Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Airplanes Only 1000' grass runway with 800 overrun: 100hp or 150hp, both STOL, much difference?

Not me. Last time I flew a single engine in EMS was about 10 years ago. The job is dangerous enough and on top of that flying a single engine without autopilot is nuts!!

I set up a tour business for an idiot in Canyon Lake a few years ago. After I got him all permits, registered a heliport for him and got him insurance, set up routes, and trained him to fly the helo, 4 months later he didn't want to pay me anymore and told me "Why do I need a chief pilot anymore?" before firing me, and I told him "the reason you need one is demonstrated by the fact that you have to ask that question". He fired me and later didn't last the entire season, was under investigation and looking at a lawsuit by the neighbors, and went belly up. Most unsafe operation I had ever seen, the guy couldn't pass the simple Eurocopter EC-120 training in DFW, he had to go back twice !! Some people have money but no common sense. Gotta go to bed, girlfriend is giving the evil eyes, lol, goodnight Ed.

Copy that, Carlos.

Just wondering, as I came upon the accident, and the Comal County Sheriff deputies had the road blocked, and the chopper was there on deck, being loaded.

The road was at the bottom of a straight-up 500-foot limestone cliff, and surrounded by trees. This pilot was able to lift off, gently back away from the landing zone, and climb vertically - only a few feet, it that much - of clearance from the trees and the wall of the cliffs. He did it, and departed on his way to the destination.

It was an incredible display of control and skill - and that description does not in the slightest begin to adequately describe the skill this pilot had. Utterly remarkable.

Some pilots have the skills and say no to flights like that while others have the skills and don't say no and go do it.

Problem is when we get it done we're heroes but when we don't we sometimes end up with a couple of crashes like the one in California and the other one in Arizona both this month and 7 people dead.

+1

Update on the runway and airplane dilemma. These were our options:

1- We could buy a helicopter again and forget about any darn runway. Thought about it for a few weeks last month but insurance is through the roof now, not like when I had my R22 many years ago.

2- We could buy a really STOL aircraft and leave the runway as it is. That would be selfish because not everybody could come visit us. Plus it would limit my airplane choices and the really STOL ones out there are more expensive.

3- We can spend around $15k to extend the runway then see how much money we have left over and buy the best airplane we can get for that money.

Today we finally went with #3 and tomorrow morning they're going to cut down a whole mess of 100' trees making a nice safe and comfortable 150' wide path between the 2 farms. That connects the 800' overrun with the main 1000' runway. This had to be done anyway.

Also we had about 9 acres with 50' to 75' trees on the approach side that we were just going to cut down to make the approach easier and be able to use the entire 1000' to land. Well now we're getting everything pulled out and that gives us 650' more for takeoffs and landings before the beginning of the original 1000' runway.

So for the first phase we'll end up with a 1650' runway with a 50' obstacle on the north side (approach because 99% of the time the wind is from the south here) with an 800' overrun.

We figure if we're not in the air by the time we've eaten up 1650' then something is pretty wrong and we should have pulled the power already and use the overrun to stop, however we've decided to do Phase 2 which will turn the overrun into an extension of the runway so we'll end up with a 2440' x 25' wide runway with no obstacles on the departure side by the time it's all said and done.

Anthony sold his 150 and now we don't have the pressure of rushing to go buy it so now we'll have time to research with all the options open to us : 150, 150/150, 152, 172, PA28-140, PA28-180, tailwheel, trigear, whatever we can afford after we decide which model.

Carlos,

Don't forget - helicopter ownership is God's way of telling you that you have too much money.

They're like Alfa Romeos - they have sensors in the seat that determine how much money you have in your wallet and credit card limits and break components accordingly.

(Take a look at used Maules for something that will get in and out short at a reasonable price and carry something.)

Warmest regards,
Rick

Yep, I forgot that all those years someone else was paying the bills. When I saw a 150 uses 6 or 7 gallons an hour and the Hiller I was considering uses 19, that got me thinking, then the insurance thing put me over the top.

I'll buy a plane for fun and transportation and maybe fly helicopters seasonal to stay up to speed. I actually enjoy flying them but paying the bills would take all the fun out of them quickly.

Regarding Maules I looked at them but I really don't want to spend so much and I actually prefer metal airplanes. Did the covered type with the Citabria and was always worried someone was going to put a hole in it. Now I want a full metal plane. If not I'd probably buy this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ5uudaAPPY&feature=youtu.be

Carlos,

>>but insurance is through the roof now, not like when I had my R22 many years ago. <<

Really? I've not been following helo insurance, but airplane insurance is the lowest it's been in over 50 years. Too many companies in the market driving premium prices down badly, plus there's coverage you couldn't get five years ago. Brokers are crying because their share is way, way down. We've been waiting for a shakeout in the market like we had in about 1996 when a bunch of the aggressive writers started getting claims and the premium money wasn't enough and they went broke, thinned the market and prices went up. Hasn't happened, although two or three airline crashes might just do it.

I'm kind of surprised it's not that way for helos.

On the Just Aircraft, look at the pitch attitude as you get down near the runway - you better know there aren't any ditches or potholes in the spot where you want to land because you are not going to see them, nose is way too high. I prefer the 150/150 with full flaps - lots of vis, or a Maule, or the canard conversion of the 182, Peterson 260/King Katmai, the airplane approaches level and you can see everything except for a moment at the end of the flare.

Warmest regards,
Rick

I just like how it lands like a helicopter.

Well I just got an offer by a 150/150 owner to come land on my property as-is and show me what they can do and I'm excited to see it so my airplane research has been put on hold until I do.

Don't do it, Carlos! Be forewarned, the disease that you are exposing yourself to by experiencing the 150/150 is mighty contagious and once you contract it, its incurable!

Gary?

Bill