Hi again!
Thx so far for your input. Also, to be more specific, let me sharpen my requirements.
I am not asking for a 100% Dispatch rate…that would not be possible even in corporate fleet connections. Every now and then planes are grounded, also,the big ones.
My point is, that I am looking for an affordable ir sep tourer (with all its limitations) for Central Europe. And my life allows a delay of 24hrs when it comes to a CB TS or what so ever convective weather system lining up 90° across my path through out Europe.
Currently I am doing fun cruises with a da40. Apparently the upgrade goes into all year flying. And with sep FIKI I actually mean to cross few thousand feet thick stratus layer somewhere between ground to fl100. Hence VMC on top. That’s a mission I can’t do with a da40 (I tried it once with my IRI and it did not appear like a good plan)
So basically, I need a good climber, which can manage light ice in the climb or moderate ice in descend. I will exclude connective weather here. And the two options (TKS and reaching – 30° OAT) are a good combination to manage icing risks. But for this I need the right platform. Of course a pa46 would do,the job but then I can take all options like Senecas, da42 or any other plane which is 500k plus. But that’s not the point. My aim goes for 100k plus minus. And I think in the range between 100 – 150k you can find a good plane which gives you more dispatch than a da40 
Nevertheless. I am opting the minimum principle here.
C210 are a solid platform, why not…I,was more looking into mooney because of the speed!
Is there anyone with experience on m20j or m20k as a all year IR cruiser?
It would help a lot.
[edited to remove accidental strike-through, caused by the use of hyphens without spaces around them]
I know you asked for singles, but you can get into a pressurized FIKI P337 Skymaster for a lot less than most of the singles you’re looking at. A P337 is faster and can often climb on top (FL200). Why sit in the ice when you could have gotten on top and been in the clear? For that you need turbo and pressurization. You can buy a lot of fuel and maintenance for the money you save on the delta in price between a tricked out FIKI single and a P337.
My vote would be on an older SR22. Solid IFR platform with most having TKS of some form or another. NA models will give good rates of climb even past FL100.
Walter wrote:
C210 are a solid platform, why not…I,was more looking into mooney because of the speed!
Take your familiy (or friends, co-workers, …) up for an hour in a Mooney and a C210 each and you will soon find out that those 10 or 20 kt speed difference are not the most important thing in flying
Really nice Bravo here if glass is only a nice-to-have:
http://www.planecheck.com/eu/aspdet.asp?nr=30955
More roomy than a model C or P….Can even be slowed down to 150kts if you want to save even more fuel…
There is a US Fiki TB21 on Controller.com for less than USD100k.
I have a TB21 and love it. Cruises at 173ktas at FL160. I have a Golze sat system which has been invaluable already with a few flights I wouldn’t have done without or would have me had diverting.
The TB is very roomy and comfortable as a tourer. I have flown Mooneys during my renting period and I wouldn’t go back.
Placido
We have an M20K (252) and operate it year round. It certainly is a very capable aircraft, we’ve crossed the Atlantic with it, crossed the US and travel around all over Europe. But without TKS in the winter there are limitations. With freezing level near the ground there often is no escape route if you pick up too much ice. You better stay on the ground in this case. She doesn’t cope with ice very well. It has been said here over and over again, it’s always gonna be a compromise. The 252 is fast and economic, goes very far and very high. But usefull load is limited, she needs a bit of runway and doesn’t have the largest cabin with only one door. If you’re aware of that, and can live with it, it’s the best aircraft ever built (of course I have to say that )
As someone said earlier a good aztec would take some beating – its in your price range, it goes at the right speed, it has all the pedigree of a proven rock solid all weather platform but obviously is going to cost more to run than a sep at around 28 gph plus the additional maintence costs. A baron is better still but i would guess outside the price you mention, at least if it is reasonably new.
They have increased lately. This was also the case before the last crash, where in the years 2002-2006, airplane values would increase year by year giving an artificial high. And when it crashed, you saw tons of old junk with unrealistic pricing. Took years for some of those owners to figure out that the value of an airplane doesn’t automatically go up each year – it was an anomaly. Some of it still there, like that MS Rallye that was advertised in the UK flying magazines for years with some completely delusional price. But wait long enough, and he might just get it sold eventually….
