One advantage in chartering a plane, instead of buying one, is that you can choose the best aircraft for each trip. When customers make that choice, they frequently ask us for help comparing two popular piston engine models: The twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 58, and the single-engine Cirrus SR22. The following table compares some features that customers tell us are important to them.

 

Feature

Baron 58

SR22

Ease of entry

Step into the passenger cabin through a doorway

Climb onto the wing; then

step down into the cockpit

Seating

Club seating in passenger cabin; everyone can see each other

Climb around the front bucket seats to get to the two rear seats

Number of passengers

Four in passenger cabin

Three, (1in front and2 in back)

Working On Board

Access to briefcases; fold out tables; collaboration is easy

Like working in a 2-door 4-passenger sports coupe

 

 

Both airplanes are designed and built to carry you safely to your destination. The Baron is a bit faster on most trips, though. Both aircraft fly at the same altitudes, and neither one is pressurized, which means you typically fly at or below 10,000 feet. They can each travel about the same non-stop distance.

 

If you’re interested in flying, and curious about what the pilot’s doing, it’s certainly a lot of fun sitting in the right front seat of the SR22. Keep in mind, though, that you won’t be able to do much work from there.

 

The big advantage of the Baron is that it’s designed for business passengers. If you’re planning to work during the flight, you definitely want the Baron, with its club seating, added legroom, work tables, and convenient access to laptops and briefcases.

 

Finally, if any of your passengers will be wearing a skirt and heels, entering the Baron’s cabin through its doorway is much easier (and more elegant) than climbing up on the wing, and then stepping down into the front seat (or climbing into the back seats) on the SR22.

 

Venture Aviation operates a Beech Baron 58 for its charter customers. In addition to the standard features noted above, our Baron has  air conditioning and all weather capability.