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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!amdahl!ems
From: ems@amdahl.UUCP (E. Michael Smith)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Primary aircraft proposal.
Message-ID: <711@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Dec-84 14:38:42 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.711
Posted: Mon Dec 10 14:38:42 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Dec-84 05:46:02 EST
References: <4@decvax.UUCP> <213@terak.UUCP> <17427@lanl.ARPA> <214@terak.UUCP>
Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 49

> > If a plane seats at least two people, has luggage space for two suitcases
> > for each person seated, flies 150-200 Kts, has a range of 1000+ miles,
> > has a service ceiling of 14000+ feet, and gets good fuel economy, then
> > such a plane IS a Transportation aircraft!!!
> 
> I think that most folks would insist on at least 4 seats, plus IFR
> capability.
>
> By the way, my definition of a Toy airplane is a C-150 or smaller --
> 2 people without luggage, 100 kts.  A C-182 is definitely a
> Transportation plane in my book, and a C-172 can go either way.
> Here in the mountain West, a 172 is basically a Toy plane.  In
> the flatlands, it is a Transportation plane.
> 
Most folks?  Or 'most of the vastly experienced well off pilots who
already have lots of flying time under their belt, like you'?

Please forgive the flame like tone,  but I hope that I speak
for the great unwashed masses in this.  I am not a pilot.  I would
very much like to be.  I can not afford an airplane, or the rental on
a wiz bang super chicken with turbo everything and $15,000 or
electronics.  I put over 30,000 miles on my car *each year* with
only me in it.  Most of that is in trips of over 200 miles to
see family and friends.  There is an airport 10 miles from my
destination on each end.  I would much prefer to fly in a 100kt
bare bones plane than crawl at 55mph (oh, ok, 68 mph...)  It doesn't
matter to me if it only holds *ONE* person.  Two? Three? With
luggage?  My god!  And I could do my own maintenance!  Sounds like
heaven to me.  What is transportation depends on the individual.

IFR capability?  It would be at least two years before I would
be willing to fly in bad weather.  (In California we have a great
deal of good weather.  We can be picky on when we fly).  I cannot
spend more money than I have.

The bottom line is that in terms of pure utility, you car and
the commercial airlines work well for 99% or better of the
trips one makes.  Most of the 'transportation' flights are
really a more fun way to do the same thing.  It justifies
the sport by adding utility.  A cheaper way to fly enables more
folks to justify leaving the car at home and bypassing the
commercial airlines more often.  For some of us the 'more often'
is the difference between zero and some.

-- 

E. Michael Smith  ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems

No one would dare claim these opinions.