Top Tips for Buying a Beechcraft (Bonanza, Baron, Debonair & Travel Air)

Thinking about buying a Beechcraft? In this video, Tom Turner, Executive Director of the ABS Air Safety Foundation, walks you through how to pick the right model for your mission, what ownership really costs, insurance realities, smart pre-buy strategies, how to find Beech-savvy mechanics and instructors, and the technical resources ABS provides to make ownership smoother and safer.

What covered:
-Bonanza, Baron, Debonair, and Travel Air model overviews
-Matching your mission to the right airframe
-True cost of ownership & budgeting
-Insurance: quotes vs. indications, requirements, and common pitfalls
-How to structure a solid pre-purchase inspection (pre-buy)
-Where to find a Beech-experienced mechanic and instructor
-ABS resources: Ambassadors, BEST training, POHs, service info, tech advisors, forum, magazine

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:11 Models covered (Bonanza, Baron, Debonair, Travel Air)
01:30 Model 35 Bonanza (early E-series, quirks & support)
03:35 Later V-tail Bonanzas (1957–1982)
05:05 Model 33 Debonair/Bonanza (variants, horsepower, aerobatic versions)
07:02 Model 36 / A36 / G36 (6-seat cabin, doors, G1000)
11:20 Travel Air (light twin intro)
13:04 Model 55 Baron (C/D/E-55, performance & era context)
15:07 56TC Turbo Baron (high-altitude rocket ship)
16:03 Model 58 / G58 / 58TC / 58P (cabin, pressurization, panel updates)
18:25 Fit to mission: seating, baggage, weight & balance gotchas
26:17 Insurance 101: start here before you buy
28:03 Test-fly a Beechcraft: ABS Ambassadors (how it works)
30:52 “Business of buying”: title, liens, financing (AOPA resources)
33:13 Locking insurance before committing; broker vs. agent; OMNI exception
35:07 Pre-purchase inspection: ABS checklist & scope (not an annual)
38:34 Finding a Beech-savvy mechanic (ABS Maintenance Academy grads)
40:22 Transition training: BEST courses & ABS Recognized Instructors
42:07 ABS technical resources: POHs, service info, forum, magazine
45:20 The ABS community & events
46:00 Q&A: ADs (spar web, rudder spar)
49:19 Q&A: Ballistic parachute feasibility
50:26 Q&A: Savvy-style maintenance management & brokers today
53:50 Closing

The American Bonanza Society supports Bonanza, Baron, Debonair & Travel Air owners with training, technical guidance, resources, and an active community—protecting lives and preserving the Beechcraft fleet.

Want more content like this? Join the American Bonanza Society at https://www.bonanza.org/join.
ABS Membership includes:
-Unlimited access to our entire Online Learning Center
-Technical Advice and Parts Sourcing: Reach ABS Technical Advisors by phone 5 days a week or search your question online.
-Join our live webinars on the second Tuesday of each month
-Receive the monthly ABS Magazine which includes flying information, ownership, maintenance, technical advice, general aviation news, and much more
-Take your aircraft to an ABS Beechcraft Maintenance Evaluation for a thorough visual inspection, from tip to tail, by our Beechcraft evaluators.
Plus so much more!

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