King Air Cheaper to Operate than Cessna 340?

[Scudrunner]

608FD81D-3ECB-4D44-9B7D-9D9AC827AF4B.png

Came across the above on a FB group.

I’ve always liked the C340 and thought it would be a good family SUV if I was to upgrade from the mixmaster for a little more room and obvious capability upgrade.

Now a King Air being cheaper to operate than a C340 seems to be a stretch but I’d love the hear the numbers.

[Squaretail]

The 340 could only be considered a family hauler if it was you the wife and a baby. It has a kind of terrible useful load, unless you leave behind a lot of fuel. The RAM conversion sort of remedies this, though not entirely. For private use I think the 340 would be cheaper, but in commercial use any of the Cessna twins being subject to the SIDS may narrow the gap with the operations costs of say the C90.

The 340 really was the 310 beefed up to look more “cabin class” without bigger wing or engines.

[Scudrunner]

I think if I was ever to go turbine it would be a Lancair or in the certified a Piper Meridian.

But maybe after tomorrows lotto max I might reconsider.

[Slick Goodlin]

It’s only anecdotal but I’ve spoken to a number of guys who swear their MU-2s are cheaper to own than the Aerostars they’d previously had.

[Scudrunner]

Good olde Garrets would be nice. those things are bomb proof.

I operated a King Air B100 she was finicky to start but ran like a top once going. Just had to hop out and hand bomb it like a total badass when you shut down.

I would probably qualify for insurance on it. Once I attempted to talk a 500 hour pilot out of buying one for his business around here.
He swore it was totally safe, I agree just not single pilot with him at the controls. hopefully he took my suggestion to contact an insurance broker before he wrote a cheque for the desired Mu2.

[Nark]

$24k annuals,
$5-10k insurance.

I’d love to fly one around, at my leisure, on someone else’s dime.

[Slick Goodlin]

Once I attempted to talk a 500 hour pilot out of buying one for his business around here.
He swore it was totally safe, I agree just not single pilot with him at the controls. hopefully he took my suggestion to contact an insurance broker before he wrote a cheque for the desired Mu2.

I may have had the same conversation with the same guy a couple years ago. Unplaceable accent and looking to move up from a P210?

[digits]

Aa long as nothing breaks, maybe.

But if your engine needs work, there's no way a King Air is cheaper.

[Scudrunner]

Once I attempted to talk a 500 hour pilot out of buying one for his business around here.
He swore it was totally safe, I agree just not single pilot with him at the controls. hopefully he took my suggestion to contact an insurance broker before he wrote a cheque for the desired Mu2.

I may have had the same conversation with the same guy a couple years ago. Unplaceable accent and looking to move up from a P210?

guarantee thats him. lol small world.

[Slick Goodlin]

guarantee thats him. lol small world.

I met him at the MU-2 convention one year and I don’t think there was a single person there who supported his plan, including the people who sell the planes and sell training on them, haha.

Good to know there’s some responsibility in aviation even among the salesmen. Another guy I know tried to buy a Mooney once and no one would let him, they all said an Archer suited his needs better and they were absolutely right. Hell of an Archer he had, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example.