Beech Duchess - Loved it!

Pilot Fighter

Pilot Fighter

Well-Known Member
Went out for a spin in a friend's Duchess this morning, my first flight in type. What a fun little plane! An expensive way to move three passengers at 150 knots, but it was a blast. It was my first recip time in years. I'm wrapping up a flying career and I just realized I know very little about recips. My friend laughed as I tried to use the horribly inaccurate tachs to synch the engines.
 
You're not supposed to spin the duchess! ~.^

But yeah ... it's a fun little airplane. ^.^ Not too fast, as you mention, but very pleasant to fly.
 
Glad you had a good time! I remember feeling nearly clueless when I walked back into general aviation a few years ago. In some ways, I feel I'm now a better military aviator because of my civilian experience.
 
Acrofox said:
You're not supposed to spin the duchess! ~.^

But yeah ... it's a fun little airplane. ^.^ Not too fast, as you mention, but very pleasant to fly.
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Poor use of words. Spin? I was just happy to have a profanity-free flight. I have a feeling I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much at anything close to MTOW.

After the flight, I was further reminded that our system puts some of our least experienced pilots in some of the most challenging aircraft.
 
Pilot Fighter said:
Went out for a spin in a friend's Duchess this morning, my first flight in type. What a fun little plane! An expensive way to move three passengers at 150 knots, but it was a blast. It was my first recip time in years. I'm wrapping up a flying career and I just realized I know very little about recips. My friend laughed as I tried to use the horribly inaccurate tachs to synch the engines.
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What do you fly that you sync by the gauge instead of using you ear or the synchronizer?
 
Got my multi in a Duchess. I was sort of shocked by how slow it was, but it certainly seemed easy enough to fly. IMS, the numbers were almost dead nuts exactly the same as a 210. Well, except for single engine climb and Vmc, I guess.
 
Boris Badenov said:
Got my multi in a Duchess. I was sort of shocked by how slow it was, but it certainly seemed easy enough to fly. IMS, the numbers were almost dead nuts exactly the same as a 210. Well, except for single engine climb and Vmc, I guess.
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Light twins - lots more money, 5 kts faster, still going to crash when you loose one, just 3 miles further than the single would have.
 
z987k said:
Light twins - lots more money, 5 kts faster, still going to crash when you loose one, just 3 miles further than the single would have.
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Way to generalize way to broadly. I've flown light piston twins that will at a minimum hold altitude on one engine. Heck, the little Tecnam would climb on one.
 
Never had the pleasure of flying a Duchess or Seminole which seem to be the twins of choice for training.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
z987k said:
Light twins - lots more money, 5 kts faster, still going to crash when you loose one, just 3 miles further than the single would have.
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Again, it's been a while, but if anything, it was a hair slower than a 210. Certainly felt less wing-loaded and uh, for want of a better word "serious". And it'd climb ok on one with just me, the instructor, and like half tanks (down low). Don't think I'd want to try it loaded it up on any day. Now, I always felt like the Baron could probably at least stay out of its own way on one engine, but that's a fair amount more dosh and HP...
 
z987k said:
Light twins - lots more money, 5 kts faster, still going to crash when you loose one, just 3 miles further than the single would have.
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Everyone knows the purpose of a light twin's second engine is to carry you to the scene of the accident. :):eek:
 
z987k said:
What do you fly that you sync by the gauge instead of using you ear or the synchronizer?
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I was surprised to find that the Duchess didn't have a synchronizer. I synched with my ears but second-guessed myself when I looked at the mis-calibrated tachs.

In 6500 hours (S-3 Viking, King Air, Super King, Hawker 800, Hawker 4000) I don't think I have ten hours of twin recip time. Thus, the reason for my post. I didn't think sharing an embarrassing tidbit would invite a snarky comment. It was clear to me that without my fancy toys, I was lost for a moment and not afraid to share. Tough audience. Be sure to tip your waitress or bartender.
 
Man... I remember wanting to see something on the ground I was nearly over while in a C-172. Just like pilots would do in the F-15E, I rolled in about 90 degrees of bank and put in a boot of top rudder. Instead of this smooth ground check, it turned into a horrible slip to a dive that scared the crap out of the guy I was flying with. Turns out GA flying is its own skill-set, and a bucket-ton of other types of experience didn't make me a good GA aviator.
 
hook_dupin said:
Man... I remember wanting to see something on the ground I was nearly over while in a C-172. Just like pilots would do in the F-15E, I rolled in about 90 degrees of bank and put in a boot of top rudder. Instead of this smooth ground check, it turned into a horrible slip to a dive that scared the crap out of the guy I was flying with. Turns out GA flying is its own skill-set, and a bucket-ton of other types of experience didn't make me a good GA aviator.
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A good stomp of bottom rudder would have given you a good look minus the slip. A short look but still a look. ;)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
hook_dupin said:
Turns out GA flying is its own skill-set, and a bucket-ton of other types of experience didn't make me a good GA aviator.
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We must recognize our weaknesses. My father, when he was promoted to VP of a major defense contractor, was restricted from recreational flying unless accompanied by a CFI with a million hours. Insulted, my father wanted to take his peers flying. He was told that they didn't need to see his flying, they had seen his driving.
 
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