You should look at a Piper PA-28-235 (Dakota or pathfinder). They have 84
gallon tanks, full fuel useful loads over 1000 lbs and are simple to maintain
compared to a complex single.

soxinbox wrote:

I've flow 172s and 182s, but prefer the low wings ( just my preferance).
I will be using this primarily for weekend getaways. In life I've found
that it is often the road you take, not where you go, that is most
important, but coffee house philosophy aside, I don't want to spend my
whole weekend getting somewhere just to turn around and come back, so I
want something that is resonably fast with a good range.

Your advice on the avionics is well headed. I am only going to keep this
plane until I get confortable enough to move up to a twin, so the resale
value is important. This intemediate plane is to keep me from being one
of those smoking holes in the ground that used to be someone who could
afford more plane than they could fly.

I am really looking for a TRUE four place plane ( useful load 1000) with
a 700 mile range, flip flop nav/coms, autopilot, gps, and modern six pack
panel. Without breaking the bank, this seams to be leading me to the
debonair. Problem is There are few planes with this combination, and so I
was seeing if it is feasable to not lose too much money on it.


"soxinbox" wrote in message
. 166...
I am getting ready to buy my first plane. I am considering an early
60s bonanza or debonair.

My first thought is, "don't."

Not because these can't be perfectly good airplanes, but rather
because I've found that airplane ownership is a complex business, and
you're better off learning with something simple. Why not a good
Skylane? For the same money you'll get a newer, likely lower-time
bird, spend less on insurance and maintenance. The only downside being
speed, which is in the 20-40 knot range depending on the two birds
you're comparing. Do you need that extra speed or do you just want it?
You may notice that good 182s cost a lot, comparable to or even
exceeding Bonanzas, Mooneys, etc. that aren't all that much
older/higher-time. There's a reason for this: smart pilots look at the
Total Cost of Ownership. This is also why you can buy a big
pressurized twin cessna with all the toys for not a lot more than a
nice Bo. Of course that resale value will come back on the tail end,
should you decide to step up.

Of course, if you have money coming out the wazoo, then airplane
ownership is easy. Find a decent mechanic (ask your type club) and
when anything makes a funny sound, take it to him, and hand over your
wallet. Be prepared for numbers that sound like the down payment on a
car. If the thought of this concerns you, best stay away from an early
60s Beech retract.

Some of these planes don't have a standard "six pack"
panel layout, and I was wondering if anyone had an idea of how much
this would cost to upgrade. I probably would update the radios at the
same
time,
but I am really interested in the cost of the panel only.

My rule of thumb here is to buy the plane you want, and upgrade the
one you have. The reason is that while you might spend $50k upgrading
the panel, you'll be lucky to get back more than $30k when you resell
it. Let the previous owner eat that depreciation. The only exception
to this would be a good plane with a high-time engine, because a much
larger portion of the money you spend on the engine will be retained
as value. Of course, if you already have a plane you like but just
want newer radios, it can make sense to upgrade because you'll own
them long enough to get your money's worth. But if you're buying the
plane now, buy what you want the first time around.

Best,
-cwk.




--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
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