Rent Airplane

Owner Stories Evan Green (left) uses his Liberty XL2 mostly for business travel, while Dr. Peter Spennato (right) flies his Mooney Ovation primarily for personal trips. Cessna 172 Corporate pilot David Lawson of Van Nuys, Calif., purchased a Skyhawk a few years back for all the reasons that most pilots appreciate Skyhawks. Lawson flies Magic Johnson’s Gulfstream G3 for a living, and the Skyhawk is the latest of several personal airplanes he has owned for fun. “It’s an extremely easy airplane to fly, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t appreciate a Skyhawk’s talents,” says Lawson. “I’ve owned several airplanes before this one—152s and Barons—and the Skyhawk is probably the best buy and the most capable of them all.” The Gulfstream pilot says everyone in his family is a pilot—wife, son and daughter—and all appreciate the Skyhawk’s gentle flight charact...

We examine some of the best buys In general aviation By Bill Cox Liberty XL2 16 LIBERTY XL2: The two-seat Liberty XL2’s primary claim to fame is that it was one of the first airplanes to embrace FADEC (full authority digital engine control). The Liberty employs a computer-controlled, 125 hp Continental IOF-240-B that manages all parameters of engine management automatically. An obvious benefit of computer control is efficiency, and the XL2 scores about 5.3 gph at 60% power. Liberty sells the airplane as a trainer or personal transport, and it’s a comfortable machine in either mode, with a 48-inch-wide cabin. Cruise is 125 knots at max throttle and 7,000 feet. If you have a budget of $200,000, you should be able to buy a used XL2 Vanguard from as late as 2008 to 2009. Improvements To The Breed Perhaps contrary to popular belief, several of the airplanes in this article have experienced changes in the l...

Diamond DA40 10 DIAMOND DA40 STAR: An outgrowth of the two-seat Diamond Eclipse, the Star is the Austrian company’s current four-seat, everyman’s single. In addition to joystick control and an ultimately maneuverable, nonsteerable nosewheel, the Star has an aft left entry door for rear-seat passengers. Like the beloved Tiger, the Star delivers a 1,000 fpm climb rate and uncommon speed on only 180 hp, about 140 to 145 knots. The cabin is larger than the Tiger’s, however, and the Star will carry additional weight. Stars appeared on the market in 2000, and airplanes through 2007 have price tags below $200,000. Mooney Ovation 11 MOONEY OVATION M20R: Mooneys of every description always have been renowned for their speed and efficiency. The Ovation represents perhaps the supreme compromise of horsepower/fuel burn with cruise speed, meanwhile offering the long cabin of the Porsche Mooney, TLS/Bravo and Eagle. Yet, the Ovation flies faster than any other n...

4 BEECH F33A BONANZA: The F33A was discontinued in 1994 (perhaps coincidentally, the same year Mooney introduced the Ovation). That doesn’t subtract a whit from the ultimate four-seat Bonanza’s talents, however. Certified in the utility class, the straight-tail airplane is stronger than most other machines. There even was an aerobatic model, the E33C, approved for most basic vertical and horizontal maneuvers. Bonanzas will outhandle most other machines in the class, offering uncommon control harmony and 170-knot speed. It also has the distinction of being what many pilots consider the best single-engine machine in the sky. Bonanzas from 1985 through 1994 generally sell for $200,000 or less. 5 BEECH A36 BONANZA: Add two seats to an F33A, and you’ll wind up with an A36, an airplane that’s currently in production as the G36 (“G” for Garmin). All the six-seat Bonanzas are regarded as top-end airplanes with performance roughly comparable to the aforementioned F33A. The right side aft ...

While our last buyer’s guide [“Buyer’s Mini-Guide To Four-Seat Singles,” P&P April 2010] included a smorgasbord of new airplanes, this one deals with used aircraft and draws from an even wider field. For this effort, we set a top price of $200,000. We could argue all day about whether $200,000 is “affordable,” but we feel that it’s a reasonable compromise—more than enough, but less than too much. Alternatively, two hundred large might buy you a decent timeshare in Aspen, an exotic sports car or a twin-engine cabin cruiser for fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Because there are few new airplanes available for $200,000 or less (except for LSA), this list comprises what we feel are the best used buys on the market. To avoid including antiques, whose value often is more intrinsic than practical, we set an age limit of 25 years. That’s not because older models can’t be made to look and fly young, but because reliability could be compromised on flying machines suffering from the aviation...

Who are you, and why are you writing this? I am a licensed private pilot, and I am writing this article as a guide for prospective pilots. I have enjoyed my flying very much, and want to encourage others to embark on the grand adventure of aviation. I began my flying in 1990, and since then, I have accumlated just over 700 hours of flying time. The most frequent measure of a pilot's experience is the number of "flying hours." he or she has accumulated. My 700 hours is still relatively low. For comparison, my instructor has over 4,000 flying hours. Many airline pilots have 20,000 hours or more. I want to fly airplanes. What do I need to do? To operate an aircraft in the United States, you must be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which since 9/11 is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are several levels of pilot's license; the most basic is the Private Pilot license. This license permits the holder to pilot an a...