As discussed in another recent thread, my time for two airplanes just will not be there for this year. After a difficult decision, I've decided to keep my dialed-in Travel Air and try to find a good home for Brownie, N385B, a highly modified D50B.

It would be a waste of time for me to try to describe Brownie any better than Matt Cole did in his add from last year after N385B was returned to the active fleet. I've included a link below. Matt's write-up is spot on and 100 % accurate. There are only several changes to note since:

1. The aircraft is based in Lancaster, TX (KLNC).
2. Add about 15 hours to the times.
3. Brownie has a new uAvionix tailBeacon so she is ADSB compliant.
4. While her old Lear autopilot is inop, the electric pitch trim does function.

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=197706&hilit=n385b

Brownie has great bones and is a powerful performer. I will miss the 40" takeoffs and climbs.

Please, serious inquires only. Email or PM preferred for initial contact.

Michael Brothers
michael.a.brothers@att.net
214.470.7844

Brownie will keep her six gun and cowboy hat though. She’s staying in Texas.

Oh, thank god…….

And also, NOOOOO!!!!!

Congratulations!

Michael,
Congrats ! I received a telephone call yesterday from the folks that were coming to look at it yesterday, prior to their visit with you. Sounds like they are the next Owner's?

Gregg

Holy fast sale congrats

Yes, very nice folks and they will certainly utilize Brownie to her full potential. I had a previous "serious" inquiry, but I thought his stage length was a little long for a "no fuel stop" mission coming south.

You summed up my feelings perfectly. I was still working to persuade SWMBO. Someone will have a great plane.

Congrats on the sale. hopefully new owner will introduce themself to the Tbone group!

You summed up my feelings perfectly. I was still working to persuade SWMBO. Someone will have a great plane.

My highly enthusiastic buyer had some trouble with today's ridiculous insurance market. We agreed to forego the sale I wished them the best in working through it. As a result, Browie is on the market again.

As a lot time pilot, I’m struggling to even get quotes for similarly priced Bonanzas. The insurance brokers are coming back and telling me that their underwriters are declining to even offer a quotation.

I don’t fully understand why. Seems like at minimum it would be in their interest to offer an insanely high quote, but they’re just declining altogether.

Good luck with your sale. Sweet looking airplane.

Well…….crap. Now I have to rethink my reluctance, dangit.

I don’t know how they are doing for non or new members but Avemco has been great to work with. They do not hesitate to give me quotes. Are the quotes the best? I don’t know. They seem high to me but as a low time pilot they even quoted me insurance on a 56TC. I called yesterday for a quote on B55 insurance. They gave me a quote which seemed reasonable in todays market. I’ve been a member with them since July 2020. I don’t know if this helps but thought I’d throw it out there.

Seems like a problem one of our resident insurance guys could fix. New multi pilots are going to get hit in year one, and perhaps will need mentor time but should be doable unless he or she is very very inexperienced.

New for 2022 seems to be the rejection of new policies for retractables on turf fields. That's what I've come across in my hunt for insurance. My local airport has asphalt, but the turf is longer so we're dubbed a turf airport. Flat out denial by every single underwriter out there. And it seems to be turning up on Facebook that it's becoming common.