Every week here at TTCF, we get questions from owners of high performance singles who are thinking about moving up to a twin. Some have \u201ctwin fever\u201d and have already made up their minds to upgrade. But most are very cautious and want to know everything possible before making the leap. My hat is off to the latter group, as moving up to a twin is something best done with a well-thought-out plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several different scenarios we hear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scenario 1:<\/strong> The most common is<\/p>\n\n\n\n that the owner and his family have outgrown their current airplane – usually a high performance single like a Cirrus. They\u2019ve had another child or the kids have grown larger and they now need a bigger airplane that can haul all the stuff they can \ufb01t into their SUV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scenario 2:<\/strong> The second scenario is that they have become concerned about \ufb02ying in a single engine airplane over water, over inhospitable terrain or at night. The idea of a second engine appeals to them from a safety standpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scenario 3:<\/strong> The \ufb01nal one is they\u2019ve been scanning Controller and Trade-A-Plane and see the prices of light twins and think \u201cwow, for what my Bonanza\/Cirrus\/210 is worth, I could buy one of these twins.\u201d This is the scenario that concerns me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, you can buy the twin, but do you need it from a mission standpoint, and can you afford to maintain it? (The phone calls I dread most are from Twin Cessna owners who have bought more airplane than they can afford. Consequently, they don\u2019t \ufb02y it and the airplane begins to deteriorate as it sits in the corner of a hangar, or even outside.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n With these scenarios in mind, here is what we tell prospective twin owners to consider before they buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider Your Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most pilots crave speed. If speed is all you want, stick with a single. Some of them are just as fast and do it at less cost. The fastest Twin Cessna is a 340 with a RAM VII conversion. RAM lists a cruise speed of 232 kts at 40.6 gph fuel consumption. The fastest production piston single is the Mooney Acclaim Type S. The Acclaim boasts a top speed of 242 kts with a more typical cruise of 230. But it does this at exactly half the fuel burn of a 340.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all you want to do is \ufb02y yourself and your buddy a couple of hundred miles to play golf at a nice resort, maybe the Mooney or 210 or Bonanza is all you really need. It certainly will cost you a lot less. But if you\u2019re \ufb02ying two couples, four sets of golf clubs and a week\u2019s worth of luggage, then a twin starts making much more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is your average \ufb02ight length and what kind of terrain do you \ufb02y over? As a general rule, long trips with mountainous terrain favor turbocharging. Short trips over \ufb02atland don\u2019t. There are exceptions, such as \ufb02ight in icing conditions when the extra climb capability that comes with turbos can be a lifesaver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your wife says she doesn\u2019t like \ufb02ying because it\u2019s too noisy and makes her ears pop, then congratulations, you\u2019ve just received a free pass to start looking for a 340! If you have a family of 6 and like to travel, consider a 421 to use instead of the airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider your mission and crunch<\/p>\n\n\n\n the numbers. All airplane purchase decisions involve some element of emotion, but if you include data and facts in your decision-making process you\u2019ll be much happier with your airplane in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make a Commitment to Training<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I won\u2019t get into the single versus twin safety debate here except to say that without a commitment to training, any advantage conferred by a second engine is lost. In fact, a twin pilot that is not pro\ufb01cient in engine-out procedures is likely more at risk than a pilot of a single.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making a commitment to annual recurrent training in a simulator (RTC, Flight Safety, SimCom) is best. But at minimum we recommend including simulator training as part of a new twin pilot\u2019s initial training. It\u2019s the only way to safely practice engine loss scenarios at low altitude. Then, at the very least, train annually with a competent multi-engine instructor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s more. To internalize what you learn during training, you must use it in your regular \ufb02ying. You must make a commitment to \ufb02y more \u201cprofessionally.\u201d Many singles can be \ufb02own by the seat of your pants, so to speak, since they have large margins of error built into their handling characteristics. Most twins do not. They need to be \ufb02own by the numbers. It\u2019s a more challenging type of \ufb02ying, but it\u2019s more rewarding as well. You\u2019ll be rewarded by the better performance of a twin versus single, but more importantly, you\u2019ll have achieved a higher level of pro\ufb01ciency, competency, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, without this commitment to training and professionalism, you might never be totally comfortable with \ufb02ying a twin. You\u2019ll come to dread your BFRs and IPCs. The airplane may wind up sitting in the hangar, deteriorating, until you decide to sell it someday at a considerable loss. I\u2019ve heard this story a number of times. Don\u2019t let it happen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go In With Your Eyes Wide Open Regarding Cost and Commit to Good Maintenance<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, check with your insurance agent. How much will it cost to insure your new twin? How much dual will the insurance company require before you can \ufb02y solo and will they require recurrent training?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will your home \ufb01eld tiedown or hangar fees increase if you upgrade to a twin? You\u2019ll certainly be paying twin rates at FBOs when you\u2019re out traveling. There may be higher fuel purchase requirements to waive ramp fees. These will be a small fraction of your overall costs, but they will be higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let\u2019s talk about maintenance. Some owners are experts at maintaining an airplane at minimum cost. If something goes wrong, they don\u2019t just drop it off at the shop and say, \u2018\ufb01x it.\u201d They \ufb01nd someone who can rebuild the part or they \ufb01nd a replacement part at a salvage yard. Downtime is much less important to them than minimizing the cost of the repair. I really admire these people. They know their airplanes, sometimes better than their shops do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others want to minimize their downtime and are willing to pay for it. Plus, they don\u2019t have the time or inclination to source parts, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personally, I\u2019m in the latter category. I bought my airplane to \ufb02y it and I want minimize my down time. I have parts shipped overnight. Whenever I\u2019ve replaced an engine, I\u2019ve always done an overhaul exchange in order to get it done quickly. To not be able to \ufb02y for days or weeks on end due to my airplane being down for maintenance would be more than I could bear! Needless to say, this type of maintenance is more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on the type of owner you are, consider the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1:<\/strong> Take an honest look at your \ufb01nances. What do you have to spend now on the purchase of an airplane? What are you likely to have available on an annual basis for maintenance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2:<\/strong> Get accurate data on the projected purchase price and cost of ownership of the airplane you want. (TTCF can provide this information for Twin Cessnas).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3:<\/strong> Prepare a conservative budget. We recommend the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Plan on the initial annual costing up to 3 or even 4 times the cost<\/p>\n\n\n\n of a \u201cnormal\u201d annual. Even the world\u2019s best pre-buy will not catch everything that needs to be done to the airplane. If you don\u2019t get a pre-buy done by a shop that specializes in Twin Cessnas, all bets are off. We\u2019ve seen situations where the cost of the \ufb01rst annual exceeded what the owner paid for the airplane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Always be \ufb01nancially prepared to replace an engine at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 In my experience, the happiest airplane owners are the ones who could have bought the next aircraft up the ladder but didn\u2019t in order to afford top-notch maintenance and upgrades. (For example, the 310 owner who could have afforded a 340, or the 421 owner who similarly could have bought a King Air 90, but then wouldn\u2019t have had much of a cushion left over for maintenance.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Do not skimp on your maintenance budget, or you will be constantly stressed at best, and grounded at worst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make Sure You Buy the Right Airplane<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve considered your mission and you know the exact make and model that \ufb01ts it. Of course, it\u2019s a Twin Cessna! You\u2019ve thought long and hard about the challenges of \ufb02ying a more complex airplane and you are committed to getting proper training. You\u2019ve prepared a conservative budget that doesn\u2019t \u201cstretch\u201d you and has some cushion in it. Now you are ready to \ufb01nd an airplane and make an offer. I have good news for you, it\u2019 a buyer\u2019s market and good deals abound!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. I\u2019d join the Twin Cessna Flyer and start taking advantage of all the information on our website. I\u2019d log onto the online member Forum and start asking big picture questions. What Twin Cessna model best \ufb01ts my mission? What does it really cost to own a Twin Cessna?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. I\u2019d immediately sign up for one of the TTCF Systems and Engine seminars. This is the very best thing a prospective owner can do to prepare for Twin Cessna ownership. I attended one prior to purchasing my \ufb01rst Twin Cessna, a T310R in 1999, and it saved me at least thousands, and more likely tens of thousands of dollars. I got a great airplane at a fair price and was very happy with it for many years. There were no surprises and it performed reliably and as advertised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. I would also call a shop that specializes in Twin Cessnas like TAS Aviation, DFW Aeromechanix, or Tom\u2019s Aircraft. I\u2019d tell them which model aircraft I was looking for and see if any of the ones they maintain might be for sale. Buying an aircraft maintained by one of these shops or another Twin Cessna specialist would considerably reduce the risk of unexpected maintenance surprises. Frankly, I\u2019d pay a signi\ufb01cant premium for one of these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. I\u2019d contact Jerry Temple and see what he had in inventory. Unlike many other brokers, Jerry goes over the aircraft he represents with a \ufb01ne-tooth-comb. No one in aircraft sales knows more about the Twin Cessnas market than Jerry. He has been working with these airplanes since they came off the assembly line in Wichita. His reputation for honesty is impeccable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Once I found the aircraft I wanted, I\u2019d have the prebuy done by TAS Aviation, DFW Aeromechanix, Tom\u2019s Aircraft, or another Twin Cessna specialist. I would spare no expense here even if I had to \ufb02y one of their mechanics to the airplane. Money spent on a top-notch prebuy is the best investment you\u2019ll make in your new twin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. I\u2019d buy the airplane and have the time of my life \ufb02ying it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you follow the above advice, you\u2019ll love owning your Twin Cessna. Buying it will be some of the best money you\u2019ve ever spend!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"