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Aerostar…Mooney’s big brother

Schllc

By Schllc
in General Mooney Talk

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Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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I acquired an Aerostar about a year and a half ago, while I was working on my multi rating at the time and was planning on sending whatever I acquired for an immediate panel upgrade and  a thorough annual. This was only supposed to take 3-4 months, but supply chain and typical shop excuses extended it out for an additional year. 
I finally finished my initial training and soloed for the first time yesterday. 
I had a few hours in an Aerostar prior to this, and found that there were a lot of handling similarities between the two planes which was one of the reasons I was drawn to the Aerostar. 
The main reason however, was that while my family and mission was going to benefit from a twin, I couldn’t see paying double the cost to operate while going slower. This is not the case with the Aerostar. It is fast fast fast, and best of all QUIET.  I can literally take off my headset in cruise and talk in normal tones. 
To be honest, I had a very difficult time seeing myself ever getting out of a Mooney.  Aside from my affinity for the plane, and my comfort with its characteristics, it’s sexy, economical and has a community that is rich with support. 
I have been slowly dipping my toe into the Aerostar user group and while it is quite a lot smaller and less vocal, they are no less committed to their brand. It really is a spectacular aircraft, with a somewhat maligned impression as a bad plane. This could not be further from the truth, much like the Mooney. Not to say it doesn’t have its peccadilloes, but if its envelope is respected, it’s no worse than anything else in its class.  
When I purchased my first Mooney 1/3 of the way through my ppl, I talked to lots of pilots that I encountered. Most of them had very negative things to say about mooney’s, but whenever I asked, they had either never owned, or never actually flown one. I found most of the stories to be untrue once I owned mine. 
As a result, I plowed through the phalanx of negativity regarding the Aerostar and am finding it to be a lovely plane to fly as well. Anyone looking to upgrade to a twin from a Mooney should really take a good look at the plane, you will not be disappointed. 
It is not without flaws, but flying in quiet, pressurized comfort at 220knots at 34gph really is nice. 

PS, if anyone based at KAPF is interested in a 50-50 partnership on an acclaim with FIKI I’m open.  I know that is a huge long shot, but I cannot justify owning two planes so next year something has to happen with the Acclaim.  Sending to to Brian Kendrick in January for some much needed Mooney love.  

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N201MKTurbo Grand Master

N201MKTurbo

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A friend of mine bought a derelict C310 in Gary Indiana to use to get his multi rating. I flew it on a ferry permit back to AZ for him. After we got it all airworthy and annualed, he called the insurance company for a quote. It came back for something like $1800/yr. He was happy with that until he looked at the policy and saw it had me listed as the pilot. he said he needed himself listed as the pilot. the quote went up to $9000! He sold the plane and still doesn't have his multi.

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A64Pilot Grand Master

A64Pilot

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Aerostars are wonderful and fast airplanes, but out of my price range.

If money were no object I’d really like a -10 powered Aero Commander 1000. Never flown one though just think it’s better than a comparable King Air.

People I know that have hours in a Aerostar have told me that if you fly it like a Lear you wont have any problems, people that do have problems are trying to fly it like a Cessna. I think that statement holds true for most any high performance aircraft.

I don’t truthfully really consider my J as a true high performance aircraft.

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Pinecone Grand Master

Pinecone

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I have a small amount of time in Aerostars and have lusted over them for years.   I can afford to buy one, but not afford to maintain it in the manner that it needs to be maintained.

The only planes I can see getting me out of my Mooney is an Aerostar or an MU-2.   Both FAST airplanes.

FYI, I actually have one flight in a single engine Aerostar.  An Aerostar 220. :D

 

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Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

A friend of mine bought a derelict C310 in Gary Indiana to use to get his multi rating. I flew it on a ferry permit back to AZ for him. After we got it all airworthy and annualed, he called the insurance company for a quote. It came back for something like $1800/yr. He was happy with that until he looked at the policy and saw it had me listed as the pilot. he said he needed himself listed as the pilot. the quote went up to $9000! He sold the plane and still doesn't have his multi.

I won't even go into the debacle that has been insurance for this plane.  However, after doing the initial training, I can somewhat understand why insurance companies are wary.  The plane is definitely the most complex plane I have owned, and is a considerable transition from the mooney.  The ovation and acclaim are very simple in comparison.  

While I know I will miss the simplicity, and the lower cost, we fly to go fast, and that is where the aerostar and mooney excel.

The speed drop from ROP to LOP in the aerostar is punishing, and there is a good argument against it altogether based on speed and engine time.  I have always been a big proponent for LOP ops in my mooney's but it is not as clear cut in the lycoming.  You can get to 24gph or less at lower power settings and still be tooling around at 180tas.

I flew to marathon this week and at 4500' i was doing 185tas on 24gph.  not too shabby considering it was only about 10gph more than my mooney.

jetdriven Grand Master

jetdriven

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Lean of peak is a curve. I know these BeechTalk  guys always preach 50 to 80 lean of peak but that is way too far down the curve for a lycoming. You actual nautical miles per gallon actually go back down again around that point, and your trip burn increases and you lost all the speed for no gain.

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Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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3 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

I have a small amount of time in Aerostars and have lusted over them for years.   I can afford to buy one, but not afford to maintain it in the manner that it needs to be maintained.

The only planes I can see getting me out of my Mooney is an Aerostar or an MU-2.   Both FAST airplanes.

FYI, I actually have one flight in a single engine Aerostar.  An Aerostar 220. :D

 

Buying the right Aerostar is where most people err, and where 98% of the horror stories originate.  For some reason this airplane has more than its share of hangar queens, which appear to be mostly older guys who refuse to let go for years after they cannot fly the airplane, so they sit idle and out of warranty.  I looked at over 50 of them before purchasing, did prebuys on two of them, one will never fly again, the other needed more than I was willing to tackle.  Finding one that has been upgraded over its life and is flown regularly.  This is true for all planes, but exceptionally true on the Aerostar.  Bringing it into currency can cost a lot of money.

Getting a good one into shape is not for the faint of heart, but once it is there, it is a relatively stable platform to maintain.  Not saying cheap, just not wildly fluctuating.  I did spend 150% of what I paid for it getting it to this condition, but, I'm still in it for less than I paid for my acclaim....

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jetdriven Grand Master

jetdriven

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It’s not the case right now but pre-Covid some of these airplanes cost nearly one percent of their value per hour to operate, all in. 

EricJ Grand Master

EricJ

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2 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I've never flown an Aerostar. I've always wanted to. I think they are super cool!

I bet you could run it LOP at about 24 GPH and still get 190 out of it.

I was looking at them for a little bit, but they don't fit in typical GA hangars (too long) and my insurance broker buddy just shook his head and said I didn't want to do that.  ;)

N201MKTurbo Grand Master

N201MKTurbo

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38 minutes ago, skykrawler said:

A friend has one with an aux tank.  The cost to fill it up makes your eyes bleed.

I love flying twins. They are so fast and comfy. They make you feel like a real pilot! Then you get to the gas pumps and your eyes start bleeding! Well back to the good ol' Mooney.

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Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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1 hour ago, ZuluZulu said:

You’re holding out on us — where are the photos of your cool new bird?! I’ve always had an affinity for Aerostars too. 

Old panel and new panel.  Interior doesn't deserve photos...

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milotron Experienced

milotron

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3 hours ago, Schllc said:

Buying the right Aerostar is where most people err, and where 98% of the horror stories originate.  For some reason this airplane has more than its share of hangar queens, which appear to be mostly older guys who refuse to let go for years after they cannot fly the airplane, so they sit idle and out of warranty.  I looked at over 50 of them before purchasing, did prebuys on two of them, one will never fly again, the other needed more than I was willing to tackle.  Finding one that has been upgraded over its life and is flown regularly.  This is true for all planes, but exceptionally true on the Aerostar.  Bringing it into currency can cost a lot of money.

Getting a good one into shape is not for the faint of heart, but once it is there, it is a relatively stable platform to maintain.  Not saying cheap, just not wildly fluctuating.  I did spend 150% of what I paid for it getting it to this condition, but, I'm still in it for less than I paid for my acclaim....

Aside from the panel, what maintenance items did you need to catch up on?  I agree that many of these planes are neglected and need an awful lot of catchup to make them dependable. The fact the AAE will still supply pretty much any part new is a strong draw for long term support of the brand.

My insurance broker also laughed at me and quoted stats for why I shouldn't even be considering one!

Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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It’s been so long since I made this decision I’m not sure, but I don’t believe The old radar would display on the garmin and there wasn’t enough room for the existing display. 
I pre wired for the radar but don’t really know if I want to pick my way through thunderstorms so not sure if I will get it. 

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Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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4 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I love flying twins. They are so fast and comfy. They make you feel like a real pilot! Then you get to the gas pumps and your eyes start bleeding! Well back to the good ol' Mooney.

Pretty big difference from a J, but only 65 gallons more than an acclaim

Schllc Veteran

Schllc

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2 hours ago, milotron said:

Aside from the panel, what maintenance items did you need to catch up on?  I agree that many of these planes are neglected and need an awful lot of catchup to make them dependable. The fact the AAE will still supply pretty much any part new is a strong draw for long term support of the brand.

My insurance broker also laughed at me and quoted stats for why I shouldn't even be considering one!

The one I bought was very current on maintenance and the owner flew religiously once a week. I did a major landing gear overhaul with some upgrades, some engine hoses and a magneto, otherwise the annual was smooth.  I’ve put about 40 hours on it since I got it back two months ago.  I may need to replace one of the vacuum pumps but I don’t need them for anything but the boots so there is no rush. 
The insurance journey was downright stupid. It’s a touch more than double my Mooney, but I suspect that will go down significantly next year. My goal is to hit 250 hours in the next 12 months. After 100 I can hit up avemco, which I think will be my cheapest option. 
I’d be interested in see the “stats” that the insurance is claiming.
I’ll spare all of you from my insurance rant….

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