Hi All

I found this form while doing some research on planes I'd like to buy. A friend suggested a Baron and with the help of Google, I found myself here.

I'm from Australia and live in the Adelaide Hills. Due to the lack of work in my home state (South Australia) it looks like I might have to take a job in Canberra (520 nm away).

I have two teenage boys (who fly gliders with me), and my mother in her 80's so am going to want to get back to SA pretty regularly.

I'm a private pilot and a glider pilot/instructor but I'm VFR Day only so see the Baron as a chance to do MECIR and keep current. Hopefully I'm not being too ambitious. I used to own a Grumman Traveler, more recently I've flown a fair bit in an SR22 Turbo and of course towing in the Pawnee. Gliding - I own a Nimbus 4DM and fly Super Dimona and Stemme S10VT (which I maintain for friends).

My dream would be to buy a plane in the USA and fly it back to Australia with the friend I mentioned who has done this several times before.

Not sure whether I'm looking for a 55 or a 58 yet. Lots to learn and I need to find one to have a look at too.

Of course, it all depends on the job and I won't know that until September at the earliest.

Nice to meet you all and looking forward to learning from you.

Best wishes

Cath

Cath,

Welcome to BT! We have a very active community here, with many from your "neck of the woods". I know you'll get plenty of advice and hope you will contribute as well.

And good luck on the job!!!

Thanks Vince

Looking at the posts this seems to be a really nice friendly group.

I know it isn't a Beech but here's a picture of two of my gliders. The Nimbus 4DM in the foreground is my serious competition/cross country glider. In the background you can see my vintage Australian built "Kookaburra", 50 years young and still teaching young glider pilots.



Best wishes

Welcome, lots of Baron drivers in our forum so you will get a lot of input on those. Thanks for sharing photos of your gliders.

Welcome aboard Cath!
I hope everything works out for you. This is the place for "All Things Beech."

Welcome Cath!

Love the glider pics! We're all picture hounds here, so we'd love to see more gliders down under.

This is an excellent time to be shopping for a Baron.

For instance, check out Tom Gresham's Baron for sale in Peddlers Talk. I've see the airplane in person and it is VERY nice

Welcome to BT Cath!

I sooooooo envy glider rated pilots, they sure know how to remain calm when the fan(s) stop running!

Good luck to you in your search for a Baron, be it a 55 or a 58. I transitioned to a B55 from a Sierra with 26 hours of ME time in a Travel Air and did another 20+ hours of dual in the B55 before solo flight. I got a really got wringing out in those dual hours and they served me well as a good base of habits and flows.

Mike

Welcome Cath! Good luck in your search for a Beechcraft! (It is on my bucket list to snorkle the Great Barrier Reef some day!)

Hi Cath. I just bought a 58 and have maybe 4 hours in it. Love it. Perfect plane for me because I needed the big doors and A/C and boots and max flexibility for cargo and people, but would have loved the short field abilities of the 55's. The plane is built like a tank. Not the best useful load but the confidence it provides the pilot is priceless. Great time to buy as well. I searched for about 3 months and used Neal Schwartz-he is on this board- to help me and was the best money I could have spent since I have zero free time and just did not know enough about the type. I had a budget which of course I blew through without much difficulty with all the after stuff- cover, tug, unexpected items, etc.

Have fun shopping!

Dale

Hi Catherine
Welcome to BT
I also live in the Adelaide Hills, I have a small strip at Jupiter Creek just behind Mylor.
Fly a Debonair out of there.

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the welcoming posts. You make me feel very welcome. I have my job interview tomorrow but its a bit complex, two companies bidding for one job which will be awarded in September (hopefully). I have applied for both companies. Short listed with one and interview tomorrow with the other. Fingers crossed I get the job and can go shopping for a plane

John, I live on 38 acres between Wistow and Strathalbyn but not suitable for an airstrip :(

I fly from Stonefield Gliding (YSFG) and Waikerie for gliding and instruct with the Adelaide Uni and the Waikerie Clubs. I fly the Pawnee towing at Waikerie (although haven't done that for a while).

I love the look of Tom's aircraft for sale on this site but not sure if I need a 55 or a 58. Need to understand the operating costs more.

For those that would like more gliding pictures - I have an old website (completely out of date - I'm not married anymore for a start) - but it has good pictures....

http://www.nimbus4dm.com.au

Hi Cath the world gets smaller.
A friend of mine owns the small strip on the side of the road just before Strath, he flies an RV10 out of there I also fly the Deb in there for a coffee some Saturday or Sunday mornings.
I have also camped many nights out at Steven Nitchke's strip at Stonefield.
Another friend of mine Roger Langford flew the Pawnee at Waikerie for a while, I flew him up there earlier in the year when they had a fly in.
I hope your search for a Baron goes well.

Hi Katherine

David (Doc) Oconnor from Airtrek has a very nice 1977 58 forsale. You should call him.

Best of luck

David

Wow John it is a small world.

My place is on Archer Hill Rd - mid way between Wistow and Strath. I have sheds full of gliders at the moment. The club bought 4 from Europe and I'm doing some surveys for Australian registration. Unfortunately I don't have the right land for an airstrip.

You'd be most welcome to drop into Stonefield gliding next time you are out our way. I think we are having a big BBQ/bonfire on the 18th August. email me cath@internode.on.net if you want to come. Steve and the other guys would also be welcome.

Were you at Waikerie for the 75th? I was there. I came in with a Super Dimona motor glider.

David - thanks for the tip. I've emailed Doc...

Cath:

If you are operating from reasonably-sized fields, it is tempting to suggest going ahead and getting the 58 for its larger cabin and (more important) the big doors. Still, the BE55s are such an amazingly good value, especially with the entire USA on fire sale for anyone who holds grown-up currency!

More small world:

My sister lives in Hawthorndene, and niece and nephew's Grandmother is in Waikerie.

I'll hope to meet you, as well as John, when I am "down under" November 2013 for niece's wedding...