Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon.

The basic American Champion Citabria excels at making introductions. Whether pilots are seeking tailwheel endorsements, practicing short-field technique, or learning about backcountry flying, Citabrias have always been a good place to start in part because of their wide range of equipment and performance.

Pilots who want to get serious about aerobatics are likely to gravitate toward the Super Decathlon, which serves as a versatile stepping stone between basic flight training and the possible acquisition of a dedicated aerobatic aircraft such as an Extra or a Pitts.

A Super Decathlon can be a good mount for any pilot who wants a more traditional, tactile flying experience. Without the digital instrumentation, navigation and automation that are increasingly common in today’s GA aircraft, this Decathlon demands constant engagement. You will spend most of your time aloft looking outside, scanning your surroundings instead of monitoring screens. 

If you have been flying for a long time, an airplane like this can take you back to your earliest days of hand-flying.

This Super Decathlon has 2,258 hours on the airframe and 345 hours on its 180 hp engine. The aircraft is certified in the standard and aerobatic categories and is equipped with inverted fuel and oil systems. During 2015 the wing spare was inspected and revarished, and the wing was repainted. The fuselage was repainted in 2023, and the interior was refurbished in 2022. The panel is equipped with basic flight and engine instruments.

Pilots interested in pursuing aerobatics or just looking for a traditional taildragger with performance well above average should consider this 1977 American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon, which is available for $117,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: American Champion Unveils Xtreme Decathlon
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• FLYING Magazine: Over, Under, Sideways, Down: The Art and Science of Aerobatic Flight
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca 8KCAB Decathlon
• Plane & Pilot: American Champion Super Decathlon: Flight With Greg Koontz
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Decathlon and Citabria

The post This 1977 American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon Is an Entry-Level Aerobatic ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1965 American Champion 7ECA Citabria.

This particular version of the Citabria, the 100 hp 7ECA, is my favorite because it is such a gentle, forgiving machine, especially among taildraggers. My flying club has one in which I occasionally take recurrent training to keep my tailwheel endorsement in shape. Deep down, though, I think the best way to stay current in a tailwheel airplane is to fly it all the time.

When I fly the Citabria, I always wind up thinking about how things would go if I owned it. I imagine that my wife would be perfectly happy traveling to Deer Isle, Maine, or Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the rear seat, at less than half the cruising speed of our Commander 114B. We would have more time to savor the experience.

This aerobatic 1965 Citabria has 1,173 hours on the airframe and 837 hours on its 100 hp Continental O-200 engine since overhaul. Its McCauley ACM6948 propeller was dynamically balanced in 2021. The aircraft was re-covered with Poly Fiber and repainted in 2004, with a new interior installed the same year. It is equipped with 8.50 tires, Scott 3200 tailwheel, and quick-release aerobatic door.

The full gyro panel includes an accelerometer, Garmin GTR 225 with intercom, KT 76A Mode C transponder, and uAvionix Skybeacon ADS-B. The airplane also comes with a JPI 730 engine monitor that has not been installed.

Pilots craving the warm embrace between oleo strut landing gear and a grass strip, and the joy of flying low and slow, following terrain features instead of the magenta line, should consider this 1965 American Champion Citabria, which is available for $45,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Getting Reacquainted With Taildraggers Is Time Well Spent
• FLYING Magazine: Maintaining Your Aircraft: Steadfast and True
• Plane & Pilot: American Champion Citabria, Super Decathlon, Scout
• Plane & Pilot: Inside The 2019 Valdez Fly-In And STOL Contest
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Decathlon and Citabria

The post This 1965 American Champion 7ECA Citabria Is an Unhurried, Unflappable ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.