# Pilots: $10M for airplanes - which to buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 16, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907 "2005-09-16T02:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/1 "2005-09-16T02:11:30Z")
Inspired by **St\_Ides** post in this thread by **Phlosphr** , what plane(s) would you get if you had, say $10M to spend on planes (plus however much it would take to maintain, operate and insure them - the $10M is just for the airframes). Purely fantasy, since you generally don’t get that rich by being a pilot . . . I think I’d get a used [Beechjet](http://www.aopa.org/images/special/newsroom/photos/aircraft/beechjet_400a.jpg) because many of my buddies have a type rating for it and you can get around to a lot of places with family or a half-dozen other folks. Next would be a [Viperjet](http://www.aerobuysell.com/2150-1SCext.jpg) MkII, for something to keep me occupied building, while waiting for the [Javelin](http://www.airtouring.com/ATGAircraft/Javelin.jpg) to be certified. On the lower performance end of the spectrum, probably a [Decathlon](http://www.aopa.org/images/special/newsroom/photos/aircraft/american_champion_decathlon.jpg) or new Waco. Plus a [Taurus](http://www.mcp.com.au/sinus/newsletters/newsletter-21/newsletter-21.html) motorglider and [PW-6](http://www.jlet.olimp.si/forum/messages/169/966.jpg) for the glider days. Oh yeah, will need a towplane for the PW-6 . . . Air Tractor or something. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/2 "2005-09-16T03:53:49Z")
> [@](#): > > … PW-6 for the glider days How about a [DuoDiscus](http://www.schempp-hirth.com/cgi-bin/archiv_new.cgi?archiv=luftaufnahmen&page=index.html&now=15&lang=en&image=discus_2.jpg%7Cduo_discus.jpg%7Cnimbus_4.jpg%7Cventus_2ct_2x.jpg%7Cventus_2ct.jpg%7Cventus_2c.jpg%7Cventus_2c_weit.jpg%7Cventus_2cm.jpg%7Cpfs_discus.jpg%7Cpfs_ventus_2cm.jpg%7Cventus_2ct_wald.jpg%7Cventus_2ct_horizont.jpg%7Cdiscus_2_wingl.jpg%7Cduodiskus_DX2_reflex.jpg%7Cduodiskus_DX3_acker.jpg) instead: handles better, flies better, looks better. ---
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/3 "2005-09-17T23:36:26Z")
Yeah, Duo Discus _would_ be nicer . . . I thought PW-6 because most of my time is in a PW-5 and Grob103 and I’d like to take a buddy up occasionally, but the performance definitely ain’t too hot. Plus, I’m not very experienced (less than 50 hours in gliders over 2 years); some of the high performance gliders are kind of intimidating. I see the DD has a self launch option though. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/4 "2005-09-18T00:21:15Z")
I have a soft sport for flying boats, so maybe a Catalina ([www.superthree.com](http://www.superthree.com)) or slightly more practically a Grumman Mallard. Then for faster travel I’d want a small jet - Maybe a Paris Jet or an Eclipse. For shorter distances maybe a Cirrus SR-20 Thats good for a start… Brian ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/5 "2005-09-18T00:43:24Z")
**Supermarine Spitfire.** That would be the top of the list. **T-38 Talon.** Choosing a jet is difficult. There are so many! My first thought was a TA-4J Skyhawk. Great little airplane, and it has two seats. Or what could be more classic than a T-33, polished to a mirror finish with EAFB markings? L-39s are pretty and have two seats. And they’re cheap. F-104? Sweet, but I think it would be too big a handful to really enjoy. In the end, the **T-38** gets the nod. I’m a bit of a Space Cadet, and they’re used by NASA. And they’re supersonic. 😉 Then there’s a helicopter. The **Spitfire** and the **Talon** have already eaten up about $4 million. Can’t get a Black Hawk for what’s left (as far as I know). So I’d choose a… **UH-1N**. Gotta love the Hueys. I think I could get one for about $2 million. **Robinson R-44 Raven**. Hey, you can’t fly the Huey _all_ the time! And I may as well pick up a **Robinson R-22** while I’m at it, just to bring us up to a round $6.5 million (approximately). **PBY-5A Catalina**. I’ve always wanted one of those. There was one sitting at Montgomery Field for the longest tiem when I was growing up. And Jacques Cousteau had one. That would be just the thing for hopping round the Caribbean. Call it $7 million so far? So I have about $3 million left. Can’t really think of what else I’d want or need. I suppose I’d get dad’s **1970 Cessna 172** (N84573) and his **1968 Cessna 182** (N61413) and have them made better-than-new. I’d have to have an **SNJ/AT-6/Harvard** just because. Maybe a yellow one in Navy markings and another one that’s polished aluminum in EAFB markings. A yellow **T-34B Mentor** in Navy markings, and a **T-34A** in USAF markings. And a white-and-red Navy **T-34C**. That still leaves about a million simoleons. Since the OP states that all operating costs are covered I guess I’d buy **20 Cessna 172** s, 1970s-vintage, and set up a flying school in the Antelope Valley for high school kids and college students (who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA) who would not otherwise be able to afford to learn to fly. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/6 "2005-09-18T03:02:20Z")
Does the $10 million imply that I have endless free time for maintaining currency, getting type ratings, etc? Or am I supposed to buy these while maintaining my current job and commitments? Oh, and does the $10 million include a hangar and a full-time mechanic or two? If I have endless amounts of time to stay current, I’d have to be a nice warbird like a P-51 Mustang or an F4U Corsair, for starters. Then a travelling jet, like a Citation, for taking the family around the world. Throw in a fun aerobatic plane or two like a Pitts Special, and a puddlejumper like a C-150 or C-172 for my daughter to learn to fly in and for just motoring around the practice area on a summer day. If I didn’t have time for endless recurrancy training, I think I’ll just take a nice safe travelling plane like a Beech King Air, and forget about the jets and warbirds. Toss in a couple of sport planes for fun like a Grumman Tiger and I’d like to buy back my old AA1 (CF-ATI) and restore it. That should do it for me. If there’s money left over, donate it to the EAA. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/7 "2005-09-18T03:32:45Z")
IANAP, but I would buy a Super Waco Classic. This is the only plane I have wanted to own. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/8 "2005-09-18T11:11:09Z")
How about a ME-262 for $2M? And I’ll have me a Spitfire too ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/9 "2005-09-19T21:32:40Z")
Woohoo… was hoping someone would start a list like this… I was too lazy. So you’ve already seen _most_ of my [my list](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6582483&postcount=11)… I’ve remembered quite a few since then, and I knew I had still missed a bunch. Of course I’d love to own an old warbird (I totally forgot about those ME-262s that **Quartz** mentioned… I was keeping an eye on their operation a few years ago, but I must’ve forgot at some point. I’ve always wanted one. As far as warbirds go (and having spent my day at the [Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum](http://www.warplane.com/), I should have a good idea)… I’d love a Spitfire most of all. A Hurricane would be nice. Then again, I have a _major_ soft spot in my heart for twin-boom aircraft, so a P-38 would fit the bill nicely (though a De Havilland [Vampire](http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/images/vampire_3view_500.gif) would be lovely too) I used to want a [Sea Fury](http://www.controller.com/listings/forsale/detail.asp?PID=179432&OHID=1082391&guid=CF046FBEC12840B3AC10497D28F95AD8), but I knew a guy who packed one in at an airshow a couple years ago… so not anymore. This here [Tiger Moth](http://www.controller.com/listings/forsale/detail.asp?PID=144235&OHID=1071662&guid=CF046FBEC12840B3AC10497D28F95AD8) would be quite a pleasure to fly. As far as a personal transport goes, I think a [Silence Twister](http://www.silence-aircraft.co.uk/silence%20twister%20usa%20kit4.jpg.jpg) would be good-looking enough to suit my needs. > [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > That still leaves about a million simoleons. Since the OP states that all operating costs are covered I guess I’d buy **20 Cessna 172** s, 1970s-vintage, and set up a flying school in the Antelope Valley for high school kids and college students (who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA) who would not otherwise be able to afford to learn to fly. The world needs more people like you. ---
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/10 "2005-09-20T00:08:03Z")
Oh yeah, guess I forgot to link to the original thread . . . thanks **St\_Ides**! Gotta say I like **Johnny L.A.**'s idea too, but maybe my school in NW Oklahoma will have Diamonds or some other tricycle trainer with a stick. A handful of 172s too, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/11 "2005-09-20T17:35:02Z")
Well, among historical aircraft, I’d have to get a Bf-109F, because they were just about the coolest fighters in WW2. Among recent aircraft, I’d want either an F-15 Eagle or a F-16 Falcon. Sleek, fast, deadly. Air superiority is what it’s all about, baby. Now I just have to learn to fly them… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/12 "2005-09-20T18:09:27Z")
Ooo. 1. An [Aviat Husky](http://www.aviataircraft.com/aircraft/husky.htm) with tundra tires for exploring the wilds of Alaska and BC. 2. A [Yak-54](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-54) for acrobatic fun! 3. A [MiG-17](http://www.museumofaviation.org/aircraftCollection/fighters/09-mig17.htm) for a classic fast, light single-seat jet that’s a dream to fly. 4. A [Piper Cheyenne 400LS](http://foxflite.com/3-05_PIPER_CHEYENNE_400LS.htm) for just getting around in. 5. If I have any $ left, a [Falcon 50](http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=174) for International travel. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/13 "2005-09-20T23:56:33Z")
If I wanted something sensible, I guess I’d go for a Hercules. One can pick up a decent Gulfstream second-hand for $3 million or so. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/14 "2005-09-21T00:09:59Z")
Hey **St. Ides** , there’s a two-seat Vampire for sale at an airport near me. I think they want around 65k for it. I found some pictures of it [here](http://www169.pair.com/jcat/jason/flying/gallery6.html) , at top left. Nice paint job. As for me, this is a very serious question. I’m a commercial rated pilot with some warbird experience. So I’m answering realistically, thinking this is a machine I could actually learn to operate safely in real life. No question about it, no hesitation, I don’t even have to think: **F-86 Sabre** The sweetest fighter jet ever built, I’d wager. Only drawback of the Sabre is that I don’t think they made any two-seaters. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/15 "2005-09-21T01:08:58Z")
[Here are a few to kick the tires on](http://www.jetsales.com/mesinger/inventory/inventory.html) ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-10m-for-airplanes-which-to-buy/321907/16 "2005-09-21T18:42:38Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Hey **St. Ides** , there’s a two-seat Vampire for sale at an airport near me. I think they want around 65k for it. I found some pictures of it [here](http://www169.pair.com/jcat/jason/flying/gallery6.html) , at top left. Nice paint job. … That’s heavenly. Although I just looked up the Canadian regulations for ex-military aircraft, and I’m betting a Vampire would be pretty limited. Although if I win the lottery, expect a call from me… That’s just too tempting.