Flying the Hudson River Corridor

Flying over the Hudson River offers spectacular views of New York City for pilots and is something that I have wanted to do since getting the Bonanza. The morning of September 12, 2020 was beautiful and ended up being a perfect day to make the flight. Although there was an overcast layer at 3,000’ MSL, that would not inhibit the flight down the Hudson between 1,000 and 1,300’ MSL. Continue Reading >>

Photos in Frederick

Last month, I flew to Frederick, Maryland to meet up with my friend, Mike Collins. Mike is the Technical Editor at AOPA and is responsible for much of the magazine’s photography. He agreed to take some photos of N62BS which are included below. Continue Reading >>

The First 150 Days – Part Two

In this second installment reflecting on my first 150 days a new Bonanza owner, I am going to focus on the joy and benefit of owning this airplane. In Part One, I talked about the maintenance issues that are inevitable in any aircraft ownership experience. However, it was not meant to be a “Debbie Downer”. In fact, the entire ownership experience, including working through maintenance issues, has been nothing but exhilarating and rewarding. I feel fortunate that I was able to find an airplane within my budget that had been, for the most part, well cared for over the years. I am able to fly with my family on board and have confidence that the aircraft is not just barely airworthy, but in fine mechanical condition.  Continue Reading >>

The First 150 Days – Part One

This past weekend on September 29, 2018 marked the completion of 150 days as the proud owner of N62BS, my 1962 Beech Bonanza. Since acquiring the airplane, I have had the opportunity fly it just a bit over fifty hours. As luck would have it, the weather has been most uncooperative ever since I brought the airplane home resulting in the cancellation of several planned family trips (my wife and daughter are strictly “fair weather” passengers). This article details my experiences as a new aircraft owner with emphasis on two areas of general interest to new or prospective airplane owners – the cost of ownership and the benefits of ownership. Continue Reading >>

Searching for the Perfect Bonanza

For many years I have considered the advantages that owning a personal aircraft might provide and about five years ago, I set a personal goal of owning an aircraft by the time I was fifty years old. I joked many times with my wife that when I had my mid-life crisis, it would be an airplane, not a sports car or a mistress, that would steal my heart. However, buying an airplane is an important investment decision and a task that should not be taken lightly. The process of actually locating and acquiring that perfect aircraft can be overwhelming. Continue Reading >>

Cross Country in a Bonanza

After acquiring N62BS, I had the wonderful opportunity to fly the airplane from its previous home near Sacramento, California all the way across the United States to Allentown, Pennsylvania. The combination of a new, unfamiliar airplane along with changing weather conditions and the promise of crossing the continental divide at night would definitely require thorough preparation. This would be the longest flight I had ever made in a single-engine airplane and I spent several weeks preparing for what would be a very memorable two-day journey which I have detailed below. Continue Reading >>

1962 P35 Bonanza

  • Continental IO-470-N (260 hp)
  • Beech 278 Propeller
  • Garmin GNS 430 GPS/NAV/COM
  • Garmin MX 20 MFD
  • L-3 Lynx NGT-9000 Transponder
  • S-Tec 60-2 Autopilot with GPSS
  • TKM MX11 COM
  • Narco Nav-122
  • EI UBG-16 Digital Engine Monitor
  • EI R-1 Digital Tachometer
  • EI M-1 Digital Manifold Pressure
  • EI FP-5L Digital Fuel Flow Computer
  • EI MUX-8A Data Recorder
  • King KN-62A DME
  • PS Engineering PM3000 Intercom
  • Narco CP-136 Audio Panel
  • Mid Continent MD93 Clock/USB Ports
  • Davtron M3030 OAT Gauge & Voltmeter
  • Rosen Visors
  • B.A.S. Shoulder Harnesses
  • Reiff Engine Preheater with Oil Cooler Heater option
  • GAMIjector Tuned Fuel Injectors
  • Concorde RG-35AXC Sealed Battery
  • 114 Gallons Usable Fuel (74 mains / 40 tips)
  • PLANELOGIX Digital Logbooks