Hows the Falcon 20?

[imisscorplife]

Just curious if any of you have made the jump from the airlines to corporate? Also, any info on the 20 would be great, good airplane? etc etc etc? Thanks a bunch!

 

[Spooky 2]

Just curious if any of you have made the jump from the airlines to corporate? Also, any info on the 20 would be great, good airplane? etc etc etc? Thanks a bunch!

Right up front, I don't have so much as a minute in a F20. From what hear it's a fine airplane to fly but unless you have one of the re-engined Garrett models, it's probably a little long in the tooth. Economics are probably fairly poor from both a purely maintenance point of view as well as the fuel. Other than that, I remain clueless. Good luck!

 

[pilotyip]

For an owner who not fly that much more than 100-200 hours per year the DA-20 with the GE-CF-700 is a good deal. Yes it costs more to operate per hour than the 731 bird, but a nice one can be purchased in the $1M range, roomy, good load capability, and easy to fly.

 

[Captain Morgan]

I have only about 5 hours in the bird with the Garretts and it flies pretty nice. I thought it was comparable to the ERJ in handling. The speeds are slower from what I remember. I liked it and I think you will too.

 

[ultrarunner]

The retrofitted 20's are good birds. However, if I were asked to look for one, I would ONLY consider VERY late model F's that had been converted to the 5-BR motors as well as an EFIS/FMS upgraded panel.

Keep in mind that the last 20's built are 30 years old. Somewhere in the very late 300 serial numbers, there was a change in the skin bonding procedure. Don't look at ones without this change.

Most of the very late F's also had upgraded fuel/hydraulic and electrical systems. The F's also carried more fuel, had a newer wing, etc.

There are a couple of late model F's that have had the Proline 21 upgrade. This is a great option.

But as I said before, even a late-model F will still have issues associated with being 30 years old. Many of those issues are mitigated by the upgrades mentioned, but it is still and old bird. But if bought right, could be a great value, and the bird will go 2000 nm no sweat!

 

[Buckeye]

Awesome Aircraft.

 

[stupidpilot]

Love the Falcon. Built like a tank, easy to fly, and if you pound one on then you're an idiot! Those trailing link landing gear make anyone look like Chuck Yeager!

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Flown the 50, 900B, and 900EX. Did not know the 20 had trailing link gear. Wonder why they went back.

 

[imisscorplife]

Thanks for all the info so far!! I should hear something after this weekend and will go check it out hopefully. Im hoping it has upgraded avionics, lol, Ive been flying glass for too long. Spoiled!

 

[Slyny]

The 20 is a great airplane--I agree built like a tank. The one I fly is an early serial number with the 731 upgrade. It works well for our operation, with most legs being 2hrs or less and 1-6 passengers. We don't have Proline, but have a Universal FMS that works well. I think Mx costs are above average, and fuel efficiency is below average. Performance is good. Usually cruising at .82. Reliability has been great. We're casually looking for another jet and I hope it's a Falcon.

 

[stupidpilot]

Flown the 50, 900B, and 900EX. Did not know the 20 had trailing link gear. Wonder why they went back.

Don't know for sure but I had heard that it wasn't needed. Falcon's are so easy to land, the extra weight and complexity of trailing link landing gear was overkill.

 

[Gearmonkey]

I fly both CF-700 and 731 powered 20's, I think they both have their advantages as long as I am not paying for gas. The fly great and land even better and it's got that big airplane feel. Sometimes I feel like I am flying around a museum, but having no glass doesn't bother me, real men fly steam.

 

[PUNISHER]

I fly both CF-700 and 731 powered 20's, I think they both have their advantages as long as I am not paying for gas. The fly great and land even better and it's got that big airplane feel. Sometimes I feel like I am flying around a museum, but having no glass doesn't bother me, real men fly steam.

What are you talking about? There's glass in those planes, it covers the dials. We also have the Garmin FMS which are awesome! Our Falcons are way to automated already, I couldn't even begin to think how it would be with the Proline. Sure am glad we don't have that.:laugh:

On a serious note if your going to operate a falcon the only way to go is the -5 conversion. I wouldn't bother with the CF700. You will burn around 60-70% more fuel and have about half the range compared to the -5.

 

[landlover]

amazing aircraft, handles like a dream! i recently retired serial number 5, was the lowest serial falcon still flying in the world. she was a young 43 years old and she still kicked azz!

 

[Metro752]

someday when I am a Billionaire, I will have a Falcon 20 to fly around for fun.

 

[Gearmonkey]

amazing aircraft, handles like a dream! i recently retired serial number 5, was the lowest serial falcon still flying in the world. she was a young 43 years old and she still kicked azz!

Damn! We have had serial #3 stuffed in a hanger in OSC for the last 5 years. Juan Trippe and Charles Lindbergh flew it on it's maiden voyage apparently, the plaque has been long since removed though. She'll never fly again but still cool. How many hours did #5 have?

 

[Floyd94]

I fly both CF-700 and 731 powered 20's, I think they both have their advantages as long as I am not paying for gas. The fly great and land even better and it's got that big airplane feel. Sometimes I feel like I am flying around a museum, but having no glass doesn't bother me, real men fly steam.

Ours has the 731, and has Pro-line 4 package with dual universal FMS's(all glass). Serial number 386, the last 20 ever made back in '86. Was only made to fly the dessault execs around back in the day. Great airplane that is indeed built like a tank, and handles like a sports car.

 

[2EASYPilot]

Ours has the 731, and has Pro-line 4 package with dual universal FMS's(all glass). Serial number 386, the last 20 ever made back in '86. Was only made to fly the dessault execs around back in the day. Great airplane that is indeed built like a tank, and handles like a sports car.

Might want to check your notes...we had an "F" model serial number 391, manufatured around 1979 or so.

 

[Floyd94]

Might want to check your notes...we had an "F" model serial number 391, manufatured around 1979 or so.

I could be off with the serial number/date, but thats what the chief tells me(of course he has been known to confuse it with some of the 50's in the fleet)...

by the way it will be up for sale if anyone is interested.

 

[Gearmonkey]

Ours has the 731, and has Pro-line 4 package with dual universal FMS's(all glass). Serial number 386, the last 20 ever made back in '86. Was only made to fly the dessault execs around back in the day. Great airplane that is indeed built like a tank, and handles like a sports car.

Our "glass" 20-5 is serial 24 and supposedly flew the Beatles around. Yep, she's that old.

 

[stupidpilot]

Our "glass" 20-5 is serial 24 and supposedly flew the Beatles around. Yep, she's that old.

Was she painted yellow?

 

[Gearmonkey]

Was she painted yellow?

lol no, it did have a gold stripe when we got it though, it kinda looked yellow. It also has a little skylight in the lav, is that normal on pax falcons?

 

[stupidpilot]

No clue.

 

[cherry20's]

Our "glass" 20-5 is serial 24 and supposedly flew the Beatles around. Yep, she's that old.

We got Elvis Presleys old 20, N216CA.

Also think we have serial #7, N207CA, I'll have to check on it though.

 

[cherry20's]

I lied, 207 is like 130 serial #

216 is serial #11, thats the oldest one we got. It was flying great until they pulled the motors off of it a year ago. The only other real old one we have is #17, 234CA. It still flys great.

 

[TXDA2000]

I could be off with the serial number/date, but thats what the chief tells me(of course he has been known to confuse it with some of the 50's in the fleet)...

by the way it will be up for sale if anyone is interested.

You have 486. We had 471 out of the same batch of about 15 that were the last delivered.

Fantastic aircraft.

 

[sleepy]

I consider the DA-50EX's I fly old, so a 20 is really old.

 

[Gearmonkey]

I lied, 207 is like 130 serial #

216 is serial #11, thats the oldest one we got. It was flying great until they pulled the motors off of it a year ago. The only other real old one we have is #17, 234CA. It still flys great.

More than you can say about an old Learjet. We have 25 #5. She's not too bad but every Lear flies different from the other, especially the high time ones up around the 20k mark. As far as the Falcon goes, some may be a little more twisted than others, but once you trim them up, they all fly the same.

 

[JJET44]

What would be a good replacment for the 20? We're tossin around the idea of a Sovereign.

 

[sleepy]

What would be a good replacment for the 20? We're tossin around the idea of a Sovereign.

We had a Sovereign that we got from a company we bought. We sold it, but it was not a bad aircraft. I got maybe 60 hour in it before it was gone. It's slow though (VMO is Mach .80), so you will miss the speed of Falcon.