No snob here Ryan
After learning in mainly a C150, my first plane purchase was a Grumman Yankee.....under powered on takeoff on hot days with
two aboard from a 2000' grass strip, but fun as hell in the air. Probably as responsive of an airplane as you can get in basic small cheap airplanes.
Sluggish controls scale as I view it:
Cessna 172 = schoolbus
presently owned Piper Pacer = station wagon
Grumman Yankee = 924
There are modified Grumman Yankees out there with 150-180 hp Lycomings out there that other than the reduced range, would qualify as a 911 on my sluggish airplane scale above.
Only problem with Grumman Yankees are that they are a bit less tolerant of sloppy airmanship and often require a bit more skill/concentration when taking off and landing.
I have friends with 172s that I do annual inspections on and I fly them occasionally. Not bad airplanes, just not all that fun compared to some other choices out there once the initial thrill of flying/owning your own airplane wears off.
Doesn't Richard own a Ferrari? Of the guys that I know who fly that could afford a Ferrari, none of them own 172s.
