182 to 337 transition; wise?

[Mutombo]

I have about 600 hrs. (IFR cert.) in my own '79 182Q (1600 TT) and am possibly interested in moving to a 337 (my wife doesn't know it, yet - so this may be a dead deal already). We live in Colorado - no mountain flying, but frequent Kansas City (550 miles), Wyoming, and New Mexico (1000 miles longest trip). What about a 337 -- or is this "muddy" thinking? Can you refer me to 337 owners in Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas that might be able to help me in this decision process? Thanks.

[Ernie Martin]

I got my private on a 172 and immediately bought a 337. Took my multi-engine training on the 337 and did not find a huge difference. I think the transition is straightforward. Yes, you're going faster (so you need to plan a little earlier) and yes there is props and gear to worry about, but I found it easy. Maybe others will share their view.

Ernie

[sgmret]

I bought my first Skymaster in 1975 shortly after I got my commercial license and my multi-engine rating in an old Piper Apache. I sold my Bellanca Super Viking and had no problem with the insurance. I had about 350 hours at the time. It was an easy transition and that Skymaster didn't even have an autopilot. It was a 1973 337G, N1873M. Anyone on this forum own that one now?

I say go for the 337. I compare it mostly to flying a Cessna 182 but with two engines and the control forces are actually lighter than on a Cessna 210.

[WebMaster]

I was a low time single engine pilot when I bought my Skymaster ( <150 hrs). It was an easy transition. The biggest difference will be speeds. My neighbor has a 182, and I rode with him, one day. I was very concerned when we turned base, to final, and watched the Air Speed indicator on the south side of 80. I fly base at 110.

The gear will be different, but you already are comfortable with a constant speed prop. The speeds are the big difference.

You will need a ME rating. There are several people who have done it in the Skymaster. I chose to go to a 'school', in TX, and got it out of the way. Insurance will require the ME.

[WebMaster]

You can perform a search, looking for the states you mentioned.
I looked, and the user brucehandley, is in colorado. docbob and Skymaster337B are in New Mexico.

You can search on those usernames. When you find them, you can send them an email.

[sgmret]

Thanks Larry. The FAA list the following information on N1873M but I just thought the owner may be on this forum.

N-number Database Search Result

Last Database Update: Mon Apr 9 15:58:06 2007

N-number N1873M
Aircraft Serial Number 33701473
Aircraft Manufacturer CESSNA 337G
Model
Engine Manufacturer CONT MOTOR
Model IO-360 SER
Aircraft Year 1973
Owner Name ASMUS EDWARD W III
Owner Address 547A MALLARD LNRD
SUGAR GROVE, IL, 60554
Type of Owner Co-ownership
Registration Date 25-Nov-2002
Airworthiness Certificate Type Standard
Approved Operations Normal

[WebMaster]

Sergeant Major,

That individual has registered, and I think somehow he got lost in the transition, or someplace, because he was still listed as someone who had not completed the registration process.
I have emailed him, and told him he is now a member.

It is an unfortunate thing.

[dwbomber]

To me, moving up to a 337 was a natural progression. First I had a cherokee 140 (way underpowered) then a comanche 250 (solid
single) BUT the whole time you are flying a single you must look out for that place to sit down! I bought my first 337 with no twin rating and only 500 hours. The single-engine training on the 337 is a piece of cake....(shut down a engine and feather,unfeather and restart when ready) The 337 is the first plane that I actually feel safe and comfortable flying...I recently bought a 74 P ,so my 67 Turbo B model is for sale. I do fly by Sterling (On the way to the inlaws) So if you want, I can stop in and show you how easy the" Master of the Sky" is to fly. I can sum up flying a 337 in only 3 words.....PIECE OF MIND. Jim 303-503-6220

[hharney]

One suggestion getting your ME, take your training and check ride in a side by side. This will allow all the time you log in the Skymaster as normal, unlimited ME time. I took my training and check ride in a Skymaster only and cannot legally claim any of my 337 time as normal ME time.

Very nice offer Jim.

[tropical]

>>>>I took my training and check ride in a Skymaster only and cannot legally claim any of my 337 time as normal ME time.<<<<

uh, pardon me, but as far as i know, there is no difference in logging ME time.

see FAR 1.1

[dwbomber]

Yes, I do have a center-line thrust limitation on my ME rating..I could not care less..I have no desire to fly a single or conventional twin! (Not even in the pattern). Alot of TV coverage was given here in Denver a few years back over a mid-air collision over downtown...but not much was said when 2 weeks later a single took off from around here with 4 folks and had engine trouble over moab Ut.. Once you get used to having that rear engine back there helping keep your *** up in the air, you will not feel safe in any other bird...

[WebMaster]

Fundamentally, there are two (2) ways to get your ME rating. In your plane, and in someone else's plane. I chose the someone else's plane route, and got a conventional ME rating.

There are plusses and minus's. One the plus side for me, my insurance company required ME rating. There was never a plane unavailable issue, the instructors were top notch, and always available. It was a compacted course, over 4-5 days, so it was focused on learning to fly ME. There were no lapses because my last flight was last week. There was no wear and tear on my plane. I thought, and still do, it was the best scenario.

Someone I know did it in their plane, and it took a long time to get the rating, interrupted by having to get a turbo rebuilt. Then there was the issue of trying to find a DPE that could do the checkride in a CLT airplane. The plus to it is that all the time is spent gaining familiarity in the plane you will fly.

Which ever way you go, having a skymaster lends a great deal of comfort to all operations. Oh, and when you have to shut down an engine, it really is a non-event.

[Ernie Martin]

Yeah, Larry, but what about the point made by Herb Harney (that 337 time does not count as conventional ME time if your check ride was in a Skymaster) and Tropical's assertion that it does count? Who's right? Anybody know? Herb's point came as a surprise to me, since I thought it did count, but I don't know.

Ernie

[sgmret]

I'm not sure what the FAA says about this but I do remember that many of the ex-military pilots who flew fighters received a single-line thrust FAA license even though the jets they flew had two engines but were located together so as to be more or less single line thrust. It was my understanding that if one had a conventional multi-engine rating they could count all multi-engine time in either type, conventional twins or Skymasters, but if they had only a center-line thrust rating they could only count as multi-engine time that flown in a center-line thrust airplane (skymasters). I may be wrong on this but that is my recollection from my days as an FBO many years ago. It may have even had something to do with the insurance requirements but I can't remember anymore. I also remember one instance wherein a former Air Force Pilot who flew C-54s and later C-130s with thousands of hours wanted to become a flight instructor but before he could do so he had to obtain a single-engine rating. Until he took the check ride with a designated examiner he was treated as a student pilot in singles and could not carry passengers. Of course, he didn't have to go through the 40 hours of training - just to proficiency and then got a single-engine addition to his multi-engine Commercial rating.

[skymstr02]

A Skymaster is a multi-engined airplane. You must have a mutli engine rating to log the time. There is nothing written about a center line thrust limitation there.

If the aiplane had more than one throttle, the time goes in the many motored column.

The airplane still has the limitations of single engine flight that a conventional multi engined aircraft has except for Vmc issues. And it has procedures unique to the type design too. For instance, in a C-310, if you lose an engine after take off, you clean it up by raising the gear and flaps. You best not do that in a 337.