Anyone ever own a cabin-class twin?

[Gulfstreamlover]

Depends what kind. A 421 or AC560 have a low TBO time (geared engines) and the 421 is just an expensive airplane over all. How much do you want to spend on the initial purchase? 421's can go for $500,000, while Navajo's can go for as low as 80,000. All depends on what you want.

 

[HueyPilot]

More...

Let's just say that after the military, I plan on trying to get my foot in the door with a major airline. In the meantime I'm going to try ownership with a single (PA28 or something similar). I'd be willing to go into a partnership to make it affordable.

I have no idea how much income I'd have, but as of now, retirement shouldn't be a problem (mil retirement, civilian retirement, IRAs, other investments), and I'm not real big into other toys like boats and fast cars.

I have an uncle at UPS who keeps telling me he'd be willing to help get me on when I get out of the military and when they start hiring again, but as you know that's just an "IF".

I plan on doing alot of travel on my own in the future...I have a wife and two boys, we like to go places. I fly Learjets now...wish I could have something like that, but obviously that's a bit out of my league. But I would like to dream of having a cabin-class airplane with two motors, de-ice and wx radar capability...a big plus for me.

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

I've got some friend in the military who were faced with the same problem you have. Specifically, they've been flying helicopters for a long time, but didn't have any airplane time.

Two of them went partners on an older 310, got thier commercial, multi, instrument ratings in it, and fly it to build time/travel with the family. They do as much of the maintenance as they can themselves, and they got it pretty cheap (but paid a lot more to get the plane up to snuff), but they manage.

Personally, If I were going to buy an airplane for building time for airlines and whatnot (if I didn't already have a "competitive" amount of multi time), I'd get a light twin. Twin Commanche would be at the top of that list, followed perhaps by a Duchess, Travel Air, then Aztecs, etc... I just don't think I could justify paying money to go so slow as an Apache does, or a Seneca I for that matter.

But if you've got enough multi time for what you want (for me it would probalby be regionals, but that's a bit button down for some of us), a single would be a less expensive way to own an airplane.

I've figured out that I could own a light twin if I made 24K a year (and that's myself, no partners), but I am the chepasest living guy on the face of the planet. I highly doubt that there exists an equal when it comes to my thriftiess

Dan

 

[jettypeguy]

Re: More...

I have an uncle at UPS who keeps telling me he'd be willing to help get me on when I get out of the military and when they start hiring again, but as you know that's just an "IF".

Hate to be the one to bust your bubble but if your uncle is a UPS employee at any capacity/position you are disqualified from being hired as a pilot due to the Nepotism policy in place at UPS. I know this for fact as my uncle works there and I've gone as far as talking to hiring department about this. It sucks I know.

 

[Gulfstreamlover]

Don't get your hopes up about UPS, my nieghbor has been in the hiring pool with 'em sence 9-5-01. Jettypeguy, can't he get on after his uncle retires.

 

[HueyPilot]

UPS

Considering he's 54...he'll probably be retired by then. I didn't know about the nepotism policy...for that matter, I don't know if HE knows about it either since he's mentioned the possibility of me working there...that sucks. So only one UPS pilot per family? That's insane.

 

[HueyPilot]

More on UPS

I did a little digging about UPS....my uncle's blood-related first cousin can get a job at UPS, but even though he's not blood-related to me, I can't get a job there. Sucks.

 

[BrokeAssPilot]

"Uncle?, What uncle I don't know this guy!"

 

[sky37d]

Re: More...

I plan on doing alot of travel on my own in the future...I have a wife and two boys, we like to go places. I fly Learjets now...wish I could have something like that, but obviously that's a bit out of my league. But I would like to dream of having a cabin-class airplane with two motors, de-ice and wx radar capability...a big plus for me.

My skymaster has all that, and including the new engine, we paid $60K when we bought it. Radar on 337's is rare, but having flown with radar and boots, I would never fly without them. We have 1500# useful load, old avionics.