(Very) small company's first SE airplane ... which one?

[bell47]

You might want to check out the grumman tiger. It doesn't have the useful load of some 182s, but it's just as fast, if not a hair faster, on a lot less fuel. It's a lot more fun to fly too. You can get a nice early 90s one for about 100K, maybe a little less. Maintence and insurance is cheap too with fixed gear, fixed prop, and a 4 cly engine.

Watch out for the new 182s, the useful loads are not what they were in the 70s and 80s. Our old 70s 182 had a 1500+lb useful load, the new 182 had a 1150 pound useful load. I was shocked when my old flight school got some of the first new 182s. If you go with one of the new 182s try to find one with the 2 bladed prop. The 3 bladed prop adds 50 pounds of weight and adds zero performance according to the POH.

Scott

Avoid the Tiger...they were made during that time period in my hometown, I've been through the plant many times. Stick with a 182,206, Cherokee 6-300, or maybe a saratoga. I would say stay with a fixed gear non turbo, for cost reasons.

 

[dhc8fo]

Flying for a living would be nice, but part-time flying in a Skylane or a Bonanza for my present full-time job would make me the happiest man on earth. Not many people will ever know the kind of job satisfaction I've known over the past few years. And us getting our own air transportation would just be icing on the cake. I ain't going nowhere ... plane or no plane. imp:

Just don't forget that statement as you gain your experience and you will be the envy of all of your professional pilot friends. Not too many people in aviation are lucky enough to find that perfect combination! Good luck to you in your search.

 

[Headwind]

If it were me, I would go with the V-35 Bonanza. You get honest 165 + @15 GPH at 7 to 9 thousand. Very comfortable for three and baggage. Most are well equipped and well maintained. Some have freon air condition.
My second choice would be a Cessna 182 RG. The RG has the 0-540 engine with 235 HP and the TBO is much longer than the 0-470 on the fixwd gear 182's. They do 150 on about 14 GPH, have plenty of room, and it's easy to get in and out with two doors. Don't buy one with Cessna radios or autopilot.
I have operated both. If you want a single to fly at 7 to 9 thousand feet with no ice protection either will do a good job. I would suggest a back up alternator and vacuum pump. Later if you need to fly in known ice or up in the flight levels, then look turbine.

HEADWIND

 

[knewhigher]

I flew for a small company in a 1979 182RG on those exact type missions you mentioned in the NC area. It was a fantastic plane for those missons, great useful load, 5 hour endurance, and does a respectable 150kts. It was pretty roomy and can easily haul 4 people with bags a pretty good distance.

 

[sky37d]

My plane used to be owned by a group of companies. It has de-ice, radar, basic stack. It now has 7K hours, my last annual was 3K. I cruise at 155Kts, I burn 22 GPH, and I go lots of places. It has six seats and a cargo pod, and including the cost of the new engine, it was 60K. It's a twin, a C337, looks a little odd, has high wing so people can look out, I can get in and out of REALLY short stips, and I don't have near the gear problems that 310's have.
Just a thought.
http://www.controller.com/listings/forsale/detail.asp?OHID=1105190&guid=0C49DF3C987A49FFA3070788ED17E98E

 

[desert pilot]

A `91 trinidad tb-20 in almost perfect shape was sold recently in Arizona for 150,000$,good plane-not much working space.

 

[Lead Sled]

The big issue with the V-tail is the CG envelope - the model 33 (straight tail) would probably be the better choice. The boss is really going to have problems understanding why he can't put four people in his 4-seat airplane and fill up the gas tanks and fly some where; after all, he does it every day in his car.

'Sled