[gkey]

ipasgas1,

First off, as anesthetist I find your avtar name cool!

I have flown 172, 182, Arrow, Seneca II, and Skymaster. I still have my beloved 172N and 337G. My wife refuses to get into a plane with only one engine - I think it is irrational, but it's her choice. On the other hand, she greatly enjoys our trips in the 337. If I have to make a choice again, I would take the 337 again, hands down. I bought my 337 two years ago. I always wanted to upgrade the panel, but could not get enough reason to get past my chartered accountant for that one. Then, last year in August, I had an electrical fire and most of my centre stack, including my S-Tec55 burnt out. That proved to be a mixed blessing, because I got my wish to upgrade to the newest stuff I want to have in my panel, and GKEY is approaching her final stages of complete panel make-over, glass panel Aspen-and-Garmin style.

And you know what? They don't built 'em like they did with the 337's anymore. She is one sturdy beast, has enormous versatility and awesome flying characteristics only an in-line can offer, fly high or low, fast or slow (in fact, with the Robertson STOL during slow flight it feels like you can overtake her on a bicycle!), super-long distances, she loads like a truck and never moans, almost impossible to get out of C of G, she can handle G-forces like no other GA plane her size because of her O-2 heritage (this thing is built like a tank) and therefore make a canyon turn as tight as YOU are comfortable with.

And the aftermarket mods are vast. One of the best inital investments IMHO is the cargo pod, which can also double as a skid cusion in case of a gear-up landing, and thereby save your life, and keep the plane PERFECTLY intact with no engine tear-downs (if you do it right!).

Give me a 337 any day and I am as happy as a pig in mud.