BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Nov 2012, 17:20

Stan, thanks for the invite Stan...don't know when my schedule will have me returning from Florida to Sheridan, WY yet but it may be around the 3rd week of December...before or possibly after Christmas. Will let you know and if the timing works out for you I will stop by for a visit. Sounds like a nice spot to take a break from fighting the normal headwinds going Westbound and fly the rest of the way home the next day. Gotta feeling that the time would fly by quickly having fun talking about airplanes, etc.!

Tom

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Nov 2012, 20:41

Username Protected wrote:

Well I spent a few minutes crawling around a couple of Aerostars today. No opportunity to fly it, but im not too worried about that yet. Ive read its similar or better than a Baron, so thats good. There are some things I like about it, but I'm having a tough time figuring out how five, let alone six, people can comfortably sit in it. With five seats installed, I'd have to have some pretty short passengers sitting in the aisle with three seats. I assume turning the middle seat 90 degrees would help with that?

I don't think I'd really need to haul six adults for an hour and a half, but after seeing the length of the passenger compartment, I'm concerned about four adults and a child. Another six or eight inches longer in the cabin would have made a huge difference. I assume the aft seat was all the way back...I didn't think to confirm that.

It seems loading four adults and a child would be a lot like putting a jig-saw puzzle together. Would that be a reasonable analogy? I'm struggling to remember the days when I'd load four adult men in the back of a Baron 58, but I don't remember having significant legroom issues back there.

The aft baggage was generous. My wife was drooling over that, and the cabin width, but she's also concerned abouth the cabin length.

Any thoughts, Aerostar gurus?

I have flown in them set up as a five seater. Mine is setup as a four seater and very comfortable that way.Five is not bad once everyone is loaded. I have been in the back of a 58P and I have do idea how four people would fit back there comfortably. While I am tall, 6' I am no heavy weight at 160 lbs and it is tight in the back of a 58P.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Nov 2012, 20:50

Username Protected wrote:

Stan, thanks for the invite Stan...don't know when my schedule will have me returning from Florida to Sheridan, WY yet but it may be around the 3rd week of December...before or possibly after Christmas. Will let you know and if the timing works out for you I will stop by for a visit. Sounds like a nice spot to take a break from fighting the normal headwinds going Westbound and fly the rest of the way home the next day. Gotta feeling that the time would fly by quickly having fun talking about airplanes, etc.!

Tom

Tom,
Where in florida are you at?
Tony

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Nov 2012, 21:51

Tony...live in Sheridan, WY (KSHR) but will be visiting Dothan, AL to do some recurrent training then on to Deland, FL the first week of December (doing an owner assist annual there as I want to get some more hands on experience with this plane) and then visiting investment clients/friends in the Orlando and Venice areas and then just enjoying the rest of Florida for most of December. May jump on a commercial fight to Barbados or Antiqua for a week while the annual is being completed as well. Where are you located Tony?

Tom

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Nov 2012, 00:18

Wow! Thanks Tim, Glenn, Stan & Tom for sharing the logistics of loading. I was not aware the swivel seat wasn't standard, so that's good to know. I also didn't realize bleed air wasn't used to heat the cabin...I assumed it was. I'll have to investigate the cost of that option, as my wife is cold in the A36 we rent...even if it's 50 degrees at altitude, as it was during our return flight this evening....meanwhile I'm roasting up front. I'd told her heat wouldn't be an issue in the Aerostar, since I assumed it was provided as part of the pressurization.

I did notice what someone wrote earlier - that the Aerostar doesn't give the impression it's about to fall on its tail when passengers are loading. That's a nice point in its favor.

Somehow I overlooked that fact the two Aerostars I thought I was interested in weren't deiced...perhaps it was wishful thinking. It was a surprise when I saw the airplanes in person, but when I reviewed the listings, it was clear I'd made a mistake. It'll be interesting to watch the Aerostar market for a few months to see if something of interest pops up.

Thanks again, everyone.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Nov 2012, 01:06

Username Protected wrote:

Tony...live in Sheridan, WY (KSHR) but will be visiting Dothan, AL to do some recurrent training then on to Deland, FL the first week of December (doing an owner assist annual there as I want to get some more hands on experience with this plane) and then visiting investment clients/friends in the Orlando and Venice areas and then just enjoying the rest of Florida for most of December. May jump on a commercial fight to Barbados or Antiqua for a week while the annual is being completed as well. Where are you located Tony?

Tom

Tom,
I'm based out of Jax, FL but travel all over northeast Florida/S GA& AL. I actually was at Don Smiths place in Dothan a couple weeks ago as I am investigating. PM me what days you'll be in Dothan and I may be able to meet you while your there( Dinner on me, I know a great steak place there. I'm still actively doing my AEST research and would love to check out your bird...

Tony

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Nov 2012, 19:12

[quote="Stan Musick"]Tom, nice summary. Yes, I'm getting about 140 indicated, LOP at 2300 rpm, 24 inches MP, temps all nice and cool at FL 210-230. Gets me between 195 and 205 TAS on 22-24 gph.

Stan,

I'm another Aerostar lurker here. I've had mine about 12 years and I have never been able to set 24" because mine automatically depressurizes at about 24.5". I have the production high compression engines and the sea level, 4.25 psi pressure system. How do you get to 24"? My typical cruise is 2200/26.5", 207 KTAS and 30 gph. I'm usually under 18000.

Chan

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Nov 2012, 19:30

Insurance, $150k hull value, Million smooth-$3400/yr.

Stan,

I just keep the million liability on my 1980 601P and my insurance is about $900 this year through the Bullock Agency in St Charles, IL.

Chan

Username Protected · **Posted:** 20 Nov 2012, 11:14

Username Protected wrote:

Tom, nice summary. Yes, I'm getting about 140 indicated, LOP at 2300 rpm, 24 inches MP, temps all nice and cool at FL 210-230. Gets me between 195 and 205 TAS on 22-24 gph.

Stan,

I'm another Aerostar lurker here. I've had mine about 12 years and I have never been able to set 24" because mine automatically depressurizes at about 24.5". I have the production high compression engines and the sea level, 4.25 psi pressure system. How do you get to 24"? My typical cruise is 2200/26.5", 207 KTAS and 30 gph. I'm usually under 18000.

Chan

Username Protected · **Posted:** 20 Nov 2012, 11:43

Chan, what Jim C. said.

I have no prob making max diff at 24K feet at 23-24” MP.

As for insurance, I personally think hull is a good idea. I would concur that’s about right for the liability. My quote is for full coverage, million smooth on the liability. I think aviation insurance is a relative bargain right now.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 20 Nov 2012, 13:43

Jim,

I may not have been clear. My pressurization dumps when manifold pressure is less than about 24.5". I have my annuals done by Bill Bridges and he did find/fix some leaks on the last annual which were not related to this characteristic. I have a good 4.25 psi cabin pressure once I reach 11000' above my set cabin altitude.

Chan

Username Protected · **Posted:** 20 Nov 2012, 13:55

Chan,
You should be able to hold a 5,000 ft. cabin with 20" map so if it dumps at 24.5" there is something wrong. If on the other hand you have the cabin set for 1,000 ft. cabin altitude, you will need about 25" to hold that, so it could be an operational issue. Give me a call if you have any concerns.
JimC
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