Edge of my seat there for a while, Jesse....

Enjoyed your trip, if vicariously!

I had a love/hate relationship with the electro-hydraulic gear system on my Arrow. While it's nice to have a system that will fall free if you release the pressure in the lines, the pump seemed not very durable.

I looked back through the logs a ways. The last pump had been in there for at least 12 years. I was surprised the entire OH’d power pack (hydraulic pump and electric motor) was only $1,500. I was expecting $6k.

Can you share the source for the rebuild? Thanks.

It was OH exchange. Aerospace Turbine Rotables. $1,523.75

Great Write up Jesse! When you wrote about your Navajo I kept hoping it woukd sell ao I wouldn’t be tempted, when you wrote about the V35Tn I was looking on controller, and now you have me thinking PA32s again. I am 6’4” and love the space of the PA32, and the airflow from the vents is about twice that of the Bonanza. Never flew one with A/c. Did CA to oshkosh and back in about 1982 in a 1979 turbo lance and yes, great traveling machine. I felt that the turbo and the nose baggage made the plane quieter.

So sorry about your friend and his passenger.

Thank you for all of the great writing!

Great write up.

Am I the only one wondering about the decision to continue with known gear problems ?

The only potential problem was the inability to retract. The Saratoga gear uses an electric motor to drive a hydraulic pump to pull the gear and hold it up. If the system fails, there is a lever in the cockpit that is depressed which opens the valve and releases hydraulic pressure. The gear drops and is pulled into place by springs.

Frankly, its a superior system to the all-electric Beech design. It doesn’t require perfect rigging from end to end, its not prone to a single point failure, and the emergency down procedure can be done by a child in two seconds.

If we had departed Dona Ana and the gear wouldn’t come up, we would have had to ferry gear down and head towards California then back Northeast once clear of weather. Thankfully it retracted.

Fair question. It was great to have Matt along to work through the ADM at every stage of this trip. He is an excellent pilot.

Calendar entry for Nov 2020: Call Jesse about buying his Toga.

No chance of broken / damaged linkage ?

Not trying to be a pain, just wondering how you could rule that out , short of jacking.

Get in line haha!

What an adventure!
Hi Matt!

The failure was obviously electrical (based on zero happening when moving the switch) and the system is driven via hydraulic lines not linkage. This is what you find in nearly all planes beyond light twins. We extended without issue prior to landing.

I have a ton of time in a 1988 Saratoga SP and later when the owner upgraded to a 2001 Saratoga II HP. The airplanes are good solid airplanes and are big and quiet. However, the only airplanes I've ever had gear problems with have been Pipers, and I had gear problems in both of these Saratogas (both with less than 2000hrs).

I'm not a fan of their gear system. I'm also in the camp that I don't think I would have taken off with a known gear issue.

Solid, big, and quiet are words I would use too.

I had “gear problems” too with this Saratoga. :D

The airport is in the middle of nowhere with the local tool inventory consisting of a Leatherman. A gear down ferry to a set of jacks was the only possibility anyway.

Did you ever have issues getting the gear down? What were they?