RJ,

Tell us more about the mission and the pilot. Is this a 12 months requirement? Work or pleasure? Is it a big deal to cancel or reschedule? How old are you? Are you a writer, artist, or mechanical engineer, or tech savvy person? Are the passengers family or work associates? How long have you been working on your PP? How do you rate yourself on knowledge of meteorology? Once you’ve spent the capital on the purchase, can your wallet or line of credit handle it if the engine takes a dump and needs a major OH? Do you have an experienced friend that could call prior to dispatch and ask for a second opinion on weather?

RJ,

Tell us more about the mission and the pilot. Is this a 12 months requirement? Work or pleasure? Is it a big deal to cancel or reschedule? How old are you? Are you a writer, artist, or mechanical engineer, or tech savvy person? Are the passengers family or work associates? How long have you been working on your PP? How do you rate yourself on knowledge of meteorology? Once you’ve spent the capital on the purchase, can your wallet or line of credit handle it if the engine takes a dump and needs a major OH? Do you have an experienced friend that could call prior to dispatch and ask for a second opinion on weather?

285/300hp normally aspirated should be fine for 2 people/300nm over some mountains

Bonanza with 50 gallons and 2 people climbs nicely

Due to the age of Bonanzas you will find all sorts of IFR setups. I would pay a lot of attention to the Autopilot. Single pilot IFR (actually flying IMC) the AP can help you stay ahead of the airplane. Rate based/Attitude based/Analog/Digital...all have their pros and cons. Changing APs could be a $10k-$40k cost.

There are horror stories of spiraling costs to troubleshoot APs, so I wouldn't be satisfied reading it off a spec sheet.

The older the AP, the more costly it will be to integrate to other avionics. Read thru
https://www.avweb.com/ownership/retrofi ... precision/
gives you a primer on many APs you will see in planes.

All the planes listed would work for your mission. Sitting up front on the left flying solo I prefer the Bonanza, if sitting as a passenger I prefer the SR22. I am tall, and the DA42 never really felt comfortable to me, but test it out..you might like it.

Due to the age of Bonanzas you will find all sorts of IFR setups. I would pay a lot of attention to the Autopilot. Single pilot IFR (actually flying IMC) the AP can help you stay ahead of the airplane. Rate based/Attitude based/Analog/Digital...all have their pros and cons. Changing APs could be a $10k-$40k cost.

There are horror stories of spiraling costs to troubleshoot APs, so I wouldn't be satisfied reading it off a spec sheet.

The older the AP, the more costly it will be to integrate to other avionics. Read thru
https://www.avweb.com/ownership/retrofi ... precision/
gives you a primer on many APs you will see in planes.

All the planes listed would work for your mission. Sitting up front on the left flying solo I prefer the Bonanza, if sitting as a passenger I prefer the SR22. I am tall, and the DA42 never really felt comfortable to me, but test it out..you might like it.

Any opinion on the 35 vs 33?

Any opinion on the 35 vs 33?

Cessna T210N would fit your mission and then some easily.

Get insurance quotes before settling on any plane. Lots of reports that the rates on a Cessna 210 are very high.

Thanks Eric - yes that is a mandatory box on my checklist. For example my first conversation with and insurance company rep opened my eyes on what a huge difference make and model have. I asked about a Cirrus SR22, and a Diamond DA40 and was told without question the Cirrus would be almost double the premium as the DA40. I have to done a comparison for a F33A so that will be an interesting conversation for perspective.

I'm partial to a low wing which makes the 210 less attractive to me...personal choice.