[hharney]

LARRY, NO PROBLEMS. HOW HIGH DO WANT TO GO? I'VE HAD MINE BEYOND SERVICE CEILING BEFORE. I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU SHOULD DO THIS BUT WHEN FLYING THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATES YOU NEED A LITTLE MORE ALTITUDE THAN OUT HERE IN THE FLAT LANDS. IT'S BEEN REALLY A PLEASURE FLYING OUT HERE BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABOVE 9000 BUT MAYBE TWICE. I USED TO FLY 10,000 TO 14,000 ON A REGULAR BASIS. SKYMASTERS DO JUST FINE. USUALLY SEE 16 OR 17 INCHES MP AND 23-2400 RPMS. NO PROBLEM, 4 PASSENGERS AND LUGGAGE WITH FULL FUEL. SEVERAL TRIPS TO ALASKA WITH EVERYTHING YOU FIT INTO IT AND AWAY YOU GO. THE ONLY NAVAGATION WAS ADF (BEFORE LORAN) WE WOULD HAVE TO FLY THE TRENCH. 250 MILES OF NOTHING BUT WILDERNESS. NO RUNWAYS, NO VORS, NOTHING FOR NAVIGATION EXCEPT A SMALL RIVER THAT TURNS INTO A HUGE RESIVOR. ANYWAY, MANY TIMES AT 10-12,000 WITH MAX LOADS. I ALWAYS THOUGHT TURBOS WOULD BE NICE BUT NEVER HAD THEM ON A SKYMASTER. ALTHOUGH I DID FLY WITH DAD IN HIS 320 SEVERAL TIMES AT ALTITUDES ABOVE 25,000 AND THAT WAS NICE GOING EAST WITH 100 KNOT TAILWINDS.

YOUR AIRPLANE WILL HANDLE FINE AT 12-14,000. LET'S GO TRY IT AND GET SOME BREAK IN TIME ON THAT NEW ENGINE.