I would love some advice on buying my first plane. I am deciding between a 210 and a saratoga. First, I will describe my mission and then a couple of options that have fallen into my lap.
Before I get into my mission, 2 things of note. 1. I currently am a student pilot with 60 hrs and about 2-3 months left to finish up my ppl. (Started 10 years ago.. apparently I'm a slow learner!
My training has been in ratty 172's. My plan is go right into my IFR training as soon as I finish my ppl. 2. I am very safety minded and will definitely be having CFI/ mentor pilots all along the way, thru each season change, etc. I know that this is fun and all, but this hobby has the ability to kill me, I get it! I promise to be safe!
I have 2 main missions. My primary use will be for business. Usually 3-4 people and camera gear. The good news is that I weigh 155 and my main coworker is maybe 130. I will be based in TN and will mostly be flying 200-500nm for business.
My other and most important mission is flying my wife and children to her see her family in Richmond, VA. It is about 400nm from my homebase. My kiddos are 3,2, and 4 months.... (I have a hot wife, and yes, I have been snipped We are also major travel bugs and will be taking lots of 2-3 day trips with the family to see friends around the country (200-500nm). Speed is a BIG deal for us since the kiddos have a major time limit in a confined space. The good news is that my business is finally to the point where I don't have major time crunches. I am flexible and if I get weathered out, it is not that big of a deal.
So... which airplane to get... Obviously, I want a malibu/ mirage/ meridian/ or jetprop, but that day is not today. There are only 3 options that my family can fit in for my price range. Saratoga, 210, or A36 bonanza. I am trying to spend 175 or less. That pretty much takes out the bonanza due to acquisition cost and higher operational cost. So I'm left with either a Early saratoga or a 210.
#1. There is a 1976 T210L that is on my field right now that has fallen into my lap. This is the most immaculate cessna that I have ever seen. It has a brand new 520R engine with about 80 hours on it. I personally know the seller and this plane would really have little to no surprises. Excellent paint, interior is good, panel is a nice Aspen, stec-30 AP, 430 (non-waas I think), and a panel mounted 796. No ADS-B yet. Also, I think this seller would give me a pretty great deal.
#2. The best deals I can find on saratogas are getting a Saratoga SP. There is one that I am looking at that has a bunch of speed mods, 250hr engine, great paint, and interior. It has had some minor damage, but has been repaired and flown ~150 hrs since. For avionics, it has a GTN750 with ADS-B, and old AP, and a panel mounted 796. It seems pretty nice, but it will be a much bigger hassle to do due diligence on, than the T210 that is on my field. However, it seems like the cabin of the saratoga would be much better for my young family. So the biggest question is whether I should go with the easier route that is on my field, or take the time to find a saratoga? (I am really thinking this is a 2-5 year plane for me either way)
Any thoughts and opinions would be much appreciated. BTW- I have already been quoted insurance of 4.5k for the 1st year. I know that noone loves the idea of a low time pilot in a high performance, complex airplane. But, I am committed to the training and won't fly my family without a copilot for quite a while. Thank you in advance,
Ben
Before I get into my mission, 2 things of note. 1. I currently am a student pilot with 60 hrs and about 2-3 months left to finish up my ppl. (Started 10 years ago.. apparently I'm a slow learner!
My training has been in ratty 172's. My plan is go right into my IFR training as soon as I finish my ppl. 2. I am very safety minded and will definitely be having CFI/ mentor pilots all along the way, thru each season change, etc. I know that this is fun and all, but this hobby has the ability to kill me, I get it! I promise to be safe! I have 2 main missions. My primary use will be for business. Usually 3-4 people and camera gear. The good news is that I weigh 155 and my main coworker is maybe 130. I will be based in TN and will mostly be flying 200-500nm for business.
My other and most important mission is flying my wife and children to her see her family in Richmond, VA. It is about 400nm from my homebase. My kiddos are 3,2, and 4 months.... (I have a hot wife, and yes, I have been snipped
We are also major travel bugs and will be taking lots of 2-3 day trips with the family to see friends around the country (200-500nm). Speed is a BIG deal for us since the kiddos have a major time limit in a confined space. The good news is that my business is finally to the point where I don't have major time crunches. I am flexible and if I get weathered out, it is not that big of a deal. So... which airplane to get... Obviously, I want a malibu/ mirage/ meridian/ or jetprop, but that day is not today. There are only 3 options that my family can fit in for my price range. Saratoga, 210, or A36 bonanza. I am trying to spend 175 or less. That pretty much takes out the bonanza due to acquisition cost and higher operational cost. So I'm left with either a Early saratoga or a 210.
#1. There is a 1976 T210L that is on my field right now that has fallen into my lap. This is the most immaculate cessna that I have ever seen. It has a brand new 520R engine with about 80 hours on it. I personally know the seller and this plane would really have little to no surprises. Excellent paint, interior is good, panel is a nice Aspen, stec-30 AP, 430 (non-waas I think), and a panel mounted 796. No ADS-B yet. Also, I think this seller would give me a pretty great deal.
#2. The best deals I can find on saratogas are getting a Saratoga SP. There is one that I am looking at that has a bunch of speed mods, 250hr engine, great paint, and interior. It has had some minor damage, but has been repaired and flown ~150 hrs since. For avionics, it has a GTN750 with ADS-B, and old AP, and a panel mounted 796. It seems pretty nice, but it will be a much bigger hassle to do due diligence on, than the T210 that is on my field. However, it seems like the cabin of the saratoga would be much better for my young family. So the biggest question is whether I should go with the easier route that is on my field, or take the time to find a saratoga? (I am really thinking this is a 2-5 year plane for me either way)
Any thoughts and opinions would be much appreciated. BTW- I have already been quoted insurance of 4.5k for the 1st year. I know that noone loves the idea of a low time pilot in a high performance, complex airplane. But, I am committed to the training and won't fly my family without a copilot for quite a while. Thank you in advance,
Ben
