Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Any DA62 related topics

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nworthin
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Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by nworthin »

I'm strongly considering buying a DA62 and had a few questions for the group here.

First a bit about me and why I'm looking at the DA62.

I started off flying a variety of piston aircraft (singles and twins) about 20 years ago. Seven years ago, I took the plunge and bought a Pilatus PC-12. It made sense at the time. I was routinely flying to NYC from Florida as well as supporting numerous business flights for my company. Now, I'm about to sell the company and, as of today, I have an acceptable offer on the sale of the PC-12 as well. Meanwhile, in semi-retired mode, I hope to spend more time in the Florida Keys, Bahamas and (presumably soon), Cuba.

So, my game plan is to get the DA62 for the above and, for my longer term trips to NYC and a few other spots, I plan to pick up a fractional interest in a HondaJet Elite through Jet It. Once I can find 16 unimpeded days, I can head to Greensboro and get typed by Flight Safety and fly in the HondaJet. Jet It handles it all: the management, maintenance, insurance, provisioning and providing the SIC for any flights I care to sit left seat in.

So, trading in the "do everything" (but not very quickly) PC-12 for the relative simplicity of the DA62 and the enhanced speed of the HondaJet.

While I took a lot of pride in "graduating" to the turbine world and even got to the point where flying into Teterboro became something of a routine event, flying the PC-12 wasn't in and of itself a lot of fun. I miss the "roll it out the hanger door" simplicity of the piston world and the pleasures that come from low altitude sight seeing. Every flight in the PC-12 was something of an expedition and I would like to return, at least somewhat, to the experiences I had when I first started flying.

So, the question I would like to ask, for those of you with flight experience in other aircraft in your background, how would you rate the DA62? I will be taking a demo flight Wednesday and I would like to see how that experience matches the collective assessment of those on this forum.

Thanks in advance.
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by CFIDave »

I find flying turbine aircraft (e.g., King Airs) almost boring. You spend all your time on autopilot in the flight levels above the clouds where you really can't see very much, just looking at your instruments.

A DA62 gives you the best of both worlds:

1. It's a comfortable long-distance cruiser: You can turn on the autopilot and cross inhospitable terrain or fly at night with the safety of 2 engines, with TKS FIKI de-ice for winter flying, and onboard weather radar for avoiding summer thunderstorm cells. We needed only 3 hops to cross the US coast-to-coast in our DA62 last November.

vs.

2. It's a fun-to-fly sport recreational aircraft: You can fly to "$100 hamburger" lunches, go to fly-ins, practice formation flying with friends, sightsee, or just "bore holes in the sky" on nice days where you may not have a particular destination in mind -- because it sips so little fuel. It also hand-flies very nicely because the center stick with direct-connect control rods to the ailerons and elevators lets you feel what the plane is doing. It offers docile handling with no bad habits. It's almost as much fun as flying a DA40. ;-)

While I haven't flown to Cuba, I've found that the DA62 with its big wheels and tires is a perfect plane for getting into rough Bahamas out-island airfields.
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by photoSteveZ »

I'll add to Dave's excellent characterization with my own (limited) experience in the DA62. My other airplanes are:

1. A Pipistrel Virus SWiS, a 100hp two-seater with decent cruise speeds and excellent fuel economy. I use it primarily for low-and-slow aerial photography.

2. A 1980 A36 Bonanza, with a normally aspirated IO-550. Until I got the DA62 it was my air-to-air photo platform and my IFR cross-country machine. However...

3. Now that I have the DA62, I see exactly what the limitations of the Bo are. Both airplanes achieve similar cruise speeds on similar fuel burns in the 8000'-12,000' band that the Bonanza likes best, though the 62 runs circles around it at higher cruise altitudes. Pattern speeds are pretty close. Both haul about the same useful load. But the 62 gives me so much more utility: I can file IFR westbound out of Denver on IMC days and easily get to 17,000'-20,000' to utilize the IFR system over the high Rockies, whereas the Bo struggles to get to 16,000' with a load, and isn't going very fast when it gets there. TKS FIKI and Wx radar (as Dave mentioned) greatly expand the 62's weather capability.

Now, is it fun to fly? Yes, in the sense that it's a solid platform that will do exactly what you ask of it with your control inputs. Yes, in the sense that it does everything with studied calm and minimal attention to systems. Yes, in the sense that you get to go far and (reasonably) fast without burning 40-60 gph: that, to me, is big fun.

At high cruise speeds, burning 16-18 gph, the stick is mighty stiff and the plane feels like it's on rails...which is perfect for IFR. If you want to throw the 62 around down low, best slow it down to the 110-120 KIAS range: At those speeds, you'll only be burning around 9gph, total. That, to me, is big fun.
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by TimS »

Curious why DA-62 over DA-42.
I would think having engines with a longer TBO, and lower fuel burn would be an advantage, unless you need the seats or UL of the 62.

Tim
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by ultraturtle »

TimS wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:27 pm Curious why DA-62 over DA-42.
I would think having engines with a longer TBO, and lower fuel burn would be an advantage, unless you need the seats or UL of the 62.
Some reasons to consider a DA62 over a DA42-VI:
-TBOs are actually the same (1,800 hours)
-The DA62 is far more spacious and comfortable for all occupants than the DA42-VI (I've owned both). This is particularly true for tall folks.
-Cockpit and cabin access is much easier.
-The DA62 hauls 266 pounds more stuff.
-The DA62 has larger aux tanks and greater range.
-Those aux tanks have fuel gauges.
-Anecdotally, the DA62 seems better insulated and shaded from the sun. The air conditioner (same as the DA42-VI) seems to be more effective on hot days even though it is cooling a larger space. Cabin temperature seems generally warmer and more consistent on really cold days (my feet don't freeze).
-In case I forgot to mention it, the DA62 is far more spacious and comfortable for all occupants than the DA42-VI. It is by far the most spacious and comfortable piston aircraft cockpit I've been in.

DA42-VI advantages:
-Costs less to purchase.
-Costs less for engine/gearbox inspections and replacement parts.
-About 3% less fuel flow at the same speed, altitude, and weight - pretty much insignificant.
-It will fit through a 48' hangar opening.

Both aircraft are fantastic, but regarding the DA62 (to quote Ferris Beuller), "it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by waynemcc999 »

nworthin wrote: Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:51 pm Meanwhile, in semi-retired mode, I hope to spend more time in the Florida Keys, Bahamas and (presumably soon), Cuba.
Norm, welcome to the Diamond family. I'm also hoping for the US Treasury to soon reopen Cuba for GA. In 2016 two best buds and I flew my DA40 to Cuba; here's some info on that awesome trip:

Reconnaissance on Flight Operations to/from Cuba for Los Médicos Voladores

Photo Album: Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Spring 2016


All the best,
Wayne
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by nworthin »

Thanks for all the informative comments!

Although the thread was about "fun" in the DA62, I'm also looking at this from the utility angle as well. I live in Sarasota, FL and plan to keep my boat in the Bahamas a significant part of the year. We will be either at Chub Cay, the Exumas or Eleuthera. The latter two have JetA and Chub does not. So, the missions I ideally need to solve for includes a plane that can carry 4-5 and some luggage (comfortably) and let me do the Chub RT (including an overflight direct to SRQ in the summer to avoid CBs departing from the east coast) with ample reserves. And, I prefer a modern twin because, looking at Wayne's photos of all the passengers in that DA40 brought me back to memories of my younger and dumber days flying a 182 on the routes above and always computing my "wet footprint" across the Gulf Stream!. Only the DA62 seems to tick all these boxes.

Of course, I could have just kept the PC-12 and solved all these problems too, but there goes the fun!

The only substantive negatives I can find in the aircraft are the likely wicked economic depreciation I can expect and the 48ft wingspan. I am just going to close my eyes on the former and I've found an old flying friend who has a full size hanger at my home airport that has room and he's offered to sublet.

I'll let you know my impressions after my demo flight tomorrow. I've never actually seen a DA62 in person and I'm really looking forward to this...
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by CFIDave »

nworthin wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 5:25 pmThe only substantive negatives I can find in the aircraft are the likely wicked economic depreciation I can expect...
You may have noticed that there are almost zero used DA62s for sale right now, so sellers are getting close to what they paid new.
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by nworthin »

CFIDave wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:12 pm
nworthin wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 5:25 pmThe only substantive negatives I can find in the aircraft are the likely wicked economic depreciation I can expect...
You may have noticed that there are almost zero used DA62s for sale right now, so sellers are getting close to what they paid new.
I think these are strange times for aircraft pricing though. I have a signed offer on my PC-12 I bought 7 years ago. I did some avionics upgrades (that saved annual MX on the Honeywell junk that was in it originally) and a prop and an overhaul but the offer is over 500k more than I paid. I never expected that. I basically got my $$$ back on the airframe after 7 years.

But, maybe. The depreciation #'s on SR22s, which I think are in a similar class (price wise and buyer profile) have been pretty steep...

Anyway, doesn't matter. Closing my eyes on that one. Life's short...
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Re: Considering a DA62 - Is it fun?

Post by VickersPilot »

Manufacturing input costs are rising steeply. Check Bloomberg on the topic. European Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) where a lot of the parts originate is at a 3 year high of 57.9. Input price PMI is also rising fast. I think we can expect to see continued annual price rises in all new aircraft (not just Diamond) that will help a little with depreciation.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see people paying an extra >$50k for a 2022 delivery later in the year. I don’t think the Buyer Class is the same as the SR22 - it’s very seldom for a twin to be ‘shared’ and it seems a lot of DA62 owners have the option of an SETP but for our various reasons have chosen the DA62 - I don’t think that can be said for as high a % of SR22 owners. My reason was two engines over water (Swimming is cold here!)
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