Beechcraft Skipper is a classy act
Beechcraft had a reputation as the next level up in piston-engine aircraft—a classier act—and that certainly applies to the elegant Model 77 Skipper. It was introduced at Beech Aero Centers in 1979, at the beginning of the end of the general aviation boom in the United States, and went out of production three years later with only 312 built.
The Skipper ended up looking a lot like the more numerous Piper Tomahawk and was spinnable; the Tomahawk could spin, but you weren’t sure you wanted to during its early service. It had a great safety record but a poor record for fatalities associated with spins, a problem that was corrected. The Skipper turned heads with a roomy and comfortable interior, a few knots more speed (at 97 knots true airspeed), and a slightly slower stalling speed.
The real world
Solo Flight Training, a school at Ellington Field in Houston, has two Skippers—one with a training history that has worked perfectly since it was bought, and one that sat in a garage with deferred maintenance issues that took a while to bring up to date. Both have good records at the school. The owner of both Skippers, Kevin Gabriel, estimates an operating cost—including fuel, oil, maintenance, an engine reserve fund, tiedown fees, and insurance—of $65 an hour. The aircraft rent for $105 an hour with a discount for block-hour purchases.
There aren’t any really nasty things to say about them. The aircraft skin is thinner than a beer can in Gabriel’s estimation, meaning a hail storm might cause slight damage to the Skipper while a Bonanza sitting next to it goes unscathed. Both Skippers like to draw down the left tank first. The fuel valve is either On or Off, so tanks can’t be switched—which is good in a training environment. Instructors like the airplanes because they are easy to fly, and easy for students.
The Skippers wag their tails in bumpy air, probably because they are happy. They look and feel like a bigger airplane, and they make a favorable impression on students who compare them to a Cessna 150. Air vents in the panel are inadequate, but extra aftermarket vents are available. On a hot day, Skippers do not climb eagerly with two large people aboard, but they do it.
Email [email protected]
Whom to contact
Beech Aero Club; 855-933-5923; www.beechaeroclub.org; [email protected]
Vref value
Vref, the AOPA partner offering aircraft value estimates, suggests a base price for the Beechcraft Skipper of $17,000 for the 1979 model to $19,000 for a 1981 model.
Recent advertised prices
At the time this was written, no Beechcraft Skipper airplanes were listed for sale in Trade-A-Plane, but a 1979 model had sold a few days earlier in mid-summer 2015 for $23,500; a 1981 model with GPS was sold four months earlier for $18,000. A search of Controller.com also showed no Skippers for sale, but the Barnstormers.com website listed two pilots who want to buy a Skipper. Neither has had any luck.
Insurance costs
AOPA Insurance Services estimates an average-cost Skipper flown by a low-time pilot will cost $900 to $1,000 per year to insure. www.aopainsurance.org
How many in the fleet?
AIRPAC PlaneBase shows an FAA-registered fleet of 143 Beechcraft Skipper aircraft.
Financing
AOPA Finance estimates $282 per month to $315per month at 6.5 percentfor a $17,000 to $19,000loan on a Skipper. The loan requires 15 percent down and a term of five years.www.aopafinance.org
Airworthiness directives
No dark clouds.
Biggest plus
Large-size Americans can get in them.
Biggest minus
Slow
Things to watch out for
In the right light, you can see dings from a hailstorm if there are any. Tanks drain unevenly. Door hinges are thin and break easily, especially if someone loses control of the door in high winds.
What else to consider
Cessna 150/152, PiperTomahawk
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