I did 12 oil changes last 12 months, most of my expenses have been oil changes and recently autopilot work. Did engines props avionics and major annual in the preceding year at the flight shop. You gotta get these things right again and they will treat you good, even flying 300hrs in one year I didn’t miss a single flight due to mx.

I really want to install airconditioning and the pull down window shades. Working in Texas and Oklahoma this spring was absolutely brutal, a few times I was flying sub 10k across Texas wondering if it was even safe with how hot it was inside the airplane. Surprisingly, engines ran cool even ISA +24, and oil temps would hit 190 in the climb but always back down to 180 in cruise.

I think most outsiders reading this forum just want to get an idea what it costs to maintain an Aerostar. I know one of our group estimates his total operating cost closer to $750 - $1,000 / hour range but you have to caveat that figure because it includes all sorts of generous reserves for paint and interior and avionics and etc etc etc. That's why comparing actual maintenance costs sans hypothetical reserves might help the prospective tire kicker. Paint is not an airworthiness item.

If you're willing and able to spend a thousand an hour on your Aersotar, you're going to have one pampered, gorgeous bird. But you can also achieve practical, safe, reliable, capable, efficient transportation for a lot less in the same Aerostar. That's why fleet owners loved the 600.

I had to bite the bullet with unscheduled overhauls at one annual years ago. But looking back now, in the long-term cost of ownership it's a drop in the bucket over the standard 2 x overhaul cost / 2,000 hours reserve. If you only own your plane for a couple of years, you may not be as lucky.

I should also mention I'm not flying a "stripped down 600." Yes, 600. With known ice, radar, and A/C.

Ignore the pure cost per hour as no two Aerostars are going to have the same cost per hour. Jason Crandell said it best years ago... On January 1st it cost $XX,XXX and then the fuel, oil change, etc. cost $XXX.

I did just about all of my own maintenance on my 601P/SS700. My cost averaged $16,000/year and another $200-300/hr for fuel/oil, etc. Per hour cost changed depending on the powersetting of the day...

Inbound for the ILS tonight, autopilot working perfect. Last 15 hours have been hand flying due to a bad roll servo, ifr approaches at night into Houston… busy and stressed out single pilot in a piston twin.

Life is good again, Ted smith got it right.

I've never seen more 600's and 601's (the non-pressurized one) on the market than right now. Normally, the 600's come on very rare, but now it seems like almost the entire fleet is for sale at the same time! On the flip side, the 601P's, who were always on the market in gaggles, are now almost impossible to find...

Strange times.

Everyone saw the 601P videos on YouTube and had to go buy one ha!

250KTAS FL250 39GPH is addicting. I was running FL210 26” 2200rpm 37GPH 235KTAS home from Utah, ISA -12 was causing the higher fuel burn.

Right? I’m shopping for a 601P now and having a heck of a time finding anything. Got a few leads on off-market stuff thankfully but its few and far between.

Heading East over the plains border between Colorado and Kansas @ FL210 12/15/2023

https://youtu.be/We_7BIbVh0Y?feature=shared

218KTAS
14.4 gph side.

This one IS over the Rocky Mountains:

https://youtu.be/1sPBgM9S_-g

Did you mean for the Rockies video to be private Forrest?

https://youtu.be/1sPBgM9S_-g?feature=shared


This link ought to work.

Thanks for heads up.

This was just today, FL220 26” 2200RPM 37GPH 236KTAS (ROP)

That’s pretty good forrest, only 8% slower but 22% less fuel. We’re you running LOP?



https://youtube.com/shorts/YGf51hA9m-4? ... 1zqnRfdZmH

Yep,

LOP.

Burning less gas means being able to go the distance carrying less gas which means better performance.

Last leg I went up to FL250 for weather, ran 26” x 2400 at 16.5 side (ROP)
Indicated was about 153kts vs 155-157 at FL210.

I used to run my 601P LOP as well, with only the original EGT meter. Not very precise, but I was told at the lower power settings I seemed to prefer, it was never at risk of anything.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/vZU45muex-8[/youtube]