The Right Answer Really Is a Bo

NealRomeoGolf said:
I hate the yoke styles on the old Bos. Stupid thing to fixate on but that’s just me. I have to get past 1984 to get the individual yokes.
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Have you flown with the throw-over yoke ?
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
You have to load up and over, no? A lot harder to load 50 lb dogs into crates that way.
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If dogs are your main mission, forget a Mooney or a Bo, you want a 206, 210 or the like, with a big square-ish cabin and giant doors to load all the crates.

If dogs aren't your main mission - IE, you're just taking your own dog with you on trips - you'll quickly appreciate how the Mooney's baggage door lets you easily fill up the entire baggage compartment, which is almost impossible to do in singles with a "normal" side baggage door since they load from the bottom.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Nope. Any issues blocking gauges?
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Not unless you stick a big iPad onto the cross member.

It comes with fold down rudder pedals and your pax can stretch out without getting into the controls.

You should take a flight in one before you dismiss it. There is a steep price difference from 1982 to 1984 A36. If I bought a Bo for myself it would be a :
- late 70s early 80s A36 with throw over yoke
- upgrade to IO550
- VGs
- no tips, no turbo
 
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flyingcheesehead said:
If dogs are your main mission, forget a Mooney or a Bo, you want a 206, 210 or the like, with a big square-ish cabin and giant doors to load all the crates.

If dogs aren't your main mission - IE, you're just taking your own dog with you on trips - you'll quickly appreciate how the Mooney's baggage door lets you easily fill up the entire baggage compartment, which is almost impossible to do in singles with a "normal" side baggage door since they load from the bottom.
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The need for multiple dogs per trip isn’t large on the list. Although once I got 6 cats and a dog in my PA28. Thought that was pretty good. What about when I graduate to Angel flights? Easier to load people in back through the barn doors in the Bo.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
The need for multiple dogs per trip isn’t large on the list. Although once I got 6 cats and a dog in my PA28. Thought that was pretty good. What about when I graduate to Angel flights? Easier to load people in back through the barn doors in the Bo.
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There's definitely something to be said for the doors on an A36, Saratoga, or 210 when it comes to loading lots of people, especially if said people are old or have physical handicaps. I do sometimes wish I had something with doors like that and 6-place club seating in back.
 
bflynn said:
It's that stupid money thing again. I can afford to buy a Bo, but not to maintain one. I can afford to maintain a RV-9, but I can't afford to build one.

Sigh....
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Old school panel + ADS-B, O-320 and fixed pitch prop won't be crazy expensive to build or maintain.
 
kyleb said:
Old school panel + ADS-B, O-320 and fixed pitch prop won't be crazy expensive to build or maintain.
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We obviously have different definitions of expensive.

I can buy an older Bo for something in the 30k range but it is an older airplane and I know from experience older airplanes will require more maintenance because things wear out. I cannot do the work so that makes my estimation of the cost to be too high.

An RV-9 with an O-320 and steam gauges is going to run 70k, more if I juice the panel. A GTN 650+345 is a target and that probably adds another 15k.

Add in the fact that I am fighting an insane career environment and ownership just cannot be justified. 1099 contracting rates today on an inflation adjusted basis come out to less than the salary I got 20 years ago out of college. It is very likely that if I change jobs again, I will have to take another salary cut.
 
bflynn said:
I can buy an older Bo for something in the 30k range but it is an older airplane and I know from experience older airplanes will require more maintenance because things wear out. I cannot do the work so that makes my estimation of the cost to be too high.
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A guy I know once told me that acquisition is the least expensive part of airplane ownership.

When I hear stories of $5k+ Cherokee annuals, even the reasonable-looking 40-50k Bonanzas begin to look like the sucker hole of ownership. So then I consider something sensible like a Cherokee 180. But why buy something I can already rent? So then I consider a C140A. And then I see a nice Bonanza, and around we go...
 
George.....you're not doing it right. Get your mechanic to check it out....and annual it before you own it.
 
I'm not doing it at all... yet :)
 
Ownership can't be explained - it can only be experienced. There is a certain Doc that likes to post "you pays your money and you takes your chances" - and that pretty much sums it up. My only addition to that comment is that if you are going to be spending many anyway, then you might as well get something that makes you smile.

One thing is for sure: you WILL be writing some checks....
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Nope....not really. :D
img_1479-jpg.58879
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That gauge in the middle sure looks blocked. ;)
 
Another excellent Bonanza moment today. A guy I work with had to pick his kids up from the grandparents - they are in the Dallas area so he was going to drive 4 hours each way to meet them in the middle to pick up the kids (and all their Christmas stuff). I told him I'd be happy to take him up there to pick them up.

"I think there's too much stuff - the kids both got bicycles for Christmas"
- "we're fine, no problem"

"Plus they got other stuff and their clothes"
- "still no problem"

"Plus the dog, i forgot about the dog."
- "yep, we're still good"

So up we went. The grandparents had the "no way you can get this stuff in that little plane" look on their faces. We got it all in there with room to spare - 2 kids, 2 adults, 2 bicycles, two suitcases of clothes, 2 big bags of toys, 2 car seats and a french bulldog. Gotta love the Bo!!!
 
GRG55 said:
An A36 Bonanza is a lengthened fuselage, (allegedly) six-place, straight-tail variation of the original V-tail Bonanza built by Beechcraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Bonanza

What you are looking at is an aftermarket turbo-prop conversion that is not a Beechcraft product, but uses the A36 Beechcraft Bonanza airframe.
https://www.soloy.com/a36-bonanza.html
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Personally, I like the V35B models. 5 seats, great climb, great cruise, nice useful load and a 17000 CIG.
 
BrianNC said:
And they never changed them on the 35s or 33s. Only the 36 (and 58).
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Or get the dual retrofit. I'm training a guy in his V35B now. Sweet ride. How's it going Brian? Happy New Year!
 
SbestCFII said:
Or get the dual retrofit. I'm training a guy in his V35B now. Sweet ride. How's it going Brian? Happy New Year!
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Hey Scott! Happy New Year to you too! Everything is going pretty well. You booked up for the year yet? :)
 
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