Past airplanes?
 

What did you own and fly?

I had a PA22/20 that I used to commute to work in, religiously, over 500 commutes over a ten year period. It was my "Mini-Cooper." I flew it 1200 hours in this role, half of that after midnight. I had two missed approaches are all, one out of an ILS and the other out of a GPS approach. The ILS was successful on the second attempt and I didn't even bother with another GPS after that miss. I flew 19 miles further and landed with an ILS.

The 160 HP Lycoming, an O-320-B2B, never gave me a bit of a problem. I flight planned the airplane at 120 knots. It had the Atlee Dodge long-range tanks, 60 gallons, and a cruise prop. I flew it regularly above 10K', outside of the commuting, for the extended flights. It had an oxygen system and after the first time I flew it 5 hours in cruise at 16K', I landed and ordered a Steve's Aircraft Rudder Trim Kit and STC. My right leg didn't work for an hour.

Honestly, I put the oxy system in the aircraft for my mid-night thirty commute home, usually flown at less than 2K'. Coastal Texas typically gains a robust SW flow (15 ~ 25 knots) after midnight with a base of about 2', hence, the lower altitude under it with no wind. Typically you would find me wearing a cannular and breathing bottled O2 as I would come out of a 10 to 12 hour duty day on the airliner. That O2 turned on the lights for the late-night commute home. That's why I put it in.

Besides the commuting, I flew it to all the corners of the 48 States and the Carribean.

Great story, nice looking Piper.

My owning experience is pretty short. My dad gave me the 1968 Skymaster that I still have back in 1994. Dad bought it in 1976 with 356 hours since new. It's been a great plane and I did a complete restoration on it in 2008-2009. I still fly it about 80 hours a year and has about 3600 TT now.

In 2003 I purchased a Twin Comanche with a friend. Nice airplane for trips but not for joy rides. Sold it in 2011 so just the Skymaster flying now.

I am building a Van's RV-8A and will soon be racing around the sky. Looking forward to some light aerobatics in it.

In 2009 I got my commercial license and started flying Part 91 for a client. He has a Piper Saratoga then moved on to a Piper Navajo. He partnered with another client and that client moved to a Piper Cheyenne, then to a Beechjet. Still flying for him today and others. I flew the Piper Saratoga for another client and then moved to a Lancair Columbia 400. Started flying a Piper Cheyenne III for another client then they purchased an Eclipse Jet and that has been a really fun plane. Still flying a couple Navajo's for a couple folks when needed and at one time was flying 4 different Cheyenne's during the same period. One was for Pilots for Christ to do humanitarian missions. Let's see did I leave anything out.......oh the occasional flight is a Bonanza A36 for a friends company and two different RV's for fun. There's been a couple other Skymasters in there for several guys. One from Atlanta to Western Canada for a guy that purchased the plane. A P model Skymaster for a client that wanted to sell the plane and I got it sold for him. Through all these airplanes was some standard stuff, the Cherokee's, Skylanes, 150's, and a tail wheel Cessna 140. I may have missed one but that's the bulk of it. Dad was with me on almost all these flights in spirit. Dad loved flying so he was my focus on each mission to be with him. It's been an amazing adventure.............

Very cool HH!

My dad had learned to fly at a young age but hadn't continued because of family finances. I learned while I was in HS, so he started back into it. About the time I went into the Army, he bought a C150, then a Tri-Pacer, and on to an Alon Aircoupe. We have spent a lot of time flying together.