When I made a video last year about the 10 most efficient family airplanes;
Muhammad Steinberg called it an unrealistic choice for the average pilot,
because there are cheaper used planes that will get the job done (which is true).
User 774892 said that the Diamond DA-62 is a nice new twin, but the cost is too
high to justify it. At 1.2 million, you can get a nice, clean, used Citation Jet
(kind of true, but it depends). D Forr said; how many of these
planes are affordable by the average GA pilot? No one I know (no one I know either haha).
Mickey Doolittle said I should include used aircraft (right).
Spencer Hamons said that I missed the PA-32 family (Cherokee 6, Lance, Saratoga line). which
can carry six, but most often carries four people (which is true, and a horrible mistake on my end).
Then he added that for most families, a brand-new plane is not an option (true true).
Donald Parlett jr said; Give me a Piper Aztec, that is the true Suburban of the
air. If you can fit something in it, it will carry it (hmm, maybe I can agree with you).
Timothy Smith said that the Cessna 150 is a great family airplane,
assuming it’s just you and your cat (many of us don’t like cats, so please get me a dog haha).
Beezyy wants to know the best plane for moving some kind of stuff. (Hmmm, who knows? Then he
added) "I'm asking for a friend" (Uuurrhh Yup). So, this is 2022, so let's take a look at it
again. This time, I am covering planes you can get from $100,000 or less,
ooorrrr a little more, with enough room for six people, and enough range for 800 to 1000 miles.
Number 1 is the Cessna 310R
The 310 was one of the first twin-engine airplanes made in the United States. And over the years,
it's gone through several different models. The 310R is the latest and last production model
that was introduced back in 1975. There are a lot of great features about this airplane,
but the most important one is that you can carry up to five passengers, with one pilot;
six people will fit in this airplane. The best part is that it is not at the cost of fuel load,
in this plane, you have a lot more payload; over 2000 pounds of useful load. A lot of that will
be your fuel, but you will have enough room to carry more passengers. Another great part is that
you are not flying with all of these people at snail speed; this airplane can fly as fast as 190
knots. The downside is that the 310 is not on the low side when it comes to maintenance,
since you have retractable landing gear and two different engines, which means it will cost
more to maintain. You can find them anywhere from 80 to $150,000 in very good condition.
Number 2 is the Beechcraft Baron 55. Just like the Cessna 310, the Baron 55
is also one of the first twin-engine airplanes made in the U.S. It has used different types of
continental engines; the early models used the two IO-470 engines that produce 260 hp each.
The later models have more powerful engines, which is the Continental IO-520 turbo-charged engine.
This airplane is fast, it can cruise at 200 knots and travel close to 1000 nautical miles
nonstop. With those retractable landing gears and two engines, the Baron 55 is a complex airplane,
just like the Cessna 310, which means it costs more to maintain. The best part is that it can
carry up to six people and climb at well over 1600 ft/min. What is the price of Baron 55?
Early models of this aircraft can be found for as little as $95,000 if you explore hard enough.
However, expect to pay between 150 and $250,000 for a decent aircraft in excellent condition.
Number 3 is the Piper Aztec.
The Aztec has a lot more performance than most airplanes on this list. By a lot more performance,
I do not mean speed, but range and payload. The Aztec can carry up to
six people and go 1500 miles. The downside is that this airplane is not particularly fast;
the maximum cruise speed is 187 knots, with a climb rate of 1400 miles. Despite the fact that
you're not going to climb or fly very fast, the Aztec is hard to beat in terms of range. Another
good feature about this aircraft is the stall speed, this plane can only stall at 59 knots,
which is particularly great for a high-performance airplane. You can find the Aztec for as low as
$100,000, but if you want one in beautiful condition, budget between 200 and $300,000.
Number 4 is the Piper PA34 Seneca. If you want more speed in a Piper
aircraft, then the Seneca is for you. This aircraft was first introduced in the 1970s.
It is similar to the PA 23 family in terms of payload and useful load, but it beats them when
it comes to performance. Unlike the PA23, you can cruise a little faster on the Seneca at 188 knots
and travel up to a thousand miles with six people on board. I have seen one listed at
controller.com for just $75,000, but a typical price is anything between 100k to $200,000.
Number 5 is the Piper Cherokee six. If you don't want to deal with all the complexity
that comes with a high-performance aircraft, like retractable landing gear or twin engines,
then the Cherokee six is for you. Don’t expect it to perform like the others on this list
because you only have one 300hp Lycoming IO-540 engine in front, but you have enough useful
load to carry up to six people, climb at 1000 ft/min, cruise at 146 knots, and fly 800 miles.
The best thing about this plane is the maintenance cost. Since you only have one engine to worry
about, and you have a fixed landing gear, your operating cost per hour is much lower,
and you will be paying a lower insurance rate too. You can get a Cherokee Six for as low as $100,000,
but if you want a more recent one, or one in excellent condition, $200,000 is enough to get it.
Number 6 is the Piper Saratoga. I know a lot of you will be wondering
if this is a top 10 family airplane video or a top Piper airplane list ha-ha, but the thing is,
Piper has some of the best lines of family airplanes. The Saratoga is basically the
Cherokee six with tapered wings, retractable landing gear, and better avionics options,
which makes it better for flying IFR. The cabin is very roomy and comfortable.
A big rear cabin door lets you load just about anything in.
Most Saratogas have the club seating option, which is great for businesses and families.
It uses the same engine as the Cherokee Six and the performance is similar, but when it
comes to pricing, you can get a Saratoga in good condition for anything from $150,000 to $250,000.
Number 7 is the Beechcraft Bonanza A36. Bonanzas are great values when it comes to
doing what Bonanzas do well, which is haul a whole family and go places fast. Speaking of comfort,
the A36 is not as wide as some others in its class, but it offers excellent head and legroom
so that even tall pilots can sit upright with their feet flat on the floor, and visibility is
great. The downside is that how much you pay for this plane is only a small part of the problem.
With older V-tail Bonanzas, maintenance costs can be both high and unpredictable.
With a true airspeed of 165 knots with 6 people on board, its ability to fly
long cross-country legs in comfort is hard to beat. I have seen a 1970 model listed for $150,000
on controller.com, but on average, they sell for anything between 200 and $350,000.
Number 8 is the Cessna 206 Stationair. When you think of the 206 stationair, you think
of a flying SUV, but the problem with it is that it carries less luggage than other six-seaters,
and the rear-most seats are a bit of a squeeze for anyone older than 16. The reason it still has
an important place in the lineup is that it lands places where the others can’t. If your cargo needs
are for hauling something slightly smaller than a baby whale, and you have to land on a 2,500-foot
gravel strip at an 8,000-foot elevation with a low-time pilot, then the 206 is the only option.
It was originally powered by a 285 hp Continental IO 520-A engine, but the newest ones are equipped
with a 300 hp Lycoming IO-540 engine, which helps it cruise at 160 mph, with a range of 800 miles.
You can get some of the early models for less than $150,000, but I can’t tell if they have problems
or not. A typical price for one in excellent condition is around $250,000 to $300,000.
Number 9 is the Piper M350. If you need to fly high, fast,
and over bad weather, and you’re okay with the extra insurance requirements, then this
aircraft can serve as your personal version of a Citation or Learjet. Its spacious cabin
comfortably seats up to five passengers with all the luxuries you’d expect from a Piper plane;
such as premium leather, lush carpet, and genuine wood. This aircraft is a master
of both short-range and long-range missions. It uses the highly trusted Lycoming TIO-540 engine
to yield a flight range of over 1,000 miles at an altitude of 25,000 ft, cruising at 240 mph.
You can get some of the early models for around $300,000.
It will be difficult, but most of the listings are around 400 to $500,000 for more recent ones.
Number 10 is the Diamond DA 62.
Firstly, I would like to start off by telling you that the DA62 is not cheap, but it’s here
for a reason. Firstly, no airplane on this list can carry more than six people, but this one can,
with the all-composite fuselage, burning 11 gallons per hour of jet A, which is available
everywhere, unlike avgas, with push-button start, you have just a lever for throttle,
everything else is controlled by FADEC, everything is modern, safer, and easier.
If all this in about a million-dollar package is not on the cheap side, I wonder what is.
The used models will definitely sell for less, but they are relatively difficult to find
because the DA62 hasn’t been around for a long time like most of the planes on this list. The DA
62 is based on the fuselage of the single-engine Diamond DA50, with two Austro AE300 engines.
It burns fuel like a single, yet it moves more passengers and equipment
farther and faster than anything else in its class, with exceptional fuel efficiency, luxury,
and twin-engine security. It climbs at a little over 1000 feet per minute.
For those who don't want to spend what it takes to fly a turboprop, the DA62, which
burns only 11 gallons to cruise at 200 mph, with a range of 1400 miles, is the perfect airplane.