Wade,

Are you making fun of Ben again??

Matt

Nooooo. What in the world would make you say such a thing???


"But what the hell do I know"

Greg, the V35 was my first choice but I will have 5 in the plane, 3 adults and 2 children. I don't know how comfortable the 5th seat would be in a 35. 1000 miles might get a bit uncomfortable even for an 8 y/o. What say you?

Hi Steven, and welcome to BT and your search. 3 adults and 2 children will become 3 adults and 2 larger children. I think you're looking for an A36. Just be sure you're really clear on what your typical mission would be. Sage advice is to buy for what your usual mission is, not what you'd like it to be.

I've never met him, but Neal has a stellar reputation as a broker around here and he should be very useful in your search. Many of us think 1979-1983 are a real sweet spot in the A36 line. For the desert, I think my top priorities would be TC/TN, A/C, most of the panel that you want, mid-time engine and good maintenance. I'd make clean paint and interior a lower priority. You can always "make it your own" later by updating those things. For your budget you should be able to find an excellent example of the breed with many, but not all of these things. Leave some $ in reserve for the inevitable first-year "gotchas." In the singles section of BT is a good summary of year-by-year changes to the model. Check out any BT "Mentors" who live near you by using the search function. I'm sure you can find someone near you who would be happy to take you for a trip around the dog patch. Most of us are very passionate about our "airplane mistresses." Ask a lot of questions in the open forum. Most BTers don't bite.

Hope this helps.

P.S. The A36 doesn't wiggle as much as the other poster implied.

Hi Stephen,
Welcome!
If you want to make those 1000 mile trips non-stop, you will need to add tip tanks to your wish list.

From my personal shopping experience 2 years ago and from observing others going though the experience, i recommend you make a 90/10 list of your typical missions.
Here is what I mean: what will 90% of your missions look like? I often see people shopping for the 100% plane. Those people often get frustrated in their search. The 100% plane doesn't exist, especially if there are financial constraints.

Be as realistic as you can be.

And do seek the wise counsel of someone like Neal. He will save you a lot of time and aggravation and also help you with filtering your desiderata list.

Lastly, paint and exterior should be the least of your worries. They are the easiest to address.

Good hunting and keep us posted!

Welcome to BT Steve, and good luck in your relocation to AZ (it's a dry heat!). You do know that once you've settled on your new aerospace vehicle, the BT gang is going to need pics

I am in the process of talking to Neil now. My purchase may be as far out front as 6 months so I am trying to educated now. A 90/10 list is a good idea. I consider myself one of the 100% shoppers. Will need to sit with the wife and explain to her the advice I am getting. When the purchase is made I promise pictures. One more thing, I have my wish list on the single engine forum. It has gotten some good responses.

Steve,

Wade is spot on with suggesting contacting Neal Schwartz. Not only an active captain with the majors, he knows these airplanes extremely well. He brokers airplanes (95% Beech from what I see) and is a treasure trove of knowledge. Neal helped me place my exquisite '84 A36 with Dan (another BT'r) and I now have a decent '91 A36. Mike Grommet has an important perspective regarding model years when he says earlier versions are lighter. Around here we say the 6 passenger A36 is a great 4 place airplane.

Regarding avionics, i upgraded both my A36's with the GTN 750 and the GDL 88. I did much more than that but those two items gave me the biggest bang for the buck. If the plane doesn't have a modern engine monitor, I would recommend the G3 ( even though my current ride has the JPI 830).

Now.....

Neil and I had a nice talk. He was very giving with his time and knowledge. I will use the resources here when the time to buy nears.