Seneca

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PA44

New Member
Hello. Has anyone completed their instrument training in a seneca after obtaining a private in a cessna single? If so, please comment on the complexity or obstacles of such a task.
 
me.... its an easy plane to fly man, only thing u gotta worry about is landing that beast! now that's a challenge....
 
You won't have a problem transitioning from SE Cessna's to the Seneca. The Seneca is a solid plane, and fun to fly - and I'd say easier to land than a SE Cessna.
Remember - multi flying is procedures, procedures, procesudres.

Good luck, and have fun.
 
Yeah, I had my first lesson in the Seneca a couple of weeks ago, and the 172 was the only plane I've ever flown. Seneca is MUCH easier to land. It doens't like to float like the 172 does. My MEI has me do a GUMPS check on about every leg in the pattern, then call "Threshold, three green" just to be safe. After about the second or third landing, I started to get the hang of it. About that time is when we had to stop, though.
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I did my IR in a Seminole. It will actually make it easier for you since the plane is a lot more stable.
 
Is that a Fat Strat in your avatar? I have a '98 lefty American Strat. It's the definite favorite of all of my guitars.

Anyways, I think the Seneca is very heavy on the controls. It takes some serious elbow grease to get into the flare and get the nose up during the landing. It's much more difficult (at least for me) to land than a Seminole or Duchess.
 
It's actually a Jag - the Jag Stang.

I love the feel of any Strat, and they sound awesome in the studio or with a good Marshall half-stack
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After logging a few hundred takeoffs & landings in the Apache, landing the Seneca was a piece of cake.
 
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Anyways, I think the Seneca is very heavy on the controls. It takes some serious elbow grease to get into the flare and get the nose up during the landing.

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It is heavier on the controls, but it's a LOT more stable during the approach. The 172 can get thrown around in a light breeze, and it floats for days in the flare. You also forget that I'm used to tossing around 70 lbs bags for a living.
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The Seneca is like a floating boat! Sorta like a 1974 Cadillac DeVille - very smooth but HEAVY. Not very responsive. It's very nose-heavy and in order to balance it out you almost need two passengers to sit way in the back. It is very comfortable to fly in on long extended trips. I prefer the Duchess!...very responsive and FAST.
 
Now a Baron would be considered fast! But a Duchess? maybe if you're coming up from a 172!
 
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If you think landing a Seneca is difficult, try to land an Apache. Those things are squirelly as heck!
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No they aint - IF they've had their control cables rigged back to factory tolerances anytime within the past 10 years or so. Slight exageration but seriously it makes a HUGE difference.

20" on downwind, 15-17" on base, 12-15" on final, bring power back as you cross the numbers in one easy, slow motion so that by the time you're in your roundout you're out of throttle, let it settle in a level attitude, then bring the nose up to cover the far end of the runway and you'll get a greaser every single time.


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Now a Baron would be considered fast! But a Duchess? maybe if you're coming up from a 172!


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So would the Dutchess be kind of like the BE-95, Doug? Which would be the faster of the two in your opinion?
 
My guess is that they'd be pretty close, but what size engines are in a Duchess?
 
Travel air is the same ... my guess is they're pretty close and the TravelAir is probably the slower of the two.

Actually I looked 'em up on risingup.com:

Travel Air
Horsepower: 180.0000 Gross Weight: 4200 lbs
Top Speed: 183 kts Empty Weight: 2650 lbs
Cruise Speed: 174 kts Fuel Capacity: 80.00 gal
Stall Speed (dirty): 61 kts Range: 661 nm

Takeoff Landing
Ground Roll: 1000 ft Ground Roll 980 ft
Over 50 ft obstacle: 1280 ft Over 50 ft obstacle: 1590 ft

Rate Of Climb: 1250 fpm Rate of Climb (One Engine): 205 fpm
Ceiling: 18100 ft Ceiling (One Engine): 4400 ft

Dutches:
Horsepower: 180.0000 Gross Weight: 3900 lbs
Top Speed: 171 kts Empty Weight: 2460 lbs
Cruise Speed: 158 kts Fuel Capacity: 100.00 gal
Stall Speed (dirty): 60 kts Range: 843 nm

Takeoff Landing
Ground Roll: 1017 ft Ground Roll 1000 ft
Over 50 ft obstacle: 2119 ft Over 50 ft obstacle: 1881 ft

Rate Of Climb: 1248 fpm Rate of Climb (One Engine): 235 fpm
Ceiling: 19650 ft Ceiling (One Engine): 6170 ft
 
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