Aerostar Endo near Sydney
 

Hi guys,

I am looking for somebody who can endorse me on the Piper Aerostar, preferably near Sydney. The aircraft to be used is a 601P based in Mudgee currently.

Thanks,

Pacific Flight Service/Crane Air at Bankstown might be able to help.

Check the CASA Aircraft Register for Aerostars and work from there!

And make sure that the person doing the endorsement is knowledgeable about the aeroplane. The Aerostar is a fun beast but a beast it is.

Sportscar of the sky
 

My favourite airplane to fly, by far.

It isn't a hard plane to fly at all, but is unforgiving of mishandling or incompetence. As long as you stick to the speeds like glue, you shouldn't have anything but fun.

What catches people out is letting it get slow around the downwind to base turn.

Regardless, if I had the cash, I'd buy two tomorrow!

Great, thanks for the replies everyone. Something to work on now anyway.

In terms of the commercial operation of these machines, has anybody got an opinion in the practicality of carrying freight/pax vs operating costs in comparison to the likes of a Chief or 402? The dry hire rate we have negotiated still seems expensive to me vs the useful load, but perhaps clients prefer/require/enjoy the extra speed?

Designed by the right guy !!!!!!!

If you want to buy one I know Wingaway has one that they will sell you super cheap, plus provide the AOC to operate it.

A bit off topic, hope you don't mind.

I've never flown one, I have watched one crash however. I was asked by "flight service" (remember them?) to watch and report when an Aerostar (601P) landed. It had an engine failure and was intending onlanding at the field I was at.
I watched it down final until at about 100feet the pilot decided a go-around was in order.
Initially it climber about 50 feet I guess then a gradual descent until it crashed into a wooded area about 500 metres away.
I suspected some serious njuries or worse, but fortunately, all were fine. The pilot had been knocked unconscious and had a cut on his head however he recovered no problems.

Back in the day, they used to use them for freight/bank runs out of YSBK. Even Airtex used them for that (PWY and IGN).

I don't know the specifics of what it cost, but it has been done.

Check out the Aerostar with jet engines, no joke

That's a Westwind. ;)
I really liked the Aerostar as well, they have a lovely feel to them and a great turn of speed. The one I flew (601P VH-HFY) was capable of flying faster (235 kts) and higher (25,000') than some of the Metro 3's I flew.

You should see HFY now ;)

If you don't have any luck around Sydney, I did mine with Chris Gobel in Bendigo. Great machine, still enjoying every hour. Ours can carry 2 hrs of fuel plus all reserves and 490 kg of payload, cabin is nowhere near the size of a Chieftain, slightly roomier than a C210. Pax love it though. Enjoy!

Wings Level
 

The NSW countryside is littered with 601 gear doors from putting wheels down when not absolutely straight and level. You have been warned...:eek:

Aerostar convention
 

Next weekend you'll find a few Aerostars being hosted by Pilotette up that certain creek.....

It's not so much putting gear down in a turn, but with sideslip present. Of course a sideslip is more likely in a turn due pilots being lazy on rudder use.

If memory serves me correctly, there are 3 within a few miles of Hay, NSW!

I can do the endorsement. PM me if interested.

^this^
You also should throw the wheels out at the lowest speed you can.

Don't forget the other 2 rules:

* Slow flight and PA60 aerodynamics are mutually exclusive, and
* Always put the maximum amount of fuel in the belly tank, not the wings.

And if you are on final a bit faster than usual and not sure why---check you have put the gear down!

This is true, the more the merrier! We'll have 5 Aerostars together on the weekend so far, dinner together on Friday night. :ok:

You don't want to make a Bourke of yourself, Hay.

TOSS
 

You'll find that if you can leave it on the ground for an extra 10 to 15 kts on the takeoff run, the climb performance improves exponentially!!
Refer to the mutually exclusive statement. Again,you've been warned.
That bloke that made a Bourke of it, talk about 100 miles behind it all!!
If you are hot and high in it, about the only option left is s & l, slow it down, and orbit.
Apart from all the negative comments, absolutely lovely thing to fly.

And be careful closing the pilot door with prop turning lest it take your fingers....:mad:

More to do with the distraction of a slower aircraft in the circuit who was also taking a long time to vacate the runway. I don't think the other comments are negative but valid comments from people who have flown a great plane. The number one consideration being treat this aircraft with the utmost respect and enjoy the challenge.

In the same vein as above, if you're taxying around on a hot day, with the upper door open to get the breeze, and a bit of paper blows out, don't try and grab it, just let it go!

One guy who can fly the 600 is Jim Franklin in "ZAR" do a youtube search.
I guess he unlike Bob Hoover keeps those Lycomings near the red line.

Heh you just reminded me of one time the Sydney controllers held me up high on the drop into Bankstown from the west. They told me to expedite descent as well and so naturally I ended up entering downwind at something like 220 kts. Called the tower ASAP after being released from Sydney Approach and they told me I was number five in the circuit and told me what each of the previous four planes were. By the time he finished I'd passed three of them and still doing about 180 kts ... "Sorry but we're now #2 in the circuit and I'm going to need another lap to slow down!"