Twin & Turbine - August 2020

(Primarily Piston/Turboprop Sales) The overall trend we are seeing is a renewed interest in pri- vate air travel. The airline experience has continually declined over the past two decades, and this new health threat is just another reason to fly your own plane. And now is a good time to buy…and sell. Quality aircraft are changing hands daily and interest rates have never been lower. My advice today would be the same yesterday and tomorrow: do your homework! Regard- less of which side of the table you are on, enlisting the aid of an experienced aircraft dealer/broker is money well spent. Sellers tend to have a blind eye when it comes to the value of their aircraft and may set an unreasonable asking price. Likewise, buyers often do not know their true mission profile and may seek an ill-suited model. A sales professional can help avoid these potential frustrations.” – Jonathan Lones, Vice President of Sales, Flightline Group (Primarily Turboprop Sales) There are definitely pockets of opportunity and you can find some really good buys in today’s market. Even if you have to sell your current aircraft before you can get into a new one, don’t think there aren’t any buyers. There are. And yes, you may end up taking a lower price on your current aircraft, but the savings you’ll realize on the new aircraft may far outweigh the loss on the current one. Also, don’t forget that bonus depreciation is scheduled to begin phasing out next year. And depending on the outcome of the election, may go away completely. So do what all savvy entrepreneurs do – find opportunity in any situation, because they’re there.” – Kandi Spangler, Sales Director, jetAVIVA (Primarily Jet Sales) Judging from the experts above, it appears the incredible freedom of mobility and personal safety provided by general aviation is really starting to ignite the industry. We hope and pray that the pandemic will abate in the months ahead, but I have to believe that the amazing value of private flying will continue to attract new customers for years to come. August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 3 Iceshield/SMR Technologies Inc. 4 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 In many ways it feels like we’ve been living the words from the popular musical “Hamilton” in Act 1. According to legend, which is further propagated in the Broadway production, the British army band played an English ballad entitled “The World Turned Upside Down” during their retreat at Yorktown in 1781. The siege of 2020, too, has turned many worlds upside down. If you’re like me and plenty of others, your 2020 plans were severely rerouted or outright grounded. For a pilot in the pre-COVID days, a go/no-go decision was focused on evaluating the weather and doing the IMSAFE self-assessment on your COVIDized area where she lives, but any thought of visiting her is a “hard no” right now. Another COVID casualty: my annual 10-day f lying adventure to the Out Islands of the Bahamas was canceled. I was heartened to see that the country is attempting to reopen, albeit with some fairly onerous requirements, including a negative COVID-19 test within the last 10 days. If you happen to get sick while there, treatment and travel back to the United States could be tricky. As much as the country depends on tourism dollars for its survival, I know I’m not alone in choosing not to take the risk just yet. Some pilots have come up with creative ways to keep current on their skills and buttonology during the pandemic. Owner-pilot Suraj Nagaraj has created an amazing home simulator that has recreated his G1000 Meridian cockpit. He did it using X-Plane 11 f light simulator, three 50-inch HDTVs, a computer with a fast processor and good video card, and RealSimGear G1000 hardware. Carenado offers software expansion packs that cover a wide variety of airframes. According to Suraj, it is a great way to retain currency and keep from going bonkers during the pandemic. Aviation events are turned upside down, too. It was heartbreaking but not surprising when AirVenture Oshkosh was canceled, followed by AOPA, NBAA, and others. MMOPA, the organization I helm, had postponed its spring convention in Tucson until September. That was before a mushroom cloud of COVID formed over Arizona, leading us to cancel the event. But with adversity comes opportunity. Every organization and company is re-inventing how we can connect, communicate and share knowledge. EAA held a virtual Oshkosh that featured a virtual expo and a robust schedule of streamed and on-demand content. “The World Turned Upside Down” Position Report by Dianne White fitness to fly. Now we can add a few more considerations: virus hotspots and what quarantine mandates exist at your home base and at the destination. Maybe someone cleverer than me can come up with a catchy acronym for that. Presently, my home state of Kansas has a list of states that if you visit you must undergo a 14-day quarantine upon returning home. One of those states happens to be where my eldest daughter lives and is training with the Navy – Texas. Not that I particularly want to visit the highly Owner-pilot Suraj Nagaraj recreated the G1000 Piper Meridian cockpit. August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 5 Dianne White is the executive director of MMOPA and editor of MMOPA Magazine. For a total of 14 years, she was editor of Twin & Turbine and has worked in the business aviation industry for nearly 30 years. She also serves on the board of directors for Angel Flight Central. An active multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot, Dianne lives in the Kansas City area and can be reached at editor@diannewhite.com. MMOPA also is planning a virtual event called MMOPA 2020 LIVE to replace the in-person convention. The event will be live-streamed with hosts broadcasting real-time and a wide variety of presentations, inspirational talks, roundtable discussions and virtual happy hours. While it’s not exactly the same as being there, the event will allow a larger number of members to participate, including a large international contingent. In fact, this may be our best attended convention ever, although it will forever have an asterisk next to it. One thing for sure, much of this is uncharted territory. Life may never be the way it was. It will be different – maybe not worse, maybe not better. Just different. And those of us game for adapting and not fighting the turbulence are bound to come out the other side in good shape. Just as in flying, sometimes you have to deviate. As Hamilton put it (as interpreted by Lin Manual- Miranda), “See you on the other side of the war.” Select Airparts Covington Aircraft 6 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Let’s say you’ve got a family of six, and the kids are barely kids anymore. You used to be able to haul everyone around in a Piper Malibu, a Cessna 210 or a Cherokee 6, but the kids keep growing and waists keeps growing. Suffice it to say that your family is not what it used to be in terms of weight, and you want to be able to carry everyone when you go on family trips. by Joe Casey Piston Power Series Cessna 421C vs. King Air C90 PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAUL BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 7 Also, your business is rocking along nicely, enjoying steadily increasing profits year to year. And while you used to just fly yourself around to business meetings, you now find yourself flying passengers more and more. A bigger airplane would sure be nice. Bottom line, you are ready to move up. What is the next logical step? Any of the “big fuselage” King Airs just seem like too much airplane, both in cost and size. The MU2’s performance looks cool, but you plan to fly 100 hours per year and self- admittedly, you know you are not Chuck Yeager’s protege. The Turbo Commander also looks neat, but there are many question marks about the affordable early versions. A TBM would do the trick, but dang, seven digits are required to enter that world. The bottom line is you have $300,000 to $450,000 for a budget, and you don’t want to make a mistake. Can you really afford to purchase and feed a cabin-class twin? A cabin-class turbine twin? The answer is maybe, and your search will likely result in the King Air C90 and the Cessna 421C on your shortlist of prospective airplanes. Similarities When looking at either a King Air C90 or a Cessna 421C, the first thing you’ll notice is their impressive size. Stepping into either cabin reveals seats that are wide apart and com- fortable for all sizes of people, even the tall and wide. It’s a long hunched-over hike for the pilot up the aisle between the seats, but that pilot is welcomed to a large cockpit with plenty of panel for the latest gadgets, lots of legroom and large comfy seats. In both airplanes, the pilot sits high off the ground with a “grand appearance” view noticeably dif- ferent from any piston single. Both have solid all-engine operating performance numbers, with the C90 climbing a bit better and cruising a bit faster. The C90 will average about 220 KTAS while the 421C averages about 205 KTAS. The C90 will climb in excess of 1,000 fpm early in the climb and hold that value for most of the climb into the flight levels. The 421C will hold 1,000 fpm early in the climb, but the engine temps will require a cruise climb airspeed that will net about 600 fpm when leveling off in the flight levels. With cabin size and performance so similar, what are the true differences for the discriminating buyer? King Air C90 The King Air 90 came out in the late 1960s and quickly developed a reputation as a great airplane. Before long, the A90, B90 and C90 became available. Of course, there are E90s and F90s and a whole lot of modifications to make the C90 like the newer and faster versions, but the C90 is the most prolific version of the King Air 90. Why? The C90 is the version that holds true to the unofficial design mantra of the entire King Air fleet: “In no single aspect of consideration is it the best, but in every category, it is really good.” The C90 is not the fastest, most powerful, nor will it go the farthest, but you get a lot for your money, both in airplane and performance. The C90 is sneered at by the pro pilots for being a slow turbine, but those who really know best will testify that the C90 shows up just a little later on most trips than some other sleek airplanes, and the owner doesn’t have to empty the bank account to buy it or fly it. In the King Air C90, there is a potty system that actually works, giving passengers comfort. The belted potty is so nice that if all the seats are full, a wise passenger might even se- lect the potty for the long ride as opposed to the main cabin seats. Plenty of legroom and plenty of privacy exists. There is also ample luggage space in the C90. You can really carry six people, all of their bags, and still leave room for enough fuel to go a long way. It is a comfortable cross country cruiser that is still a rugged, strong Beechcraft King Air. But, the best part about the C90 is the PT6 engines. The PT6-21 engine came standard on many of the C90s, and I think it is one of the best engines ever. There are literally thousands of -21 engines flying around the planet, so finding a maintenance provider with experience is easy. Like the C90, it is not the “sexy” big engine found on some other airplanes, but it is a rugged and smooth engine that hums along without a whimper. Once you get it started, it likely won’t fail unexpectedly unless you run the fuel tank empty. Bulletproof. That’s the PT6-21. Cessna 421C The Cessna 421C was Cessna’s flagship of the multi-engine piston world and arguably still is—except that they aren’t being made anymore. Few manufacturers today have a multi-engine piston flagship, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that the Cessna 421 is not a good airplane. There are a lot of Cessna 421s in the world, and they make remarkable purchases for the savvy buyer. The Cessna 421 first became available in the late 1960s, quickly gaining popularity as an airplane with a big cabin, solid performance and sexy looks. It was a great step up from a Cessna 310, Cessna 210, or even an unpressurized Cessna 300-series. Sales were solid and improvements soon came along. The pick of the litter is the latest model, the Cessna 421C. The C-model has the best fuel system, trailing link landing gear and the newest year model. Clearly, the C-model is the most desirable in the marketplace today. However, the Cessna 421C gained the reputation for having engines that were particular – and that is not a good thing. The geared Continental engine requires a knowledgeable, well-trained pilot. Simply put, power management is criti- cal to the long life of the engine. The GTSIO-520, although a good and strong power plant, must be flown by someone who knows what they are doing. It doesn’t suffer neglect, abuse or disrespect well. Treat it well and it’ll provide years of solid performance. Treat it in any other fashion and it’ll eat you out of house and home and hangar. And oh my, does it require maintenance. Any piston engine requires more maintenance than a turbine, but the Cessna 421 is nearing 50 years old, and anything 50 years old with lots of moving parts will go to the maintenance hangar frequently. With the big twins, there’s double the power available and double the number of things that can go wrong. 8 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Match Your Need So, at the end of the analysis, both a C90 and a 421C will accomplish your mission, and both will be much more expensive to operate than any single-engine piston. But, which do you select? My advice is to make sure you match your need to the airplane you are going to buy. The big-piston Cessna 421C could be the exact answer to your traveling needs, and if your budget is $350,000 to $450,000, you can get one of the nicest Cessna 421Cs on the planet. You should be able to buy a 421C with super nice paint and interior, a well-stocked panel of avionics, low engine and airframe times and an example with no damage history. That $450,000 will also buy you a C90, but that C90 will be an older 1970s version, may not have the latest avionics, may have tired paint and interior, and the engines may be mid-life. But, it’ll be a turbine, and that is scary for the uninitiated. If you go for a Cessna 421C, make sure you place a high value on the maintenance pedigree. Maintenance in any airplane is a “pay me now or pay me later” situation. If the present owner has been skimping on maintenance, you don’t want to pay anywhere near retail. A neglected Cessna 421 can easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring it back to a high level of maintenance. And there are lots of Cessna 421s languishing outside in the weather on ramps all over the United States. But if you can find that cherry Cessna 421C, and you don’t mind paying to keep the maintenance at a very high level, it could be the perfect airplane for your mission. You can buy a lot of airplane for the money. But, if I can afford to fly behind a PT6, I’m going to fly behind a PT6. To me, the engines are the critical factor and this is where the C90 shines. I can handle tired paint and less-than-stellar interior. I don’t mind steam gauges if they are being pushed by a nice GPS unit and a good autopilot. So, if you can find a “good bones” C90 with good engines, you’ve got something worth pursuing. Summary Ready to enter the turbine world? If so, the C90 is a great way to get into the game. But, I advise buyers to consider their cash reserves and their appetite for the big expenses. If a $200,000 hit would throw your company out of business or force you to sell the airplane, stay in the piston world and buy a Cessna 421. Just accept the mosquito bite main- tenance requirements that come along with owning a big piston airplane. But, if you are cash-solvent with income that you can predict far into the future, and have a mission that regularly requires four to seven people, then go for the King Air C90. I have a lot of flight time in both, and would gladly own and pilot either if it fit my mission. Joe Casey is an FAA-DPE and an ATP, CFI, CFII (A/H), MEI, CFIG, CFIH, as well as a retired U.S. Army UH60 stan- dardization instruc-tor/examiner. An active instructor in the PA46 and King Air markets, he has accumulated 14,300-plus hours of flight time, with more than 5,200 dual-given as a flight instructor. Contact Joe at joe@flycasey.com or 903.721.9549. 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A 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath home…Plus a public bathroom, public laundry room with two washer hook ups and two dryer hook ups, RV hook ups, plenty of parking & all with great views of Trinity Lake. Property is next to the Trinity Center Airport and Trinity Lake on 3.87 acres of flat and gorgeous land… what a great opportunity for multiple VRBO’s, air B & B’s, company retreats, family compounds, rent some of the buildings, or all of them! Located in Beautiful Trinity Center, Trinity County, CA - with a 3,215 foot paved runway! For sale: The Trinity Airporter Resort Shannon Aikins Realtor® SFR, CNE • Big Valley Properties 1313 S. Main St. • P.O. Box 1263 • Weaverville, CA 96093 Office 530-623-5690 • Cell 530-524-2479 • DRE# 01701263 saikins@copper.net www.bvptrinity.com 10 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 by Grant Boyd LOW AND FAST THE WORLD OF AGRICULTURAL AVIATION PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR TRACTOR August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 11 According to the most recent survey by the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA), there are approximately 3,500 agricultural pilots and 1,560 aerial application operations throughout the United States. Though a lesser-known side of aviation, the small businesses and pilots making up the industry play a vital role in helping farmers produce a safe, affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and biofuel, as well as protect forestry and control health-threatening pests. As it is a predomi- nantly turbine-powered fleet (84 percent), I sought to learn more about the ag aviation world by visiting Heinen Brothers Agra Services in Seneca, Kansas. 12 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Meet an Operator Heinen Brothers Agra Services op- erates more than a dozen bases outside of its home in Northeastern Kansas. Naturally, most of the company’s lo- cations mirror states with the heavi- est concentrations of aerial applica- tion operations, including Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Texas, South Dakota and Louisiana. Oper- ating around 20 aircraft, the compa- ny’s pilots fly several hundred hours per year over an average four- to five-month season (with July and Au- gust as the season’s peak). Scott Heinen, a commercial pilot and aviation science graduate, found- ed the outfit in 1994. After growing up on a farm with an early interest in aviation, combining the two ar- eas wound up being a natural career fit. Shortly after creating what was then known as Nemaha Valley Aerial, Scott’s younger brother Glenn began working for the company while in high school and soon became one of its full-time pilots. Glenn had more of an interest in the crop science side of the business and went on to earn a degree in Agronomy. While still in college, the younger Heinen took on more of a formal role within the com- pany and ultimately became a full partner in 1999. The brothers’ skills and interests are a natural complement to one an- other, enabling the company to grow significantly from a two-men, one- plane operation. Yearly, the company’s pilots spray several hundred thousand acres of fields, ranches and other lands where either the terrain is too rough for equipment or aerial spraying is more efficient. “What we spray depends on which region we are operating in,” said Scott. “For example, in Kansas, we predominately see corn, wheat, and [soy] beans. But in the South, we see some different things like cotton.” This diversification in spraying lo- cation and crop type has enabled the company to grow in size and scope and lessen concern if a particular crop experiences hardship. For instance, Scott noted the stay at home orders resulting from COVID-19 negatively affected vehicle driving hours, reduc- ing the need for corn used in Ethanol. Ag Flying To an even higher degree than other types of flying, crop dusting is heavily reliant upon weather, which dictates how many of the seven days that the pilots can fly. On flying days, the job is truly a “sunup to sundown” affair, and pilots can be hard-pressed to spend much of their day outside of the cock- pit. During my visit to Seneca, the job’s intense demands were reiterated by everyone I spoke with, yet never in a resentful tone that perhaps people in other professions who are “forced” to work all day may express. Glenn spoke positively about how the previous day he had flown for 15 hours, with roughly 15-minute breaks for fuel and rest. Seeing as money comes in only when crops are being sprayed, the industry standard is to turn and burn as long as there is light, only shutting down the planes when work is done for the evening. PHOTO BY AUTHOR PHOTO BY AUTHOR August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 13 AOPA Finance CIES Corporation To keep the aircraft in airworthy condition, the company employs three full-time mechanics, along with sev- eral pilots who are also capable of turning wrenches. With Heinen’s fleet all propelled by Pratt & Whitney PT6 engines (a decision they made sev- eral years ago to standardize their inventory), the complexity in main- tenance tasks is lessened. That being said, the maintenance crew must work extremely hard to maintain nearly 100 percent operational availability dur- ing peak season as a plane sitting in the hangar doesn’t make any money. Across the ramp from the compa- ny’s maintenance hangar, which takes up the lower level of their office build- ing, sits one of their storage hangars that houses several aircraft. The Planes Heinen Brothers Chief Pilot Jim Uselton has more than 35,000 hours flying ag planes and spoke to me about the company’s aircraft and general agricultural flying operations. He had just returned from a multi- day trip to Northeastern Oklahoma, where he sprayed several thousand acres of ranchland. On this day, he and his Air Tractor AT-802A were taking a well-deserved break caused by low ceilings and the imminent threat of storms. Jim’s model aircraft (AT-802A) gained its name due to how many gal- lons of liquid (whether it be chemicals or water) that fit in the “hopper” – a nomenclature followed by Air Tractor for all its planes. As “the world’s largest single-engine ag aircraft,” it can haul 800 gallons of spray with 254 gallons of fuel aboard. The plane can fly for several hours before the tanks need to be refueled. Although this is achievable, Jim notes that being loaded down that heavily is an exception. A more re- alistic condition would be about half fuel, which is enough for about a two- hour spraying mission. The seasoned pilot, who first cut his teeth in his late teens flying Piper PA-25 Pawnee spray planes for his dad, discusses several qualities unique to ag planes. 14 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Spraying System The spraying system is what sets an ag plane apart from other beefy- winged aircraft with a turbine engine. Chemicals are transferred to the hop- per from an exterior storage source in the same fashion that the aircraft is fueled through a single point. When needed during flight, the chemicals are drawn from the hopper by pres- sure caused by the pump driven by the air that rotates the system’s propeller under the front of the aircraft. The liquids are routed down the length of the aircraft and out through one of the few dozen nozzles under the wing, where it is spritzed upon the crops below. GPS/Computer Software One of the stark differences be- tween ag planes of today and those of the past are the complex computer systems the pilots utilize to help guide them along the spraying path as well as advise on the amount of chemicals to offload. Jim walked me through some of the software, of which one de- vice, the Satloc G4, stores each flight’s data – down to how many chemicals were sprayed and on which portions of the subject property. After a flight, these details are exported to the com- pany’s computers to demonstrate to customers where the pilots applied chemicals. Coupled with modern glass instruments, air conditioning and ADS-B, the digs inside of these planes rival that of other aircraft in this magazine. Aircraft Construction A key focus of the industry and its pilots in recent years has been risk reduction, with several educational programs and initiatives developed. While they have seen high levels of success, all risks cannot be eliminat- ed, and it is statistically low that a pilot will not have a crash during their ca- reer. Jim notes that the AT-802A, like most ag planes, “flies and is built like a racecar.” With the cockpit constructed out of 4130 Chrome Moly tubing in a roll cage style and fronted by polycar- bonate windows, the helmeted and often Nomex-suit wearing pilots are relatively safe in their airbag-equipped five-point harnesses. Flying Demo While the weather was unfortu- nately not conducive for a day of crop dusting, Jim was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to photograph a couple of low passes. After towing N803HB from storage, down the gravel road, and into a spot adjacent to the chemical loading spot, it was time for startup. Upon hearing the turbine kick over, it wasn’t long before the plane was air- borne and I got more of a feel for what the aircraft was capable of. While not laden down with much fuel or spray, it was still surprising to see how nimble the 36-foot (fuselage) by 59-foot (wing) bright yellow aircraft is. In simple man’s terms, ag operators spray a field Airtext August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 15 Grant Boyd is a recent MBA graduate of Wichita State Univer- sity. A private pilot, Boyd is cur- rently working toward his instru- ment rating, with the ultimate goal of combining his love of business and aviation with a career at a general aviation manufacturer. You can contact Grant at grant- boyd2015@gmail.com AG AVIATION FACTS • In the early days, aerial applicators were known as “crop dusters” because they worked with dry chemicals, mostly insecticides. • The agricultural aviation in- dustry treats 127 million acres of cropland aerially each year. • The five most commonly treated crops among aerial application operators are corn, wheat/barley, soy- beans, pastures/rangelands and alfalfa. • On average, each aerial application business has 2.3 aircraft, ranging in price from $100,000 to nearly $2 million depending on hopper size, engine type and engine size. • The average hired aerial applicator pilot has 19.4 years of experience in the industry; the average aerial applicator operator has 27.9 years of experience. • Today’s aircraft utilize sophisticated precision application equipment such as GPS (Global Positioning Systems), GIS (geographical information systems), flow controls, real time meteoro- logical systems and precisely calibrated spray equipment. Source: National Agricultural Aviation Association in the same method that it would be mowed. Depending on barriers like poles and wires, the pilot will turn around and spray a strip right next to the one that they just laid down and continue until it’s all covered. Several seconds after tires left the pavement, Jim did a 180-degree turn and pointed the five-bladed propeller right at me. Going about 130 miles per hour, an average spray speed in the aircraft, he buzzed past about 50 feet above me, guided by a laser altimeter. Upon reaching the end of the runway, he immediately pulled the aircraft up, pitched about 60 degrees to the right, and quickly settled it back onto its path parallel to the runway. Next, he demonstrated a more real- istic height from where crops would be sprayed. With his tires almost kissing the earth, he again made a speedy pass and demonstrated how stable of a platform the aircraft is. Soon, the show was over, and the flying farm machine settled back down. This flight was only a brief show of the aircraft’s capability and mission, but impressive to witness up-close. For more information, you can visit www.heinenbrosag.com and www.agaviation.org. Author’s Note: I would like to give a spe- cial thanks to Scott Heinen, Glenn Heinen and Jim Uselton, and Colleen Isaacson and Andrew Moore from the National Agricultural Aviation Association. Sky Addict Aviation Short-n-Numbers 16 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 House S The Worldwide General Aviation owner/operators and chief pilots of these airc Jets – 15,414 Chief Pilots & Owners Count Aircraft 55 AIRBUS ACJ319 26 ASTRA 1125 30 ASTRA 1125SP 49 ASTRA 1125SPX 33 BEECHJET 400 226 BEECHJET 400A 117 BOEING BBJ 371 CHALLENGER 300 53 CHALLENGER 600 31 CHALLENGER 601-1A 108 CHALLENGER 601-3A 49 CHALLENGER 601-3R 286 CHALLENGER 604 9 CHALLENGER 800 163 CITATION 500 279 CITATION 525 261 CITATION BRAVO 150 CITATION CJ1 82 CITATION CJ1+ 188 CITATION CJ2 170 CITATION CJ2+ 364 CITATION CJ3 123 CITATION CJ3+ 273 CITATION CJ4 151 CITATION ENCORE 55 CITATION ENCORE+ 305 CITATION EXCEL 18 CITATION I 248 CITATION I/SP 437 CITATION II 57 CITATION II/SP 154 CITATION III 86 CITATION LATITUDE 191 CITATION M2 377 CITATION MUSTANG 123 CITATION S/II 256 CITATION SOVEREIGN 76 CITATION SOVEREIGN+ 234 CITATION ULTRA 232 CITATION V 27 CITATION VI 97 CITATION VII 249 CITATION X 29 CITATION X+ 208 CITATION XLS 229 CITATION XLS+ 1 DIAMOND I 38 DIAMOND IA 5 DORNIER ENVOY 3 227 ECLIPSE EA500 59 EMBRAER LEGACY 500 141 EMBRAER LEGACY 600 67 EMBRAER LEGACY 650 221 EMBRAER PHENOM 100 264 EMBRAER PHENOM 300 73 FALCON 10 20 FALCON 100 19 FALCON 200 196 FALCON 2000 22 FALCON 2000EX 56 FALCON 20C 14 FALCON 20C-5 21 FALCON 20D 2 FALCON 20D-5 31 FALCON 20E 9 FALCON 20E-5 65 FALCON 20F 58 FALCON 20F-5 178 FALCON 50 7 FALCON 50-40 93 FALCON 50EX 152 FALCON 900 24 FALCON 900C 104 FALCON 900EX 176 GLOBAL 5000 128 GLOBAL EXPRESS 19 GULFSTREAM G-100 202 GULFSTREAM G-200 9 GULFSTREAM G-300 22 GULFSTREAM G-400 288 GULFSTREAM G-450 8 GULFSTREAM G-500 500 GULFSTREAM G-550 54 GULFSTREAM G-II 21 GULFSTREAM G-IIB 120 GULFSTREAM G-III 165 GULFSTREAM G-IV 283 GULFSTREAM G-IVSP 170 GULFSTREAM G-V 33 HAWKER 1000A 5 HAWKER 125-1A 6 HAWKER 125-1AS 4 HAWKER 125-3A/RA 11 HAWKER 125-400A 13 HAWKER 125-400AS 12 HAWKER 125-400B 9 HAWKER 125-600A 3 HAWKER 125-600AS 95 HAWKER 125-700A 59 HAWKER 4000 184 HAWKER 400XP 34 HAWKER 750 170 HAWKER 800A 33 HAWKER 800B 336 HAWKER 800XP 39 HAWKER 800XPI 83 HAWKER 850XP 158 HAWKER 900XP 6 JET COMMANDER 1121 3 JET COMMANDER 1121B 8 LEARJET 23 15 LEARJET 24 1 LEARJET 24A 11 LEARJET 24B 28 LEARJET 24D 11 LEARJET 24E 7 LEARJET 24F 10 LEARJET 25 35 LEARJET 25B 8 LEARJET 25C 85 LEARJET 25D 4 LEARJET 28 26 LEARJET 31 161 LEARJET 31A 30 LEARJET 35 350 LEARJET 35A 13 LEARJET 36 32 LEARJET 36A 29 LEARJET 40 186 LEARJET 45 166 LEARJET 45XR 92 LEARJET 55 4 LEARJET 55B 12 LEARJET 55C 253 LEARJET 60 108 PREMIER I 6 SABRELINER 40 17 SABRELINER 40A 3 SABRELINER 40EL 1 SABRELINER 40R 21 SABRELINER 60 17 SABRELINER 60ELXM 2 SABRELINER 60EX 58 SABRELINER 65 13 SABRELINER 80 6 SABRELINER 80SC 66 WESTWIND 1 4 WESTWIND 1123 27 WESTWIND 1124 63 WESTWIND 2 Turboprops – 11,605 Chief Pilots & Owners Count Aircraft 369 CARAVAN 208 1208 CARAVAN 208B 32 CHEYENNE 400 131 CHEYENNE I 13 CHEYENNE IA 251 CHEYENNE II 56 CHEYENNE III 37 CHEYENNE IIIA 51 CHEYENNE IIXL 23 CHEYENNE IV 176 CONQUEST I TOTAL MARKET COVERAGE August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 17 Spread n &Business Aviation Markets raft ALL RECEIVE Twin & Turbine every month Do you want your marketing message to reach these key decision makers? 253 CONQUEST II 42 JETSTREAM 31 57 JETSTREAM 32 60 JETSTREAM 41 25 KING AIR 100 484 KING AIR 200 21 KING AIR 200C 17 KING AIR 200T 197 KING AIR 250 173 KING AIR 300 9 KING AIR 300LW 554 KING AIR 350 64 KING AIR 350C 354 KING AIR 350I 16 KING AIR 90 10 KING AIR A/B90 63 KING AIR A100 209 KING AIR A200 48 KING AIR A90 104 KING AIR A90-1 93 KING AIR B100 854 KING AIR B200 99 KING AIR B200C 8 KING AIR B200CT 91 KING AIR B200GT 4 KING AIR B200SE 21 KING AIR B200T 77 KING AIR B90 329 KING AIR C90 34 KING AIR C90-1 191 KING AIR C90A 351 KING AIR C90B 80 KING AIR C90GT 89 KING AIR C90GTI 150 KING AIR C90GTX 12 KING AIR C90SE 242 KING AIR E90 156 KING AIR F90 25 KING AIR F90-1 61 MITSUBISHI MARQUISE 1 MITSUBISHI MU-2D 22 MITSUBISHI MU-2F 16 MITSUBISHI MU-2J 33 MITSUBISHI MU-2K 10 MITSUBISHI MU-2L 18 MITSUBISHI MU-2M 17 MITSUBISHI MU-2N 24 MITSUBISHI MU-2P 36 MITSUBISHI SOLITAIRE 616 PILATUS PC-12 NG 462 PILATUS PC-12/45 146 PILATUS PC-12/47 215 PIPER JETPROP 68 PIPER M500 79 PIPER M600 794 PIPER MERIDIAN 201 QUEST KODIAK 100 2 ROCKWELL 680T TURBO 5 ROCKWELL 680V TURBO II 5 ROCKWELL 680W TURBO II 4 ROCKWELL 681 HAWK 96 SOCATA TBM-700A 68 SOCATA TBM-700B 283 SOCATA TBM-850 100 SOCATA TBM-900 33 SOCATA TBM910 111 SOCATA TBM930 5 STARSHIP 2000A 68 TURBO COMMANDER 1000 30 TURBO COMMANDER 690 132 TURBO COMMANDER 690A 136 TURBO COMMANDER 690B 81 TURBO COMMANDER 840 24 TURBO COMMANDER 900 52 TURBO COMMANDER 980 Twin Piston – 6,320 Owners Count Aircraft 34 BARON 56 TC 1412 BARON 58 2 BARON 58 PA 339 BARON 58P 108 BARON 58TC 3 BARON A56TC 332 BARON G58 186 BEECH DUKE B60 163 CESSNA 340 507 CESSNA 340A 58 CESSNA 402B BUSINESS LINER 130 CESSNA 402C 24 CESSNA 404 TITAN 244 CESSNA 414 352 CESSNA 414A CHANCELLOR 39 CESSNA 421 34 CESSNA 421A 319 CESSNA 421B 596 CESSNA 421C 50 CESSNA T303 110 DIAMOND D42 108 PIPER 601P AEROSTAR 24 PIPER 602P AEROSTAR 515 PIPER CHIEFTAIN 25 PIPER MOJAVE 308 PIPER NAVAJO 208 PIPER SENECA 12 ROCKWELL 520 COMMANDER 4 ROCKWELL 560 COMMANDER 11 ROCKWELL 560A COMMANDER 8 ROCKWELL 560E COMMANDER 7 ROCKWELL 560F COMMANDER 13 ROCKWELL 680 SUPER 3 ROCKWELL 680E 15 ROCKWELL 680F COMMANDER 12 ROCKWELL 680FL GRAND COMMANDER 5 ROCKWELL 680FLP GRAND LINER High Performance Move-Up Singles – 5,807 Owners Count Aircraft 219 BEECH BONANZA 438 CESSNA 182 56 CESSNA 206 389 CESSNA P210N 21 CESSNA P210R 54 CESSNA T182 818 CIRRUS SR20 2991 CIRRUS SR22 28 MOONEY ACCLAIM ULTRA 10 MOONEY OVATION ULTRA 238 PIPER MALIBU 104 PIPER MATRIX 441 PIPER MIRAGE 39,146 TOTAL AIRCRAFT John Shoemaker, Advertising Director 2779 Aero Park Drive • P.O. Box 968 • Traverse City, MI 49685-0968 (800) 773-7798 • (231) 946-3712 • Fax: (231) 946-9588 E-mail: johns@villagepress.com • www.twinandturbine.com It will when you advertise in Twin & Turbine 18 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 1. Why is agricultural aviation important to everyone, including those who don’t live on a farm or have interests in agriculture? Each year, 127 million acres of cropland are treated aerially, or 28 per- cent of the total cropland acres. This includes corn used for food and ethanol, cotton used for clothing, and rice, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. used for food. Aerial application also treats range and pas- tureland to feed livestock used for consumers’ dairy and meat consump- tion. Whether it is conventional cropland or cropland grown organically, aircraft are used to apply seeds to start crops, nutrients to feed crops and pesticides to protect crops until harvest. The industry also provides firefighting and public health application services to combat disease- carrying mosquitoes and other health-threatening pests. 2. How is the industry working together to minimize risk within the agricultural flying environment? Similar to all of aviation – general, commercial or military – safety is paramount for ag aviators. Flying ag introduces more risk into the fly- ing equation due to making applications at just 10 feet above the crop canopy typically at speeds above 100 mph. Flying at this altitude means flying below obstacles such as utility poles with accompanying wires and communication and meteorological evaluation towers. Many of these towers are unmarked. From 2008 to 2018, there were 22 agricul- tural aviation accidents from collisions with METs, communication tow- ers, towers supporting powerlines and wind turbines, resulting in nine fatalities. For all of general aviation, there have been 40 tower-related accidents and incidents resulting in 36 fatalities over the same 11-year period. As WHO: Andrew Moore COMPANY: National Agricultural Aviation Association POSITION: CEO Five on the Fly by Grant Boyd PHOTOS COURTESY OF AIR TRACTOR August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 19 a result of these accidents, NAAA won a hard- fought victory in seeing federal legislation signed into law in 2018 requiring rural towers between 50 and 200 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter be marked and logged into an FAA database acces- sible to aerial applicators. Prior to this legislation being passed, only towers above 200 feet were required to be marked. To address other aviation safety, security and environmental professionalism issues, NAAA developed its annual PAASS (Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System) program, an annual training program offered to all U.S. aerial ap- plicators. The PAASS program hit the stage back in 1998 and produces new educational material every year on safety, security and environmental stewardship. In that time, the PAASS program has successfully reduced agricultural aviation acci- dents by almost 25 percent. 3. How has the industry shifted in terms of aircraft? The ag aviation industry has primarily transi- tioned to turbine engines (81 percent of the total fleet) from piston engines. Turbine powered air- craft are popular because of their greater efficien- cy, reliability and power. It has resulted in larger and faster ag aircraft being developed. This trans- lates to more acres treated, but also a decrease in the number of aircraft in the industry’s fleet and the population of ag pilots. Today there are ap- proximately 2.3 aircraft per agricultural aviation operation or a total of 3,588 aircraft nationwide. According to the 1962 FAA Publication “Aircraft in Agriculture,” there were 5,075 aircraft in the U.S. The largest ag aircraft the same year were the Snow S-2 and the Ag Cat, each with maximum hopper capacities of about 300 gallons. Today, with turbine equipped aircraft, the average-sized plane is over 500 gallons with 600-, 700- and 800-gallon hopper-equipped aircraft quite com- mon. Air Tractor is currently working on FAA certification of an aircraft with a hopper capacity of 1,200 gallons. GPS, in addition to diversifying the industry to make variable/precision applications and create aerial images, has also decreased the number of crew members needed to make aerial applica- tions and made it safer occupationally. GPS did away with the human flagger – a field worker that would use flags at the beginning of the applica- tion point in the field for the ag pilot to see to line up each swath. 4. What do you see as the future of agricultural aviation? The future looks promising for the aerial applica- tion industry. The current U.S. population is 328 million people, which is expected to grow to 438 million by 2050, according to the Pew Research Center. Globally and domestically, that is a lot more mouths to feed, bodies to clothe and biofuel to power a growing population’s needs – all of which our farmers produce and aerial applicators treat, fertilize and seed. Aerial applicators will also continue to diversify. They will photograph and utilize more aerial-digital images to make precision/variable rate applications as agricul- tural sustainability continues to grow. 5. How is the industry attracting new pilots? There are several ways in which the NAAA is working to attract pilots to the agricultural avia- tion industry. We have a great section on our website, www.agaviation.org, about learning about ag aviation careers. There are also several flight schools that focus solely on ag aviation. We pro- vide programs at our annual convention and state and regional aviation associations that answer questions posed by potential ag pilots about how to get involved in the industry. Our convention, as well as Oshkosh, is also a great place for ag pilots looking for work to network with operators hiring and vice versa. Ag pilots like the good pay and the seasonal work offered by flying in the aerial application industry because it allows them downtime to travel or take different jobs in the winter off-season months. 20 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Jet Journal by Dale Smith If you’ve ever wondered how a 25-year-old guy can go from earning his PPL at 18 to becoming an ATP- rated, professional pilot in the left seat of a brand-new Cessna CJ3+ in only seven years, you need to tune into the CitationMax YouTube channel. It’s a pretty easy assumption that when people first meet Max Weldon, they’re possibly pleasantly sur- prised by his maturity, politeness and humble demeanor. Oh yeah, and there’s also the fact that he’s an ATP-rated, professional pilot flying a new Citation CJ3+ for his father’s business. Before you jump to any conclu- sions, being his father’s son didn’t guarantee Max a “golden ticket” to the CJ’s left seat. Mr. and Mrs. Weldon didn’t raise their children to expect Jet Journal CitationMax: Flying Viewers into the Citation Jet Age Pilot Tube things to be handed to them. No, like they said in the old Smith Barney commercials, “He earned it.” That he did, and Max is justifiably proud of what he’s accomplished. And you would be too. It takes a huge amount of time, determination and dedication to go from zero flight time to an ATP with 2,000 total hours – over 700 of which are in Citations – in just seven years. Max Weldon, Citation CJ3+ Jet Journal August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 21 Sure, like most parents, his mother and father have been very supportive of his dream. But when he started his airborne adventure, he had no idea he’d end up where he is. In fact, until he landed his first job as a professional pilot, owning a private airplane was something his family had never consid- ered. But, before we get too far ahead, let’s go back to where it all started. True Love Never Dies “I grew up in England, and my father was away a lot on business. When I was four, my mom says I’d sit in our garden and watch the planes landing at Heathrow. I’d shout ‘Papa’ every time one flew over,” Max says. “Airplanes became my dad’s and my thing. We’d talk about airplanes all the time. He’d tell me about all the ones he flew on and ones he saw.” “On my eighth birthday, I spent all of my gift money on Microsoft Flight Sim- ulator 2004. I don’t know how many hours I spent in my room imagining I was flying the world,” he said. “As much as I loved it, I never thought I would become a pilot. It wasn’t that I didn’t long to, but for some reason, maybe lack of confidence, felt that it was out of my reach. But I sure want- ed to try.” The Weldons returned to the United States in time for Max to attend high school, and more importantly, convince his mother to let him take flying lessons. “I had been pestering my mom to let me take lessons. She wasn’t com- fortable with any of the Cessnas or Pipers she saw,” he says. “But I was determined and found a flight school in White Plains with a fleet of new Cirrus SR20s. The parachute did the trick.” “I soloed on September 18, 2015 – I have the shirt on my wall,” Max contin- ued. “I earned my PPL (Private Pilot’s License) and, like that, just hit a wall. I was so wiped out by all the studying and flying, trying to be really great, I just got burnt out. I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever fly again.” “It took me about six months to get my head around it and realize I wasn’t going to settle for being a weekend pilot – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but it wasn’t enough for me,” he added. “I loved flying. I had to figure out a balance and a way to move forward.” One thing that was on his side, which he’s very thankful for, is that his original flight instructor had be- come his friend and aviation mentor. “He has always been very important in my aviation career. I wanted to be perfect. He taught me what it was to be a professional,” Max says. “He helped me over the hump, and that help has transformed from a private pilot into someone who can make professional aviation his career.” A Career is Born After earning all the required rat- ings, Max’s first break came when the Part 91 aircraft management company connected to the Cirrus Training Cen- ter hired him to be one of their contract pilots flying Cirrus owners around. “I was 20 and had 250 hours in my logbook, but the operators knew and trusted me,” Max says. “It was a career- defining opportunity. Along with flight experience, I also learned firsthand what it meant to be a ‘professional’ pilot and being responsible for passengers and their needs.” While that was indeed a break for young Max’s career, he says the true turning point was when he was offered the right seat for a flight in a Citation. 22 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Jet Journal Sullivan’s Harbor Springs Airpark “It was a client-owned CJ, and they wanted a co-pilot to help with the ra- dios and all. I didn’t need a type rating,” he explained. “The Captain was fantas- tic. He was professional as they come. He’s the kind of pilot I strive to be.” While the flight to Cincinnati was educational, the real lesson came after they landed. As their lone passenger deplaned, he leaned in the cockpit and said that he had clogged the aircraft’s flushing toilet. “The FBO wanted $800 to fix it, so we went to the store and bought all the stuff to clean it. When we got back to the plane, the Captain handed me the blue gloves and said, ‘Welcome to the glamorous world of corporate aviation,’” Max says. “I wasn’t raised to back away from a commitment. Even though I wasn’t getting paid, when I accept any job, I finish it. So, I put the blue gloves on and dove in…” Max Earns His Stripes After 18 months of hearing Max talk about all of the people using single-engine airplanes for business, his dad decided to buy one of the first Cirrus SF50 Vision Jets. “My father likes to be a maverick of sorts and was fascinated to learn that Cirrus was manufacturing a per- sonal jet that had a parachute. He de- cided it could make sense to have his own, professional-flown Vision Jet for domestic travel,” Max said. “This was a huge step for my dad. He flew in Coach until he was 50 – he’s just not that kind of guy. He knew other people who had airplanes, but he never understood the value they delivered until he got one.” Max explained that after attending Cirrus training for the new jet, they flew it for about six months traveling all over the U.S. for business. “It was on a longer leg when my dad decided he needed something bigger and with more range,” Max said. “So, after looking at the available models, the decision was made to upgrade to the Citation M2. The management company was hugely pro-Cessna, and my dad liked that it was an American- owned company.” While Max had already amassed quite a bit of experience flying the various Cirrus aircraft and Citations for the management company, his aha moment as a professional pilot came when he went to FlightSafety in Wichita for his CE525 type rating with the “S” (Single-Pilot) endorsement. “We have always flown as a profes- sional operation, but FlightSafety really made me a much better pilot. I learned so much in those three weeks. I left with all the confidence and knowledge I needed to fly the M2 safely,” he said. Speaking of professional pilot op- erations, Max stressed the fact that although he and the M2 (and subse- quent CJ3+) are single-pilot qualified, whenever his dad is on the airplane, every flight is made with another pro- fessional pilot in the right seat. “In fact, my preference is always flying as a crew with another experi- enced pilot,” he says. “When I do fly Jet Journal August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 23 Rosen Sunvisor Systems single-pilot, I work closely with our aircraft manager who provides com- plete oversight through a regimented pre-departure process, which is spelled out in our safety manual.” He also shared the story behind N- number, N2RF. Reggie and Figo are the names of the family’s beloved dogs, and his mom wanted to honor their memories by christening the Citation in their memory. “My mom is a true animal lover, and she says that whenever we’re flying, Reggie and Figo know we are up there close to them,” he says. “It makes us all very happy.” “When my dad is not using the air- plane for business, my mom (Citation- Mom) flies with me in support of her animal rescue efforts,” Max said proud- ly. “She has an animal sanctuary in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She also does a lot of work with dog rescue groups in the Mississippi Delta Region.” New Airplane – Same N-Number While the Citation M2 was a huge upgrade from the Cirrus Vision Jet, it falls short in one key ability: range. Max explained that his father’s busi- ness requires that he make frequent trips to Bermuda. The M2 can’t get there from here. “After only six months and 250 hours of flying the M2, we upgraded to a new Citation CJ3+. It’s really the air- plane we should have gotten in the first place,” Max says. “The CJ3+ is a fantastic airplane. It’s fast. It climbs like a rocket. And, most importantly, it fits my dad’s mission precisely. He’s a numbers guy, and the CJ3+ just adds up to be everything we need.” Fly Along with Max “I started my YouTube channel when I began taking flying lessons. I used to go back and watch the videos to learn from my mistakes. It was one camera with no editing,” Max stated. “It evolved to be better and when I started flying the Vision Jet, I renamed the channel CirrusMax. Then when we got the M2, it became CitationMax.” “Flying is my life, and I love shar- ing my experiences with all of my subscribers. I try to give them the feeling of what it’s like to be in the right seat of a professionally-flown CJ. Even when the right seat is taken, I want to verbalize everything I do so they feel like my co-pilot,” he explained. “I also want every 16-year-old kid who watches me know that if they have a dream, they can work towards it.” “I had obstacles, and yes, I had help,” Max continued. “But I believe that if you start to work towards your dream, people will help you. If you work hard enough, you will find your own breaks – it’s possible. Maybe it’s not flying, but whatever it is, you can do it. My YouTube channel gives me that connection.” Dale Smith has been a commercial, private and business aviation marketing and media communications specialist for nearly 40 years. He is an award- wining aviation journalist and aviation artist. Dale has been a licensed pilot since 1974 and has flown more than 40 different types of aircraft. Contact Dale at dalesmith206@comcast.net. Hillaero Modification Center 24 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Jet Journal by Nicholas Guida How a Water Guy Takes to Air J.Wickham “Wick” Zimmerman has been flying for more than 30 years. His childhood dream was to get his pilot’s license and move to the beach to fly a banner plane up and down the shore all day ad- vertising drink specials and beer. Jet Journal Unfortunately, that dream got put on hold when he realized the costs involved with getting your license and having a plane. Fortunately for Wick, a successful career as a structural engineer in the construction business has allowed him to realize his dream of getting his license and owning a plane. He eventually started his own company, Outside the Lines, which designs and builds water features, rockwork and themed environments for en- tertainment spaces, including retail Jet Journal August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 25 He and his wife, Allison, have been flying their CJ1 for about six years. On average, the Zimmermans f ly between 150 to 200 hours per year, though they are expecting a slightly busier year this year. Most of those flights are for business. Their company is headquartered in Ana- heim, California, with an office in Dallas, so they do many flights be- tween the two cities. They also travel to Boise and Salt Lake City regularly and make a trip to the East Coast ev- ery few months for work and family visits. Working on up to 20 projects or more at a time like Wick’s team does means efficiency is so important. Wick’s engineering background and track record of problem-solving for his clients fit well with his pilot sensibilities. The math and science that go into constructing a function- ing fountain that shoots water 150 feet into the air and is choreographed to music follow the same rules in- volved in the aerodynamics of flight – movement, gravity and resistance. That is combined with the beauty of the final product, whether it is a spectacular light and water show or a natural-looking home for a family of penguins. It is easy to compare that creative vision to the majestic beauty you see looking out of an airplane as you come over a mountain or watch the sunset from the sky. While Wick is the official pilot, he is encouraging Allison to consider getting her license. She took a brief course at last year’s Citation Jet Pilot (CJP) Convention and is considering more lessons. However, Wick said there is a big benefit to having her on the radio – the controllers always like her better and are generally nicer. In August of 2019, Wick said they made a change to their CJ1 that has had a big impact on their f lights: they added Tamarack Aerospace’s Active Winglets. He was familiar with the science behind winglets and had flown a Beechcraft Duke and King Air with passive winglets, though ulti- mately didn’t buy those planes. He liked that the Active Winglets didn’t require any structural modifications. The fuel savings he has seen has been most apparent on his frequent trips to Dallas. Typically, they use 150 lbs less fuel each way to make the trip. And while they could typically make the trip from California to Dal- las without stopping, on the return flight, it was always a 50/50 chance of whether they would have to refuel because of the headwinds. Because entertainment, zoos, aquariums, re- sorts, museums and corporate ven- ues. Many of his clients and job sites are not close to major airports, which was a core reason behind getting a plane. Travel time is shortened by private flying, with more time for face-to-face meetings to discuss and view plans and models. Getting started as a pilot had more challenges than just money. Wick claims his first flight instructor tried to fire him a few times. He started his training at Hayesfield in Ellicott City, Maryland (which has since closed). The instructor was incredibly knowl- edgeable and patient, but originally only wanted to do one lesson per week. Wick was more interested in getting his license as quickly as pos- sible and didn’t want bad weather on his “one day” to throw him even farther behind. He also wanted to learn how to fly and not just learn what he needed to know to pass a test, and he felt this instructor was the best person to help him do that. Finally, they negotiated a schedule that worked for both of them and Wick got his license in about a year. Wick bought his first plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza A36, shortly after getting his license. He f lew the Bonanza for about 12 years be- fore moving up to a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron. His appreciation for the quality of Beechcraft planes started with a Beechcraft V-tail at the airfield where he learned to fly. Ultimately the A36 won him over because compared to the V-tail it has a little more room and a better center of gravity (CG) envelope, which gave Wick more flexibility when loading the plane. His current plane, a Cessna Citation CJ1 (CE-525), is his first Cessna and his first jet. As you would expect from an engineer, Wick did a lot of research before buying the plane and ultimately settled on the CJ1 primar- ily due to the quality of construction, longevity of the model’s production, and because it was certified for sin- gle-pilot operation. He was impressed that the 525 was designed to Part 25 standards, which are the standards used for transport category airplanes. J. Wickham Zimmerman and his wife Allison with their Citation CJ1. 26 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Jet Journal the Active Winglets give the plane a significantly better climb rate, they get to a higher altitude faster and burn less fuel. This means they can do the return flight without stopping unless there are dramatic headwinds. Before they were limited to doing three-hour flights with appropriate reserves and now a four-hour flight Arizona Type Ratings Preferred Airparts is no issue. They can also complete East Coast to West Coast trips with one fuel stop instead of two. While having fewer stops is a ben- efit for everyone, it is particularly important when you are carrying valuable cargo like a rescue animal. Wick and Allison work with volunteer groups Pilots N Paws and Doobert to help transfer rescue animals to new homes. Their passengers have in- cluded a 133-pound Mastiff, a pair of wolf dogs and an elderly pit bull mix. Wick said it seems like the animals can sense they are on their “freedom missions” to a better life. Though, it is still helpful to have a bag full of hot dog pieces to keep a Mastiff occupied and out of the co-pilot seat. Wick said what he loves most about f lying is the ultimate sensation of freedom. “Even though we fly in a very regulated and controlled world, there is nothing like it that I have experienced,” he explained. “The convenience of f lying one’s self is certainly a close runner-up.” Nicholas Guida is a pilot and aero- space engineer with over 30 years of experience in the development of certified aerospace products. He is the Founder and CEO of Tamarack Aerospace. You can contact Nicholas at sales@tama- rackaero.com. August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 27 piloting is only needed for the first and last ten minutes of a flight. Ask most travelers how we are able to fly from A to B while in the rain, snow and gloom of night from lift-off to touch down, and they will say that ATC, radar, GPS and autopilots are making all of the brilliant maneuvers and flawless ap- proaches. Unmanned drones are not helping with this mindset. If it was a bumpy flight, if it takes longer than planned, or if we make a bad land- ing, then we must not have listened to ATC, we turned off the autopilot or we are simply ham-fisted pudknockers. With our modesty in check, we can do our best to clarify this perception and promote the piloting profession. When I make a PA to the pax about the ride ahead, I always say that pilots above, below or out in front of us are saying it will be smooth or bumpy. Yes, we get that information from ATC and I’m grateful, but they got it from a pilot, not radar, GPS, an autopilot or their ride-forecasting Ouija board – they got it from a pilot. Whenever a passenger gives us a compliment on the trip, in-flight PAs or the land- ing, I’m grateful and contrite (FPAS notwithstanding) as I smile through by Kevin R. Dingman From the Flight Deck To Err is Human ...Unless You’re a Pilot err/er,ər/ verb be mistaken or incorrect; to make a mistake According to The Oracle of The Happy Bottom Riding Club, we are either pudknockers or prime pilots and all of us that take off and land airplanes are peckerwoods. But are pilots human? Of course we are, but after 100-plus years of manned flight, in the eyes of most people that are not pilots, the mystique of flying remains exciting, dangerous, difficult, romantic and sometimes a bit superhu- man. And they expect all of us pud- knockers and prime pilots alike to be error-free. When I was a silver-reflec- tive-sunglass-wearing teenage private pilot (wow, that’s a mouthful), I had a T-shirt that said: “To Err is Human; To Forgive is Out of The Question.” The term for making a mistake in baseball is an “unforced error.” And I made one in MIA, felt like a pudknocker, and I’m having trouble forgiving myself. Head Games Other than the cost of learning to fly, the aforementioned exciting, superhuman mystique is likely the reason most pilot wannabes continue to be wannabes. And why some who become pilots are reluctant to learn to fly more complex machines or in more challenging environments. No one wants to feel like a pudknocker by meandering too far from their comfort zone. It’s that mentality that kept me from becoming a professional baseball pitcher, applying to the USAF Academy and dissuaded me from any type of engineering profession because those folks are more disciplined, more tal- ented, smarter and able to learn much easier than me. So, how did I get past that mental- ity to become a steely-eyed fighter pilot, airline captain and brilliant writer? I forced myself to become dis- ciplined and focused, which eventually gave me skill (if not talent). And by working longer and harder than my peers (I know, everyone says that), I slowly learned to fly airplanes and write magazine articles. And even though flying an F-16 gave me FPAS (Fighter Pilot Arrogance Syndrome), my occasional unforced errors in pilot- ing nowadays are an effective therapy in correcting this annoying personal- ity flaw – mostly. Perceptions Over the years, the public has grown to believe that the superhuman part of “We got your prime pilots that get all the hot planes, and we got your pudknockers who dream of getting the hot planes…see, some peckerwood’s gotta get the thing up and some peckerwood has gotta land the son of a bitch. And that peckerwood is called ‘a pilot.’” –Pancho Barnes, “The Right Stuff” 28 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 MIA-typical runway selection/change ritual in the last few minutes. I had done this trip four or five times in the previous couple of months and since our gates are on the north side of the terminal, we had repeatedly been as- signed one of the north-side runways: 8R ILS or 8L RNAV GPS, all from the SSCOT-5 RNAV arrival. Knowing this in the descent, I loaded and briefed the 8L RNAV GPS because it’s easier to switch to the ILS from the RNAV than to switch to the RNAV from the ILS. But this time we got the ILS to 9R – no big deal. The process of flying an approach includes loading the FMS, tuning and identifying the NAV radios, setting the radar and baro. altimeter mins, then briefing the approach to the other pilot. We have acronyms to help remember the process, including the FMS steps: “check-plus-two” covers the FMS and setting up the HUD. A semi- optional step is to use the fix-page to put a 2-mile ring around the FAF/glide path intercept point. This gives us a heads up to intercept the descent path and finish getting configured. I forgot this step. The 2-mile ring step, not the get configured step, and it bit me in my lazy hinny. Not my COVID mask, nod and say thank you. And when the FO flew the leg, I always say it was the copilot’s leg and landing, not the first officer but the copilot. I want for them to hear the pilot word. But on this day in MIA, I was disappointed in myself as a pilot not only because it was my error that created the need to go-around, but I lied to my passengers about the reason I did it. Here’s the truth. Arrogance Syndrome Rehabilitation There I was, in my painted 737 (as opposed to a shiny MD-80). It was a one-leg day, ORD to MIA, in daylight, decent weather, with a 24-hour lay- over in a COVID-ruled hotel with a COVID-ruled, but delicious, seafood restaurant next door. The trip signed in at 0415 for a 0515 departure so we were finished and in our hotel rooms by 1000. My FO and I hadn’t flown together yet on the 737 but had been paired together a handful of times in the Mad Dog. Except for the 0245 alarm clock, it’s an easy peasy trip – not hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror. The two-hour flight was, however, punctuated with the because I skipped it, but because I tried to complete the step instead of a more important step, which was pushing the GS capture button. I instead created the 2-mile ring around INESS. We were level at 3,000 feet, in the weather at GRITT, and by the time I finished cre- ating the ring and armed the GS cap- ture mode, we were past the descent path and too far above the glide slope to salvage a stable approach. After we went around, I told my passengers that we were too close to the aircraft landing in front of us. I lied – what a pudknocker. At Home in the Sky A well-adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous. – Alexander Hamilton I’m coming up on 30,000 hours in the sky: 2,000 military, 2,000 in the Guppy, 18,000 in the Mad Dog and the rest in GA. Comfortable and con- fident describes how accustomed I am to being in an airplane. Oftentimes my biggest threat of the day is not overconfidence but being compla- cent – lazy. Like when you think to August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 29 Turbines, Inc. Kevin Dingman has been flying for more than 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 24,000 hours in his logbook. A retired Air Force major, he flew the F-16 and later performed as an USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Officer. He flies volunteer missions for the Chris- tian organiz tion Wings of Mercy, is em- ployed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke.Contact Kevin at dinger10d@gmail.com. yourself that it feels as if the car knows its own way to the office. I’ve got to stay more focused and maybe stop go- ing to Florida. The battery in my C-150 overheated near TPA; I had a near mid- air between my Cherokee and two F-4s in South Florida; I had to jettison some malfunctioning, inert F-16 ordnance off the coast of MIA; and I sucked a bird down the intake between MIA and the Avon Park bombing range. The right engine of my MD-80 blew up at gear retraction in MIA (see “Issues,” T &T September 2010), and I allowed my FO to bust an altitude on approach into MIA. Now I’ve committed an unforced error by forgetting to arm the GS mode which dictated a go-around – also in MIA. I’m seeing a sunshine state trend. We were still 20 minutes early at the gate, but I was disappointed in myself for the mistake and the lie. The Spirit of Pancho Barnes The malfunctioning 500-pound Mark-82 bombs and the MD-80 engine failure were not my fault, nor was the C-150 battery malfunction, the near- midair nor the bird-sucking event. And a go-around for any reason is not a mis- take. But the ILS switch error made me feel like a student pilot and not at all superhuman – like an unfocused, let- the-car-find-its-own-way pudknocker. To err is human indeed, but I didn’t like the smirk that I imagined on Pan- cho’s face as she shook her head and called me a (expletive) pudknocker. But I’ve learned that a stable ap- proach ranks right up there with not stalling the airplane, not hitting any- thing with the airplane and not run- ning the airplane out of gas. Flying a stable approach is one of the most important things that we do. Many of us are just now getting back into the saddle after the COVID lockdown, and we’re once again flying in some serious rain, snow and gloom of night – OK, maybe not snow yet. Stay fo- cused and stay ahead of the airplane, my fellow peckerwoods. The spirit of Pancho Barnes is watching. Author’s Note: Since mid-June when I wrote this article, I’ve added another reason to avoid Florida. It looks like the positive COVID test I received on June 29 was a result of time in MIA. Mine was a “relatively” mild case (102.9 temp, lost 15 pounds in 7 days, no smell or taste, flu-like pains and quarantined/off work for three weeks) but even still – I strongly recommend following CDC guidelines. And yes, I was wearing a mask con- stantly except when in the cockpit. 30 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Ad Index ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, JOHN SHOEMAKER • 2779 Aero Park Drive, Traverse City, MI 49686 Phone: 1-800-773-7798 Fax: (231) 946-9588 • E-mail: johns@villagepress.com House Web Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems ........................... 30 Airtext ........................................... 14 AOPA Finance ............................... 13 Arizona Type Ratings .................... 26 Avidyne ........................... Back Cover CIES Corporation ........................... 13 Covington Aircraft ........................... 5 EDMO Distributors ..............................Inside Back Cover Factory Direct Models..................... 8 Hillaero Modification Center ......... 23 Iceshield/SMR Technologies Inc. ............................ 3 Mile High Finance Corporation ....... 8 Preferred Airparts ......................... 26 Trinity Airporter Resort/ Big Valley Properties ....................... 9 Rosen Sunvisor Systems .............. 23 Select Airparts ................................ 5 Short-N-Numbers ......................... 15 Sky Addict Aviation ....................... 15 Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems ............... Inside Front Cover Sullivan’s Harbor Springs Airpark ............................. 22 Turbines, Inc. ................................ 29 Vac Veterans Airlift Commend ............................ 31 ONLINE! www.twinandturbine.com View the entire magazine on the site! Viewable on any device! • Current Issue • Issue Archive (2015) • Purchase Back Issues • Page Turn Version • Comment on Articles • Advertiser Spotlight • Advertiser Links • Feature your plane • Special Jet Journal Section • Contact Us Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems Carbon Fiber Diluter Demand Mask Vac Veterans Airlift Commend 32 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 On Final by David Miller David Miller has owned and f lown a variety of aircraft from light twins to midsize jets for more than 50 years. With 6,000 plus hours in his logbook, David is the Direc- tor of Programs and Safety Education for the Citation Jet Pilot’s Safety Foundation. You can contact David at davidmiller1@sbcglobal.net. “I will have to shut down the GPU for a few minutes,” yelled the line guy on the Signature ramp. Darkness and heavy mist hung in the early morning at Dallas Love Field (KDAL). “Why?” I responded. “We just detected a lightning strike west of the airport and everything has to shut down,” he replied. Just a little more stress to start the day. Only 24 hours before, I received a phone call that a favorite relative had passed, and today I was flying a planeload of family members to a funeral. “Dallas Love Field information Alpha, wind one four zero at one two, gusting two three, visibility two and one half, light rain, thunderstorm, fog, overcast six hundred, temperature one two, dewpoint one zero, altimeter two niner eight four, simultaneous ILS approaches runway one three left, runway one three right in progress.” Are you beginning to see the picture? Prior to the flight, I ran my mental risk assessment and decided to call Jason, a multi-thousand-hour King Air in- structor, to help in the right seat. We were headed to Jack- son, Mississippi, and a line of weather was forecast to pass through Dallas about the time of our return. Jason handled the passenger safety briefing as I set up the cockpit. On departure we were immediately enveloped in IMC and light rain and turbulence. Jason worked the ra- dios while I cycled the boots in light icing between 14,000 to 16,000 feet. With a 40-knot tailwind, we landed an hour and fifteen minutes later after shooting the GPS Runway 16 to Hawkins field (KHKS). Five of us scurried to the rental car while Jason tended to the engine covers and checked the oil. How Much Stress is Enough? On the drive to the funeral home, Patty’s phone rang. On the other end was the nurse at the retirement home where her mother lives. “Your mom has fallen, and we need to know if you want us to take her to the hospital for a CT scan,” came the request. Another little addition to the stress quotient. From the backseat, my son Matt asked me about a Piper Cheyenne that crashed on takeoff in Louisiana as we flew overhead. My family had more questions. Just a tad more stress. During the funeral, the line of thunderstorms west of Dallas continued its eastward crawl. I glanced at my iPhone radar picture only once, knowing that Jason was watching closely at the airport. Just a tad more stress. After the service, Jason and I huddle at the FBO and decide that we can head back towards DAL and land short if necessary, to wait out the line of weather. In between layers at FL 200, Center says, “November seven three zero Juliet Alpha, regional approach says they are no longer taking arrivals from the southeast. We can take you all the way west and back to Love or you can divert and wait out the line of thunderstorms.” Jason and I discuss the options. “Can we proceed as far as Mesquite (KHQZ) 20 miles short of our destination?” I ask. “Standby” comes the response. Then, “Approach says they will agree to that.” We head for Mesquite, the C90 now fully enveloped in the turbulence and clouds, where the weather is 600 overcast in 2 miles visibility with crosswinds gusting to 24 knots. I cycle the boots and activate all the deice equipment. “Jason, you have the airplane,” I said. This gives me the time to fully brief the puzzled passengers and answer a couple of their questions, knowing that Jason has control of the airplane. We land on a wet runway and file a flight plan to KDAL 30 minutes later, landing in light rain. Jason puts the covers on the airplane, and I clean the cabin, while Patty heads to see her mother. It was really nice to have another set of eyes and hands in the right seat. Sometimes it’s not about how you fly the airplane, but how you manage the flight. Fly safe. August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 3 SMR Technologies, Inc. EDMODistributors 4 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2020 Avidyne