Beechcraft Delivers 4000th Model 36 Bonanza

Although the design is now more than 65 years old, the Bonanza somehow is still regarded as a modern machine. The G36’s new owner is the Segall Group, whose CEO and chairman are both pilots and will fly the Bonanza to client meetings and sites throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The company’s chief pilot is José Santana, who also serves as Segall’s associate vice president of retail sales & leasing.

“For several years we’ve leased aircraft for specific trips throughout the mid-Atlantic that would be impossible to make efficiently if driving or flying commercially,” Santana said. “A business aircraft is a tool that adds flexibility and gives us the capability to expand our geographic footprint and our services.”

The company chose the G36 for the attributes that continue to make it a popular choice among certain buyers: The six-seat Bonanza G36 has a cabin almost a third larger than its nearest competitor; powered by a 300 hp Continental IO-550-B engine with a Hartzell three-blade propeller, it has a maximum cruise speed of 176 knots, a maximum range of more than 860 nm, a 860-pound maximum payload and a 18,500-foot service ceiling.

The cockpit features Garmin G1000 avionics and a Garmin GFC700 three-axis autopilot, hence the “G” in the G36 model designator and a big part of the reason why an airplane first conceived in the 1940 feels right at home flying in the 21st century.