Phil Southall in Ravenswood, West Virginia, operates a trucking and rail car business with plants in West Virginia, South Carolina, and Illinois. To travel among those locations he flies a 1973 A-36 Bonanza.
Four years ago he decided to have Colemill's Starfire modification performed on the airplane.
"I love it. It just makes a different airplane out of the Bonanza," Southall said when asked how he likes the Starfire conversion.
"It's a much quieter airplane and it climbs better and flies faster. There's just not anything I don't like about it," he added.
Southall said at the time of his Starfire conversion he also had Colemill do other major upgrades to his Bonanza.
"I had everything done. Colemill put all new radios in. They put a GPS in. And I've never had any problems with anything Colemill did---not one. And that's after four years and 800 hours of flying," Southall said. "They do a good job. Their work is excellent."
Southall's comments are very similar to those of other Bonanza owners and pilots for whom Colemill has performed Starfire conversions during the past several years.
Sometimes Bonanza owners are reluctant to consider having the Starfire conversion performed because they know they are already flying one of the very best single engine airplanes ever built. But once they test fly a Starfire---or have theirs given the modification---they quickly come around to Phil Southall's way of thinking. They see first-hand what Colemill means by its slogan---"Making great planes even better."
Each Colemill Starfire conversion includes the installation of a highly reliable 300 h.p. Continental IO-550 engine for shorter takeoff runs, better climb, and faster cruise. Also included in the Starfire package is a four-blade "Q-Tip" propeller which gives the Starfire a quieter ride with reduced vibration and additional ground clearance. Rounding out the Starfire package is a Shadin Digiflow fuel computer which gives pilots highly precise information on all fuel and time remaining questions.
The Starfire conversion is available for all Bonanzas built since 1964. If you fly one of these airplanes, there is no better time than now to seriously consider upgrading it to Starfire status. This is especially true if the engine and/or prop are approaching their TBO. Call Colemill soon and get full details about all the advantages of flying a Starfire Bonanza conversion. Or better yet, call and schedule yours for the modification. It takes only seven working days and Colemill will have you back in the air flying with all the advantages the Starfire conversion has to offer.
