Saw some planes today

I was cutting wood this morning and decided to stop by an elderly friend's place on the way home. He has collected stuff over the years of every sort. He lives like an old mountain man, and is a tough old bird for being around 90. He lives by himself, cuts his own wood, doesn't want any help. We almost lost him last year when he fell down the stairs carrying in wood and broke 8 ribs. His son found him a week later laying on the couch with no heat since he couldn't get up to put wood in the stove. His son forcibly loaded him up and took him to the hospital. That gave him a severe case of pneumonia that lasted 3-4 months. He's doing much better now though. Every time I go over there, I just like to walk around with him and look at all of the stuff he has. Every time I'm there, I always find something new. Yes, it looks like a junkyard and most of the stuff will never move again, but I like to look anyway. He has tons of everything, boats, guns, planes, tractors, old farm equipment, motorcycles, chainsaws. I was looking through his old airplane hanger where he has a bunch of old planes. One is a Great Lakes bi-plane, there were 2 Cessnas, a 150 and a 152, a big cloth covered Stinson (sp?), and I'm not sure what the other 3 were, maybe Cessnas. The one had real short wide wings and a small fuselage, he said the name of it, but I can't recall what it was. There is probably 6 or more airframe and fuselage around behind the barn, looked like more Cessnas, all aluminum skinned. He said they would all just cost too much to get flying again, so they'll just set there until he's gone and it all becomes his son's stuff. He was a machinist for the same company for something like 43 years, and lives like a homeless fellow, but always pays cash no matter the price of what he's buying. Just bought a 7140 Case IH a couple months ago, as he still dabbles in farming his 80 acres. A good ol boy that are getting farther and fewer everyday. I absolutely love planes, but don't have and won't ever have the money to have one, but I know some of you guys also like and have planes as well, so I thought I'd share.

Ross

If they've been sitting for years they aren't gonna be worth much lithe said. Cessnas are everywhere but the Stinson might be worth restoring.

That story is posnegative. Tragic familiar fantastic. Jim

You are one of those "uninformed" people who thinks planes are just for rich folks. You can own a good aircraft for a lot less than any new car you can buy. A friend just bought a Cessna 150 on Ebay for 12k and after less than 1k into it I was astounded how "like new" it was. I own a plane AND a tractor. Used to think airplane parts were expensive until I bought a backhoe. I just attended a 'Wings & Wheels' show and half those collector cars were more expensive than my plane.

I saw in a magazine a couple of years ago where out in the Nebraska Sandhills there is a veterinarian who uses an airplane to make calls on the various ranches he visits.

He has a Piper fitted out for his business and all of the ranches he calls on have a driveway or pasture that will accommodate the plane.

A fellow who used to work for me had a daughter and son-in-law who had a cow ranch near Valentine, NE. From their house on the ranch, the closest place they could buy a hamburger was 42 miles.

I can't afford a new car either

The Stinson was favored by missionaries because it could land a heavy load on a marginal dirt landing strip.

The great thing about those aluminum airplanes is that usually a little engine attention is all they need to get going again.

The Stinson and the Great Lakes that your friend has are if pretty complete are well worth restoring and put back in flying condition The Cessnas maybe if they are complete and he has the log books. I have a good friend that has made a good living for the last 30 years restoring antique aircraft including a two place Supermarine Spitfire that I got the pleasure of flying in when it was completed some years ago. Nothing like the sound of a Merlin engine at 300 knots and 500 ft off the ground.

They are both fully intact. Probably no log books on the Cessnas. I looked in the rear cockpit of the Great Lakes and it had a piece of tape above the instrument panel that had some sort of abbreviation that was followed by 134 mph. I tried to figure out what it meant, but to no avail. The Stinson had an opposed 4 cylinder, and the Great Lakes has a good sized radial engine of some sort.

Thanks Jim!!?? LOL

While your arithmetic may be basically correct, you are simply wrong about the COST of owning a plane.
First, there is "room rent" so to speak. Unless you happen to own enough spare land to put in your own airstrip, there is either hangar rent or tie down cost.
Next comes the maintenance. An owner is allowed to do most of his own maintenance, but it still has to be signed off by a licensed A&P mechanic. Then there are the 100 hour inspections. The annual airframe inspection. Then when your engine approaches the magic 2000 hour mark, it is due for overhaul or recertification.
I once considered owning a plane, but all of the above reasons added to more than this cowboy can afford.

And insurance.... Ben

(quoted from post at 02:59:27 09/03/16) While your arithmetic may be basically correct, you are simply wrong about the COST of owning a plane.
First, there is "room rent" so to speak. Unless you happen to own enough spare land to put in your own airstrip, there is either hangar rent or tie down cost.
Next comes the maintenance. An owner is allowed to do most of his own maintenance, but it still has to be signed off by a licensed A&P mechanic. Then there are the 100 hour inspections. The annual airframe inspection. Then when your engine approaches the magic 2000 hour mark, it is due for overhaul or recertification.
I once considered owning a plane, but all of the above reasons added to more than this cowboy can afford.

Click to expand...

All true but, you only have to do 100 hour inspections if the airplane is rented out. Not required if you use it for your personal use.

A new car?? I cant afford a used one right now ~cry~

You're also a bit misinformed. 100 hour inspection is only for commercial operators as are TBO (time between overhauls). The hours between overhaul is only a recommendation not a rule for private use. Storage and inspection costs also vary widely depending where you live. On the east coast a simple tie-down would cost well over $100 a month and $400+ for a hangar, and $400+ for an annual inspection. Here in MI you can rent a hangar for $100 a month and yearly inspections typically cost around $125. Insurance is about the same as for my car (a tad less actually) and is optional, not the law. Registration is pennies on the dollar compared to a car.

And you didn't take any pictures? For shame!!

Gene

Yeah, I know! I usually do take lots of
pictures, but my phone had fell through the
gap in the seat and I forgot about it when I
got out.