CT Newbie

[8349]

Hi all,

New member as of last week. Living in CT and will be looking to buy my first plane hopefully end of next year/early 2020. Saving up now. Bulk of my time (over 70%) has been in Piper Warriors, which is what I initially learned in. Got my license back in 97 and flew till 99. Life (marriage, college, career, and kids) got heavy and the flights farther between then stopped. 18 years later the kids are now grown, established in a great career now, and happily divorced and soon to be engaged to someone supportive of my flying addiction! Took to the air again for the first time last June and have put over 30 hours in since then. Mixed bag of 172, Warrior, and 150 time since then.

I bought into an equity club (40 shares - two aircraft) back in September with a 172P and a PA-28-181 Archer II. Both great practical planes that can carry a load and fly as far is I would likely need to fly myself and others. So that lets me focus on finding a "fun" plane to buy for myself, and keep the club membership active for access to the more capable planes. The club planes are kept about an hour or more from where I live during the week, but only about 20-30 minutes from where I am on most weekends (fiancé's house) at 4B8 and MMK (one each, rotated every 4 months). So for an itch closer to home, I also occasionally rent a 172M and 150G from a school at Danbury (KDXR - about 30 minutes from where I live during the week), and I use them occasionally to fly to meetings as well.

Been looking at lots of potential targets. A buddy of mine bought a 150M last year and is pushing my that way quite a bit. As I noted above, one of the birds I rent currently is a 150G and is a blast to fly. Another guy I know has a PA-16 Clipper and is dying to take my up in it (I will take him up on the offer - who doesn't take a free plane ride??) and steer me in the short-wing Piper direction. I have always loved the 120/140 and 170 series, and Cessna's in general. Would love to find someone in the area eventually so I can get up in one and experience it in flight. I will be starting tailwheel training this coming weekend (though may not work on it in earnest till the spring, depends on a few things) in a J-3 Cub, which I am really looking forward to.

So, look forward to some questions about me soon as I work to find out more about the 120/140 to help nail down if it really is the bird for me. Unfortunately, I will be keeping whatever I get tied down outside, at least for the first couple years, as hangars seem pricey as heck up here in CT and are hard to come by anyways (waiting lists). I am also getting involved in the RAF (Recreational Aviation Foundation) and will be interested in venturing out to lots of grass strips with some on the shorter side, which will be a strong consideration as well. Will want to get a bird that I can get a radio, GPS, and ADSB transponder into and will get me in and out (the important part!) of, say, 1500' grass strips fairly easily.

Looking forward to "meeting" many of you through the forum, and hopefully some of you in person at local airports, fly ins, etc.

Thanks for any future advice you can give me!