Bonanza for me?

saddletramp

saddletramp

Line Up and Wait
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saddletramp
I've been searching for a 182 since I got back into flying last fall. I thought it would suit my needs best. I'm not in a big hurry & am willing to wait for a good deal.

Last week I run into a great deal on a S35 Bonanza. It's locally owned & my wife & I are taking it for a spin (not literally) tomorrow.

The more I've pondered the Bonanza the more I'm intrigued with the idea. I feel it's an airplane I won't get bored with.

In my search for 182's it appears I can get a lot more airplane with a Bonanza. I recognize it will be more expensive to own but will fill my travel needs much better.

It will be interesting test flying it tomorrow.
 
You want a lot of airplane for Bo type of money, take a spin in a C180
 
A 180 would be my dream airplane. It is my first choice but they are asking premium prices for them.

In the long term a 180/185 might be the best investment. The one's I like are always $120,000 plus. That's more than I want to spend right now.
 
S35 would be a very nice airplane. It's all about what you want out of an aircraft. Going for a ride is the only way to find out.

I'm partial.
 
Just watch the tail doesn't come off! :hairraise:

I kid, I kid! :rofl:
 
No, you have it all wrong. You need a Bonanza... oh wait. :)
I agree, the S35 is a sweet spot
 
saddletramp said:
In my search for 182's it appears I can get a lot more airplane with a Bonanza. I recognize it will be more expensive to own but will fill my travel needs much better.
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For an annual budget, whether it costs more or less will depend on
- where fuel prices are going
- how many miles you intend to travel

There are a number of reasons your fixed cost is going to be higher:
- slightly more complex annual requiring a gear swing
- need to occasionally overhaul the MLG gearbox or motor
- need to occasionally replace bushings and part in the gear and gear-doors as they wear out
- some time-limited components (wing-bolts)
- occasional need to strip&paint the magnesium elevator skins.

You will travel considerably further on the same amount of fuel. If your flying is counted by 'miles', the Bo is going to be cheaper on a per-mile basis. If your flying is counted in 'hours', the 182 is going to be cheaper on a per-hour basis.

The main reasons you are going to spend a lot more are:
- you'll have so much fun flying it, you will be looking for places to fly to even if you didn't have anything planned
- with the speed of a clean S-model, you'll realize that you can beat the airlines on speed and price within a 800nm radius (direct cost only)

Come over to beechtalk. Ask for a trusted mechanic in your area to inspect the plane before you buy. There is a lot of benefit to buying local.
 
If you decide to buy the Bonanza get a BPT or ABS shop to do a thorough pre buy - ideally someone near you who can do annuals and major maintenance items. Dave Monti in Nevada is not that close but is one of the best. If you join ABS there is a list of shops - a couple in Spokane area but I don't know anything about them

This link may only work if you join ABS:

https://www.bonanza.org/images/pdf/prepurchaselocations.pdf

BPT training is very helpful once you get to the flying part. I'm currently at one of their events and used a BPT instructor for transition training.

http://www.pbpt.org/

Just bought a Bonanza and one thing (among many) I have learned is the importance of the mechanic / shop. You can join Beechtalk and ask for advice there. Many S35 experts on the site. Be warned - if you fly a Bonanza you may be hooked.
 
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This is like coming into a bar and asking the bartender if having a drink is a good idea. ;)
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
This is like coming into a bar and asking the bartender if having a drink is a good idea. ;)
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Oh....chute Bryan. :D:goofy:

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Beech built more than 17000 of them since 1947 a lot of people love them.
 
brian];2011155 said:
So, did we buy the S35?
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Not yet. After flying it yesterday though I'm pretty hot after it. The owner & I still haven't established a price. I hope we can get together this week.

The flight went well & even though the plane hadn't been started since October she fired right up. A local CFI that I know & who has lots of time in the acft did the demo flight. I insisted he sit left seat because I wanted to listen & play with knobs while he took care of the flying part. I also have thousands of hours right seat as CFI so flying from the right seat seems natural to me. I performed a few turns & it felt real good. Everything seemed to work. I didn't test the IFR instruments on an approach but they seem to function. We ran her hard & at 4,000 feet we saw 176 knots ground speed on a calm day. Pretty impressive! I told the demo pilot it would have done better than that if he'd remembered to close the cowl flaps. He just smiled & said "oops".

My wife had never been in an airplane with the wing on the wrong side before but agreed the air traffic would be easier to spot. She also liked the view into the airport.

If the owner & I can agree on a price & everything else checks out I'll probably pull the plug on this bird.

I'll let ya all know. :D
 
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saddletramp said:
If the owner & I can agree on a price & everything else checks out I'll probably pull the plug on this bird.
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Make your agreement conditinal of inspection by a shop of your choice. Not to nickle and dime the seller but to avoid big issues at the first annual. Consider doing a prebuy/annual even if the plane is not due for some time. February is a good time to have your annual anyway.
 
My most resent Beech Crap story.

We have a friend that owns a A-36, It yellow and that is about all I know about it. He comes to me when he is out of money for free advice. Wed. this week he asked to come by the shop and ask questions about what he should do.

He brings the tail cone for the A-36 to show me how all the attaching screws had ripped out. I looked at this thing and was amazed it was nothing but pressed cardboard. I actually measured the thickness it was .085" paint and all.
The reason it failed was, some smart one had mounted a strobe power supply in the cone, and the paper structure could not cope with the added weight.
I told him to get a new one, he said the junk yard ones were 300-500 if you can find one.

He bought this A-36 two years ago, he could not get insurance until he has 25 hours in it, so he hires an instructor to ride along as a transition instructor. 3rd time around the pattern, both forgot to put the gear down. 1 and a half years later he flew it again, now is in annual at over $3500.00 and still not done.
 
+1 on Beech Talk now.

The S35 is a fairly modern aircraft - at lest compared to what I fly. We do have a lot of Beech and ex Beech knowledge in the area. (Local company was a Beech repair shop for decades.) Having someone that knows how to spot magnesium corrosion is important. (Not seen any cardboard in my tail cone so I can't speak to that one.)

Also important: someone that knows that gear. I've only had one guy wanting to "tweak" the gear on mine (like you might a Cessna or one of the other hydraulic gear variants). Basically if you have a rod or rod end that is looking questionable - get a new one and make sure everything is well lubed.

Summary - someone that knows beech will save you a little money if by no other way fixing something before it becomes a problem.

I didn't do a full beech checkout (yet), but I have spent some time with a beech CFI from ABS (American Bonanza Society). Learned a lot about the aircraft that is just slightly different from the other brands I had been flying.
 
An S35 on my filed just went under contract.

The buyer flew in an Aerostar to look at it. He need a plane between the he Astar and his Cub so I heard.


1st world problems.
 
Tom-D said:
My most resent Beech Crap story.

We have a friend that owns a A-36, It yellow and that is about all I know about it. He comes to me when he is out of money for free advice. Wed. this week he asked to come by the shop and ask questions about what he should do.

He brings the tail cone for the A-36 to show me how all the attaching screws had ripped out. I looked at this thing and was amazed it was nothing but pressed cardboard. I actually measured the thickness it was .085" paint and all.
The reason it failed was, some smart one had mounted a strobe power supply in the cone, and the paper structure could not cope with the added weight.
I told him to get a new one, he said the junk yard ones were 300-500 if you can find one.

He bought this A-36 two years ago, he could not get insurance until he has 25 hours in it, so he hires an instructor to ride along as a transition instructor. 3rd time around the pattern, both forgot to put the gear down. 1 and a half years later he flew it again, now is in annual at over $3500.00 and still not done.
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I haven't found any cardboard in my Bonanza. My tailcone is aluminum, built light but fit for purpose - which doesn't include attaching heavy objects like a power supply.

I've never seen a single mention of "cardboard" parts in a Bonanza. This sounds strange to me.
 
Be sure to check for corrosion on the ruddervators! Tons of Bonanzas have that issue. I love Bonanzas myself but issue is most have ancient avionics so an upgrade will cost a lot of cash! If I found an S model with a newer Garmin panel for under 100k then I'd be all over that hotrod as well. But I see newer planes like older Cirrus and Mooney from 2000 year with new avionics for same price as an old Vtail.
 
mturnerb said:
I haven't found any cardboard in my Bonanza. My tailcone is aluminum, built light but fit for purpose - which doesn't include attaching heavy objects like a power supply.

I've never seen a single mention of "cardboard" parts in a Bonanza. This sounds strange to me.
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Cardboard was my impression, Beech probably has a longer word for it.
 
For those interested here's an update.

I finally got the value of the S35 from the owner. It was about what I expected.

I brought the flight manual home & thought I'd read through it & do some sample weight & balance problems.

So far so good. I feel much closer to becoming a Bonanza owner.
 
Congrats!

Now it is time to interview a few mechanics ...
 
I don't know anyone who's bought a Bo who doesn't just love it. I do know a couple who are tired of paying for it, though.
 
I've heard they fly well, until they don't, but are there any that are cheap and have a good useful load?

I want 800lbs in the cabin and enough fuel to be useful (call it 3.5 hours total)
 
I'm just afraid it'll come from together. If there were only a STC for a big red handle, I'd be flying a Bo tomorrow.

(Not a doctor)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
brian];2019779 said:
Congrats!

Now it is time to interview a few mechanics ...
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Agreed. My next step is to get the logbooks & do some extensive research. It's been with the same owner and under part 135 for over 20 years so I'm assuming everything will be in order.

The engine is at TBO but has low oil consumption & good compression so I'm hoping the engine will last a bit longer. I'm paying cash so I budgeted for a replacement engine fairly soon. Even if it needs a new engine right away I'll still be in it less money than the 182's I was looking at.

So far so good.
 
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