and not find a plane that is going to be a better fit for me than the Aventura. In fact, we met several people at the Air Show that had looked at planes for more than two years before committing to one that was right for them.

I decided that I needed to know more about the Aventura before committing. I called the manufacturer and arranged to visit his factory in Rockledge, Florida to see the planes being built. I also wanted to fly in the Aventura with two sets of golf clubs on board. Once again I can piggy back on one of my husband’s business trips and avoid additional hotel and rental car bills.

Rockledge, Florida is approximately a 45 minute drive from Orlando. I had arranged to meet Bob, the owner of Aero Adventure at his factory at 8:30 a.m. – no time for the Starbucks drive through, it is a hotel coffee in a take out cup in the virtual office with GPS.

We arrived at the factory and there is a grass landing strip next to the building. True to his word, Bob had an Aventura warming up next to the strip and it had two sets of golf clubs on board. Bob and I exchanged some pleasantries and than took off in the air. The flight was exhilarating. I was surprised that it was a little quieter than other small aircraft that I had flown in. It also seemed to be a smooth flight.

The only part that wigged me out was landing on water. The Aventura is considered an Amphibian plane which means it has a set of retractable wheels, which enables it to take off and land on both land and water. It is different than a seaplane, which has pontoons but no wheels and is limited to water takeoffs and landings.

In the amphib, landing on the water entails skimming the surface of the water on the hull of the plane before floating and water taxiing. Unlike the seaplane which lands on pontoons attached to the hull, there isn’t a barrier between the water and the hull. You can stick your arm out the window of the Aventura and touch the water – just watch out for the gaters. It is best to land in very calm water because waves can make landing a bit rough.

Back to the factory where we had a tour and then a break for lunch.

Narrowing the Search for the Perfect Plane - Sebring Air Show 2008

I have determined that I am on quest for a plane that has fabric wings, a good heater, can land on water as well as land and has room for two sets of golf clubs. My must have list rules out the majority of the planes at Sebring. However, I do come across a quirky looking plane called the Aventura. The owner of the company is working at his booth and we have a great chat about his plane. It seems to have everything I am looking for and the price seems to be very reasonable.

I show my husband the plane and he seems to like it but is taken by some of the sexier looking planes at the Air Show including the new Cessna Skycatcher. I remind him that the Skycatcher won’t fit his clubs and it costs thousands more. He is starting like the Aventura more and more.

Just a few observations; getting in and out of some of the small planes can be a challenge. It is good to be flexible. My childhood gymnastics is finally paying off. Another thing, most of the exhibitors thought my husband was buying the plane and was the pilot. My husband quickly rebuffed any of those ideas (he sometimes likes to do that before I have the opportunity if you catch my drift).

The Air Show was great. Sebring was small enough to walk around and see all of the exhibits in one day. We had a great time and learned a lot about light aircraft and learned enough to know that I needed to learn more. However, the Aventura was my top pick for now.

Air Shows and My Husband’s Golf Clubs - January 2008

One thing that I have learned in my few short months investiga- ting light aircraft is that people in the aviation industry generally have a love of flying and a passion for sharing their experience and knowledge. The Challenger ultralight was not a fit for my purposes and I explained this to the local representative. He was very helpful in suggesting that I visit one of the upcoming Air Shows to source a plane that would fit my needs.

I did some research and determined that there were three air shows in the near term; Sebring U.S Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida held in January, Sun N Fun in Lakeland, Florida in the spring and Oshkosh Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the summer. I had fish to fry and thoughts of waiting until the summer to attend Oshkosh did not sound appealing. Also, Oshkosh is a very large show with over 2500 exhibitors. This would be a lot to take in for someone that is new to recreational aviation.

As it turned out, my husband was planning a business trip to Florida in January. He agreed that if I went with him on the business trip, he would take a day off and go to the Air Show with me (ofcourse, not without his beloved cell phone).

Fast forward a few weeks later and we are driving from Sarasota to Sebring with a latte in hand. Thank goodness for the portable GPS that I bought my husband for Christmas. It makes a drive on the back roads in Florida pleasant other then when the alarm that my husband installed on the GPS goes off every time we are within five kilometres of a golf course. Do you know how many golf courses there are in Florida?

We arrive at Sebring and my husband has brought his laptop, PDA, files etc. – a virtual office in the rental car. He has arranged to participate in a conference call and decides to follow me into the show but to take the call lurking behind me somewhere off the beaten track as I talk to the plane manufacturers. What we don’t know is that there is drag racing going on next to the air show so his conference call is a bit labored. After an hour or two and my occasional insistence that he get off the phone and sit in one of planes, he has a melt down and says he is not sitting in anymore planes. Well, he held out longer than I thought he would.

I am quickly realizing that the planes in my budget come with fabric wings made out of a coated dacron. I rule out all aluminum wing birds and concentrate on the fabric wing birds, not knowing how much longer I have at the Air Show. I am interested in one bird and become engaged with the salesperson, my husband reappears from cell phone abyss to inform me that I can’t get that one. I ask him why not and he informs me that it won’t fit his golf clubs and if I am getting a plane he at least wants it to be able to fit his clubs so we can go away golfing for the weekend with the plane. I said but I thought you weren’t going in the plane so why would I consider whether your golf clubs fit. My budget has just increased along with my must have list. Happy New Year!

My First Ultralight Flight - December 2007

It is the first part of December and I am doing some mindless department store Christmas shopping. My cell phone rings which is odd since I have only given my number out to less than a handful of people. I hate the things, especially mine. I opted for the free phone that came with my package (fiscally prudent thing to do I tell myself) and I can barely hit the numbers in sequence on the keypad because they are so close together.

It is the Challenger dealer and he is recommending that we go for a flight the next morning. The weather looks great. He recommends that I wear something really warm as he is unsure if his mechanic has installed his heater in the Challenger. I agree and we arrange to meet close to the airstrip at a Maritime watering hole – Tim Hortons.

After meeting, we drive to the Stanley Airport where his plane is hangered. It is a beautiful drive in the country and I see a pheasant. We get to the airport which is basically a building, several hangars and several travel trailers around and a grass strip. The rep goes through the pre flight plan check and we taxi the plane to the strip.

I have to admit, the cabin compartment is much smaller than I thought it would be. I am seated behind the pilot and my legs are very cramped. I think there is no chance that I will ever get my husband in this. The heater is not installed and the cabin is very cold. We remain in the air approximately 30 minutes and it is a beautiful, clear day. However, I am climate challenged by the Challenger.

After the flight, I came to the conclusion that this Ultralight was not for me. I can definitely see its appeal but I need something a little larger and a plane that can handle a little more weather variability. A strong heater is also added to my must have list!

Living on the Edge - November 2007

About a month later, word has spread amongst my friends that I was thinking of buying an Ultra Light. Most of them are visualizing something similar to a glider with a lawn mower engine attached. They are asking if I have a death wish. Ever since I bought my Vespa scooter a couple of years ago, they think I am really living on the edge.

Some have asked my husband if he has talked to me about how dangerous it is to fly small planes. His standard answer is "I know, I can’t talk to her". My best friend says "I know you have made up your mind so there is no sense trying to change it". They know me well. Flying has never bothered me. In fact, the limited flying that I have done in small planes I have really enjoyed – with the exception of an occasional Island hopper flight in a small plane with duct tape on the wings.

I am surprised how fast word has traveled that I am thinking of buying an Ultra Light. It is Christmas cocktail party season and I am simply minding my own business sipping on my Chardonnay when someone comes up to tell me that I am going to kill myself. Several others feel the need to jump in and concur. More to my surprise are the number of people that tell me that they are scared of heights and that they would never go up in my plane - not that I recall asking.

My husband has succumbed to the pressure and says he is not flying with me. Merry Christmas!

Discovery of the Ultralight - Fall 2007

For the last several years I have periodically searched for used planes on Google. I was always surprised at the price of a 30 to 40 year old bright orange plane with shag carpeting. Being the fiscally prudent (cheap) person that I am, I thought owning a plane would be out of my financial comfort range.

Then my husband came across an article in the Globe and Mail on Ultra Lights. These planes seemed to be perfect for my usage. They are small, low maintenance, economical and I would only need an Ultra Light pilot license to fly one. I was told through the grape vine (turned out to be not such a reliable source) that I would only need ten hours of flying time and I would have an Ultralight pilot’s license.

After some pondering, I determined that I wanted a two person plane with floats. The majority of my family lives approximately 275 miles from my home and I thought it would be great to be able to make the occasional flight to visit family versus the four and a half hour drive that has become routine. I was not naïve about the limitations of flying the plane in bad weather but rationalized that even if I could fly every third trip it would be great. Visualizing landing on the St. John River in front of my sister’s house was also fun.

After some checking around, I came in contact with a Challenger dealer in my area. After some discussion about what I wanted in a plane, the Challenger rep thought that his plane might be a fit and offered to take me for test flight. He would give me a call when the weather was good on a weekend and we could go up for a flight. I waited for the call.