1968 Beechcraft D55 Baron

Who this fits

• You don't have to be flying twins already. The policy doesn't require a multi or instrument rating to start, and two of us are MEIs. Instrument-rated single-engine pilots are the easiest to insure.
• Someone tired of rental minimums, squawks, and "booked all weekend."
• Someone who has flown the twins on the rental line and wants one a few cuts above that. 200 kt, six seats, 1,936 lb of useful load, IO-550s and props just overhauled — kept like an owner's airplane, not a line airplane.
• Someone who'd rather own a third of a sorted twin than carry the whole hangar, insurance, and first surprise annual alone.

How the partnership works

A share is a 1/3 membership interest in the LLC that owns N18MD.

• Scheduling is a shared Google calendar. Both other partners have shares in other airplanes, so the Baron is rarely contended.
• A low fixed monthly per share covers hangar, insurance, and the rest of the fixed side. $150/hr dry Hobbs covers operating cost including engine, prop, and maintenance reserves. You buy your own fuel. No impound account.
• Upgrades split three ways instead of landing on one person, and the monthly is what builds the reserve that pays for them. A panel that would be the full whack on your own is a third of that here, and we pick when to take the downtime.
• The policy doesn't require an instrument or multi rating. Two MEIs are in the group, so a checkout or even a multi add-on can happen right in the airplane, and we've brought a lower-time pilot in this way already.

The airplane

• Engines: Twin Continental IO-550C, 300 HP each (D'Shannon "Raw Power" STC). Left ~400 SMOH (Western Skyways, Jan 2023); Right 0 SMOH (Western Skyways, 2026).
• Props: Hartzell PHC-C3YF-2UF. Left ~400 SPOH; Right freshly overhauled (~0 SPOH).
• Useful load: 1,936 lb. Six seats, extended aft baggage, large nose baggage, onboard oxygen.
• Performance: 2,000+ fpm climbs. Owner planning numbers ~200 KTAS at ~26 gph total, ~188 KTAS at ~23 gph total, or ~180 KTAS at ~20 gph total, depending on altitude and power.
• Panel: 2× Garmin GI-275, JPI 790 engine monitor, Garmin GNS 530W WAAS, Garmin Flightstream FS210, Century III autopilot with auto-trim, glideslope capture/couple, and GPSS steering. The Flightstream feeds the iPad.

Status & times

Actively flown. Exact times and complete logs available for inspection.

Why I'm selling

I have another airplane closer to home and I'm not flying this share enough to justify it. The Baron has been through the expensive part — engines, prop, panel — and I'd rather it get flown than sit.