New Pilot looking at 337’s

[Flyingcoyote225]

Hi guys! I’ve been poking around the board for some time and I wanted to ask a few questions and maybe get some more recent answers to see if anyone’s opinions about things has changed.

I’m a student pilot currently with about 45 hours and I’m looking for my first plane. I’ve always wanted my pilots license since I was old enough to walk and it so happens my daughter is going to school at Northern Michigan this fall and my wife said “wouldn’t it be easier to fly up there?” And it got the whole ball rolling. The flight would be from KPTK Pontiac to KSAW Marquette, about 400 miles with a water crossing. Anyway, I’m training in a cirrus sr20 which is a great plane but the cirrus planes are ridiculously expensive even used they command 400k+, and I don't see the value in a used cirrus and definitely not in a new 1.2 million dollar one. Not what I want to spend on my first (maybe last) plane. My wife and I also want to start exploring the country in our off-season since the kids are now grown. We own an asphalt paving company so we get quite a bit of time off in the winters Someone recommended a Skymaster to me because they were relatively easy to fly and insanely capable planes, especially in the winter months if you find one with boots/hot prop.

So that’s where I found the board. I guess I wanted someone’s honest opinion on the plane and if anyone in Michigan had one they’d be willing to show me an my wife and maybe a ride? I know it’s a retractable and a twin with all the increases expense there and that’s not an issue. Does the plane handle well? Is it easy enough to fly for a low hour pilot? Is there anything you see wrong with the mission fit? Is there any CFI’s around in Michigan? Are parts hard to come by?

We found a plane were really interested in but it’s in Colorado so we were trying to see if anyone was closer by to dig into the plane a bit deeper prior to heading out to Colorado. I was also going to post the same questions on the board.

I fly out of KPTK.

Thanks again in advance!

[Dr.Dan]

Others with more experience will chime in I'm sure, but I'll give you my perspective as another novice pilot.
I bought a pressurized skymaster as my first plane after completing my PPL. I also did conventional multi training on a seneca. The reason I got the skymaster is because it suits my mission well which is flying over the Rockies between Alberta and British Columbia. I like idea of two engines while over big snowy mountains. I also really like the pressurization so I can get up over the rocks.
As mentioned, I am a novice pilot but the skymaster is generally easy to fly. It was a decent step up in speed over the 172 I trained on, but not too different from the seneca. Operating costs are significant due to the two engines and complex systems, but so far, in my opinion it's worth it.

DD

[MSGP]

The Skymaster is a great flying platform. It is economical to purchase and if properly maintained it will give you years of use. I've owned 5 from an A to a P, loved ever one of them. There are complex and require maintenance from someone experienced in maintaining the Skymaster. Be carefull in your pre-buy, only using an experience Skymaster mechanic to inspect your selection. Deferred maintenance can be very expensive. Great to fly, if you buy a P model make sure it's airconditioned.

[JeffAxel]

Check with an insurance agent, especially if you are getting a P Skymaster. You might find insurance to be very expensive or unobtainable with only 45 hours. A thorough pre buy is a must, lots of stuff on a Skymaster that can break and lots of 337s out there with poor maintenance histories that have sat without flying for long periods which can lead to all sorts of issues when you start flying them. They are wonderful planes, but they are not cheap twins to own, they have all the stuff any other twin has plus they can be a little more difficult to work on because of how Cessna packaged all the parts into the airframe. I still miss my P337 in some ways, but it was spendy for what you get compared to other twins of similar performance. JMHO.

[B2C2]

I live on the west coast and fly a T337D. Its a turbo but non pressurized. It has a higher service ceiling than the P models surprisingly. This is the first plane I have owned, and I have had it for 10 years. Its an amazing airplane. I fly across country every few years and it has no problems with the mountains. The onboard oxygen system works, and I use the mountain high aviation portable oxygen systems which gives me many hours of oxygen on a single fill. I bought it in decent shape, and have added a new panel and yearly maintenance, fixing non-critical systems as I go to get everything fixed up. My annuals vary. Last years was over $20K but had to repair a loose turbocharger. Usually they are 10-15K. But you can do a lot of those before coming close to the $400k for a cirrus and you get the second engine, which for me is a game changer. Also gas costs more. I have GAMI injectors and run LOP, but still around 19 GPH. That's the overhead for that second engine. But worth its as I said. I have flown it across the great lakes and the sea of cortez and been a happy camper. You wont regret it if you find a nice one.

[TomeHill79]

I live in Vermilion, OH and I'd be happy to fly up to PTK for a flight. I have a '68 C model. It's an incredibly capable airplane! We've flown it 4 time to the Bahamas and have two more trips planned this summer! I have family up in Iron Mountain, MI and the flight up there is always a breeze! Txt me and I can set up a test flight.
Andrew
440-373-7962

[mshac]

You'll be just fine with a NA Skymaster. There is no safer or more docile twin available, and its nice and roomy on the inside.

Single engine operations are so smooth and predictable you have to verify the dead engine with the gauges - your feet will still be on the floor. The biggest issue is the loss of airspeed, generally about 20-25 knots. Landing with one engine is the same as with two engines, and you still have a reasonable 300-400 FPM climb rate available in case of go-around.

Negatives? Not the fastest bird in the sky, a few overly-complex systems, and very heavy on pitch. A few embarrassing landings may be in store until you become accustomed to the heavy pitch forces. If you've flown Cessna 180 and 210 series aircraft, the pitch forces are very similar. If you're coming out of a Bonanza, you've got some "getting used to" in your future.

NA models are no harder to insure than any other piston twin, and there are many reports of low-time pilots getting coverage at a "reasonable" rate.

Insurance is the bug-a-boo for P-models. Dr. Dan, who bought one as his first airplane, and myself, a retired airline pilot, would both be required to go to the same annual recurrent sim training. (If Dr. Dan could even GET insurance.)

No credit is given to me for my 1000's of flight hours and dozens of recurrent sim sessions, all in pressurized aircraft models. Off to sim school you go! (says the ins. company). This is true for ALL pressurized aircraft nowadays.

Dr. Dan MUST have paid cash for his P-model, as I did for mine.

CASH IS KING BABY! You can tell the insurance companies to go suck a rock, as I have, and keep that $15K or whatever it is for MX costs.

And don't start on about liability - No one on this board has over 1MM via their AC policy, and that won't even begin to cover the costs of hitting a bizjet on a ramp, or dealing with any type of fatality event.

Insurance doesn't cover you - its like wearing a speedo!

Listen to how ILLOGICAL modern aviation insurance is - I inquired about getting "not-in-motion" coverage to protect against hail, tornadoes, theft, vandalism, etc. NO COVERAGE if the AC is "in-motion". Most AC insurers, including most of the big ones, refused to even offer me this coverage. And the few that offer it require a liability policy and annual sim school for NOT IN MOTION coverage. Has the insurance industry lost its freaking mind???

[B2C2]

FWIW, I get my insurance from the AOPA insurance outfit. Assured Partners. They bid out to other companies. My policy was written by AIG. I currently pay 2.8K for 1M liability, 100k medical per passenger and 93K hull value with zero deductible not in motion, not in flight and in flight. My policy has drifted around. Initially it was about 3.5K when I was new to the airplane. Its come down over the years then drifted up with everything else. I have tried to get higher hull value and probably could but haven't had the patience to create the documentation for it. My airplane is non-P. I don't currently have any requirements for the policy. At one point they asked for an IPC but I do an IPC every 6 months anyway, so it wasn't an issue.

[n86121]

You are flying sole, or with family, at night, over mountains, IFR, ....whatever.

Something goes wrong.

Complete the following sentence:

"Darn, I wish I was flying in a _________"

"Skymaster" is the correct answer every time.