PA32-300RT-301T Piper Turbo Lance II Take-off Distance

Robert GarrettRobert Garrett
in General Discussion
Does anyone have experience with a Lance take-off distance? I am in the process of buying a 1978 Turbo Lance II and am thinking about basing it at Fullerton Airport (KFUL). The runway is 3,121 and would be the most convenient airport to where I live, but should I look at perhaps Chino with a 7,000ft runway or Bracket with a 5,000ft runway? I am concerned about being able to conduct a normal take-off and I don't always want to have to do a short field take-off for the sake of getting the best airflow over the engine.

Comments

  • Russell BassRussell Bass
    I just bought one a few months ago. I fly out of a 7000' runway, so I haven't really noted the distance before airborne. But, 3100' would definitely have my attention. As a practice, I don't raise the gear until I feel I can no longer set back down on the runway in the event of an engine issue; that gear goes up pretty fast after liftoff for me. Part of the issue is if you firewall the throttle your over boost light will come on, so I ease the throttle in, which probably extends my takeoff roll because I know I have a huge runway. Another issue is the landings... the full flap approach speed is 90-95 kts. I've found with that t-tail I need to leave some power and speed in there right to the threshold or the nose is very heavy to lift (yes, I trim). I've made the first taxiway exit off the runway a couple of times, but usually I don't. Granted, I only have about 20 hours in this plane so I'm definitely still getting the hang of it. But in my humble opinion, I would practice on a longer runway first before trying the short one. Also, just fyi, if no one is in the back seat, put 80-100 lbs in the baggage compartment. I found it VERY nose heavy and difficult to land without it. Hope that helps
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