Aircraft Choice delemma

I have an interesting decision to make. I'm soliciting opinions and
your perspectives.

I have a nice Beech A36 Bonanza. It is a 1980 in good shape. 3000
hrs ttaf, 575 smoh, I am second owner, mostly origional style avionics
(KNS80, ARNAV GPS, Argus 5000, WX10, King coms, nav , and ADF. It is
a nice stack that I am quite comfortable with. I like a RNAV, since I
file RNAV direct and fly the GPS. Mo databases to buy to be legal
IFR. It seems that the King hardware is taking more and more to keep
it healthy. I usually make 2 trips to the avionics shop per year for
something. Com radios have been somewhat troublesome....Last month it
was the glideslope receiver. Fortunatly both were minor repairs this
time.

The plane is getting dated with respect to paint and interior. It is
OK, actually looks pretty good, but still there are nicks, chips, 1
minor dent (a small bird), and some staining. A solid 5/10. Interior
is good too but the fabric is 1980 style and the leather interiors
look, smell and feel sooo nice...

If I were to invest 25K in paint and interior, 30K in avionics it
would be as nice as a new Bonanza, call it 50K for round numbers.

I can comfortably handle the maintenance, annuals, and operating costs
of the A36. The plane suits my missions perfectly which are often
2-5 hr XC trips with usually 2 on board + some cargo. I fly mostly
for personal transportation and 20-30% business related travel. I can
usually adjust my schedule to avoid rough weather (ice, squal lines,
and heavy storms) and deal with the rest.

I can get into a same vintage Barron (58) for my plane and 50K. The
one I found has 2 430's, fresh boots, 300 hr engines (550's) but
highter time ~4800 ttaf, fresh paint and interior.

There is a lot of hardware on a barron that takes care and feeding. I
think that I can handle the operating costs, but worried that the
maintenance could overwhelm me. I do a lot of it myself, even the
annuals with proper supervision and signoffs. Still, there is a lot
more to a twin.

I have not checked into insurance yet. If the hull values were close,
would there still be a significant premium for the twin? I do have my
ME and get re-trained every year, but my twin time is less than 50
hrs. Almost 1100 flight hrs on me.

Comments gentlemen?

Bob

What advantages would the Baron offer that are important to you? Radar?
Known Ice? Redundancy? Would you just rather have a twin? How much is this
worth to you? Would you still make all the flights that you make now or
would you forego some because of the cost?

Mike
MU-2


"Bonza" wrote in message
m...
I have an interesting decision to make. I'm soliciting opinions and
your perspectives.

I have a nice Beech A36 Bonanza. It is a 1980 in good shape. 3000
hrs ttaf, 575 smoh, I am second owner, mostly origional style avionics
(KNS80, ARNAV GPS, Argus 5000, WX10, King coms, nav , and ADF. It is
a nice stack that I am quite comfortable with. I like a RNAV, since I
file RNAV direct and fly the GPS. Mo databases to buy to be legal
IFR. It seems that the King hardware is taking more and more to keep
it healthy. I usually make 2 trips to the avionics shop per year for
something. Com radios have been somewhat troublesome....Last month it
was the glideslope receiver. Fortunatly both were minor repairs this
time.

The plane is getting dated with respect to paint and interior. It is
OK, actually looks pretty good, but still there are nicks, chips, 1
minor dent (a small bird), and some staining. A solid 5/10. Interior
is good too but the fabric is 1980 style and the leather interiors
look, smell and feel sooo nice...

If I were to invest 25K in paint and interior, 30K in avionics it
would be as nice as a new Bonanza, call it 50K for round numbers.

I can comfortably handle the maintenance, annuals, and operating costs
of the A36. The plane suits my missions perfectly which are often
2-5 hr XC trips with usually 2 on board + some cargo. I fly mostly
for personal transportation and 20-30% business related travel. I can
usually adjust my schedule to avoid rough weather (ice, squal lines,
and heavy storms) and deal with the rest.

I can get into a same vintage Barron (58) for my plane and 50K. The
one I found has 2 430's, fresh boots, 300 hr engines (550's) but
highter time ~4800 ttaf, fresh paint and interior.

There is a lot of hardware on a barron that takes care and feeding. I
think that I can handle the operating costs, but worried that the
maintenance could overwhelm me. I do a lot of it myself, even the
annuals with proper supervision and signoffs. Still, there is a lot
more to a twin.

I have not checked into insurance yet. If the hull values were close,
would there still be a significant premium for the twin? I do have my
ME and get re-trained every year, but my twin time is less than 50
hrs. Almost 1100 flight hrs on me.

Comments gentlemen?

Bob

"Mike Rapoport" wrote:
What advantages would the Baron offer that are important to you?
Radar? Known Ice? Redundancy? Would you just rather have a
twin? How much is this worth to you? Would you still make all
the flights that you make now or would you forego some because
of the cost?

Great questions. Pretty much what I got from the group when I asked if I
needed a bigger, faster airplane. It revealed that what I really wanted
was some added coolness, which was not worth the money to me.*

To make a quantum jump in capability over what the OP already has will
take a quantum jump in money and committment.

*...but I STILL want a Bonanza.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

Dan, Mike
Let me share my thoughts as of this moment. You guys have me thinking
though...

What advantages would the Baron offer that are important to you?
Radar?

Yes, but I do fairy well with a stormscope, ATC, and a good eye
outside.

Known Ice

I have had to deal with ice living in the midwest. Now the decision
is usually delaying or canceling the trip. Having the capability
would probably not change that a great deal.

Redundancy?

That is probably the most assuring factor. Nice to have both of those
fans spinning on a dark and stormy night, or over water. Seems like I
always get vectored out over Lake Erie going into the Cleveland area.

Would you just rather have a twin? How much is this worth to you?

I would like to have a better handle on how much more it will be to
maintain all of the additional hardware.

Would you still make all the flights that you make now or would you
forego some because of the cost?

A great question. I would think that I would fly 25% less due to the
added fuel cost. This is a SWAG at this time.


Great questions. Pretty much what I got from the group when I asked if I
needed a bigger, faster airplane. It revealed that what I really wanted
was some added coolness, which was not worth the money to me.*

To make a quantum jump in capability over what the OP already has will
take a quantum jump in money and committment.

That is precisely where I am focusing my research on. I'll be making
more calls to owner operators in the MBS group I belong to. I should
be able to learn something from them




*...but I STILL want a Bonanza.

They are great planes. I transitioned to it from an Arrow. I had to
learn to stay further ahead of the plane. When I got the timing down,
things fell into place.

Thanks,

Bob

In the end only you will be able to weigh and quantify the advantages and
disadvantages. The Baron will probably cost 2-3x what the Bonanza costs per
hour. The Baron basically has two of everything that the Bonanza has one of
and has some stuff that the Bo doesn't have. There is a lot to be said for
an airplane that you are comfortable in and is cheap enough to fly that you
don't think about the cost too much even if you are only flying to look out
the window.

Mike
MU-2


"Bonza" wrote in message
om...
Dan, Mike
Let me share my thoughts as of this moment. You guys have me thinking
though...

What advantages would the Baron offer that are important to you?
Radar?

Yes, but I do fairy well with a stormscope, ATC, and a good eye
outside.

Known Ice

I have had to deal with ice living in the midwest. Now the decision
is usually delaying or canceling the trip. Having the capability
would probably not change that a great deal.

Redundancy?

That is probably the most assuring factor. Nice to have both of those
fans spinning on a dark and stormy night, or over water. Seems like I
always get vectored out over Lake Erie going into the Cleveland area.

Would you just rather have a twin? How much is this worth to you?

I would like to have a better handle on how much more it will be to
maintain all of the additional hardware.

Would you still make all the flights that you make now or would you
forego some because of the cost?

A great question. I would think that I would fly 25% less due to the
added fuel cost. This is a SWAG at this time.


Great questions. Pretty much what I got from the group when I asked if I
needed a bigger, faster airplane. It revealed that what I really wanted
was some added coolness, which was not worth the money to me.*

To make a quantum jump in capability over what the OP already has will
take a quantum jump in money and committment.

That is precisely where I am focusing my research on. I'll be making
more calls to owner operators in the MBS group I belong to. I should
be able to learn something from them




*...but I STILL want a Bonanza.

They are great planes. I transitioned to it from an Arrow. I had to
learn to stay further ahead of the plane. When I got the timing down,
things fell into place.

Thanks,

Bob