Kmiecek

I did look a lot at different singles, except that my cross-country requirements will include over water and some mountains. My dad swears by twins for that and I always listen to my daddy.

Thanks for looking. You are correct, the C-401A is not on the list in Advisory Circular 105-2. And I'm aware that the FAA can be very picky about make/model/year etc. The good news is that it's usually easier to get a similar model added via STC or 337 if a preceeding one exists. The STC for the C-402C didn't have the actual text on the FAA website so it was difficult to tell if it included any mods, or just approved flying with the door off. Some fine folks at the Idaho DZ operating a 402 have given me some excellent advice in the matter. I don't have the final word on everything, but things are looking better and better for my particular situation. Thanks for your input.

Thank you to all who have replied so far. Initially, I was just looking for anyone who may have experience/info on the 401/402. The actual situation is that I am considering a purchase of a C-401A primarily for cross-country personal/business purposes. However, we sort of have a dual mission since my wife, my son, and I are skydivers as well. The aircraft will NOT be used for "commerical" skydiving. Only well experienced jumpers (family and friends) will jump it. We may also use if for the occasional Demo. The particular aircraft I have in mind has a cargo door aft of the airstep door which, when both are removed, would solve the small door issue. More specifically, I'm interested in any information from pilots and DZOs who have used a 401A for jumping to get an idea of the performance. I understand the single engine failure issue. Just curious about handling and such. The only "Fly with door removed "STC I could find out there is for the C-402C. Since the 401A and 402C are essentially the same airframe, I assume the performance is about the same. I figure the 401 doesn't have an STC because the 401 and 402 are not particularly efficient for regular DZO use. If anyone out there had first hand jump piloting/performance experience with the 401A specifically, or 401s/402s generally, I'd appreciate if you could contact me. It will help greatly in my purchasing process. Thanks again to all who have posted. cheers,

Does anyone have any experience or information about using a Cessna 401 or 402 as a jump plane?