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At 03:59 PM 2/15/01 -0800, J R Saunders wrote: >I was thinking (hoping) along those lines. Alon, 0-200 and very simple on >the panel. Don't assume that such a plane will have a better useful load than a simple 415D! Most of the extra 50-or-so pounds, if not more, that the Alons have was taken up by the geegaws that Alons tend to have on them. Things like a vacuum pump, metal wings, and so on. Most Alons use a war surplus artificial horizon which weighs like a brick, and have a DG, and so on. You MUST look for an accurate current weight and do the math. In fact, I'd make weighing the plane part of the pre-purchase given that you are fairly close to the edge of legality. The best useful load is a likely in a 415D that is equipped like a bare-bones 415C. Also, make sure you try both before you buy, as you may, as many of us do, prefer the 'disappearing side windows' to the Alon's sliding canopy. To be sure, the Alon is a superior X-Country machine: for knocking around in the sunset on a warm summer night, give me my rag-wing 415 any day! >Yes, I could't agree with you more. As a pilot, were I to pick what I >consider my #1 skill that needs more work. It would be foot work (peddles). >And yes, I do plan on getting my tailwheel checkout, for just that reason. >To better my skill. Know what? I flew my pedal-less Ercoupe better after finishing (finally) my tailwheel endorsement. On the other hand, I think that work went easier due to my Coupe time, because flying the Citabria was easier after flying an flapless, slip-less plane. >FYI, I talked with a couple Alaska Bush pilots last year. They told me alot >of outfits were giving up tailwheels.(180s, 185s) Where going to 206s / >207s. Said it was an insurance thing, to many mishaps and down time. Whall, the grass is always greener, as they say. The CHP also just retired all their 185s (guess they'll go to Alaska). But I bet those AK dudes will be singing a different tune after they knock a few nosewheels off and bend a few firewalls on those unimproved strips that develop unscheduled pot-holes. If you think the 182 gets nose-heavy on flare-out with no weight in the back, try a 206 some time. And the Skywagon and Super-SW's firewall is every bit as vulnerable as the 182s. You can't hold it up at 25MPH, and if it hits a a fox-burrow it's curtains, whereas the tailwheel would just hop right over it. Now for use on improved strips (and a lot of Alaska flying is from one to another improved strip, or siteseeing out of Haynes) it makes sense. We did a cruise up there, and our glacier flights were in Cherokee 6s and one Queen Air. Thank god I pulled the right seat of a Cherokee, after IDing myself as a pilot. Fact is, Alaska is a bitch to fly in and will always have a high accident rate. Greg __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
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