I learned ME in the Seminole and will soon likely be flying an Aztec. Can someone summarize the main differences between the two and what I can expect?

 

You mean like wikipedia, or searching for information on google?

 

About the only similarities are that they both are Indian-named piston twins built by Piper.

 

The aztruck is nice to fly. Make sure you understand the fuel system thoroughly.

If you shut down a hot airplane on a hot day, plan on taking a long lunch break before you start it up again. It's prone to vapor lock, and the motors need to cool down before the fuel injection system will work right.

The older ones were built before the standard six pack became common, so you might encounter a non standard instrument layout. Hopefully most of them have been updated by now.

 

You can't compare the two...the Seminole is a twin Arrow and it flies like one....so it doesn't.
It's purely a trainer.
The Aztec...is a real airplane.
I've flown about 600-hrs in a 1960-ies with the rounded wing tips.
Flaps are hydraulic and will give you quite a pitch change but it's all a matter of timing. Flaps, trim, flaps, trim, flaps, trim...you get the idea.
Unlike the $1 microswitch on the Seminole the thingmajic that prevents you from bringing up the gear on the ground is a mechanical lever and valve.
Open flow hydraulic system so you just divert the flow as the pump is always pumping.
If you're outta luck the single hydraulic pump is on the left engine, 50+ strokes on the hand pump if I recall correctly.
If you're in luck it's got two humungous wet vacuum pumps. One on each side for the (long gone) deicing boots. They use about a teaspoon of oil per hour but never ever fail unlike the dry vacuum pumps that lubricate themselves by self destruction.
A nice one will cruise at 160-165kts TAS and a very nice one will do 175 if you push it.
Don't bother haulling @ss around the practice area 18-2300 should be fine.
On a cool day you'll climb at 2000fpm at Blueline +5.
After shutdown open the oil hatches (on top) if you plan on flying again within the next couple of hours. This trick gets rid of a lot of heat.
Listen to the guy who explains you how to hot start these...it's an art form and has nothing to do with rhyme or reason. If the guy tells you to run the fuel pump for a 3 -count do not try your luck and go for 4.
What else?
Oh its a real airplane and you'll love it.
But like any piston twin it will bite you if you horse around with it disrespecting physics.

 

Thanks for the tips, I will keep this in mind. Does it have a critical engine, is it a conventional twin? Or does it have counter-rotating props?


I start training on one in a few weeks.

 

Well done Soul Man, thank you. Almost makes me feel like...flying.

 

Conventional twin, but it's very docile even with the left failed. Only downside is that most years only have a hydraulic pump on the LH engine, so if the critical engine fails you're pumping the gear up and down.

 

As usual with these "old" airplanes there are 101 AD's and aftermarket options.
It's rare to find two Aztecs that are identical.

• Wet vs dry vacuum pumps
• One vs two hydraulic pumps
• Single windshield vs split windshield.
• Cargo door vs regular door
• Engine and prop upgrades not to mention avionics.

I believe the F-model is turbo charged but some have their turbo's disabled to prevent baby-pilots from cooking engines.
Aerodynamically critical engine is always the left one with a real airplane.
It may also become the system critical engine if it has the only hydraulic pump and the only vacuum pump so you're partial panel when the left gives up the ghost in IMC.
Read all the Aztec NTSB reports on their website for the last 20 years.

 

So it's been almost a month.
You flying it yet