Aerostars

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Does anyone have any knowledge of Piper Aerostars? I've always kind of been low-key infatuated with it and it is a somewhat maligned, but fast airplane. Anyone flown one? What can you report?
 
Does anyone have any knowledge of Piper Aerostars? I've always kind of been low-key infatuated with it and it is a somewhat maligned, but fast airplane. Anyone flown one? What can you report?

600/ PA-60 here. Fast as heck plane, fastest civil piston twin if I remember right. Would’ve loved to have flown a 700 series. Only thing I didn’t like was the split boarding door right next to the left prop. Stable and true, but requires some experience and high SA, and isn’t very forgiving.
 
Some acquaintances at the airport have a 600, and use it to supplement regional travel for their sales business, plus the usual family trips. I have never flown it but the owner’s say that operating a P51D would be less expensive.
 
:) They put CessnaTextron Mustang engines (PW600s) on one.

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I have a friend who does the pitot/static check on the jet one at KCOE. I was close enough I could touch it. Pretty cool machine. Never seen it actually fly but I'm not around much. I'll ask him about it next time I see him.
 
They are fast as hell. Think of them closer to a jet than a piston twin in terms of piloting. It’s not forgiving and will bite you. The FAA had to put out an AC if I remember correctly, so people wouldn’t deplane with the left engine running.
 
They are fast as hell. Think of them closer to a jet than a piston twin in terms of piloting. It’s not forgiving and will bite you. The FAA had to put out an AC if I remember correctly, so people wouldn’t deplane with the left engine running.

Jesus I was scared to taxi with the top half the door open. I couldn’t imagine getting out with it running.


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Jesus I was scared to taxi with the top half the door open. I couldn’t imagine getting out with it running.


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I got really used taxiing with the top half open from flying Chieftains. There is no way I’d get in our out with the left side turning
 
I got really used taxiing with the top half open from flying Chieftains. There is no way I’d get in our out with the left side turning

same, chief pilot door open was about the same with the Aerostar top half. I don’t know of anyone who would enter or exit without shutting down the left engine at a minimum. Or just shut down both.
 
They're a fast solid 4 place aircraft (5 if they're small humans). They're not any more expensive to operate than their Cessna counterparts; cost per nm, they're actually cheaper.

If you're thinking about perusing and Aerostar, checkout Beechtalk. There's a 171 thread regarding the Aerostar.
 
I don’t know of anyone who would enter or exit without shutting down the left engine at a minimum. Or just shut down both.

Yea, that doesn't make sense. On an AS the left front seat has to be vacated to let anyone else out.
 
Does anyone have any knowledge of Piper Aerostars? I've always kind of been low-key infatuated with it and it is a somewhat maligned, but fast airplane. Anyone flown one? What can you report?

Designed by Ted Smith whose more famous work of art was the A-26, and you can kinda see the DNA if you hold your head just so.

Fast, deadly fast. Tiny little rudder. Basically the reason you can't rent a light twin any bigger than a duchess these days.

That's about all I know.
 
I have a little time in the 60-601P (very little). I really enjoyed the way it flew, but, yeah, loading unloading and the door configuration itself. No thanks. This was at a 91 shop where it was flown by full time and per diem pilots as opposed to owner flown. I might feel a little different if it was just to get in and go.

Dealing with it and pax was a little odd.

As I recall it was prone to fuel pump problems. We got stuck somewhere for a few days waiting for one to be delivered and installed. It happened often enough that it became policy to carry a spare on board. Later I think they changed that to one in the hangar that they could overnight to the plane if needed.

Eventually it failed an inspection (something that had to do with the tail structure) and the company got rid of it. I don't think it's flown since.
 
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