Search Results for: Tobago

[IMGCAP(1)]We don’t get to see much French hardware in this country any more, but those of us who remember such wonders as the Citroen automobiles with their hydraulic suspensions, or the old Renault 16, the interior of which could be stripped out in minutes without tools, will also recall that the French have their own distinctive way of doing things. The engineering is elegant or odd, depending on your point of view.

The SOCATA Caribbean series, when it was introduced in this country in the mid-1980s, was the embodiment of that unique way of doing things. Markedly different from anything wed ever seen, the French imports had a lot to offer, and they even managed to successfully buck t…

It may not be the fastest airplane to sport a big Lycoming, but on pure style points, it has no equal.

I had the ACF-50 corrosion treatment applied to my 1978 Piper Seneca II in 1991, and there is still a bit of weeping around rivets to this day. Maybe it was applied too heavily. Had a fuel bladder replaced in 2000, and there were no signs of corrosion in the wing. I purchased the aircraft brand new in 1978, and it has always been based within 6 miles of salt water and has flown hundreds of hours at or below 1500 feet AGL over salt water as a Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft, but always hangared.

When the so-called Caribbean line from Aerospatiale first appeared at the Paris Air Show in 1977, the U.S. general aviation industry was booming, building mainly tried-and-true, if staid, designs like the Cessna 172 and the Piper Cherokee line. Against that backdrop, the new TB-20 was a splash of cold water. Its not that the airplane was terribly innovative-it wasnt, sporting the same Lycoming engines we had all been flying behind for years. But it had something no Skyhawk ever did: a sleek and stylish European panache. Ultimately, this didnt help much with sales, but the thing sure was-and is-good looking, what one aviation writer famously described as a Cherokee done over by Club Med. The Trinidad is the top of the line of a small family (five) of single-engine aircraft developed and built by Socata in Tarbes, France, from which the TB derives.

Once a upon a time in aviation, trainers were always two-seat aircraft that wedged instructor and student into near-intimate proximity. But things have changed and its not uncommon for student pilots to pony up over $300,000 for four-seat cruisers they plan to use for private and instrument training. Thats nice for the well-heeled; those of us who missed the last economic bubble but not the pop that followed need another plan. It can still make sense to purchase an aircraft you plan to train in. We looked at purchase and operation with an eye toward owning the machine for a while, or having a good chance at selling it for less than a catastrophic loss.

It may not be fast, or carry a lot and although it hasnt been a stellar seller in the U.S., say this about the SOCATA TB-10 Tobago: Its a good looking airplane, perhaps one of the best looking ever built.

A thoroughly modernized rag-and-tube utility aircraft that shines on floats or wheels.

The Trinidad isn’t the fastest retractable on the block but it excels in comfort and load carrying capability.

This composite design is angling for what the company hopes is a two-place touring market. But were not sure if that exists.

The sporty Tiger and Pipers Archer appear to be the standouts; the Skylane has the lowest fatal accident rate.

[IMGCAP(1)]Its a good-performing, honest four-seater and also a lot of fun to fly. Like any other taildragger, though, it can bite. And though 170s still are quite affordable, prices continue to climb.

Cessna built 5,136 of the airplanes in a nine-year production run that ended over 40 years ago. But time has taken a toll on the population. Today, considerably less than half of the airplanes are still flying; and accident records show that ground loops and hard landings are continuing to thin out the 170 fleet at quite a clip.

Still, there are many who turn a veiled eye on the taildraggers safety record and dismiss the tricycle-gear 172-the 170s successor-as a giant step backward…

[IMGCAP(1)]Bush planes are a breed apart, with design criteria that are distinctly different from the average light airplane. A premium is placed on short-field capability and ruggedness, at the expense of speed, creature comfort and snappy handling. These airplanes are built to be routinely operated in environments considered hostile: short, rough strips, and low-level flight. Typical uses are pipeline patrol, ranch surveying and traffic spotting.

Airplanes like the Piper Super Cub, Maule and American Champion Scout are all intended to meet this mission. All are relatively old designs that have changed little over the years, but then this is mature technology: it works, so there’s no…