Don’t get a Saratoga!

[NickG]

So when I sold my Cherokee 235, I had my sights set on a Turbo Saratoga - the thought of luxuriating in all that space while moving along at a decent clip…. My Wife told me I’m nuts. What do you need all that space for? It’s going to be just you most of the time. You should get a Mooney, she said. She thought they were the best looking birds on the ramp! So I took her advice. I’m now about 50 hours in to my Ovation and I absolutely love it. There’s no other piston engined single I would want. Oh, and here’s my picture from today. She was right, of course. All those empty seats….

 

[Mooneymite]

You have a very smart wife!

[Fritz1]

Toga is like SUV, Mooney is like 2+2 sports car

[Mcstealth]

What? No picture of the smart wife?

[NewMoon]

Mirage yes! Saratoga no

[PMcClure]

I wanted a Saratoga until I flew one. It felt like flying an old S-10 pick up truck. Ended up getting a B36 but realized I was the only one flying in those 6 seats. So I sold it and got an ovation! Congrats! 

 

[NickG]

2 hours ago, PMcClure said:

I wanted a Saratoga until I flew one. It felt like flying an old S-10 pick up truck. Ended up getting a B36 but realized I was the only one flying in those 6 seats. So I sold it and got an ovation! Congrats! 

 

Yes, true. I was coming from a Cherokee 235 which is basically like an old pickup truck - similar flight characteristics. So glad I passed on it an have the big O!

[M20F]

Never flown a Toga but got a fair amount of 260/300 time.  Let me say never has ever in the history of man has 40HP mattered so much.  
 
I do though like a Cherokee 6 and it’s twin brother the Seneca.  

[NickG]

2 hours ago, M20F said:

Never flown a Toga but got a fair amount of 260/300 time.  Let me say never has ever in the history of man has 40HP mattered so much.  
 
I do though like a Cherokee 6 and it’s twin brother the Seneca.  

Agree, if you want to haul a bunch of stuff around and don't care how fast you get to your destination, they're great planes.

[Buckster]

Nick, looks like you are really enjoying your Ovation.  Congratulations on your purchase.  I enjoy how much faster I get from KGGE in SC to 1B9 in MA using my Ovation instead of an arrow lll.  

[NickG]

7 minutes ago, Buckster said:

Nick, looks like you are really enjoying your Ovation.  Congratulations on your purchase.  I enjoy how much faster I get from KGGE in SC to 1B9 in MA using my Ovation instead of an arrow lll.  

I never had any idea that I would love this bird as much as I do. Speed, comfort, avionics, fuel burn - it's perfection. And I've really had to work at it as well, it took me nearly 40 hours of transition to get comfortable putting it down. That Cherokee sight picture was ingrained in my head and I needed to be reprogrammed (lol). Anyway, now the training wheels are off, it's time for some of those long cross countries! Can't wait!

[kortopates]

I am instructing in a Toga twice a week and don’t think there is another 300HP bird that goes as slow as the Toga It’s not the most stable IFR platform either.

For anyone that really needs a HP 6 six seater, IMO you can’t beet the Bonanza A36; especially with the cargo doors and the IO-550 300HP engine that loves LOP.


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[kortopates]

I never had any idea that I would love this bird as much as I do. Speed, comfort, avionics, fuel burn - it's perfection. …

Be sure to tell your smart wife that you could never sleep in the Ovation so she doesn’t have to worry

Enjoy traveling with your wife in it.


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[NickG]

3 hours ago, kortopates said:

 

Be sure to tell your smart wife that you could never sleep in the Ovation so she doesn’t have to worry

Enjoy traveling with your wife in it.


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LOL…. I’ll let her know! She’s really looking forward to travelling…

[NickG]

4 hours ago, kortopates said:

I am instructing in a Toga twice a week and don’t think there is another 300HP bird that goes as slow as the Toga It’s not the most stable IFR platform either.

For anyone that really needs a HP 6 six seater, IMO you can’t beet the Bonanza A36; especially with the cargo doors and the IO-550 300HP engine that loves LOP.


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You’re probably right although I found the Toga Turbo stable, it just flew like a truck, and not very efficiently. Bo’s are great, just a little tight space wise and a little heavy price wise. The standing O is perfect! I cruise at 178kts at 15.6 gph or so. 

[Pinecone]

12 hours ago, kortopates said:

I am instructing in a Toga twice a week and don’t think there is another 300HP bird that goes as slow as the Toga It’s not the most stable IFR platform either.

Gipps GA-8 Air Van.  It is not an airplane, it is the box the airplane came in.

[Hank]

13 hours ago, Pinecone said:

Gipps GA-8 Air Van.  It is not an airplane, it is the box the airplane came in.

Friends don't let friends fly no UGLY airplane!!!!  

[Utah20Gflyer]

I’m going to admit I’ve been looking at Cessna turbo 206s lately.  I’m sure I won’t enjoy flying one as much as my Mooney but I have a lot of kids and for family adventures it has a lot of utility.   In particular the 6 seats, incredible useful load and short/rougher field capability.   

 

[NickG]

1 hour ago, Utah20Gflyer said:

I’m going to admit I’ve been looking at Cessna turbo 206s lately.  I’m sure I won’t enjoy flying one as much as my Mooney but I have a lot of kids and for family adventures it has a lot of utility.   In particular the 6 seats, incredible useful load and short/rougher field capability.   

 

I believe there's a 12 step program that you can sign up for that will help........

[William Munney]

I looked at Saratogas and A36’s before I bought my Ovation.  When i was being honest with myself…….I was going to have mostly just two people in there.  After that realization the choices were much easier.  I don’t need a turbo so Ovation it was!  Upper Midwest for me so TKS is so nice.  I’m giving up 5-8 knots i think but it really makes no difference at those speeds.  I’m about 167 at 14.7 GPH and 170 something at 15.6.  So, maybe not giving up too much.

Edited August 2, 2024 by William Munney

[chunko]

The Cherokee Six has such an odd mission profile. The only people I've ever known that kept theirs had families that flew with them.

[EricJ]

To me the main advantage of airplanes like an A36 or Saratoga is the ability to easily throw a lot of crap, like bicycles or something, in them.   

 

[NickG]

3 hours ago, EricJ said:

To me the main advantage of airplanes like an A36 or Saratoga is the ability to easily throw a lot of crap, like bicycles or something, in them.   

 

Yeah, you and @chunko are right, it’s got it mission specialty and if you need it, you can’t beat the platform.

[NickG]

3 hours ago, William Munney said:

I looked at Saratogas and A36’s before I bought my Ovation.  When i was being honest with myself…….I was going to have mostly just two people in there.  After that realization the choices were much easier.  I don’t need a turbo so Ovation it was!  Upper Midwest for me so TKS is so nice.  I’m giving up 5-8 knots i think but it really makes no difference at those speeds.  I’m about 167 at 14.7 GPH and 170 something at 15.6.  So, maybe not giving up too much.

Exactly!!!!

[Ragsf15e]

4 hours ago, William Munney said:

I looked at Saratogas and A36’s before I bought my Ovation.  When i was being honest with myself…….I was going to have mostly just two people in there.  After that realization the choices were much easier.  I don’t need a turbo so Ovation it was!  Upper Midwest for me so TKS is so nice.  I’m giving up 5-8 knots i think but it really makes no difference at those speeds.  I’m about 167 at 14.7 GPH and 170 something at 15.6.  So, maybe not giving up too much.

Since this is kind of a random thread, I don’t feel bad asking random questions… are you lean of peak at 14.7gph and 167 knots?  What altitude?  What would your Ovation do around 10,000’ lean of peak?  How much fuel will you plan for on a 525nm xc?  45 plus 15 (reserve ) for 60 total?