am i being foolish

[flyersfan31]

Why the ME? Seriously. If you have money to burn, or some mission reqmt, great. Otherwise, think long and hard about it. What's your budget - before you even think about a twin you had better put pencil to paper. I don't own a twin, but I've pencilled out the numbers on at least 100 different aircraft.

AFA critical engines (and this is coming from someone without the ME), in the absence of one "critical" engine, aren't they then both equally critical? Yeah, I'm being flippant, but still...

Twinkies are old technology. Efficient, but old. A TwinStar will be efficient but new. Pay now, or pay later. Or, get a FIKI Seneca II for (relative to the Twink) less efficiency, slightly more cost (but far less than the TS), probably less MX, more payload/range. They're insurable too.

At your time, I think a 310 is a pipedream, unless you have a CFII available to fly 30-40hrs with you.

 

[poadeleted20]

I am told to IFR in the Archer, do ME next (not in my own ME) than buy one .... as you say, the examiner would have to be the PIC ...and my instructor would have to accompany me to the check ride....

Not so. As on the initial PP-ASEL ride, you are exempt from the passenger-carrying rules while taking your initial ME rating ride (61.47(c)). In any event, having your instructor aboard during a practical test is a real bad idea for both your success and your instructor's mental health. However, doing your ME in anything other than the make/model you intend to buy immediately thereafter isn't a real good idea -- too much negative training transfer, not to mention the issue of time in type for insurance purposes. Best idea is to buy a twin with run-out engines, do your training, and then overhaul the engines. Second best is to buy a twin with well-broken-in engines and do the training in that.

If i could bypass complex single Hi-perf would be nice, but a MALIBU with all the numbers matching up would be hard to pass up.

I recently worked with a guy in much the same as your situation -- bought an Archer a few hours into PPL training, and wanted to move up to a Malibu. Insurers said they wouldn't even talk to him about a complex plane until he got his IR, and would not talk about a Malibu until he got 100 hours of complex time. As soon as he got his PPL, he bought a Piper 6X (latest version of the Cherokee Six/fixed-gear Saratoga) in which he did his 50 hours XC PIC and his IR training (with me). A few days after he got the IR, he went back to the Piper dealer and traded up to a Saratoga HP (retractable version). He's on the list for a Malibu as soon as he gets 100 hours in the 'Toga. I think he's taking a smart path.

I appreciate your guidance!!

No problem.

The MALIBU would be so nice, but an A36 bonanza would be quite suitable as well.

If an A36 will do ya, then stick with it. The Malibu runs into a lot of additional maintenance costs with its turbocharged engine and pressurization and higher insurance costs with its less admirable safety record. Anyway, they always say your should buy a plane that can do 90% (or 95%, depending on whom you ask) of your envisioned missions. The rest you can find another way to do, and still come away a lot better off financially than buying the plane that does 100% of your envisioned missions and wasting its extra capabilities 90-95% of the time.