Should I get an old 337?

[dwbomber]

I would recommend focusing on airframes, engines, and avionics. Paint & interior will not get you up or down, and can be upgraded at your pace and budget. I also believe that if you study the performance charts, you might choose (Like me) to only go with a Turbo model. The turbos were first installed on the "C" models in 1967. Also, do not buy a Skymaster thinking that they are inexpensive to maintain. They are complex, and finding a IA that really knows them can be pricey...But, I would not ever fly anything else. Once you get comfortable in a skymaster, you will understand. The reason they are so safe, is that right off the runway (again I mention the Turbos) you blast through single engine Vx & Vy. So with a Turbo System Super Skymaster, there is no "Critical" time to lose an engine. I am happy to fix any "Airworthy" problem, because that means that I caught it on the ground, and I will not put a price on the safety of my passengers or myself. I am befuddled why pilots,(most are kinda smart) do not flock to them....JIM

[stratobee]

Can I ask another question?

As a low time pilot working on my instrument ticket - could I get insurance if I bought one before I completed the ticket? Ad how much ballpark are we talking about?

[Roger]

Depends on hull value. Figure aprox $3500- for a $150,000 hull. An instrument ticket saves you about 10%.

[Ernie Martin]

In my case I could not get insurance without an instrument rating, despite trying virtually all sources.

That was 10 years ago, with low times like you. I had good reasons for not wanting to get an instrument rating*, so I simply self-insured (i.e., don't carry insurance).

Ernie



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* Because I had just retired and all my flying was going to be done in good weather; because in Florida IMC is virtually always thunderstorms, not benign conditions like lake-effect fog; and because I was already experienced in flying in IMC, having accumulated thousands of hours in IMC on simulators over many years before I took flight lessons.

[edasmus]

My insurance last year was $2446 for a $90,000 hull, $1,000,000 liability with the standard $100,000/person restriction. I have about 2300TT and about 600TT in C337 with instrument rating. My insurance has been dropping every year by about $100 to $150 since I purchased the airplane in 2002 with no time in type and 15 hours total multi-engine time when I started.

Ed