1968 Beechcraft D55 Baron

Who this fits

• You don't need to already fly twins. The insurance doesn't require a multi-engine or instrument rating to start — and with two highly qualified MEIs in the group, you could even earn your ME rating in N18MD itself. Instrument-rated single-engine pilots are a great fit (easy to insure). Either way: someone tired of rental minimums, squawks, and "booked all weekend."
• Someone who wants a machine that actually does the trip — Tahoe, Sun Valley, SoCal, Oregon, Cabo — with people and bags aboard, not a club 172.
• Someone who'd rather own a third of a sorted twin than carry 100% of a whole twin's 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. The honest details up front:

• Availability is high. Scheduling is a shared Google Calendar, and both other partners have shares in other aircraft, so the Baron is rarely contended.
• Costs are simple. $700/month ($2,100/quarter) per share covers hangar, insurance, and fixed costs. $150/hr dry Hobbs covers operating cost including engine, prop, and maintenance reserves. Fuel is paid directly by the flying member. No surprise impound accounts.
• Insurance & checkout are realistic, not a wall. The policy doesn't require an instrument rating — or even a multi-engine rating to start. With two highly qualified MEIs in the group, you could earn your ME rating right in N18MD, and transition/checkout is straightforward. We've already brought a lower-time pilot into the group successfully, so this is well-trodden ground — there are several fair ways to structure it, and a higher-experience applicant only makes it easier. A lighter-experience pilot typically covers their own insurance "excess" during ramp-up — often just the first year, until it smooths out. Standard stuff, and we've done it — with final coverage subject to the underwriter, as always.
• Getting out is clean. No lock-in period. The two existing partners hold a right of first refusal; beyond that you're free to sell your interest to an approved buyer. The operating agreement is in place and available on request.

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. Painless IFR/VFR with iPad integration.

Status & times

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

Why I'm selling

Nothing dramatic: I have another aircraft closer to home, so I'm simply not flying this share as much as it deserves. The airplane has come through every major maintenance hurdle and upgrade and is genuinely sorted — I'd just rather see her flown regularly than have my third sit idle.