Hello everyone! I dare to write here having founded your nice forum surfing net to get ideas about my plan to enter twin community. Briefly I'm 37, leave in Moscow, flying from 2008. Type I have started is Zlin-142 on famous Russian airbase "Kubinka" where Knights on Su-27 are based Then yak-18T on which I logged around 100 hrs. 2010 me and my plane partner entered National Rally team having participated in European Air Rally Champ in Castellon, Spain. 12 months ago we have bought nice 172 from Estonia and summer last year we have flown to World Air Rally Champ in Slovakia. It was a trip I have to say... Flying on 6000 feet with 40 knots headwind in the smoke from burning forests, pure IFR I have to say All together I'm 300 hrs only, with IFR rating. Now we look for faster 6 seater twin as we are preparing an event to fly from Moscow to Baikal as a long distance rally under FAI flag For this we look at Beechcraft twins and I founded this one http://www.controller.com/listingsdetai ... id=1001488. Having read about Carolina aircraft I found only positive remarks. Nevertheless I would highly appreciate if some of you judge my choice and help to find right place to check the plane if we're lucky to buy it. Thanks in advance.

PS: if interested in Baikal event pls don't hesitate to ask also if someone interested in flying in/to Russia I will do my best to help.

Kiril, it's good to hear from a Russian pilot on here. I know how hard GA can be in most parts of your country. Tell me more about this FAI trip from Moscow to Baikal it sounds interesting. I have flown my Bonanza around Siberia but I hear the food is better in the Western end of the country.

You will probably have plenty of people on here explain why you should buy a Baron. I'm no expert, I only have a few hours on B58 and I enjoyed it so much it persuaded me to buy my A36 ten years ago.

Will

Hi Will! Thanks for welcoming Baikal...too many things to tell. In few words. From 1st Nov 2010 we have open skies. Means we have same system as in US or EU with split by Classes. Finally we got our "G" and it has simplified a lot our life. To celebrate this we decided to organize international event. Possibly you know that Baikal lake is the magnet for most of foreigners and also Russians. I've been there - it's fantastic! In 1928 first airmail was delivered to Irkutsk (capital of the region) and we linked the race to this event somehow. Idea is that we fly VFR from Moscow to Irkutsk (2000 nm roughly) in 6 days. No GPS on-board, just maps, timers and plotters. On route you have to find by photos provided to the crews obstacles on the ground: churches, river bands, crossroads etc. Having spotted one - you mark it on your map and hand over after to the judge. On top you have to be precisely on time on turning points and get to the gates of TP's. That's registered via spot and on board logger. Take a look (if I'm allowed to give hyper links here) www.baiklarace.ru. Food...generally it's all the same Russian food everewhere, same quality and affordable. Not like Avgas: 2,75 $ per litre :( feel free to ask anything Will.

Welcome aboard Kirill, please share more about flying in Russia.
Oh, pictures please,

Kirill, thank you for posting on Beech Talk. We look forward to pictures and hearing more from you.

Kirill, welcome to BT.

One of our members also has a nice Baron for sale with bigger engines and would be worth your investigation as well.

Carolina Aircraft has a good reputation but the serious question is the condition of the airplane. There are probably several members of this forum who could examine the airplane for you.

I wonder whether the 480 GPS would be of any value to you in Russia as I don't know about database availability, but there is high demand for those in the U.S. so would be easy to sell here.

If so I propose to take a look on large photo bank here: http://photo.qip.ru/users/zlin142/15053 ... nImageLink or it's better to upload photos on site? Sorry, I'm new here and don't know the rules yet. On the link you will find me and my navigator Den. We changed several times on the way from Moscow to Dubnica Slovakia. I pushed the throttle in Moscow, he landed in Slovakia. About flying in Russia. So, we are developing step by step. In Moscow we already have 5 active airfields (50-100 km out of the city) we fly all the year long struggling with snow and icy rains. The fleet consists of well used US made machines like Piper and Cessna, Russian Yak's (first plane for the most of PPL's) and new comers like Jabiru and Technam. Last one develops business quite aggressively last years and managed to sell even twins. Clubs are private and operate like flying schools. So pilots can get their papers. Price per hour is high: from 200 $ to 400$ per hour wet. Also we have 2 big clubs hosting owners of Robinson R44 and R22. Fuel is limited and cost is hight, so GA is the hobby for wealthy people :( You will be surprised to hear that ones bought in US our used aircraft stops to be Cessna or Piper. We have so called experimental class and all these machines become experimental with new names like "lovely baby" or so. Beech, if we buy one, will be most probably "B-55" then. It happens due to the fact that Cessna and others certifies in Russia only new models like G1000 and then we stuck: I cannot register Cessna as Cessna as it's not certified (older then 2005) and has to make impression that I assembled new aircraft myself on the base of Cessna parts Customs fees are 40%, so if I buy mentioned Baron, it will cost me quarter a million! So, life is good and we keep smiling every time we take off in our rarely blue skies. Last year we had dreadful summer: +40 and smoke. You will see it on the pics. We took off not seeing threshold (1500 feet runway).

I would hear an offer for Beech with pleasure, thanks for that! GPS has a use for sure as we have locally made databases and they work fine. You could check it our downloading Navigation Pro free maps for Russia - worth to see number of dead airfields :( My main concern is the engine: I have heard that some models eats Mogas which is 4 times cheaper here then Avgas. As I searched on your forum I found that IO-520 is pure Avgas drinker Won't influent my decision to buy as actually it eats only 30% more then 172 per mile. I plan to use it for business trips for 100-300 nm.

Welcome Kirill, I look forward to hearing your tales.

Check out Peddler's Talk for the Baron. Todd Sanderson is selling his with dual 550 engines.

Some thoughts to consider, given I suspect you have lots of bad weather, considerable distance between airports, and expensive fuel:

The IO550 engine is probably the most efficient engine currently in common use if you get the necessary engine instrumentation to fly with lean mixture. Many of us like the 550 to go fast, but if you're willing to slow down a little the fuel per mile is actually pretty good. The 520 is almost as good, and both engines are current manufacture.

A single engine Bonanza with tip tanks and TKS anti-ice will carry as much, go nearly as fast on half the fuel, and provide just as much comfort as the Baron. If you get the turbo-normalization, it'll go faster than the Baron, but I don't know whether you would have maintenance issues with the TN there.

Welcome to BT Kirill! I enjoyed your posts so far and look forward to more of them!! Thanks for contributing here.

I want to add my "Welcome Aboard" also, Kirill. Keep those posts coming. It is really interesting to hear about what it is like for GA in Russia. Also, I think you should research the E55 Barons. More fuel capacity (range), just as fast and higher gross.

Thanks everyone for warm welcome:) i will try to do my outmost to tell you more tales or call it better highlights about our aviation community. Beech seems to be an option but not single eng for sure: I feel far safer to have two 285 hrs on both sides:) now i wait for responce from Carollina aircrafts (George): want to get some more info about the bird. So far I got nothing. My plan is to arrive with my partner and pilot with FAA license in may to make checks and escape before 12th to Moscow north way. Hope I will manage. My friends last summer made this trip on 5 R44 with extra tanks: crazy people! Will keep you updated how all goes.

nice pictures! the ads are interesting too

Kirill,

Welcome to BeechTalk and thank you for the pictures!