Hi BT'ers,

Only been on here a few hours. I am blown away at all the info & positive vibes on this forum. I can tell already this is a special place.

I am slowly looking for an A36 for the following mission:

-Florida/Bahamas/Caribbean
-negative night, hard IFR (not really an issue in this region), Ice, or Terrain
-family truck-ster for islands/keys/Orlando

Being an ex-pro driver, I have 3000+ hours total time & all my Certificates minus ATP. Over 1000 hours in PC12/JetProp DLX. I wish the Pilatus was in the budget, but not yet. I have only been on two flights in Beech recip airplanes and was very impressed with the quality compared to the competition.

I am a strong believer in the KISS method, so I want a clean airplane i.e. max useful load as possible & not a bunch of stuff that could break. I realize the pre-'84 airplanes are lighter, but I can't stomach the flight control situation (yoke & throttles).

Not yet understanding the difference performance wise of the A36 NA & TC. I don't think the TC is needed for me for my mission profile, but maybe there is something I am missing? I would love to get my hands on a POH of a 1990 or newer A36 NA or TC and read up in detail.

Look forward to any feedback or comments on my situation. Not sure what took me so long to come around to a Beech

Welcome John.

I'm sure you'll be able to do a little bartering for the info you desire. We've got a lot of PC-12 admirers here.

As for the swing-over yoke issue. I understand your concern. The conventional yokes do seem to look less cluttered. I think you'll find though, that flying the center yoke, like me and all of the v-tail brethren, is really a non issue.

You might also let us know where you reside, there's a good chance that there is a fellow BTer close that could take you up in their 36.


blue skies

Dino,

Thanks for your welcome. Glad to hear there are lot of PC12 admirers here, because she deserves it

I live in FLL. The owners of Windward Aviation @ LNA are old contacts of mine that know Bonanza well. They will be involved as I get closer to acquisition day. In the meantime I would love to meet and hear from local A36 owners.

John.
After flying planes with throttle quadrants, I thought I'd have a hard time with the verniers....... nope. Love em. very precise.

John,

Welcome to BT! You've got lots of great BT'ers in your neighborhood. I'm sure they'd be pleased to be a resource for you in your search. I suspect the yoke on older/shorter models would be no big deal to you in short order. I'd be happy to let you go fly with me next time we're in Florida.

Drew

MG,

Thanks for the feedback on your experience. Sounds like i need to sit & go flying in one of the old girls and try it out.

Drew,

Thanks for the offer to go flying next time your in FLA. Just send me a PM with the heads up


Reading thru the threads so far I am seeing conflicting opinions on maintenance costs & dispatch reliability for older vs. newer A36's. Logic would tell me that 1990s and newer would be less expensive to maintain, "if" they were properly maintained since new. I imagine DOC would be +/- 10% for the same (flown the same style of course)....comments please

I've logged 700 hours with throttle quadrants and 300 hours in my V35A. While I prefer the quadrants, the vernier push-pull isn't hard to get used to. Don't think twice about it.

The only reason to pick a 33 over a 35 is if known ice is or will be a requirement.

Currently there is what appears to be a stunning 76 a36 listed in a nearby post.....with bets on how long it will last given it's value proposition. I have an '84 ...though I absolutely love it, I have come around to appreciate the utility of the swing over on v tails. Look at BT posts here having to do with iPad placement as an example. The swing over guys have an advantage as they can mount clear of primary. I believe there was also an 84 and a 97 listed recently....obviously with different price points. The A 36 never ceases to amaze me. in my less than one year since purchase, I think it's the pinnacle of efficiency between fuel burn and speed.

There's a visual that goes with this..

There's a visual that goes with this..

There's a visual that goes with this..

The title of this thread reminds me of Ariel Tweeto when she says she's 18 and never been kissed.

There's a visual that goes with that, too.

I'm gonna take a SWAG that SWMBO doesn't get on your BT page any huh?

Deano,

ahhhhh....you got that right!!