Any Baron 58 owners?

I did consider the tbm850. Great operating costs after you get over
buying it. I will have to join the CBAA as it is a pressurized turbine
aircraft. Meaning $$$ each year for membership. I think it is a few
thousand. Also obtain a private operators certificate. Training I don't
mind though. Same price is the Cessna Mustang. A real winner but again a
new aircraft, but if anybody does, Cessna knows what they are doing. If
I use it for business, I very well may go to a turboprop.

Viperdoc wrote:

It is not just the price of the purchase, but also recurrent training and
the cost of operation, like burning lots of jet A. Plus, a new technology
will still have teething pains, and I personally would wait a while before
getting into a VLJ.

If I had the cash, I would get a TBM, which looks to be a solid airplane. I
was not too impressed with the sales force at OSH- diffident, uninterested,
a bit arrogant, snobbish, etc. However, it still looked to be a good
airplane.

Thank you.



Viperdoc wrote:

I fly a B-55, and with VG's (which help the Vmc and low speed performance,
but cost a few knots), along with TKS (known ice certification), I cruise at
174k true, running at 2400 RPM, full throttle at around 8,000, and LOP at
around 24gph.

The fuel burn of course varies with the OAT, and it is possible to lean even
further. Recently, on a long XC where I didn't want to stop for gas, I ran
at 2300rpm, WOT, and was down to less than 22gph, with a TAS of around
165-168. This gave over six hours endurance.

In my opinion, there is little value in a new Baron, and you can get a great
buy on one less than ten years old. Let the original owner pay for the
initial big depreciation. If I were to do it over again, I would get one
without boots, since the TKS has a lot of advantages over boots, although is
very pricey ($40,000). VG's in my opinion are also a must with a light twin.

I don't know much about the G-1000, but I have a Garmin 530/430, both with
WAAS, as well as traffic and XM Nexrad, along with

Stormscope and built in Sperry radar. In combination, this gives a great
nav picture, although I think a digital AP with roll steering would be nicer
than the KFC-200, which has been pretty bullet proof.

You could get a late model B-58 with air for around 400,000 or less, and
then install the TKS, which I think would be a better buy.

There's nothing like having the dual electric and vacuum systems, along with
the extra engine while flying over Lake Michigan, which I would never do in
a single. To me, the safety and redundancy outweighs the added expense of
the twin, which is of course an argument that can be debated forever.

The guy in the hangar next to mine has a late model B-58, with AC, but then
state of the art King instruments. They are pathetic compared to my Garmin
panel. He also has boots, as compared to my TKS, and I would definitely go
with TKS any time. Of course, he does have AC, and can cruise up to 10K
faster, but for the price differential and my own needs, I would take my
plane any time, except for the AC.