Uh oh, bought an airplane

[Steve Hguabmots]

Well, part of one. Okay, a third. I'm just hoping it is the least expensive third. 1981 Piper Saratoga. An acquaintance owned it, one partner wanted out. Oldest child moved 450 miles away, and we all know how much fun airline travel is. In this case, continuing to dislike Delta was probably the smart, and more economically feasible choice, but we're at the age where it is time to enjoy the spoils of saving and hard work. Hopefully it will take us to see her four to six times a year, to the beach a couple of times a year, and places like Mackinaw Island, DLH gig, etc.

We'll see. I'm sure there will be days I'm wondered WHAT HAVE YOU DONE??????

[Dave Siciliano]

Great to hear Steve! Hope it works out well.

[Dusty Rider]

I was fortunate enough to get to fly one of these with a friend-of-a-friend in NY and found it to be a most enjoyable bird to fly. Congratulations!

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

You'll enjoy the PA32, Steve. Congratulations.

[Terry Carraway]

I have ridden in one, but never had a chance to fly one. Congrats.

[A. Niemyer]

Congrats! I look back on my ownership of my PA-32R-300 Lance very fondly. Solid as a rock, steady in IFR. Didn’t do any one thing spectacularly but did everything I ever asked of her. Enjoy your experience!

[Stephanie Belser]

Congrats! I don't know of a Saratoga owner who didn't like the airplane.

[Ray Tackett]

Congratulations! It's a nice travel airplane. It's also an excellent IFR platform.

Coupla pointers: Consider full flaps to be a committment to contact the runway. A full-flap go-around is doable, but carefully. Never worry about being high on final. Dirty and slipping, it comes down like dropped piano. No problem losing 4000' on a slipping (OUTSIDE rudder!) U-turn downwind to short final. If you're landing iced-up, DO NOT use flaps and keep your speed up. Fly it on. (Student/friend learned the latter painfully, despite what I taught him for his IR.)

[John O'Shaughnessy [FCM]]

Congratulations! Here's to hoping you have the most cost effective part of that plane!

[Steve Hguabmots]

Congrats! I look back on my ownership of my PA-32R-300 Lance very fondly. Solid as a rock, steady in IFR. Didn’t do any one thing spectacularly but did everything I ever asked of her. Enjoy your experience!

Funny. Rode in the back of an $800k SR22 with FIKI Monday.... I was thinking 'wow, this thing has full glass, FIKI would be REALLY nice, goes fast with the gear down - why did I buy that 'Toga??' Uh, because my third was $35k, you idiot.

It has to work hard to go over 150kts, but with my wife and I, full bag of gas, it will go six hours (she has a two hour bladder), and we can take EVERYTHING we want with us. We can fly to LVN, pick up the offspring and spouse, and motor on.

[Steve Hguabmots]

I have ridden in one, but never had a chance to fly one. Congrats.

It's a station wagon. Not fancy, but will get done what I want.

[Steve Hguabmots]

Funny how I used to think 150kts was smoking.... then I got used to 425 or so. I have to tell myself..... beats 70 kts on the interstate.....

[B.Butler]

Funny how I used to think 150kts was smoking.... then I got used to 425 or so. I have to tell myself..... beats 70 kts on the interstate.....

Used to fly my Arrow Ashland - Tacoma, 3 hours. This week, 8.5 in the Honda...sigh.

[Terry Carraway]

beats 70 kts on the interstate.....

I remember a trip to Atlanta in the 90s. A buddy had 1/3 share of a Cherokee 180. We flew up to Harrisburg to pick up another friend, then down to Atlanta.

He was left seat under the hood, and I was right seat as instrument instructor.

We were basically flying down I-81. And with the headwind, I was watching the trucks pass us.

[B.Butler]

We were basically flying down I-81. And with the headwind, I was watching the trucks pass us.

westbound V6, AKA I-80, across Wyoming in a Tri-Pacer... Too many times.