General Aviation aircraft are the ones you see overhead buzzing around. They include the classic Cessna 172, which is the most produced aircraft. And it's the one that many learn to fly on. This category of aircraft requires a Private license, which can be upgraded to fly at night or in poor weather & visibility. Many of these aircraft go quite fast - upwards of 200 kts (knots).
Matt's Top Picks:
1. Cessna 182
How can you not love this one - it has the soft and safe flight characteristics of the Cessna 172, but with more get-up-and-go. It can cruise at 145 kts and carry a good payload. The Cessna 180, pictured on the homepage, is a taildragger version of this plane. As a side note, taildraggers are better for taking off and landing off-airport - like on a river bed or somewhere in Alaska :) But the tricycle landing gear, like that on the 182 is easier to use. BTW - so that you don't get confused with the names - the 182 is called the Skylane. (The 172 is called the Skyhawk. Cute, huh?).
www.cessna.com
2. Piper Malibu Matrix
Maybe you won the pooled lottery at work. Buy this one. It's the unpressurized version and offers more payload because of that. It can carry 6 people including the pilot. That's the whole crew - nobody has to drive! And it goes FAST. Try 226 mph! BTW, in case you were wondering, these are about $1M new.
www.piper.com
3. Diamond DA40
This plane has wings like a glider and can slowly decend vertically as slowly as planes with a parachute system, incredibly. It is efficient and cruises at 150 kts. It also has very stable flying characteristics thanks to those wings, but don't be fooled - it's still a pretty fast plane. And it get this out of a 180 hp engine ... giving the aforementioned efficiency.
www.diamondtaircraft.com
4. Cirrus SR22
This plane cruises at 183 kts - quite fast. It has become a very popular plane and offers a lot of performance not only in terms of speed, but also avionics. It is configured as a 4 or 5-seater.
www.cirrusaircraft.com
5. Cessna 206 Stationair
It's called Stationair because it's the "station wagon of the air." It can carry a lot of stuff, like your SUV. It cruises at 142 kts and holds six people including pilot.
www.cessna.com
Matt's Top Picks:
1. Cessna 182
How can you not love this one - it has the soft and safe flight characteristics of the Cessna 172, but with more get-up-and-go. It can cruise at 145 kts and carry a good payload. The Cessna 180, pictured on the homepage, is a taildragger version of this plane. As a side note, taildraggers are better for taking off and landing off-airport - like on a river bed or somewhere in Alaska :) But the tricycle landing gear, like that on the 182 is easier to use. BTW - so that you don't get confused with the names - the 182 is called the Skylane. (The 172 is called the Skyhawk. Cute, huh?).
www.cessna.com
2. Piper Malibu Matrix
Maybe you won the pooled lottery at work. Buy this one. It's the unpressurized version and offers more payload because of that. It can carry 6 people including the pilot. That's the whole crew - nobody has to drive! And it goes FAST. Try 226 mph! BTW, in case you were wondering, these are about $1M new.
www.piper.com
3. Diamond DA40
This plane has wings like a glider and can slowly decend vertically as slowly as planes with a parachute system, incredibly. It is efficient and cruises at 150 kts. It also has very stable flying characteristics thanks to those wings, but don't be fooled - it's still a pretty fast plane. And it get this out of a 180 hp engine ... giving the aforementioned efficiency.
www.diamondtaircraft.com
4. Cirrus SR22
This plane cruises at 183 kts - quite fast. It has become a very popular plane and offers a lot of performance not only in terms of speed, but also avionics. It is configured as a 4 or 5-seater.
www.cirrusaircraft.com
5. Cessna 206 Stationair
It's called Stationair because it's the "station wagon of the air." It can carry a lot of stuff, like your SUV. It cruises at 142 kts and holds six people including pilot.
www.cessna.com