Hello everyone. I'm currently deployed to Saudi Arabia and have been lurking here since I joined back in July. I left later that month and expect to come home again in July, '11. I came over here to start my information gathering for a planned upgrade to an A36 in the next year or so. I currently own an M20E and love it to death, but the backseat is getting a little small for my growing boys. Not bad, but they aren't in HS yet... We do a lot of traveling in the Midwest and routinely do trips back to the folks house (600NM) over long weekends. The forum has been very educational and I am looking forward to the move up to the Bo (or B55 if I get a wild hair up my rear end... ) That is if the misses doesn't know how much they cost first...

Thanks for the great info I've gathered so far and I'll contribute as I can.

Brian

Brian,
Thanks for your service, and welcome to BeechTalk.

Watcha doin' in Saudi?

+1

And: "pictures or it didn't happen"

Thanks guys, I appreciate the sentiments.

Now, let's see if I can do this right off the bat... I'm the goofball on the left...



Granted, it could be any desert, so you'll have to trust me that it's the Arabian Peninsula.

I'm currently assigned as a Logistics advisor to SANG (Saudi Arabian National Guard), while the guy on the right is a Maneuver advisor (Armor). It's a 12 month gig and I can only hope it goes by quickly.

Thanks.
Brian

Brian,

Welcome. Thanks for serving in the military.

You will enjoy an A36. It will haul a load in style and comfort.

Are there any oil wells or camels there?

Hi welcome and thanks for your service!

I have a BE55- an E55 and it will haul a lot fast. Free rides and a stay in Fraser CO if you visit......

Brian,

Welcome to Beechtalk and THANK YOU for your service and sacrifice. I have four kids and when they were small, all six of us would fit (reasonably) comfortable in my 1984 A-36. Try that with the M20!!!!
To me the best part was that not only was the 36 a very practical platform, it was a pure joy to fly and handles better than any other single I have flown. 600 nm is a pretty long trip and we would usually top out at around 400nm max at which point the plane needed to be fueled and the kids de-fueled.

That's the beauty of buying a Baron these days, the up front costs are as low or lower than the singles, and once you own it the misses doesn't have to know how much the upkeep is.

Brian,

First of all THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. Hats off to you!

And, yes, we want you to get the best value for you in a Beechcraft.

I kinda lean with Lance on the value of a 55 Baron... B, C, D, or E.... most of them less than an A36, and can have much better loading flexibility and some nice backups.

If you fly in the ~100 hr a year range, the total cost is not significantly different. The Baron will probably run more, but not much.

If you fly 500 hrs a year the fuel for the Baron will eat your lunch.

I've owned 2 36s, and 3 Barons and like them all. So I could argue either side.

You have some time, so shop a bit, and post here and we'll spend your money.....

Brian,

I want to add my THANKS for your service to our country. I can't add to what Larry just posted. I've had both a Bo and now a E55 Baron. Raised my kids from birth to marriage in them. I can see oil wells and camels but it looks like the humidity is excessive! Have a safe tour and we look forward to more posts and pics.

Thanks guys. We all appreciate the support we get from back home. It makes it a lot easier on us.

I think I've seen a few oil wells and camels since I've been here. I won't start a fight by posting what the gas prices are here though...

Humidity, well that's here too since I'm right smack on the Persian Gulf (in Dammam). It was only 104 today, down from 116 when I got here in July... Thank God for central A/C....

I'll start a new thread at some point to argue the merits of getting the A36 versus the BE-55 series, unless there's one out there already I missed. Normally, we fly around 125-150 hours per year. I was on my way to 200 this year before I got orders to deploy... Figures.

Tom, thanks for the offer. I'm afraid if I sit or fly in a 55, it'd be all over. All objectivity would go out the window at that point and I'd become obsessed with finding one...

Brian

Brian,

I urge you use extreme caution with your intended thread. My fear is that by putting out there a 55 versus 36 debate, you will spark another twin versus single war. Beechtalkers are for the most part gentle people who get along but in the past, vicious wars have been known to erupt usually between the twins and singles and the ROP’s and LOP’s.

I will tell you this, if you don’t want to commit to a Baron, don’t fly it, don’t sit in it don’t even look at them too much. They got voodoo magic and make you fall in a permanent trance once you fly one.

Thanks Victor. I actually found the big F33A versus Baron debate that lasted 7 pages after I posted my last message. I found everything I needed and will not be doing my own thread after that....

Your advice will be followed. I need to find a way to get my wife in one then...

Brian

Twins are . . . without a doubt . . . better than singles!!!