Jay Honeck wrote:
I wish it weren't true, but you know Beech has outlived its usefulness
when my response to this sale is a lackadaisical yawn.

They have come up with precisely zero new ideas since the StarShip,
over 20 years ago, and -- their contributions to aviation history
notwithstanding -- if Beech went out of business tomorrow, it would
mean...nothing.

IMO, Beech has been irrelevant to aviation for at least ten years --
almost as long as I've been a pilot.

I normally agree with you Jay, but this is probably the most
shortsighted thing I've ever heard you say in this forum.

I flew a 20 year old A36 recently and all I can say is the only thing
wrong with that airplane was the lack of glass (which they've solved in
the G36), a tendency to dutch roll in turbulence (easily correctable by
the use of a yaw damper) and the price for new copies. If I had the
coin, I'd buy a G36 or Baron over the new plastic airplanes, and a King
Air over a VLJ any day -- even if it cost me more to buy and to operate
on a long-term basis. They're that good.

As an instructor, I get to fly a lot of different airplanes and talk to
a lot of owners. I'm convinced that the only people who hate Beech
airplanes are those who haven't flown them.

-Doug

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Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
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