To Glass or Not To Glass...

wrote:
I want a cross country plane that can carry 2 people
and baggage/camping gear, and sometimes 4 people with light baggage.

As a computer geek I'm very enamoured with the new glass cockpits,
and I'm in the process of getting checkout in a new G1000 182.

I'm currently thinking about a 1 or 2 year old G1000 182 or G1000 DA40.

Any comments from people that have lived with the new glass for awhile?
I've been doing a lot of resarch on the web and keep seeing comments
about reliability, software glitches etc....
See:http://www.da40g1000.com/

For the price of flying new Glass, one could buy an older airframe, add
new engine, prop, avionics, interior and paint and have $100K left over.

I'm also fighting the twin/single dilema, I'm not sure I fly enough
(50 to 100hrs a year) to be really current in a twin, but
One of my standard flights is to go up the coast from San Diego
CRQ-AVX-SBA avoiding LA class B and traffic.

This is 100 miles over water and doing this in a single allways makes me feel queasy.

As a result I've also thought about getting a older barron, or 310 and
putting in new engines, props and avionics, still probably cheaper than a
new "Glass" bird. The only downside is that sightseeing low and slow along the
coast is not as much fun at 150K as it is at 75K
I'm only a little conflicted on requirements, If I had infinite $ I'd own two
planes.... a breezy and a light jet ;-


Any thoughts from the peanut gallery....


Mr Peanut weighing in he

At 50-100 hours/year you'd be better off renting. If you're getting a
G1000 checkout in a Skylane already to rent that's probably your best
option. New 182s list at $326K, '05s are 275K+. '04 was the first year
for the G1000 182 IIRC, and they're still up over 250K. Yes, an older
airframe can be made better than new with engine, paint, interior &
avionics but the investment may not be recouped when you go to sell the
plane. The used piston single market is kinda flat right now
(something to do with $4.50+ avgas?) which works in your favor when
you're the buyer but of course will work against you if you're selling.

The coastal flight you mentioned by San Diego shouldn't be an issue in
a single assuming you're at the appropriate altitude to reach land in a
power-off glide. That alone wouldn't justify a twin IMHO. If you've
priced out older hi-perf twins like the Baron and C-310 you'd know
they'd eat you alive in maintenance & operating costs not to mention
insuring one. Overhauling engines & props on an older Baron (like a
BE-55 for example) plus an avionics upgrade would cost as much, if not
*more* than a new glass 182. I know a local guy that went that route,
and the total investment when he was done would have bought a new 182.
And he didn't even touch the panel. Yikes.