Cessna 421, a beautiful plane in real life and in the sim. 

For a good read:

A Flying Life - 25 Years Flying The Friendly Skies

by Hal Stoen  (C421 charter pilot).

 

ps  If you need to get into rough airstrips, the Quest Kodiak..

 

Edited August 7, 20187 yr by Bert Pieke

My all time favorite for both real life and sim life is the ruptured duck...the Lockheed Super G Constellation.  It has a unique design that stands out.  One look and you know immediately what it is.  No second guessing.

I was a passenger in one crossing the Pacific from Tachikawa AFB Japan to Travis AFB California with stops on Wake Island and Honolulu.  It was a civilian military contract aircraft so in Honolulu it parked at the old terminal with the Aloha tower.

The restored QANTAS Connie is a sight to behold.

The gravy is the snap-crackle-pop of those recips starting up.

Noel

 

Edited August 8, 20187 yr by birdguy

My favorite list: (may be influenced a bit by availability of addons for flightsim) 

Vintage Jet: 727

Vintage Prop: DC6

Modern Jet(s): 737, 747, A320

Modern Turboprop: Dash8

Warbird: B17, Lanc, B52 (i like the heavy ones) 

GA Prop: Comanche

 

Not so favorite: (but I love them all) 

Cessna 337 Skymaster (looks weird) 

 

 

I absolutely hate the MD-80! It is loud, old, outdated, did I mention loud, inefficient, cramped, uncomfortable, gas guzzlers and I am so glad to

see them go! I wish Delta and American would retire them right now tbh

7 minutes ago, lukejw20 said:

I absolutely hate the MD-80! It is loud, old, outdated, did I mention loud, inefficient, cramped, uncomfortable, gas guzzlers and I am so glad to

see them go! I wish Delta and American would retire them right now tbh

The MD-80 was quiet when I sat up front but loud sitting in the back.  I loved sitting in the front of the 727, so quiet on takeoff, even though they say statistically sitting in the back of an aircraft is safer.  Generally anywhere in front of an aircraft's engines is quieter, love the CRJ 700/900 for that reason, great aircraft with their high windows and 2x2 seating, unlike their cousin the CRJ 200 with low windows and a sardine can like experience when flying in one.  I found the Robinson R44 copter exceptionally quiet and comfortable to fly in.  I have flown in sailplanes which are actually quite loud with wind noise, but what an exceptional view since passengers get to sit up front with the pilot behind.  Last, when the burners aren't lit, nothing beat the quiet of the hot air balloon flight I took once above the Napa Valley, where you float with the breeze and thus do not even feel wind once aloft.  They climb fast but it seems like the ground is dropping and the passenger is not moving at all.

John

B-52.  The love of my life.