At the risk of sounding insulting and aggravating...
I didn't realize there was a market for people that want to fly in vintage planes and go fishing... this is a fishing lodge, isn't it? Not sure if that was every clarified and I'm not going back to check. I also find it hard to believe. I would say there is a group that wants to fish and there are people who want to fly in old warbirds and will pay good money for it. I had the pleasure of sitting in the right seat of a B-24 last summer and it was probably the most enjoyment I've ever felt in an airplane. That being said, . and his business partner can do whatever they like and I'm sure they will.
The fact is, . knew all the pros and cons about all aircraft in the category he was searching in. We all know that. He started the thread to stir the pot as he so often does. Then when he found himself in a corner and was no longer able to defend his opinion, he resorts to telling us about having 30,000 hours, once having flown for a Hollywood movie and owned a flight training business. Not relevant to the topic, and rarely has it been the 1000 other times he's posted that information. It's obvious there are several other people that agree with me on the subject, but this site has turned into a hallway of your public high school, where it seems certain opinions are valued and others are not due to "forum status."
With regards to the safety aspect, as that's what this last page seems to have turned into, that was merely one small point why the Twin Beech might be considered inferior. Has everyone forgotten about performance, fuel burn, legal load, reliability, docking, fuel cost/availability, it's inability to effectively handle rough water, comfort, etc., etc., etc. I merely pointed these flaws out and maybe . was hoping everyone would praise the idea instead of point out the factual truth. I don't know.
Here's some food for thought. I work with an elderly gentleman with over 45,000 hours of flight time. My neighbour and his brother each have 30,000 + hours as well and have flown everything from Cessna's to 747's. Between the 3 of them, that's over 100,000 hours of time and a hell of a lot more float time than anyone on here. When I told each one of them there are still B 18's and Norseman flogging around Northern Ontario, their eyeballs nearly burst out of their head. They couldn't believe it. The idea was almost laughable. Now, are they right? Maybe. Maybe not. Their thoughts were the same as mine. Surely, there is a better option in this day in age. And they've all flown the Beech.
That being said, I like the Beech 18. A polished B 18 is probably the best looking thing on the water and the sound of the two 985's chugging away only adds to the flavour. But next time you post a topic on a public forum, think about whether or not you are going to like what you hear. If not, maybe shy away, but otherwise feel free. However, don't flame people just for voicing their opinions and pointing out the simple truth. Thank you for reminding me why I post so rarely on this site.
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.