Life after the Baron

The rumors are true...  I've just sold my beloved plane and watched her fly away with the new owner into a misty overcast.  I no longer own the "G55" Baron.  Crazy I know, everyone is telling me I'm a dolt and a fool and they're probably right.  I'm pretty confident I had one of the top three nicest BE-55's on the planet, the best Colemill 600 and certainly the best fully deiced 55 I've ever seen.   I went through every detail of the plane...  from the SRS aluminum elevators to the chromed gas caps, to the carbon fiber recessed side panels, glare shield and headliner with touch led overhead lights...   and of course, those plush Tim Hallock seats and carpet which provided a stately view when looking out of those big, beautiful DBM windows.  I literally restored every inch of the entire plane including putting factory engines on it and a stunning Copeland paint job... did I mention the panel?  Everything was done, and at no small expense.  But alas, the song of bigger, faster, further, higher...

Like many planes of this caliber, it never hit the market.  It went to a fellow BTer and all around awesome guy.  Of course I lost my shirt on her, but it was a fair enough deal for a top of the market plane and I didn't have to deal with marketing it or tire kickers.  I'm just tickled that it's going to such a great guy and family.  It served us well for 7 years and 1,000 hrs and I'm sure it will continue to be in great hands.  A frictionless sale with literally not a single argument or point of contention.  Yes, I do have first rights of buyback should he ever decide to sell!

So... what's next?  As I said, I'm thinking bigger, faster, higher, further.  Of course aviation is a compromise so I can probably pick one of those criteria...

You don't have to convince me that a turboprop is a game changer.   The "personal" turbine seems to be the Meridian so I researched it.  I wanted to love it... I really did.  I joined MMOPA (great group),  and even took a test ride with an awesome an knowledgable owner.  But try as I might I just can't fall in love with the plane.  Compared to the expansive view in the Baron it feels like looking out of two tank slits.  I wormed my 6'4" frame into the pilot seat and sat awkwardly and somewhat uncomfortably.  It feels smaller than my Baron inside...  but it's a turboprop!  and pressurized!  and it goes 260 kts!  but oh my the expenses...  The yearly taxes alone would dwarf my entire maintenance budget on the Baron, not to mention the purchase price.   My mission is family trips.  The replacement plane will have no real job.  I fly professionally 400 hrs a year but this bird sees 100-150 hrs a year at most.  A turbine would be great but hard to justify with that amount of usage.  Maybe a partnership in a bigger turbine?  If only one were forthcoming...  

Pressurized piston twin?  Well the cream of the crop is the 421 in my opinion.  Bigger, yes.  Faster?  Not really.  But it's pressurized.  So much junk on the market.  Do I really want to climb the maintenance mountain on a 30 year old pressurized piston twin?  Not really... maybe really definitely most likely no?

My wife would love something pressurized that rides the bumps well.  My oldest son gets airsick super easily.  That would help.  I fly my mother in law a lot, and she always struggled to climb the wing and get in the Baron with her bad back... air stair, cabin class would be nice.  Something faster would be great, could we fly to Minnesota to visit my wife's sister in a reasonable amount of time?   What we really need is a Pilatus or a Honda Jet!  Some day, later...

Anyway it's a tough call.  I've got my mind on one model that tugs at my heart strings, and I bought a big hangar that will fit it.  But we shall see...