Flew a SkyCatcher

I took delivery of out new skycatcher up in Wichita a few months ago.

Not a huge fan of it and we've already had the door pretty much rip off in flight. When I say pretty much, the door folded back in half and bent up under the wing and tore the hinges like a sardine can.

Had a very experienced CFI have a tail strike in it and bent up the tie down ring on the tail. This all within the first 50 hours on the Hobbs.....I'll pass.
 
IslandFlyer said:
I took delivery of out new skycatcher up in Wichita a few months ago.

Not a huge fan of it and we've already had the door pretty much rip off in flight. When I say pretty much, the door folded back in half and bent up under the wing and tore the hinges like a sardine can.

Had a very experienced CFI have a tail strike in it and bent up the tie down ring on the tail. This all within the first 50 hours on the Hobbs.....I'll pass.
Click to expand...

How's that the airplane's fault? :)
 
Things have come so far since the 1970's...Skycatcher vs. 150 comparison
Speed--150 wins
Payload--150 wins
Range--150 wins
Handling--Test pilots accidentally crashed the Skycatcher prototype. I somehow never crashed a 150 or 152 despite making every effort to during my primary training.
IFR--150 yes, 162 no
Spins--150 yes, 162 no
Mogas--150 yes, 162 no
Insurance costs--150 is WAY cheaper
Mx costs--150 is WAY cheaper as well
Purchase costs--you could outfit a squadron of solidly built 150s for the cost of a single 162 that's made by the same folks who make exploding laptop batteries (I kid, I kid)

Oh yeah, and guess what...30 years later, under the hood of the brand new 162? An 0-200. Same as my trusty old 150. If the 150/152 could be grandfathered in as LSA's, I think the sport pilot ticket would take off. Flying would be affordable and accessible. The over $80,000 difference in cost between my 150 and a 162 would be enough to restore my plane to look nicer than any Skycatcher ever made!
 
I think for 100 large you could buy a ratted out TriPacer, re-cover it, replace any rusty tubes, move the 3rd wheel to the correct end, put an O360 on it, AND have several grand left for gas. All while paying someone else to do the work.

Or get a mighty nice champ that would be LSA certified. Again, with many grand left for gas.

Or get a badass super cub.

Or... Well you get the idea.
 
But does it inspire passion or is it just cheap?

I can look at a F-33A Bonanza and think "Damn, I want to fly that" but see a 150 and think "Poor bastard, I hope you build your hours quickly"
 
Doug Taylor said:
But does it inspire passion or is it just cheap?

I can look at a F-33A Bonanza and think "Damn, I want to fly that" but see a 150 and think "Poor bastard, I hope you build your hours quickly"
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Ever seen a $100k super cub?
 
TwoTwoLeft said:
To hell with the dirtcatcher... The sport cub is where it's at!
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No no, Aviat is where its at.

I had them bring one down for me to look at. Flew it around and fell in love, it just didnt fit the family and business mission or I would have bought it. It got me excited to fly again. I know super cub is very proven but I've become an aviat guy.
 
They're all wanna be's.

I owned the very first C-162. My C-152 was rebuilt and given a bigger motor, prop, the works. The guy who did it got all the paperwork approved from the FAA to designate it as a C-162. Then he died. My tail number is N162PT, PT for Proto Type. I still have all the original paper work that shows my plane being a bonafied C-162 as per Cessna and the FAA.

One day while getting clearance at KSLC I gave them that I was C-162. They came back and said, "is that a chicken hawk?" So for my whole time having the bird at KSLC the tower boys gave me my own Chicken Hawk call sign. It was pretty fun.
 
Ajax BU said:
Cessna added a ventral fin to ease its spin characteristics.
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What Ajax said.

It also dropped the tail section down an additional 6 inches which leaves very little room for error in the flare with an already extremely pitch sensitive airplane.

Cameron, how's the new gig treating you?
 
IslandFlyer said:
What Ajax said.

It also dropped the tail section down an additional 6 inches which leaves very little room for error in the flare with an already extremely pitch sensitive airplane.

Cameron, how's the new gig treating you?
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I'm still loving it. This week has been tough since I have 2 students out of town, and another avoiding this week. I have a husband and wife doing their PPL at the same time and since the wife is out of town the husband isn't allowed to get ahead of her. She is also the one who, on the first lesson, told me I wasn't allowed to write in her logbook--ever. We got past that once I spoke about what I have to do, which upset her...now she just cringes whenever I sign it. It's some new breed feminism thing.


How are things down there? Tell everyone I said hey, I'll try to swing by from time to time. I did see 9TC do a touch and go the other day, that was cool.
 
pwttogfk said:
Things have come so far since the 1970's...Skycatcher vs. 150 comparison
Speed--150 wins
Payload--150 wins
Range--150 wins
Handling--Test pilots accidentally crashed the Skycatcher prototype. I somehow never crashed a 150 or 152 despite making every effort to during my primary training.
IFR--150 yes, 162 no
Spins--150 yes, 162 no
Mogas--150 yes, 162 no
Insurance costs--150 is WAY cheaper
Mx costs--150 is WAY cheaper as well
Purchase costs--you could outfit a squadron of solidly built 150s for the cost of a single 162 that's made by the same folks who make exploding laptop batteries (I kid, I kid)

Oh yeah, and guess what...30 years later, under the hood of the brand new 162? An 0-200. Same as my trusty old 150. If the 150/152 could be grandfathered in as LSA's, I think the sport pilot ticket would take off. Flying would be affordable and accessible. The over $80,000 difference in cost between my 150 and a 162 would be enough to restore my plane to look nicer than any Skycatcher ever made!
Click to expand...

How is it that a lighter airframe with the same powerplant not have a higher payload? Yet that's the case. Cessna has a downloadable pdf available of the skycatcher POH, and according to it, I'd be unable to carry both a student and enough fuel for a lesson lasting slightly over an hour, and arrive back at the airport with any sort of fuel reserve that wouldn't get me yelled at
 
Roger said:
I think for 100 large you could buy a ratted out TriPacer, re-cover it, replace any rusty tubes, move the 3rd wheel to the correct end, put an O360 on it, AND have several grand left for gas. All while paying someone else to do the work.

Or get a mighty nice champ that would be LSA certified. Again, with many grand left for gas.

Or get a badass super cub.

Or... Well you get the idea.
Click to expand...

Or a well equipped twin. (No, I am not making this up.)
 
pwttogfk said:
Things have come so far since the 1970's...Skycatcher vs. 150 comparison
Speed--150 wins
Payload--150 wins
Range--150 wins
Handling--Test pilots accidentally crashed the Skycatcher prototype. I somehow never crashed a 150 or 152 despite making every effort to during my primary training.
IFR--150 yes, 162 no
Spins--150 yes, 162 no
Mogas--150 yes, 162 no
Insurance costs--150 is WAY cheaper
Mx costs--150 is WAY cheaper as well
Purchase costs--you could outfit a squadron of solidly built 150s for the cost of a single 162 that's made by the same folks who make exploding laptop batteries (I kid, I kid)

Oh yeah, and guess what...30 years later, under the hood of the brand new 162? An 0-200. Same as my trusty old 150. If the 150/152 could be grandfathered in as LSA's, I think the sport pilot ticket would take off. Flying would be affordable and accessible. The over $80,000 difference in cost between my 150 and a 162 would be enough to restore my plane to look nicer than any Skycatcher ever made!
Click to expand...

Which is why if you are going to go the LSA route, you should get a Remos or something powered by a 912.
 
Doug Taylor said:
But does it inspire passion or is it just cheap?

I can look at a F-33A Bonanza and think "Damn, I want to fly that" but see a 150 and think "Poor bastard, I hope you build your hours quickly"
Click to expand...

Right, the other day I was taking off from ABQ ina 150 aerobat and some jet jockey chimed in with, "been there, done that."
 
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