What was the first airplane you wanted to fly? For me, it was the J-3 Cub.
I was 4 years old and at a birthday party at the San Carlos Airport in California. One of the adult guests brought his J-3 Cub out for us kids to look at and sit in while our parents took photographs.
Dad placed me in the front seat of the cockpit then gently reached in and moved the stick, pointing out how the ailerons were moving and explaining how that made the airplane turn. When Dad went to pick me up to remove me from the cockpit so another kid could take a turn, I grabbed the stick with both hands and let out a howl of protest.
Many years later, I met the owner of the airplane at EAA AirVenture. He said he told Dad, based on my reaction when they tried to take me out of the airplane, he was pretty sure I would be a pilot someday. He was right, but it was a full 25 years before I would fly a Cub.
The J-3 was the first airplane on my bucket list—and the first airplane I flew when I moved to Washington state.
It belonged to Bill Juranich, a local pilot who had just had it restored. We met on the ramp at Tacoma Narrows (KTIW), and before he even knew my name, he offered me a flight.
Where did your bucket list come from? Often it comes from an airplane a relative flew. I still have a Stearman on my list because my mother flew one as a teenager. Other times, we’re inspired by an aircraft we saw on television or in a movie.
Or sometimes, it’s walking down the ramp at an airshow and you set eyes on an airplane that, if it were a person, you would marry on the spot without introductions or references.
Here are a few examples of the bucket-list airplanes we’ve heard about from FLYING’s readers.
P-51 Mustang
If the sound of the P-51 engine coming to life doesn’t make your pulse quicken, are you sure that you’re a pilot?
The throaty roar of the Merlin has been synonymous with speed and power, and there probably isn’t a pilot out there who hasn’t dreamt of flying—not riding—in a P-51. The folks at Stallion 51 in Kissimmee, Florida, can make that dream a reality.
![P-51 Mustang [Credit: Jessica Ambats]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Mustang.jpeg?width=1024&height=555)
Its aircraft are dual controlled (a post-World War II retrofit for training), and you’ll be paired up with an experienced instructor… and you will definitely be flying.
In 2009 I had the chance to fly a TP-51C Betty Jane owned by the Collings Foundation. The aircraft is dual controlled. It was the highlight of my aviation career, as all that power was at my fingertips. I guarantee you will be grinning ear to ear at the end of the flight.
North American T-6 Texan
During WWII, anyone who wanted to fly for their country likely got some stick time in the T-6. It was the advanced trainer and earned a reputation as the pilot maker, because you really had to know “your stuff” and stay ahead of the airplane.
![North American T-6 Texan [Credit: Leonardo Correa Luna]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Texan.jpeg?width=1024&height=680)
The T-6 was used by the U.S. and Royal Air Force. Some 15,495 T-6s were built, and some are still used in training. Stallion 51 also offers a T-6 experience if you’d like to go that route.
The aircraft are one of the most popular civilian-owned warbirds. At AirVenture they usually take up three or more rows.
Cessna 195
The bump cowl, art-deco-inspired wheel pants, and cantilevered wings make this 1940s Cessna one of the most desired aircraft. There are pilots who get their tailwheel rating for the sole purpose of someday flying a Cessna 195.
![Cessna 195 [Credit: Leonardo Correa Luna]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_Cessna-195.jpeg?width=819&height=1024)
The C-195 was produced between 1947 and 1954 and was Cessna’s first airplane to be completely made of aluminum. The pilot can accommodate up to four passengers in the aircraft, so it very much feels like a
flying van.
Getting into the cockpit takes practice. For best results, walk backward “uphill” and ease yourself into the appropriate seat. This airplane requires attention to weight and balance more so than the tricycle-equipped Cessnas. You may find that you need some ballast in the rear during the flight—bags of lead shot or a case of oil work.
Cessna Caravan on Floats
The Cessna Caravan is basically a flying Swiss Army Knife. It is versatile and reliable and would be the perfect aircraft to get you into a backcountry lake where the fish normally die of old age—and you could take a bunch of your friends with you.
![Cessna Caravan on floats [Credit: Adobe Stock]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Cessna-floats.jpeg?width=1024&height=730)
The Caravan was designed to be a utility aircraft. It first appeared on ramps in the 1980s and was so well received that a variant known as the Cargomaster was created for FedEx. According to pilots who fly them, the Caravan (designated as the Cessna 208) handles very much like a larger version of the Cessna 172 but with better roll control and visibility from the cockpit.
Cessna 310 Songbird III
If you can finish this sentence: “Out of the clear blue of the western sky…” This airplane is probably on your list, and Sky King was a favorite television show of many growing up.
The blue-and-gold twin with the wingtip tanks and the distinctive paint scheme with the crown on the tail is a favorite at airshows and fly-ins. There’s just something really cool about saying you flew the aircraft that inspired so many flying careers.
![Cessna 310 Songbird III [Credit: Stephen Yeates]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_Songbird-scaled.jpeg?width=1024&height=553)
The Sky King aircraft is privately owned, and often makes appearances at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, and AirVenture in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. At the latter, it is often parked with an information board in front of it explaining the significance of the aircraft in popular culture.
There’s also a photograph of Uncle Skyler (Sky King) helping his niece Penny off the wing of the airplane—and you better believe so many visitors take a photo doing that pose.
North American B-25 Mitchell
If you’ve seen the movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (or read the book) or were a fan of Terry and the Pirates, you may have a hankering to fly this twin-engine bomber.
![North American B-25 Mitchell [Credit: Adobe Stock]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Mitchell-scaled.jpeg?width=1024&height=493)
The Delaware Aviation Museum offers training to acquire either a pilot-in-command (PIC) type rating or a second-in-command (SIC) PIC and SIC type rating in this magnificent machine.
The training begins on the ground just as it did during WWII with ground school. Everyone is dressed in tan Nomex flight suits, not so much for fashion but for utility and safety.
DC-3
The DC-3 was one of the first airliners and is still used around the world. The DC-3 was designed when most municipal airports had runways of 3,000 feet or less and were made of sod, but it still provides appeal like a vintage car.
![DC-3 [Credit: Jessica Ambats]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-DC-3.jpeg?width=1024&height=805)
These days it is difficult to find a DC-3 that has an original analog panel. As they are still working airplanes, many have been upgraded to glass panels or at the very least have a GPS.
There are several U.S. companies that offer training in a DC-3 that can lead to a type rating (because the aircraft is over 12,500 pounds) as either a PIC or an SIC.
Zivko Edge 540
If you have a hankering to tumble edge over edge and live to tell the story, the aerobatic Zivko Edge 540 is one way to make that happen.
![Zivko Edge 540 [Credit: Glenn Watson]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Zivko.jpeg?width=1024&height=727)
By the numbers, the aircraft is capable of a 3,700 fpm climb rate and a 420-degree-per-second roll rate. You can see the aircraft in action in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship series. The tandem version of the design is the Edge 540T.
Epic E1000
Touted as the aircraft designed by pilots for pilots, the Epic E1000 is a single-engine turboprop with a sophisticated glass cockpit that would make Captain Kirk jealous.
This carbon fiber, pressurized design can get you there and back quickly, safely, and comfortably—no matter where “there” is.
![Epic E1000 [Credit: Jessica Ambats]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Epic.jpeg?width=1024&height=776)
The newest AX model has a range of approximately 1,560 miles. It is designed with trailing-link landing gear and a full-reversing prop. The E1000 gives the pilots the confidence to access runways that might give other high-performance aircraft pause.
Beech Starship
The Beech Starship falls into the “rare airplane you want to fly” category. The pusher-engine turboprop design traces its lineage to 1979 when Beech Aircraft started looking for a new design to improve the King Air line of the Beech Aircraft Corporation.
The Starship, as the name implies, has a futuristic look to it, due in part to the small front retractable wing and curves that necessitated the use of carbon-fiber composite to get the lines and geometry the engineers wanted.
The production model of this pusher-engine propeller configuration flew for the first time in April 1989. It’s still recognized as the first composite aircraft to be mass-produced. However, there were just 55 built in all before production was shut down.
Aero L-39 Albatros
If you’ve ever wanted to fly a military fighter jet, the L-39 Albatros, a high-performance jet trainer designed in the Czech Republic and used all over the world for training, may be the perfect fit.
The L-39 came to be in the late 1960s. Production began, and by 1971 the two-place design had become the preferred primary jet trainer for armed forces around the world. It was used extensively both in Europe and by the 1990s was exported to the U.S., where it was picked up by civilian operators.
![Aero L-39 Albatros [Credit: Jessica Ambats]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-L-39.jpeg?width=1024&height=775)
It is touted as the “one warbird jet that a civilian can buy.” They are also used by companies that offer “air-to-air combat experiences.” Instead of shooting bullets, cameras are used to capture the dogfights.
Occasionally, you see a civilian-owned L-39 for sale in an aviation publication. They are also frequent visitors to the warbird ramp at AirVenture, Sun ’n Fun, and other airshows.
de Havilland Beaver on Floats
The de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver on floats is synonymous with Seattle and Alaskan bush flying.
![de Havilland Beaver on floats [Credit: Adobe Stock]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-Beaver.jpeg?width=923&height=1024)
Introduced in 1947, the combination of the radial engine and STOL capabilities quickly became a favorite in the postwar aviation world. Some 1,600 of the aircraft were produced, and many are still in service—some on floats, others on wheels.
The DHC-2 was designed for the backcountry and water, and that’s where you still find them. There are companies that offer a seaplane rating using the DHC-2. There are those who say if you are going to earn a seaplane rating, do it with style—get that rating in a Beaver.
Epic Flights for Your Bucket List
Most people don’t get a pilot certificate just to bounce the pattern.
They want to fly someplace special because the destination is more than hours in a logbook. It’s an experience you will never forget.
Some of these flights will require special training, with backcountry flights and certain VFR corridors being examples. For best results, do your homework, practice specialty landings, and perhaps receive some dual instruction before you launch.
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is simply breathtaking from the air.
For safety reasons, it has its own VFR aeronautical chart. Study it carefully.
![Grand Canyon [Credit: Jessica Ambats]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-grand-canyon.jpeg?width=652)
Pay attention to the location of the Flight-Free Zones (FFZs, and there are five), where all aircraft operations below 14,500 feet msl are prohibited, and note the VFR checkpoints for ease of location.
There are special air-to-air frequencies within the Special Flight Rules Area (SFAR), which applies to all aircraft operations below 14,500 feet msl. One side of the chart provides aeronautical information for general aviation VFR pilots, and the other side lists information for use only by commercial VFR air tour operations, both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.
Meteor Crater
Another popular overflight in Arizona is the Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, located near Winslow, Arizona. The crater measures approximately 3,800 feet in diameter and is a popular landmark.
![Meteor Crater [Credit: Jessica Ambats]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/FLY0126_2.0-crater.jpeg?width=656)
That being said, keep your head on a swivel and circle it at least twice for the best experience. If someone on board is taking video with their smartphone, make sure to avoid looking through the viewfinder to avoid airsickness—it can be bumpy over the desert.
Flying Into EAA AirVenture
Thousands of people make the annual migration to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for EAA AirVenture, but just a fraction of those fly themselves in.
If you are one of them, start your planning now. If you are coming from outside Wisconsin, study proposed routes, keeping in mind that the performance capabilities of your aircraft may necessitate something other than a direct route. Plan extra days and fuel stops.
Several weeks ahead of the event, the Experimental Aircraft Association creates a multipage NOTAM. Study it, and have it at your fingertips in the aircraft, both in hard copy and digitally.
Know the communications procedures (rock your wings), and practice your spot landings so you can put the aircraft on the dot as requested. Flying into AirVenture may be the most intense flying you have done to date, so it’s a good idea to have an experienced pilot who has done it before with you.
Make note of the published aircraft reporting points, and by all means, keep your head on a swivel. Once you land, follow the directions of the ground marshals and treat them with respect—they are volunteers.
NYC’s Hudson River Corridor
The Hudson River corridor in New York is another challenging aviation experience, so much so that the FAA publishes and updates information on the procedures.
There are multiple Special Flight Rules Areas (SFRAs) with their own rules and procedures. For example, your airspeed must not be greater than 140 knots, and you must have your anti-collision, position, and landing lights on in the daytime.
Make sure you have current charts and are flying at the proper altitude and using the appropriate communication frequency and procedures. Self-announcing requires you to state your aircraft type, current position and altitude, and direction of flight.
If you plan to circle the Statue of Liberty, it is recommended to do so at the highest practical altitude below 1,000 feet msl and circle counterclockwise, keeping a sharp lookout for other traffic doing the same thing and commercial helicopter tours that operate at 500 feet.
This feature first appeared in the January Issue 966 of the FLYING print edition.