Looking to build 10 hours in a PA32-300
Hi all ! I recently finalized my purchase of a 1973 PA32-300. Insurance requires 10 hours of dual time with a CFI in type before i can fly the plane. I am still pushing this new plane through an annual and need to get it ferried, etc.
Hoping while the plane is in the shop, if any members here have a PA32-300 and would allow me to fly it one weekend for 10 hours, that would be amazing !
I live in Columbia, South Carolina. That being said, I can fly for a weekend to most places commercially.
Comments
Hi,
I have been in the same situation. It is often tough for a private pilot to extend their plane to you for something like this. Partly it is an insurance issue for them (open pilot warranty, etc). The next issue is the CFI might have a restriction from their employer on outside instruction or in a non club plane etc. They can also have open pilot issues related to time in type, etc. The third issue is who pays for gas and depreciation if the plane is lent out this way. The FAA could deem it a commercial activity and not legal.
I needed time in a Seneca III and eventually found a flight school that had one in Salt Lake City.
I found you a 300HP PA32-300 in St Petersburg that is a rental. I am sure there are others as well. Here is the link.
https://stpeteair.org/aircraft/piper-saratoga-n81kl/
Eric
Eric Panning
1981 Seneca III
Hillsboro, OR (KHIO)
Would you consider hiring an independent CFI to help you ferry the aircraft, and complete any reviews (BFR, IPC)? Advantage being you’ll complete your ten hours, be current, and know the avionics inside and out. Even though insurance doesn’t require it, the chief difference between one exemplar of a model and another is usually the avionics configuration. The more I think about it, the more surprised I am they don’t require configuration-specific training.
if you’re interested, I’ve had luck finding good CFIs through NAFI.
Bob
So thats what I did. I found a talented CFI who had flown this exact plane and getting him to help me with a ferry to an annual and then will help me with a checkout.
That's great news. Keep us posted on how the ferry flight and annual go.
Eric, I seem to recall you had a 400-series twin at one point. What was your transition and recurrent experience with that aircraft?
Bob
Bob,
I moved from a Cirrus SR22 to the 421C around 2012. Lucked out on insurance requirements and cost at the time. I had zero ME time going into it and no time in type. I first did my ME rating locally in a Cessna 310. I had a insurance acceptable pilot for the ferry flight who was also a CFI.
My insurance requirements were the 5 day simulator course, 16 hrs dual and 10 hrs solo before passengers.
The 421C flies great- keep it under gross, manage the engines and fly the numbers. Emergences can be a handful - should be extensively trained for. The engine cost is ~100k each and the geared design likes to crack cases.
The Part 91 accident rate is not great. It is a mini airliner with 8 seats, pressurization, 7450 lb gross and a fast approach speed. Expect to pay around $500k for one with fuel consumption around 40 gal/hr. Seems high but the Cirrus SR22 is around $1M now...
The Piper Seneca III is a perfect match of me now.
Eric
Eric Panning
1981 Seneca III
Hillsboro, OR (KHIO)
Eric, so you jumped from a fixed-gear single to the top of the piston twin fleet, all in a single bound. Not one to shy away from a challenge!
Was there an annual recurrent requirement, whether it be simulator, dual or solo?
Bob
Yep - crazy. Only requirement was annual IPC and Simcom or similar recurrent simulator training.
If I had a business write off and 8x my current income I might still have it ;)
Eric Panning
1981 Seneca III
Hillsboro, OR (KHIO)