Who's flying a Maule?

[Luke68]

I fly a 7AC Champ on skies and it is tons of fun landing just about anywhere you want, just make sure you make wide turns or you risk putting a lot of stress on the landing gear, and FYI you can get into places you can't get out of especially when the snow is deep

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I fly a 7AC Champ on skies and it is tons of fun landing just about anywhere you want, just make sure you make wide turns or you risk putting a lot of stress on the landing gear, and FYI you can get into places you can't get out of especially when the snow is deep

I experienced that with the current owner a couple of winters ago when we landed in the pasture behind his cousin's house. Took a couple of tries to get out.

[kestrel]

The second quote sounds quite reasonable. If you buy it, will you show me how to fly off of skis?

Jared, come up north and we'll get you out on skis! Mine were mounted Monday. :-)

[Battson]

If someone put a gun to my head and said "buy a certified aircraft", I would not hesitate to buy a Maule.

Of course the Bearhawk is superior in almost every way, except the slotted flaps.

[Zzz]

You must have money to burn. I guess all this is play money, but I personally wouldn't pour money into a certified aircraft that cost that much to insure. Perhaps I'm sensitive to the pitfalls of having to rebuild one engine (the one for my Bearhawk) but then incurring the unforseen expense of overhauling a second engine to keep a certified bird flying (or sellable) would slaughter my Bearhawk savings.

Of course, there are things that are invaluable, like experience to keep your Bearhawk out of the ditch some day. A Maule will teach you that better than some lighter models.

[Bdflies]

Ah, I can counter Zzz's view. Popular, well known, certified planes are almost like money in a bank, if you buy right. If you don't pay more than market and don't put stupid money into avionics or 'speed mods', you really should be able to come out alright when the plane is sold. If you buy a high time engine, factor that in the price. If you overhaul, stress the engine value in your sale.
Staying current, while building, is a great move! My first build was a Glasair. During the 5 years it took to build the plane, I read their newsletter. Way too many stories of low time pilots, with little or no high perf time, flying their shiny new Glasairs, with unfortunate outcomes. I was probably lucky not to end up in that crowd. For a while, insurance was not available for the Glasair III, because of the awful experience pool.
Sounds like Chris knows the plane. Surely he won't pay over market (right Chris?). With a nice Maule, he'll stay current in type and will be totally prepared to fly his project, when finished.
Besides, next summer, when we head to Oshkosh, we'll all be able to fly the Maule!!!

Bill

[Chris In Milwaukee]

All good points. Thanks for sharing them. This aircraft coming to me is sort of a perfect storm of events. I'll share the long story with you sometime over a frosty beverage.

It's coming to me below market value, in a case where I can get a plane that will carry stuff, load easily, and has what the 140 doesn't: radios and a transponder (it's actually IFR equipped). It'll make for a nice instrument training platform, too, when that time comes. Did I mention it comes with skis?

Who knows how long my build project is going to take. There's a lot of design and testing in the process. I'm going to need to stay (or at least get) current in a plane of the type. I feel the pain that the insurance will bring, of course. I can't imagine this is uncommon for a financed aircraft. If a Bearhawk was available for sale right now at the same value, I suspect insurance would be similar, based on what I'm hearing from other Bearhawkers.

I certainly don't pretend to know anything about anything. . Zane and others have waaayyy more experience than I do . This will be my first airplane ownership experience. I'm sure it will be a learning experience as well. Thankfully it falls within the realm of my former truck payment.

[tailwind]

You will probably have to self insure for the first 25 hours on your big plane.

[patrickh99]

Chris, If you need to build some time in it, bring the Maule down here and I'll give you free instruction any time. You buy lunch.
I haven't flown a Maule in a few years and would love to get back in one. The last one I flew, I picked up in W Palm Beach, FL and flew to Thief River Falls, MN. Fun trip.
3CK is almost in my backyard, and 10C is further north with a grass strip. Only 1.5 hrs or so.
I don't instruct much anymore, but when it's a fun airplane, I make exceptions.

[Bdflies]

Gonna wander a bit here. I was just thinking about that ski thing. If the plane is on skis, how do you put it in a hangar? I wouldn't think they'd slide on concrete or asphalt. Even if it sits outside, wouldn't the skis freeze kinda firmly to the ice below? I've seen pictures of 'penetration skis', but it's my impression that they're not as common. We have lots of water around here and I used to have an amphib, but snow is out of my wheelhouse!

Bill

[Chris In Milwaukee]

These are wheel penetration skis, thankfully. Folks who use straight skis often have creative dollies and such to move them around. I've seen pics recently of a guy who used a few old industrial conveyors (rollers) and laid them on the hangar floor to help get the plane in and out.

[Luke68]

We make two frames out of 2x4s two feet wide by eight feet long and just fill them with snow and a little mist of water to make ice, then use a small electric winch hooked to the tail. It helps to have a long cord on the winch so you can steer the plane in and winch at the same time. You do need to put something between the ski and the ice or they will freeze down, we just use a few 2x4s under each ski.
This all works great unless you're lucky enough to have a heated hangar

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Well, here she is, my "Interim Bearhawk". I've always been a renter or one who leased aircraft since I earned my license ten years ago. Now I'm finally an owner! This guy ought to teach me a thing or two about being a Bearhawker. Now back to building...




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[LukeS]

Got to see this at the skiplane fly-in over the weekend and it looks like a very solid and roomy aircraft, and lots of fun I'm sure to fly.

[Peter Bishton]

Chris
That is a nice looking aircraft.
Peter

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Thanks, Peter. Looking forward to the adventure!

[Yadama]

I visited the Maule factory in January, a great bunch of people who gave us a fantastic tour.

I Wouldnt hesitate to purchase one.. A lot of similarities in the design of the Maule and Bearhawk..