
I was only a few hours into my flight training before I began fantasizing about owning my own airplane. While the ink was still wet on my temporary private pilot certificate, I developed a five-year plan for aircraft ownership. I should have known that nothing would go according to plan. I had intended to purchase a 1960s Cherokee 180, but ended up with a 1947 Luscombe 8E, a two-seat taildragger. A year into aircraft ownership, it remains one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.