Today’s Top Pick is a 1978 Cessna T310R.

Many people involved in GA, from aircraft manufacturers to private pilots shopping for their next airplane, are aware of a notable trend in the so-called step-up market. In short, the type of pilot who used to step up to a light twin decades ago is more likely to choose a turboprop single these days.

The change makes sense when we consider that many pilots step up mainly to increase their cruising speed, and new turbine singles generally outrun older piston twins. But there are exceptions.

Cessna’s 310 series of light twins, manufactured from the mid-1950s until 1980, is known for lots of reserve power and high speeds. When you add turbocharging that boosts performance at altitude, as with this 1978 T130R, your cruising speeds might have ATC mistaking you for an airliner.

On the practical side, piston twins can offer good value on a dollar-per-knot basis when compared with turboprops, which arguably are in a different league in terms of budget. They also provide the security of a spare engine should one fail as you travel over water, in mountainous terrain, or at night.

When it comes to style, aesthetics, and perhaps a smidgen of vanity, the 310 is perceived by many as one of the best-looking GA aircraft ever built. Taxiing to the FBO in this turbocharged six-seater will give any pilot the Sky King experience. They also tend to receive affection from line personnel and fellow pilots who appreciate vintage iron.  

This 1978 Cessna Turbo 310R has 5,100 hours on the airframe and 1,200 hours since overhaul on each of its Continental TSIO-520 engines. The six-seat aircraft is equipped with a built-in 76-cubic-foot supplemental oxygen system. The IFR panel features a Garmin G 500 flight display panel with Garmin GTN 750 and GTN 650 GPS/nav/comms, S-Tec 55X autopilot, and JPI EDM 960.

Pilots looking for a piston twin that offers good value should take a detailed look at this 1978 Cessna T310R, which is available for $235,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Cessna 310 ‘Songbird III’ Still Attracts the Fans
• FLYING Magazine: Flight Simulator’s Cessna 310 Offers Up Realistic Weather Lesson
• FLYING Magazine: Things to Think About When Moving Up to a Light Twin
• FLYING Magazine: Garmin Achieves STC for GFC 600 for Cessna 310R, Pilatus PC-12/47
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 310
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 310
• The Aviation Consumer: Cessna 320 Skyknight
• AVweb: Jimmy Stewart Cessna 310 Monument Dedicated

The post This 1978 Cessna T310R’s Power and Versatility Make It an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2020 Pipistrel Panthera.

More than a decade has passed since Pipistrel revealed the prototype of its Panthera high-performance four-ace retractable—and caused a sensation.

At the time everyone agreed that the airplane looked fast. Testing and production have since proved that it is, with cruising speeds north of 190 ktas.

The only downside for some prospective buyers has been the long wait for the Panthera to receive FAA certification. The machine currently flies under experimental rules.

The lack of certification has not been a showstopper for everyone, though, as many pilots, unwilling to wait, have purchased Pantheras. It is easy to understand why.

The airplane seems to represent what other piston singles might have become had they continued to evolve over the decades since they first came to market. The Panthera’s sleek composite airframe and elegant, racy interior contrast sharply with the 40- to 60-year-old riveted aluminum aircraft found on most GA airport ramps today.

What almost any pilot of a Piper Comanche, Rockwell Commander or other single with a 260 hp Lycoming IO-540 under the cowling is likely to notice is that the Panthera gets a lot more performance from the engine while burning less fuel and turning heads everywhere it goes. It could be an ideal fit for shoppers who are tired of considering the same old airplanes.

This 2020 Panthera has 801 hours on its airframe and its 260 hp Lycoming IO-540V-V4A5 engine. The aircraft’s panel features dual Garmin G3X 10-inch displays with synthetic vision for PFD and MFD, a Garmin GMC 307 autopilot, GTN 750 Xi GPS/nav/comm, GTN 650 GPS/nav/comm, GMA 35 audio panel, GTX 345R transponder with Mode C and ADS-B In and Out, Mid-Continent Instruments, SAM backup airspeed, backup altimeter, and backup artificial horizon.

Pilots looking for a thoroughly modern four-seat retractable that might be the most efficient aircraft in its category should take a detailed look at this 2020 Pipistrel Panthera, which is available for $760,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Pipistrel Sees Path to EASA Certification of the Panthera
• FLYING Magazine: Pipistrel’s Four-Seat Panthera Completes First Flight in U.S. Airspace
• FLYING Magazine: Pipistrel Promotes Right Rudder Aviation as Its New U.S. Distributor
• FLYING Magazine: Pipistrel Panthera Debuts
• Plane & Pilot: Pipistrel Panthera
• Plane & Pilot: Ultra-Efficient Panthera Makes Its Grand Entrance
• The Aviation Consumer: Pipistrel Panthera: Sleek, Stylish, Fast

The post This 2020 Pipistrel Panthera Is a Modern, Fast, Efficient ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.