I am currently training for my CFI. Yesterday I got to do some spin training in a Diamond DA-20. What a hoot! I really fell in love with the airplane. I like the center stick. I like the control feel of the push rod system. No slop like you find in most trainer airplanes. The visibility is awesome. It was hot in Kentucky yesterday. The heat inside the cabin was noticeable at low altitude but fine once we got some altitude. I like the thoughts of cruising at 125 knots on about 7.5 gph. It is limited to VFR operations. I think this would be a fun airplane for hamburger runs and sightseeing. Any thoughts from members? I was also curious about insurance requirements if I wanted to instruct in it in the future. Would this be feasible for someone just doing minimal instruction since I stay pretty busy with work and the family? The flight school said they gave $55k for the one I flew yesterday. If the hobbs time was correct it just had 1700 hours. There are not a whole lot of them for sale on controller and the few that are listed for much more than that. Is it reasonable to think that I could purchase one in the $60k range?

Jimmy Elza

good cheap fun, if you have room for one- i don't see how you can lose

I was checked out in a DA20 some years ago. Absolutely a fun plane to fly, love the center stick. Visibility is great, but that comes at the cost of heat in the summer. It would be nice if the canopy hinged from the front, that would be allow the canopy to be slightly open while taxiing. You should be able to find a nice example in the $60k price range. Insurance will be comparable to a C150 of the same value.
Kevin

I'm guessing from the speed and fuel burn it was a C-1. I used to have 4) A-1s in the flight school. In the beginning they were awesome, the Rotax engines were inexpensive to own and operate. By the mid 2000s, it became painfully obvious that Rotax was not interested in being in the certified engine business, overhaul/replacement costs were getting ridiculous. So, I got rid of the airplanes.

Airframe wise, they were very good. Brakes were marginal, rudder cables seemed to wear out a lot.

We did have a C-1 for a while, but in our school the 172 is the best profit center. The C-1 just didn't produce the margins that a 172 does.

If you want a thrill, tighten your seat belt, and do a full power on stall. The tail stalls first, and the nose drops past vertical, then recovers nicely. It will get your attention, if you don't expect it.

Hi Jimmy-
If you were to instruct in the DA20 - generally speaking insurance underwriting carriers want to see about 5 hrs of prior experience in type or some form of a 'checkout' before they will approve you to provide instruction. That said if you are doing spin training in the DA20 and secure your CFI - you should be able to move right into instructing in the aircraft.
If you are giving instruction via a flight school/FBO the question however is better posed to their insurer/broker as not every flight school policy is identical in this regard.

Hi Jimmy-
If you were to instruct in the DA20 - generally speaking insurance underwriting carriers want to see about 5 hrs of prior experience in type or some form of a 'checkout' before they will approve you to provide instruction. That said if you are doing spin training in the DA20 and secure your CFI - you should be able to move right into instructing in the aircraft.
If you are giving instruction via a flight school/FBO the question however is better posed to their insurer/broker as not every flight school policy is identical in this regard.

Jimmy-
Yes it will increase likely 2 to 3X generally speaking. However there are some insurers that will allow dual instruction to named pilots (with a max number of pilots you can list). This keeps the policy class out of a true commercial risk. However if the aircraft is on a flight school insurance policy for anyone off the street instruction and rental (obviously it needs to be solo'd so hence the 'rental') - then the insurance will run 2 to 3 times what a pleasure and business policy would run.

Really? How can the tail stall first? With full up elevator the tail's going to have a negative angle of attack. And if it did stall, wouldn't that cause the tail to drop more? I gotta think that something else is happening, like the tail getting totally blocked out by the wing maybe?

I flew one once and loved the little plane. Very easy to fly and decent performance. I would not get into the flight instructing business and supply the airplane. Too much risk for little reward.

Really? How can the tail stall first? With full up elevator the tail's going to have a negative angle of attack. And if it did stall, wouldn't that cause the tail to drop more? I gotta think that something else is happening, like the tail getting totally blocked out by the wing maybe?

Keep in mind that if you're providing instruction for hire in an airplane you provide, you must do 100hr inspections. That's about the only "extra" FAA-rule involved. See 14 CFR 91.409(b) ("no person may give flight instruction for hire in an aircraft which that person provides, unless within the preceding 100 hours of time in service the aircraft has received an annual or 100-hour inspection...").