Bonanza G36 to King Air: Multi-Engine and Turbine Training, Insurance, the Cost Delta and Financing
For G36 owners considering a King Air as their next airplane, who need to know what it takes to go from a single-engine piston straight to a pressurized turbine twin, and what that does to the budget and the loan.
The King Air is the Beechcraft owner's long-term goal: a pressurized twin turboprop with a cabin for a family or a business team. Going there from a G36 Bonanza changes three things at once. You add a second engine, you move from a 300 hp Continental IO-550 to PT6 turboprops, and you move from an unpressurized cabin to the flight levels. That's why this step, more than any other on the Beechcraft ladder, is decided by training and insurance before it's decided by money. Most owner-pilots enter through a C90-series airplane; the 200-series (B200, 250 and 260) adds cabin, speed and altitude. This page covers the transition. For the airplane you're leaving, see the Bonanza G36 model page and the pre-owned G36 cost of ownership.
Straight to a King Air, or through a Baron first?
The traditional Beechcraft path is Bonanza, then Baron, then King Air. It exists for a reason: a few hundred hours of piston-twin time make a King Air pilot easier to insure and better prepared for engine-out work. Going direct saves one purchase and one sale, but it asks an insurer to cover a pilot with no multi-engine or turbine time in a seven-figure twin. Some owners solve that by flying with a professional pilot at first, or permanently.
If what you really want is turbine altitude and pressurization, a single-engine turboprop needs no multi-engine rating at all. Compare the TBM step, the PC-12 step and the M700 step; the transition issues on those pages apply to a Bonanza pilot too. Choose the King Air when two engines, a larger cabin or both are the point.
| Item | Bonanza G36 | King Air (90 and 200-series) |
|---|---|---|
| Engines | One 300 hp Continental IO-550 piston | Two Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprops (850 shp each on the 250 and 260) |
| Class rating | Single-engine land | Multi-engine land |
| Cabin | Unpressurized, 6 seats | Pressurized; the 260 has a 35,000-ft ceiling and up to 9 passengers |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 3,650 lb | 12,500 lb on the 260; at or below 12,500 lb across the 90 and 200-series |
| Fuel | 100LL | Jet-A |
| Flight deck | Garmin G1000 or G1000 NXi | Collins Pro Line on recent factory airplanes (Pro Line Fusion with autothrottle on the 260); some older airplanes retrofitted with Garmin |
King Air 260 figures from AOPA's aircraft guide: two PT6A-52s at 850 shp, 12,500 lb maximum takeoff weight, 35,000 ft ceiling, 310 KTAS maximum cruise.
Training: what a G36 pilot adds for a King Air
| Requirement | Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Instrument rating | Usually held | Expected by every insurer for a King Air. |
| Complex and high-performance endorsements | Already held | The G36 required both. |
| Multi-engine land rating | New for most | Many pilots earn it in a piston twin before the King Air course; ask training providers whether it can be combined. |
| High-altitude endorsement | New | 14 CFR 61.31(g): pressurized aircraft with a service ceiling or maximum operating altitude above 25,000 ft. |
| Type rating | Model-dependent | Not required for 90/200/250/260-series turboprops at or below 12,500 lb. Required for the 300 and 350 series. |
| Formal initial course | Insurer-driven | Model-specific, often simulator-based at providers such as FlightSafety or CAE. |
| Mentor pilot or second pilot | Likely | The underwriter sets hours and conditions; low multi time makes this the biggest variable. |
| Annual recurrent | Expected | Carried as a fixed cost in the table below. |
| Medical | Plan on a medical certificate | BasicMed covers aircraft up to 12,500 lb and seven occupants, but limits flights to 18,000 ft MSL and 250 knots. |
What's genuinely new for a Bonanza pilot:
- Engine-out flying. Minimum control speed, identifying and securing a failed engine, and single-engine climb performance are skills a single-engine pilot has never needed. They're the core of multi-engine training and every King Air recurrent.
- PT6 engine management. Torque, ITT and gas-generator speed replace manifold pressure and EGT. A hot start on either engine can require a costly engine inspection.
- Pressurization and the flight levels. Bleed-air pressurization, rapid-decompression procedures, oxygen use and RVSM airspace above FL290.
- Weight, speed and systems. Roughly three times the G36's weight, propeller beta and reverse, ice protection, and electrical and fuel systems with two of everything.
- A new flight deck. Unless the airplane has a Garmin retrofit, your G1000 habits won't transfer directly to a Collins panel.
Insurance: the step that decides whether you go direct
Underwriters look at total time, multi-engine time, turbine time and time in type. A G36 owner with a thousand hours of Bonanza time and no twin time is, to an underwriter, a low-time King Air pilot. Expect a required initial course, a mentor-pilot period that can be substantial, possible restrictions on passengers or conditions until it's complete, and annual recurrent training as a condition of renewal. Some underwriters may require a second qualified pilot or decline, which is why many Bonanza owners stop at a Baron first or hire a professional pilot. The 2026 market is stable to softening for experienced piston owners, per BWI and Gallagher, but that commentary doesn't price a King Air. We have no verified 2026 King Air premium benchmark, so this page's $22,000 is a placeholder against the $6,000 G36 assumption from our G36 cost page. Your lender will require hull cover for at least the loan balance; see aircraft loan insurance requirements and how pilot experience affects financing.
The cost delta: G36 vs a C90-class King Air
The G36 column uses the assumptions from our pre-owned G36 cost of ownership page, with 100LL at the AirNav national average of $7.24/gal (September 2026). The King Air column uses the same placeholders as our Baron to King Air page, plus a hangar placeholder, to show scale rather than price a specific airplane. Jet-A isn't in our verified price data, and FBO prices vary widely by airport, so the table uses $6.50/gal inside a $5.50–$7.50 range; check current prices at the FBOs you use.
| Line item | Bonanza G36 | King Air C90-class (placeholders) |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel per hour | $108.60 (15 gph 100LL) | $455.00 (70 gph Jet-A; $385–$525 across the range) |
| Engine reserve per hour | $34.21 ($65,000 ÷ 1,900 hr) | $300 (both engines: reserves, hot sections or program) |
| Propeller reserve per hour | $4 | $20 |
| Maintenance and oil per hour | $31 | $200 |
| Insurance | $6,000 (assumption) | $22,000 (placeholder) |
| Inspections | $5,500 (annual) | $35,000 (phase inspections) |
| Hangar | $4,800 | $18,000 (placeholder) |
| Recurrent training | Optional, not included | $12,000 |
| Databases and avionics reserve | $3,000 | Included above |
| Total at 100 hours | $37,081 | $184,500 |
Even as placeholders, the scale is clear: about $147,419 more a year at 100 hours before any loan payment, before a professional pilot if you use one, and before the one-time costs of the multi-engine rating, the initial course and mentor time. Every $1/gal change in Jet-A moves the 100-hour fuel bill by $7,000. Two engines also mean two engine-time questions at purchase. A King Air with either PT6 near overhaul or a hot-section inspection, or with no engine program, is worth materially less, so have a turbine-experienced shop review both engines' times, trend data and program status (see SMOH vs TBO). King Air values vary enormously with model, engine status and avionics, so verify them with Vref, Aircraft Bluebook or a turbine appraiser.
Moving from a G36 to a King Air?
Jaken Aviation also arranges turbine financing. Share both airplanes, your payoff and your experience, and a specialist will come back with down-payment and term options from lenders in our network.
Financing the step-up: G36 equity and turbine terms
Your G36 loan was probably written against published piston-single guidelines. Per AOPA, that means a minimum of 15% down for post-1960 singles and terms up to 20 years on loans of $75,000 or more, at rates quoted around 6.99%–9.99% as of September 2026. Even piston twins get shorter terms under those guidelines, 10 to 15 years. A King Air loan isn't bound by any of them. Lenders with turbine programs set down payment, term and rate case by case, weighing your liquidity after closing, verifiable income, the pilot plan the insurer has accepted and both engines' status. A seven-figure loan means fuller documentation (see aircraft loan requirements). We don't publish turbine rates. The figures below use the site's illustrative 7.75% so payments are comparable, and 20% and 30% down are illustrations, not lender minimums.
| G36 resale value (illustrative) | $620,000 |
|---|---|
| Less selling costs (5%, assumption) | −$31,000 |
| Less loan payoff ($552,500 borrowed, 20 years at 7.75%, 6 years of payments made) | −$464,168 |
| Equity from the G36 | $124,832 |
| C90-class King Air price (illustrative) and 20% down payment | $1,500,000 / $300,000 |
| Cash needed beyond G36 equity | $175,168 |
| New loan, 15 years at 7.75% | $1,200,000 at $11,295/mo |
| Current G36 payment | $4,536/mo |
| Payment delta | +$6,760/mo |
| Scenario | Loan | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| G36 today (for comparison), 20 years | $552,500 original | $4,536 |
| C90-class, 20% down, 15 years | $1,200,000 | $11,295 |
| C90-class, 20% down, 10 years | $1,200,000 | $14,401 |
| C90-class, 30% down, 15 years | $1,050,000 | $9,883 |
| C90-class, paid-off G36's $589,000 down, 15 years | $911,000 | $8,575 |
| C90-class, 20% down, 10-year term on a 20-year amortization | $1,200,000 | $9,851, then a $820,876 balloon at year 10 |
| Later 200-series at an illustrative $4,000,000, 20% down, 15 years | $3,200,000 | $30,121 |
The model you choose moves the payment far more than the rate does: the illustrative 200-series loan costs about $18,826 a month more than the C90-class loan at the same terms. The balloon row shows why some owners ask for that structure, a lower payment in exchange for a large balance due at maturity. Whether a lender offers it depends on the airplane and your finances. If you'll pay a professional pilot, count that salary alongside the payment when you and the lender look at cash flow.
Sell, trade or keep? Turbine dealers often take piston Bonanzas in trade, which avoids owning two airplanes, but the allowance is usually below a patient private sale. Keeping the G36 while you earn the multi-engine rating and fly with a mentor is possible, but the lender will count both payments. A paid-off G36 can back a cash-out refinance for part of the down payment (see using your airplane's equity and down payment strategies).
Closing and taxes. Cape Town usually applies to a King Air: its PT6 engines exceed 550 shp, and most King Air cabins are certificated for eight or more persons including crew. Expect an International Registry filing in addition to FAA recording (see aircraft escrow and title). Sales or use tax on a seven-figure airplane is a real number (see aircraft sales tax by state). If qualified business use exceeds 50%, 100% bonus depreciation is permanent for eligible aircraft acquired after January 19, 2025, and the 2026 Section 179 limit is $2,560,000. Confirm the treatment with a CPA or aviation tax adviser; see aircraft depreciation after the 2025 tax law, business use of an aircraft and owning an aircraft in an LLC.
A step-up sequence that avoids expensive surprises
- Get insurance quotes first, for the King Air model you want and, for comparison, a Baron. The difference in conditions tells you whether going direct is realistic.
- Start the multi-engine rating early. It's the longest lead-time item, and multi time is what underwriters count.
- Pre-qualify for the turbine loan, including the post-closing liquidity the lender expects and any pilot salary.
- Get a G36 valuation and payoff letter, and compare a trade with a private sale net of costs.
- Pre-buy with a King Air specialist, covering both engines' times and trend data, phase-inspection status, damage history, pressurization and RVSM status; see the pre-buy inspection checklist.
- Book the initial course and mentor pilot so both are in place at delivery, and hold reserves for the first phase inspection.
How this guide differs from related pages
This page covers the direct step from a G36 to a King Air: the multi-engine rating, turbine training, insurance, the cost gap and financing. If you already fly a Baron, the Baron to King Air page covers that step, and Bonanza to Baron covers the piston-twin route. For the Bonanza itself, see the Bonanza buyer's guide, the G36 model page, and the new G36 and Bonanza model comparison budgets. Unfamiliar terms are defined in the aircraft financing glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Bonanza pilot fly a King Air without a multi-engine rating?
No. Every King Air is a twin, so you need a multi-engine land class rating. Most G36 pilots don't have one. You will also need the high-altitude endorsement, because King Airs are pressurized with ceilings above 25,000 feet. The 90-series and 200-series (including the 250 and 260) need no type rating; the 300 and 350 series do.
Will an insurer cover a G36 pilot in a King Air with no twin time?
Possibly, but on strict terms. Underwriters weigh multi-engine and turbine time heavily. A pilot with little or none should expect a formal King Air course, a substantial mentor-pilot period, possible restrictions, or a requirement to fly with a second qualified pilot. Some insurers may decline. Get written quotes before you sign a purchase agreement; they may point you to a piston twin first.
How much more does a King Air cost to operate than a G36?
On this page's assumptions, a C90-class King Air flown 100 hours costs about $184,500 a year before financing, against $37,081 for a G36, a gap of about $147,419. Fuel alone moves from about $109 an hour on 100LL to $385–$525 on Jet-A. The King Air figures are placeholders; replace them with quotes.
Can my G36 cover the down payment on a King Air?
Partly. In this page's example, a $620,000 G36 with a $464,168 payoff nets $124,832, against 20% down of $300,000 on an illustrative $1,500,000 C90-class King Air, leaving $175,168 to bring. A paid-off G36 nets $589,000, enough for more than 20% down on that airplane.
Does my G36 Garmin G1000 experience carry over to a King Air?
Only partly. Recent factory King Airs use Collins Pro Line flight decks, and the King Air 260 has Collins Pro Line Fusion with autothrottle, not the G1000 NXi found in a G36. Some older King Airs have been retrofitted with Garmin avionics. Check the specific airplane, because the panel affects both your training time and the airplane's value.
Can I fly a King Air under BasicMed?
Within limits. Since November 2024 BasicMed covers aircraft up to 12,500 lb with up to seven occupants, which includes many King Airs. But BasicMed flights are limited to 18,000 feet MSL and 250 knots, which gives up the altitude a King Air is built for, and a full cabin can exceed the seven-occupant limit. Most owners keep a medical certificate.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026. Rates and rules change; see our editorial standards.