Have you ever asked yourself: "If I didn't fly a Piper, I'd fly a...?"

Harley Kleemann

What would it be?

Scott Sherer

A long time ago it was this little rocket ship that I used to rent. A Mooney 231. But my staff and family didn't like it due to size. But she did 180 knots at about 10,000' on about 12gph. Now, it's a Cessna 340 or a Piper M series

Harley Kleemann

If I didn't have my Arrow, I'd go for a "Forked Tail Doctor Killer"

Scott Sherer

I have a young A&P who bought on a year ago for $15k. Great airframe (once you have the tail feathers secured with the AD). He's slowly rebuilding it and I'm expecting it to fly in 2020. The V-tail is a wonderful plane.

Harley Kleemann

Problem with the V tail Bonanza is the magnesium skins on the ruddervators. Evidently, Beech no longer produces these, and if you get corrosion in them, you're screwed unless you find some corrosion-free ruddervators in a salvage yard.

BillCampbell

I have flown both Cessna and Mooney at various times. But the plane which captured my (non-Piper) imagination is the Commander. The 112 and 114 are both pretty planes and have trailing link landing gear for allegedly prettier landing touchdowns. So that would be my probable choice. However, were I to sell the Archer, my choice of upgrade would actually be another in the Piper family the, no longer made, Dakota.

Scott Sherer

The Commander 114TC is an awesome plane, and I'd love one! The Dakota is the epitome of utility aircraft. Reasonable speed and can pick up a grand piano!

Harley Kleemann

Why does the T-tail Lance have such an awful reputation? Having flown one, I thought it was a fine aircraft. Yes, it handles different than a regular Lance, but I didn't feel it was the man=killer that some have made it out to be. If my mission dictated the need to haul a big load, I'd opt for a Lance!

Scott Sherer

I owned a t-tail seminole for five years and loved it. My guess is that the Lance flies similarly. And having a bad reputation is a good thing. You can get one for $50k cheaper than a saratoga

Harley Kleemann

And I love my T-tail Arrow!!!

kzadora

I love my T-tail Arrow too! Other than being a bit hesitant to rotate at takeoff it is a utter joy to fly

But if we are dreaming, then my favorites are Lancair Mako and DA-62

flyingdoc1

"Forked Tail Doctor Killer"...? That's one I haven't heard. As a doctor and a 15-year owner of a T-tailed turbo Lance, I can tell you that I absolutely love it. I'm part of a group of medical professionals called The Flying Samaritans and we fly to Mexico monthly landing on dirt strips. I can haul four people, full tanks and all the luggage I can stick in without any issues. Club seating is roomy enough. I like mine so much that I put a GTN 750/650, G500 and EI MVP-50 a few years ago and got my instrument rating in it. It is an awesome instrument platform.

Yes, there is poor elevator authority until you reach rotation speed and it does tend to leap off the runway. Landings are no problem but it is impossible to hold the nose up after decelerating from the flare. Aside from that they're great! The total tail surface area is somewhat smaller than a conventional tail meaning less drag in flight and consequently I see cruise speeds of 165 to 170 knots on 14 gallons/hr LOP. You do have to watch the envelope with the way people/luggage is placed but not a big deal really.

Scott Sherer

When I had my t-tail seminole I used to put two 25 pound dumbbells in the baggage compartment when I didn't have anyone in the back seats. I never ran out of elevator during flare after that.

Harley Kleemann

I carry 50 pounds of tools, tiedown kit, and other stuff in the baggage area. It makes a HUGE difference as far as stabilator effectiveness!

Dakota55T

I'm very happy with my Dakota but a Bonanza A36 would be the most likely bird to land in the hangar.

MikeJJ

SR-71
Well, I can dream!

Austin

Boeing!!