Winter Flying >>

[RJBrown]

An IFR rating and a turbo increases the dispatch reliability a lot.

After owning a 231 and converting it to a Rocket I bought a 1990 J/MSE. 

Could not enjoy the plane. Every flight was a reminder of what it couldn’t do.

Winter mountain flying goes from 20% dispatch to 80% when you have a turbo and the IFR.

Flexibility to wait out weather is always mandatory but without the additional capability it becomes constant.

The trip that convinced me to sell the J to a flat lander was from Saint George Utah back to Denver. 
As I watched many planes leave I chose to drive to Denver.
Had to make the 1300 mile round trip the next Thursday to recover the plane and return my fathers car.

I could not expect to stay clear of clouds in the J on that trip. A J in clouds in the fall over the mountains was beyond my comfort level.

The Rocket on the other hand could have gotten above or around the clouds and stayed VFR that day.