best twin for training?
 

Morning ppl,

Firstly,as a newbie to this game reading these forums for a while now(almost a year) Iv had some great laughs and learnt a lot. This is just more of a general interest/training question.

Im about to start my training for my cpl and adding a MECIR onto it in one go, as to where Im doing this isnt important(seems to be a hot topic, and no...its not REX). But they do their training in a twin comanche.

My question is...what is the best small twin to have an endorsment on? From research Iv done Beech, Chieftian and the Comanche seem to be fairly well used, but which one do most operators use or favor? I know endorsments and a job on a twin is a bit off for a fresh CPL, but Id like to know if once I complete this endorsment, am I going to have to look at doing a rating for another type sooner rather than enjoying the rating I have already? How keen are operators to get you endorsed on their type if your not already rated? I mainly asume that time and $ are the key factors, but is it a big hassel or par for the course?

Cheers:ok:

If you can do it in a BE95 travelair I'd recommend it. It covers the Be55 endo and if you can get 55/58 time that will get you up to speed on 310s and Ac50's which are the types you're more than likely to fly in your first twin job. Consider a PA31 endo down the track, at over $600/hr dual (for a nav let alone a chief) you'd be mad to do your MECIR in one... Unless you're Rick Kelly.

The 95 is very forgiving but is a good intro into twins and the Baron. They're a lot cheaper than barons 310s or similar aircraft to hire but you end up with "3" endo's. The 95 is readily available in Melbourne and once you hold your MECIR you wont have any problems hiring a BE55, a 58 will need about 100ME CMD. Both the 95 and 55 are very capable aircraft, the 95 CAN carry 5pax at about 160KTAS but its a stretch the 55 does it easy and at about 175KTAS. These are reputable speeds for any GA piston machine and will teach you good engine management and approach planning. :ok:

Not sure if thats available to you but I hope that advice helps.

Good luck.

Wow, I never had the money to consider anything above a crappy Seneca for a twin endo. (That and the fact that operators heard I was coming and hid their nice aircraft and only hired the aircraft to me that they wanted to collect insurance on.) There's a lot to be said for flying a piece of low performing junk in your training. It makes you keep an eye and ear on everything, you get to know what's under the floor through the holes in the carpet, you make doubly sure of the undercarriage linkages, it makes the move to a higher performing aircraft much more exhilarating and even Tour de France riders look at your legs with envy after a week of single engine work.

The best is the cheapest serviceable twin you can get your hands on.

Stick to the singles mate and learnt to crawl before you can walk. A CPL is a licence to learn and once you operate a single commercially you will work out how much you don't know.

GG

Yeah, the MECIR can wait, you'll only need to keep it current which will set you back lots of $$$ as torque said. Cut your teeth on singles, get some experience and you'll find flying a twin no worries when the time comes.

When I did my CPL, instead of a night rating I did a SECIR. Was a good intro to IFR procedures and a lot cheaper to keep current. When the time came, instead of doing a renewal I did my initial twin endo and upgraded to a MECIR which was quite a simple process :ok:

Just something to think about anyway

Best twin for the initial twin is a PA-30 Twin Comanche.

I did my initial twin/constant speed/retractable in the PA-30 with a total of 100 hours in my logbook, and then was offered a very good deal by the owner and finished up doing my CPL in the same aircraft.

John Lindsay from the CAA did my CPL flight test in the aircraft and after putting me through the hoops was happy to sign me out.

Just to prove that a lot of Pprune experts know sweet fa about aviation, my first cpl job was flying a Partenavia around for a small charter company.

Cheapest
 

Good move. Do you Instrument rating so you can start getting the renewals each year. A lot of companies have requirements for so many renewal to join. I got through GA and Regionals.

If you don't have a night rating, don't bother. Do your 5 hours solo in the circuit in a 152 and get on with it. You could do your 50 hrs X-country, night solo and get straight into your IR, knock off a few more hrs and do your CPL flight test. It saves you ca$h. It did for me 12 years ago. You would be more than up to speed for the CPL test.

The cheapest is the best and you can add on later if you wish. Duchess was the cheapest when I done mine and nice to fly. :ok:

Enjoy mate, you will learn a lot doing the Instrument Rating. :)

Aero 145

:E

Where do you new guys get the money up-front from? Is it Daddy's, have you made a killing on the stock market trading futures before your 21st birthday, or have you convinced a bank to give it to you on the 'never never'? That's probably why we have the GFC.. (Its not MY debt).
Had done a year instructing on singles, and another 3 or 4 general charter (with a little time out doing something else) before the company allowed me to hire their Baron at a reduced rate for my first twin. Then it was another 3 years before the opportunity for a MECIR was available.. Know things change, and we all want to get ahead quickly, but really.. Hope you have been a quick learner and you have had some exposure to 'what can go wrong' before my relatives travel in an aircraft with you..

Frigatebird, although I agree to some extent of what you say about newbies affording everything up front remember that not all start out their flying career as their first job these days. Many work very hard in another industry to get the funds together to be able to afford to pay for their own training, I know thats how I did it.

Well done !!

And thats how I did it too.. Didn't get my Commercial til I was 23, and the Aero Club allowed me to put half the Instructor Rating on the a tab which was reduced as I did an hour instructing for them. Ways and means..

Was just asking the modern way..

John Lindsay from the CAA did my CPL flight test in the aircraft

and a fine fellow, the angry ant ..... fond memories of several renewals with John.

Suggest considering the Partenavia for the initial foray ? Nice, stable, easy to operate I/F platform (fuel crossfeed idiosyncrasies aside) .. you can then worry about the other nastier animals later on.

Peter Fanelli, Did'nt you do your initial MECIR in the same smoke filled Seneca 1 that I did?:confused::hmm::eek::ugh:

'Those were the days!!':D

Yes I did Pinky, I think it should be law that initial twin endorsements and instrument ratings must all be done in smoke filled Senecas!

Slow learner? :ugh:

Yeah mate.. but thorough -- and a survivor --

Wished someone had told me to leave the MECIR till later after finishing the CPL. As I found out, the first 2 or 3 years in GA it was as useless as tits on a bull!!:ugh::ugh::ugh:Then spending $$$$$ to keep it current???????

So 3x from Melb, how fast did you do it, and whose money did you use..?

Who gives a rat's?

Too embarassing to admit to, if its any of the three..
Some only slag, without offering benefit of experience.. sad really.
Right .. who gives a rats.. nuff said