Nice ride Guy!

Good Lookin' Ride Guy -- thanks for sharing!

I am new to the forum. I own a C-320, so hopefully that doesn't mean you all will throw me out. I am based at PTK in Michigan. I have always been partial to Barons and have some time in Bonanzas. Dad owned one when I was a kid. Prior to the C-320, I had a Cherokee 6.

Mike

Mike,

Welcome to BeechTalk.

Is your plane white with two tone blue stripes? Is it possible I met you at Cedar Key, FL, in February '08?

If so, did you get that landing light repaired?

Max -
No, it was not me in Florida this year. I tried to attach a photo of the airplane, but the file is apparently too large. Its white over blue with gold accent stripes.

Mike

Just because it's a Cessna does not mean you aren't welcome.

I have always thought that the 320 was nicely-sized airplane, never understood why there were not more of 'em out there.

The reason Cessna quit making them, at least in my opinion, is Cessna began a turbo option for the C-310 in 1969. The C-320 was turbo'd from its inception in 1961. With the C-310 turbo option, there was too much overlap. The C-320 is nearly the same airplane otherwise. The C-310 had its popularity through the late 1950s and 1960s, as a result production of the C-320 ended in 1968.

Mike

Hello All,

I stumbled on this website last evening and upon discovering that Jeff Snyder was the creator/facilitator/moderator, I knew I wanted to join, so here I am! I met Jeff (virtually) several years ago on another pilot website and I figured anywhere he hangs out at, is the place to be.

Anyway, I'm Joyce Parker, a "baby Beech" owner from Omaha NE. I'm a 23-yr active duty Air Force member currently stationed at Offutt AFB, NE. I have a dream AF job: I go to work everyday on the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), an E-4B (military mod of the 747-200). Of course, I don't fly it and the acft commander only allows me in the cockpit if I "sit down, shut up, and keep my grubby little hands off the controls" . "Roger," I say as I am awed by the 1,001 switches in the cockpit. What's really cool is sitting there watching the 747 being refueled by a KC-10.

I've always loved aviation even as a girl, but aspired to be a flight attendant (stewardess) because back then, where I'm from, only smart guys were the pilots. I enlisted in the USAF in 1984 in the command & control career field and was ALWAYS around pilots and airplanes. Finally, I realized that flight attending was for "girls" and piloting was for "real women" , so since I was a real woman , I decided to put wings to my dreams and 4 Sep 2001 marked the beginning of the most thrilling adventure I've ever experienced. And the thrills keep coming .

After spending loads of $$$ training and renting, I decided I wanted to be an airplane owner and turning 50 was a good reason to buy an airplane. So, for my 50th birthday, I purchased a 1975 C-23 Sundowner. Her name is "Joybird" and she is a gem!!! I bought her from a doctor in VA because he went the LSA route, and after my 1st annual last year, the A&P/IA informed me that I purchased well .

The "Joybird" is a dream to fly and I'm looking forward to many years of extended adventure with her. Then when I retire from the military, and my travel business is generating tons of the greenbacks, I hope to be able to graduate to the next generation of Beech. Looking forward to getting to know many of you on these boards!

Tail winds & fair weather!
Joyce

Welcome Joyce!
I learned to fly at OMA! My mom taught me to fly there many, many years ago! Maybe we can meet up sometime. I fly up there to see my folks. Had an Angel Flight scheduled Sat from Rochester to Lincoln but it just cancelled. I had planned to fly up Friday and take my dad (and his Beechcraft) on the flight. (Actually good news for the patient, her appointment cancelled because she was doing well.)
Welcome to the board and we are awaiting pics of the plane! You will have to crop them or resize them. (I know, I asked the same question.)

Hey Y'all! Glad to be here! Great site! Just what we needed!!

Started flying back in the 60's. I was lucky to have a dad that was a true believer in general aviation. We had quite a nice collection of airplanes back in the day… an F35 Bonanza, a Beech D18S and a Douglas A26B (see photos below) and later a Convair 340. I soloed the F35 in ’68 when I was 17 and got my PPL and ME in the Beech 18 that same summer. Worked on the commercial and Instrument tickets all winter. The next summer (’69), I showed up for the instrument ride with the D18 (the F35 was barely IFR) and since I was signed off for both rides, the examiner said why don’t we take both rides back to back? So, we did all the oral stuff for both tickets and then took off. After almost 3 hrs, we were finished flying and I had both tickets in my pocket. What a day!! It was really cool doing the commercial maneuvers in the D18 and a little bit strange too since I hadn’t planned for that, but in the end it all worked out. At this point I was flying regularly in the right seat of the A26 and sometimes in the left seat, but not nearly enough! The A26 was finally traded for a Convair 340 (needed the pressurization)… a sad day for sure. The A26 is still flying and is now known as the “Spirit of Waco” and is assigned to the Ranger Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) in Waco, Texas.

This is looking like it may run a little long… you know engineers… way too much detail, so I’ll cut it short(er)…

Married to Amy for 36 years with three children and four grandchildren. (I recommend skipping the children and going straight to the grandkids…. lot’s more fun!! ) Two BS degrees, one in Professional Aviation and the other in Petroleum Engineering, both from Louisiana Tech in Ruston, LA. I flew many years on the corporate level while working as a Petroleum Engineer in private practice. Now working just the engineering side of that equation in Houston, TX (KIWS), living in N. Louisiana (KDTN), and commuting weekly via Bonanza (ahhhhh, justification for the airplane!). Carrying a little over 4100 hrs TT, split about half and half between MEL and SEL. About 1200 in the Beech 18, about 1200 in Bonanzas (about 50 in the A26!). The balance in Barons, King Airs, and few odd Cessnas and Pipers. Present airplane is a ’76 V35B (see photo below) with factory air conditioning which is no less than fantastic in my neck of the woods. Current project… Mentoring my son-in-law who has jumped into aviation with both feet and bought his own Bonanza (an M35)… a worthy cause! Future project… turbo normalize the Bonanza. Favorite airplane… Beech 18, a true pilot's airplane... hope to have another one someday.

Welcome John!

You guys had all the nice toys!

What was AvGas going for back in those days?

Thanks guys... it WAS the good old days
Seems like I remember AvGas going for about $0.50 per gallon (which is about $2.20 in today's dollars). So, gas is a little more than double that now. There was a lot more lead in the gas back then and the big hassle was keeping spark plugs clean. Seems like we swapped out to a clean set of plugs every oil change then spent a month cleaning up the old set. Between the A26 (P&W R2800)and the Beech 18 (P&W R985) that was 108 spark plugs. I was "low man on the totempole" so you can guess what my job was.

Thanks guys... it WAS the good old days
Seems like I remember AvGas going for about $0.50 per gallon (which is about $2.20 in today's dollars). So, gas is a little more than double that now. There was a lot more lead in the gas back then and the big hassle was keeping spark plugs clean. Seems like we swapped out to a clean set of plugs every oil change then spent a month cleaning up the old set. Between the A26 (P&W R2800)and the Beech 18 (P&W R985) that was 108 spark plugs. I was "low man on the totempole" so you can guess what my job was.

Welcome Joyce, and thank you for your service!