Baron 58
 

Anyone have any useful tips on operating the Baron? Eg. best starting techniques etc?...

well, it's one of those "widowmakers"... it earned that name due to the many fatalities and somewhat dangerous aircraft characteristics when entering bad weather....

Fly safe... :yuk:

Not even close to a widowmaker.
 

Are you thinking perchance of the Bonanza? It earned the nick-name "Doctor Killer" due to being frequently flown in poor weather conditions by wealthy professionals with little regard for their aviation abilities and limitations. I have 800 hours flying older model BE-58s single-pilot in almost all weather conditions (including light ice and LIFR) and can assure you it's a beautifully-handling bird (if it didn't kill me it's not likely to kill most professionals of average ability, ha!).

As to starting techniques, like other large fuel-injected recips, easier to start cold vs. hot. Low boost, mixture idle cut-off until it begins to fire, then full-rich and close the throttle. Good Luck!

Baron 58
 

which begs the question, why did so many women choose to marry poorly prepared pilots ? :{

It was actually called a Doctor Killer because Doctors could afford to buy them without the skills to fly them.

In reality they are a good machine with some quirks.

Damn good plane. Better performer than the B58P or B58TC. Not bad single engine performance for its class. At least if you lose an engine the remaining one probably won't take you to the scene of the accident.

Where I come from the Baron along with the good old Ted Smith Aerostar were referred to as the doctor lawyer killer.