Mission Specific!! - Turbo Vs. NA Rocket Vs. Ovation

[Seth]

Is the 55 Baron Fiki?

 

-Seth

[IndyTim]

De-iced 252= low useful load.

 

De-iced 252 with Encore conversion is a possibility - useful load would still be close to 1000 lbs.  

 

I agonized over these very same questions, wanted a FIKI 252 or Bravo, but couldn't find a de-iced one in my budget when I bought.  I love my 252/Encore, but if I only had budget for turbo OR TKS, I'd choose TKS unless I lived west of the Mississippi.

 

There have been a few times when it's been nice to have the turbo to climb to FL210 and get above the clag.  But I didn't HAVE to go that high.

 

On the other hand, there have been times when not having FIKI TKS has forced me to change my schedule, or cancel altogether.  I'm a chicken - I won't push the boundaries around ice.  So that sometimes means cancelling.  If my plane had FIKI, there are 5 or 6 trips that I would have taken on in the past year.

 

How about this rare bird:  a 201J with TKS and 200 hours SFRM:  http://http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/MOONEY-M20J-201/1988-MOONEY-M20J-201/1327233.htm

[StevenL757]

A lot of great info here!!

I agree with Andy on the TKS topic.  I always have the option of coming in a day early or trading a day with another pilot as to avoid known icing.  I don't plan on launching in to it but too many times i've been at altitude and found it so I don't really care about the legallity, I just want to be able to get out of it when inadvertantly encountering it.  Which works out well since I can't afford a FIKI a/c anyway!

Shadrach - I totally get what you are saying about it's only 30 minutes why bother upgrading.  And in other situations that makes sense but I can't fly commercially, I have no way to get from the airport to the base 1.5hrs away.  I will definitely keep flying the F but if we make the move I gotta upgrade.  With flying as much as I do, and that distance, I hate ice and also that puffy crap that goes up to 14 or 15K.  It also opens up more travel options for vacations with the family.

Everyone has given me great ideas - I think a TKS Rocket or a TKS 310 Eagle or O would be my first choice (If I can find one for the price).  I love the performance numbers but also being able to throttle back and get some decent economy.  Then a 231 or 252 with TKS.   Like others have said it just depends on what I can find at the time, how it's equipped, how it was maintained and of course, what I can get it for.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Next time you get up to NY, let me know. Happy to show you my converted Ovation, and we can go fly, which could help you make up your mind. You can leave your "F" in my air park for free while we're up. Again...let me know.

[whiskytango]

For the last 3 years or so I have been doing a similar weekly commute between the Baltimore / DC area (W29) and KSAV in an M20C.  I found that during the months of January, February and March I was using Southwest and not the M20C, primary because of icing conditions from Virginia north.  I have now sold the M20C and I am also looking to get a TKS 252 / Rocket or Bravo.  I expect that I will still be using Southwest during the worst part of the "icing season" when there is no good altitude to fly without encountering icing, or when SLDs / freezing rain/freezing fog are predicted.  My goal is to be able to fly when TKS makes it possible to get through a well defined (by prediction and Pireps) narrow icing region.