"Cessna 310" wrote in message
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Maxprop wrote:
"Cessna 310" wrote in message
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Maxprop wrote:

I had an eye problem that kept me from flying airlines. It was minor,
but with hundreds of high-time turbine pilots coming out of the
military, there was no need to take me. It was no issue for flying
corporate, but I just couldn't get my arms around that at the time. I
did fly cancelled checks in a Lear 24 for a while, but that was as far
as my "corporate" career went. Talk about boring work.

Max
Lear? deep sigh

My envy is beyond words.

Don't be envious. The Lear 24 is, IMO, a death trap. There have been a
number of tuck-under accidents--i.e.--loss of control. Fly by the
numbers in good weather and you'll be okay. Push it toward its
operational limits and it can bite. To its credit it was nimble and
relatively easy to get into shorter fields. Two friends died in 24s,
albeit one was simply a navigational error (read: side of mountain).
I've flown right seat in a 35 Longhorn, which is, again IMO, a superior
airplane in all respects. Very stable and forgiving, right up to the
edge of the envelope.

Have you ever flown a Beech Duke?

Max

Nope. Only in 18s and 99s. And not what I consider much time in those.

But speaking of losing friends, lost my best friend in college to a twin
Comanche single engine rollover. The only plane I ever hated.

The Twin Comanche had a bad rep. Piper added counter-rotating props later
to attempt to save the model, but it was too little too late. I've ridden
right seat in them, but no PIC time. Just as well, I think. My favorite
twin, beside the Duke, is a Cessna 337 Skymaster. Great performance, if
noisy, and engine-out events were no big deal.

Max