John,

Honestly, the 44 Wren is too large an engine for the model size I have in mind. Too expensive, complicated, and costly to run. I'm trying to keep it simple.

Kudos on your Ag Cat experience.

I have time in a Stearman. About 40 minutes. Actually did one take off by myself but the pilot wouldn't permit me landing the craft. He did allow me to set up the approach but took control before flairing. Yes, I was nervous and a bit aprehensive. Cost me 200 bucks! That's probably why. This was Key West BTW.

I bought a seaplane, a Lake LA4-200T for a change in careers. I thought I could run a successful Seaplane Tour Company with it, in the Caribbean. Never factored in corruption.

Only thing the Lake got me was a commercial/high performance seaplane rating. Burned through $250K in the years I had it and never made a penny. I was doing tours of Palm Beach, buzzing "Mar-a-lago" just before I sold the thing. And that's the truth. I'm lucky my wife put up with it.

I have almoust 1000 hr in the left seat of various airplanes, including 377 hours in the Lake LA4-200T. Which was the last airplane I owned. I actually started flying in 1965, I sold the lake in 1996. I can honestly say I don't miss "real" aviation.

It's lonely to say the least. My wife flew with me only three or four times in the Lake. She didn't like the Seaplane. That's well over 336 hours of flying without the company of the most important person in my life. She did like the Piper 180 because that looked more like an airplane. We enjoyed the Piper together.

I always like to say "That was then and this is now." I never figured out why, probably because it doesn't mean anything or that much anymore. It's just what you "used to do."

I can honestly say, with almoust 30 years of on an off general aviation, I don't miss it a bit.

Nah, who am I kidding!

Hey! Let's not forget my thread, which is "now" and important to me.

Saito's compitition? What have they got to offer?

Charles