Jason and his wife, Morgan, discussed their options. They could purchase a different airplane or invest in the one they already had. A different plane would come with unknowns – unknown performance, unknown potential problems, and an unknown level of satisfaction with a new aircraft. So, they chose to upgrade; take a good thing and make it better.

Before the New Paint Goes On

N33422 was still in good condition mechanically. Howev­er, as they were preparing to paint the airplane, they discov­ered some things that needed repairs first.

A few of the gas tank rivets had developed leaks. His initial search for a gas tank at part’s yards left Jason empty-handed but he eventually found a replacement within driving distance, which removed the risk of the tank being damaged in shipment.

There was also some light hail damage to the stabilator and flaps that needed to be addressed. Jason was able to find a replacement with relative ease. The stabilator was made for known icing and was in perfect condition – just what he was looking for.

Jason’s Seneca II also got new wingtips with LED strobes, five new deice boots and a new one-piece windshield. Since the center support for the windshield had to be cut out, the airplane was updated with a vertical card compass. While the windshield was out, it also got a new glareshield.

Jason did much of his parts shopping online. Several air­plane yards list and sell their available parts on eBay.

Once those upgrades were finished, it was time to address the cosmetic changes. The new paint scheme used all the original colors but sported a more modern design. And with the new paint job came a new tail number. N33422 became N110MJ – a personalized number with more meaning to the whole family.

Finally, the interior was completely refurbished by a com­pany in the United Kingdom by “one of the best interior shops I have ever seen. The result was amazing and I have been very happy with it!”

According to Jason, the hardest part of the three-month process was waiting for it to be finished. It was a real chal­lenge for him not to have wings! But he, Morgan and their daughter now have a beautiful, mechanically sound Seneca that will serve them well for many years to come.

Jason completed his PPC in 2006 at the Georgetown Mu­nicipal Airport (KGTU) in Texas. He has since completed an instrument rating and a multi-engine rating. To pass the time while his plane was out of commission, he also did a single-engine sea rating

Before purchasing the Seneca II, Jason owned a Piper Cherokee 6. He appreciated the utility and size of the interior but wanted more. He was looking for the redundancy of two engines (in case of engine failure), turbos to take him higher, and an aircraft he could fly into known ice. “The Seneca II had the utility and interior I loved and also checked off the other boxes of things I wanted.”

Jason bought this airplane, sight unseen. He had been fol­lowing the owner on social media as he meticulously fixed the mechanicals over the course of several years. When Jason left a message on the forum saying he would own that plane someday, the owner responded he was willing to sell it. One week later, Jason was on his way to pick it up. He didn’t see any need for a prebuy since he watched its journey to becom­ing a reliable plane online.

Jason is thankful for the roomy cabin. At over 6′ tall, he flies with the pilot’s seat almost fully back. Even though it’s not as spacious as some cabin class twins, the only person who might feel crowded is the person sitting directly behind him. While six people can comfortably fly in N110MJ, some­times there’s not room for all their luggage. Jason finds four passengers and their baggage an ideal fit. A roomier, faster airplane has some appeal but would not be as economical to keep in the skies.

When asked how economical this aircraft is, Jason respond­ed, “If my wife is reading this, it’s about $100 an hour to fly. For all the other aviation friends, I would say it’s about three hours per AMU (aviation monetary unit).” Jason flies at 65% in cruise and burns 23 gph. Because he likes to fly high, and weather conditions can impact your plan, he always files IFR.

Fulfilling Its Mission

N110MJ spends a good deal of time in flight – 150-plus hours a year traversing the country. Jason and Morgan own a few short-term rental properties they try to visit once a year but their favorite place to fly into is Gastons Airport (3M0) in Arkansas. They land, stay on the water and eat the fresh rainbow trout they catch, which the resort restaurant cooks for them.

But Jason’s most memorable flight was from Texas to Ohio for a volleyball coaches’ convention. His mother was on the flight, along with Morgan and their daughter, Harper – just six weeks old and taking her first flight. She’s seven years old now and when they attended AirVenture in July, she was ea­ger to tell everyone her story. It sounds like another genera­tion of pilots in the making.

1975 Piper Seneca II (PA-34-200T) Specifications & Performance