Twin & Turbine - June 2021

“Maintenance Issues” (March) I'm an instrument-rated, 500-hour SR22T pilot who just recently had yet another problem immediately following routine aircraft maintenance. This was my third episode of having a significant mechanic-induced problem that was potentially very dangerous. In each case the aviation shops had a good reputation. My purpose in writing was to ask if you think that three episodes for a 500-hour pilot seems like a lot. The lack of rigor in the maintenance hangars is par- ticularly alarming to me...and to my wife when I've had the nerve to tell her about the problems! I'm a surgeon by training, and I'm guessing that given the consequences of a mistake in aviation maintenance, the requirements for performing proper maintenance would include "sterile" workplaces, where no parts from other jobs could be co- mingled with the parts from your own plane, etc. Towel counts at the end of a procedure are routine in the OR. How come I ended up with an oily rag being left near the turbochargers after a 50 hour oil change?! I've given seri- ous thought to the discontinuation of my late in life avia- tion career. It seems I can rationalize dying in an aviation accident if it was of my own doing. But to die because of someone else's malfeasance seems such a waste. Glenn Cook In Response to Kevin Ware’s “Magic” (April) I own a Citation 500 that I’ve been flying single pilot for over 15 years. I enjoy reading your column, although I’ve never reached out to you before…I spent 36 years in the Air Force as a fighter pilot, flying F-4C, D, and E variants, as well as the F-16. Many times I flew fighters in a gaggle with a tanker or two across the pond to Europe and the Middle East (never a Citation, though!). I vividly remember the first time and subsequent times where I looked down on the ocean and saw the ice cubes you described, only to realize they were actually huge icebergs. That really got my attention in your article. I also saw white caps from flight levels, and it dawned on me how large they must be. Coupled with the clearly frigid temperatures, I shuddered to think of whether an ejection in those areas was really survivable at all. I thought what a pity to survive combat but be severely injured or die jumping out into the North Atlantic. Of course, most of our losses over my career were in training or transit and not related to conflicts. I also enjoyed reading your description of climbing through an overcast and popping out into the warmth and beauty of the sun. Sometimes we would do the same in a block of airspace within the MOA, and we’d try to get just into the cloud cover and zip along with only our canopy and upper bodies (in the F-16) out in the sun. Magical experiences for sure that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Worthe Holt 4 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 Co-Owning with Coflyte App Streamlines Aircraft Ownership The joys of aircraft ownership are numerous: free- dom, flexibility, adventure, spreadsheets...? If I’m being honest, the amount of time dedi- cated to spreadsheets in the first month of aircraft ownership began to get in the way of the enjoyment. As a co-owner of Bonanza F33A, I found myself in charge of juggling payments of all sorts: hangar and aircraft supplies, chart subscriptions, insurance payments, pre-purchase inspection fees, monthly fixed costs, hourly operating costs, debts owed by each owner (and funds transferred), as well as managing flight reservations. While entering a co-ownership offers many benefits, it also necessitates tracking a lot more data and moving parts than sole ownership. It was somewhere around the sixth Google Sheet that I was ready to find a better way. Recognizing a Need As it turns out, I am not the only one who recognized the inefficiencies of trying to separately manage all of the facets of aircraft ownership. In 2019, Eric Hill, director at the Center of Entrepreneurship at Mississippi State Univer- sity, partnered with two other pilots on a Piper Cherokee. The task of managing the aircraft partnership fell to Eric, who quickly began a search for a software solution that could bring maintenance tracking, scheduling and billing all under one roof. His search came back with no suitable results. At about the same time, a friend of Eric and fellow Mississippi State alumni, Tal Clark, purchased a 1972 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza (GREAT first airplane, by the way!). Feeling in over his head as a first-time aircraft owner, Tal and Eric began talking about the glaring need for a one-stop-shop aircraft ownership software solution. With backgrounds in entrepreneurship and technology, Eric and Tal were the right men for the job, and in September of 2019, Coflyt was launched. I was recommended Coflyt by a friend who had man- aged his own aircraft partnership and decided to give it a shot. I signed up for the 30-day free trial to evaluate the software before purchasing a membership ($14 per month or $140 annually for a single-user/$36 per month or $360 for multi-user). I was impressed to find that a member of the Coflyt team could be scheduled for a virtual meeting free of charge to help new users get started. I signed up for a consultation and was scheduled a time with Pace Clark, son of co-founder Tal. by Jared Jacobs PHOTO COURTESY OF COFLYTE June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 5 Pilot Peace of Mind To start, owners build their aircraft into the Coflyt system beginning with general data such as the make and model, tail number and home airport. Once the basic air- craft profile is created, you can then enter more detailed maintenance tracking reminders for your specific airplane based on maintenance records and current aircraft time. Coflyt includes predetermined inspection categories to fill out such as VFR requirements, IFR requirements and engine. Under the VFR section, you are prompted to enter inspections such as the last annual, transponder and ELT inspections, as well as other miscellaneous data like insurance policy and registration renewal dates. IFR inspections will have fields for altimeter/pitot-static in- spection, VOR check and GPS navigation database. The engine(s) section will populate fields for an oil change and a target major overhaul. Some inspections will default to known timeframes for the designated inspection (i.e., annual will recur every 12 months), while others will allow you to define the time based on the date or flight time. Reminders can be added and customized for any inspection to provide an alert be- fore coming due. Tracked items can also be designated as “grounded when overdue” to prevent scheduling when the aircraft is no longer airworthy due to an expired inspection. With the predetermined inspections populated, users can further define and track anything to make the aircraft management experience easier – adding or editing data at any time. Coflyt has even made the daunting task of tracking ADs a simple process by interfacing directly with the FAA’s airworthiness directive database. It is as simple as pressing the “Import ADs” button. Using the aircraft’s registration data, the app will populate all possible ADs based on aircraft make and model. You can then select any that apply and enter the data for the last completion for future tracking. In the Palm of Your Hand With the maintenance trackers in place, your Coflyt air- craft dashboard is now set up for monitoring and alerting. From a single screen, you can quickly determine aircraft status, schedule availability, fuel status, as well as see any upcoming or overdue items you are tracking. You can also share your aircraft with your “ownership team,” which may include mechanics, other owners/pilots, insurance brokers, etc. It is a great tool to keep everyone up to date with what’s happening with the aircraft at any time. If you operate in a co-ownership, partnership, or lease time to other pilots, Coflyt also offers scheduling and billing features. The schedule is intuitive to use and will allow all pilots to see when the aircraft is reserved for a flight or maintenance. Each user can elect to have email or text notifications sent to them when a new reservation is made, and the aircraft calendar can be synced with your personal calendar via one-way sync. For billing, Coflyt has options to set up fixed-cost billing (monthly), as well as hourly. All transactions are saved and Standard Aero 6 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 displayed with an account balance visible to the individual pilot or the account administrator at any time. Coflyt can even facilitate payments through their app using a service called “Stripe.” Note, Stripe charges a 2 percent fee per transaction. If not using Stripe, the administrator can manually edit account balances to reflect direct payments made by users outside of the app. One negative I have personally run in to is that if you lease time to pilots at different rates than what you charge yourself, or other pilots pay different fixed costs, you cannot assign unique rates per pilot. In this case, the ad- ministrator would have to manually adjust these charges. It may be a rare scenario, but I think it would be a nice feature in the future. Flying with Coflyt Once the aircraft and account preferences are set up, owners can begin logging flights. As you would expect, logging your flights in the Coflyt app is straightforward. Origin and beginning hobbs/tach is preloaded from the previous flight. In addition to fields for landing airport and time, there are also fields for tracking fuel and oil either before or after the flight – plus any notes, pictures or documents that you might like to add. As flights are loaded, Coflyt will save all of the data for you or your ownership team to reference at any time in the future. Any aircraft squawks that may be noted can now be captured, tracked and shared seamlessly between the ownership team. Cof lyt smartly categorizes squawks using the Joint Aircraft System/Component (JSAC) code system. This method uses a number-based code for each aircraft component that follows along with the organiza- tion of aircraft maintenance manuals. The severity of the squawk can be tracked so that all parties know not only when the aircraft is downed but when to keep an eye out for intermittent issues that may warrant attention on fu- ture flights. Pictures can also be uploaded to the squawks page to keep a visual log. Summary I am about two months into using Coflyt, and as a new aircraft owner and administrator of our co-ownership, a tool like Coflyt is invaluable. I am confident my main- tenance and other recurring trackable items will not go unnoticed and slip my consciousness. At the same time, I have access to scheduling and billing software that ensures all of my expenses are tracked and can be viewed by any member. Now, conversations with the other owners can revolve more around fun flights and trips as opposed to the aircraft’s status or money owed. This peace of mind allows us to spend less time with our heads in the spreadsheets and more time in the clouds. Jared T. Jacobs is an ATP-rated turbine pilot, instructor and mentor. He currently flies corporate aircraft both single- pilot and as crew for a Fortune 500 company. Jared can be reached at jaredjacobs2@gmail.com. Sample pages from the Coflyte app showcasing basic flight information and how to create a flight. June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 7 American Aviation 8 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 9 In today’s click and deliver society, the intricacies of logistical accomplishments often go unnoticed. When you can order something one day and it appears on your doorstep the next morning, deliv- ering anything around the world these days seems to be an easy process. Well, what about when it comes to delivering private aircraft? As ferry pilots will tell you, the aircraft delivery process is rarely as simple as flying from Point A to Point B. Each delivery is a unique event that requires special attention to ensure a timely and safe transport that meets all identified expectations. As each flight mission varies, there is no standard guide for ferry flights. But, you can find common patterns across the detailed planning for weather, airspace limitations, aircraft endurance, aircraft equipment, crew duty days, geopolitical dangers and country restrictions. by Grant Boyd MOVING AIRCRAFT AROUND THE GLOBE PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHEPHERD AERO FERRY FLYING 10 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 This route has operators flying from the northeastern United States through Canada on to Greenland or Iceland, then further across the pond into the United Kingdom and on to Europe, the Middle East or Africa. Follow a Ferry Recently, the company conducted a North Atlantic delivery of a Phenom 100 from the United States to the Czech Republic. The three-day journey (a standard trip length) originated in Hartford, Connecticut bound for a private individual/buyer in Prague. The physical aircraft journey began in the middle of the night with a red-eye departure. The delivery and arrival times were strategically based on trip length and weather and prevented the team from running into much traffic. In the cockpit was Shepherd Aero President Travis Holland accompanied by Andrew Gallagher. The Phenom 100 fits the company’s standard mission profile as the majority of their business involves moving light to midsize turbine aircraft, often under single-pilot operations. Though some clients’ insurance or operational practices will require a second pilot to be present. Arriving in Goose Bay after a two-and-a-half-hour f light from across the border, the local time was about 5:00 am. The flight was mostly uneventful oth- er than facing night and IFR conditions at the arrival airport. The Phenom did not stay in Canada for long, only a quick technical stop for fuel and customs work. Soon, the two departed towards the next destination – Greenland. As Holland and Gallagher flew the aircraft Behind the Scenes To better understand all of the moving parts, we turned to Shepherd Aero based at Bellingham International Air- port (KBLI) in Washington. Shepherd Aero specializes in moving aircraft around the globe by way of ferry services and international trip support. The company accomplishes more than 100 international deliveries each year. “North America and Europe see the highest number of city pairs, but our ‘hot spots’ evolve with geopolitical condi- tions,” said Andrew Gallagher, director of marketing and business development at Shepherd Aero (and pilot). “For example, the strength of the U.S. dollar can sway which direction the flow of transactions is occurring as most aircraft transactions are conducted in USD. “Or, if political conditions in a certain region are deterio- rating, we may see more aircraft coming from that region outbound to other locations around the world as buyers take advantage of depressed demand and pricing caused by the politics. We also handle seasonal ferry missions. Some international companies lease aircraft for certain months of the year then use our company to move aircraft from one operating location to another.” For ferry missions occurring in the westward direction, aircraft without ocean-crossing endurance typically follow a path up through Alaska from the western United States or Canada into Russia, then south toward the Pacific Rim countries. Some notable destinations include China, Japan and Australia. The remainder of the company’s flight activ- ity occurs eastward in the form of North Atlantic crossings. A Shepherd Aero crew ferries a Learjet 60 from Florida to the country of Laos. This was a special milestone as this aircraft was the first private jet placed on the Laos national aircraft registry. June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 11 towards Kangerlussuaq Sondrestrom General Airport (BGSF), the sun rose over Northeastern Canada. When overflying oceans, there are unique planning considerations. For instance, life rafts are carried during all oceanic operations regardless of the number of engines on the aircraft. And if it is a single-engine aircraft operation, the crew must also wear immersion suits during the flight. During the leg to Greenland, the airplane went outside of radar contact, so Travis and Andrew were restricted below RVSM airspace due to aircraft limitations. As such, fuel management was especially critical. And while the flight from Goose Bay to Sondrestrom took longer than planned, the Phenom still landed with more than enough safe fuel. The Shepherd team always aims to have greater than IFR fuel reserves when landing at an international destination. After refueling, the day’s final leg was a two-and-a- half-hour flight to Keflavik International Airport (BIKF). After a nice cold evening spent in Iceland (punctuated by earthquake tremors from the nearby volcano), Travis and Andrew embarked for Belfast, Northern Ireland. The flight to EGAA took approximately two hours with en route views of bright sunny skies over the North Atlantic. The pair proceeded to have one of the fastest ground turns in company history of just 15 minutes before con- tinuing to the Czech Republic – a straightforward two-hour flight where the new owner eagerly awaited their aircraft’s arrival. Wherever the destination, the satisfaction and excitement of a successful delivery is felt by both sides of the transaction. International Obstacles When it pertains to international flying, not all aspects of trip planning are equal across each country. “The ICAO does a good job setting global standards and guidelines for aviation,” said Gallagher. “But as an example, Covington A Phenom 100 on its way from Hartford Connecticut to Prague in the Czech Republic. 12 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 Luma Tech there are far fewer routes and airports accessible to civil- ian aircraft in Russia than there are in Western Europe. So, the planning required is highly variable depending largely on the countries we fly in. “And, smaller aircraft with limited endurance requires a lot more planning than large, intercontinental-range aircraft, as the smaller aircraft have to stop more. Fur- thermore, sometimes smaller aircraft cannot make certain legs of the mission without auxiliary fuel tanks. In that case, we have to plan for the design and installation of these tanks prior to mission start as well as tank removal at the conclusion.” Unsurprisingly, adaptation and flexibility are fundamen- tal traits in the aircraft ferrying business. Especially in the past year, COVID-19 had a sizable impact on business aviation and tested the flexibility of the company and its pilots. The number of Shepherd Aero’s aircraft movements in 2020 was about half of what it would have been during a “normal” year. Plus, each trip was about twice as much work as before due to the intense restrictions and border closures in place. The Shepherd Aero team is continually adapting to the ever-evolving patchwork of regulations that vary from country to country. Typically, Shepherd Aero requests clients submit their ferry request at least 10 days prior to aircraft depar- ture – the company’s time preference for trip planning. Occasionally, however, movement plans come to fruition with less advance notice. “We also love the challenge when clients call us need- ing an airplane moved ASAP. We’ve been able to plan and dispatch flights within a 24-hour notice,” said Gallagher. “That said, we take the safety of our crew very seriously, and we will not jeopardize that at any price. We will delay missions to whatever extent necessary, even at the dis- appointment of our clients, to ensure the safety of crew and airplane.” Ferry Piloting Crew selection is an integral part of trip preparation. Shepherd Aero begins their pilot determination by analyz- ing the pilots’ experience in the operated region. Pilots are either company employees or chosen from an extensive database of contract personnel. From there, they select each crew based upon license level, flight hours and overall professionalism. Regardless of who is chosen, they must follow all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). There are no specific legal requirements to be a ferry pilot outside the standard pilot qualifications of type and class ratings. However, to be legally compensated for serving as a ferry pilot, one must hold at least an FAA or equivalent commercial pilot license. One positive about the constantly changing COVID-19 regulations has been the continued adaptation of technical June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 13 Grant Boyd is a private pilot with seven years of expe- rience in general aviation business from marketing to customer service. He has written more than 85 articles for aviation publications and enjoys learning about air- craft/pilots with unique missions. Grant can be reached at grantboyd2015@gmail.com. stops versus full stops with deboarding. The latter counts as an entry into a country, which constitutes a multitude of related guidelines to follow, especially pertaining to COVID testing and restrictions between various countries. These inter-country movements of pilots could result in travel issues and delays if not all rules are followed or documented correctly. To keep track of all of the considerations, the Shepherd Aero team utilizes a litany of documents, software and communication practices. Most notable is their proprietary flight planning and filing software, “eurofpl.eu”, which manages all of their international flights. The operations team has members in North America, South Africa and China, so they are able to cover all time zones, offering true 24/7 flight coverage. Even with the intense amount of preplanning, every ferry flight presents obstacles, so the team constantly communicates with contingency plans always at the ready. Preferred Assured Partners 14 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 King Air 300 Stock Versus Blackhawk I’ll confess – my favorite airplane is the King Air 300. The KA300 is the predecessor to the King Air 350, the supposed improved version. The differences be- tween the two boil down to a stretched fuselage and an additional cabin-class seating area. Otherwise, the differ- ences are slight. But, that slightly lon- ger fuselage does incur a penalty in parasite drag and subsequent speed, so the true speedster of the King Air world is the 300. That is one of the core reasons it is loved by the market – it’s the fastest. More Horses We manage and fly N30FE, a 1988 stock King Air 300, and we love it. The airplane has cabin noise canceling (one of the sweetest upgrades ever) and a partial panel upgrade with Gar- min 750s and all the associated digital Garmin goodies. It doesn’t have wing lockers, but that’ll be the next upgrade considered. It is a great airplane with impressive performance. So, how do you further improve upon the near-perfect King Air 300? The answer is more horses. There’s no substitute for horsepower, right? Fortunately, that’s the cornerstone of thinking at Blackhawk Aerospace based in Texas. Blackhawk figured out how to bolt bigger engines on the King Air 300 with its XP67A conver- sion, and guess who happened to buy the very first one – another client by Joe Casey of mine. So, we now have an inside look of both a stock King Air 300 and a Blackhawk-upgraded King Air 300. There are plenty of King Air 350s with the Blackhawk XP67A conver- sion, but N777XP was the first KA300 to receive the upgrade to the PT6-67. And I’d say N777XP has to be the fastest, best climbing King Air on the planet. Comparing the Two I fly both N30FE and N777XP fre- quently, and as such, can probably give the most accurate testimony about the differences between the two. I’ll give you the bottom line for- ward: Both are super airplanes that fit a particular mission profile. PHOTOS BY CLINT GOFF June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 15 N30FE is the factory-original King Air 300. We fly it about 120 hours per year for owners who use the air- plane for business, family trips and travel to their vacation home. Most trips are under two hours in length, and it performs for us with an over 99 percent mission readiness rate. Our payload is “normal” – usually five to seven persons on board, each bring- ing a couple bags. I can’t remember the last time I worried about weight and balance. It is a true “load up the people and bags and have the line guy top it off” sort of airplane. And there is plenty of excess payload to tanker additional fuel if we plan to land at an airport with egregious fuel prices. Our climb rate at an average weight and density altitude is 2,000 fpm af- ter lifting off the runway, whittling down to about 1,000 fpm as it levels off at FL280. N30FE is not an RVSM airplane, and we don’t yet see the need to go into RVSM airspace for our mission needs. As most trips are less than two hours, the cost/value ratio translates to us not needing the flight levels starting with a “3.” We routinely flight plan for 290 KTAS. I keep accurate, leg-specific cruise data in all of our managed air- craft, and 290 KTAS is the average of all flights in the last five years. We’ve seen a few flights where we reached 305 KTAS but only when the tem- perature and altitude were optimal. We could push the power more, but we decided a long time ago to cruise at a lower power setting to minimize unscheduled maintenance from an engine run too hard. The power is set at a slightly low 775 degrees ITT regardless of the altitude selected. This provides an average fuel flow of 335 pounds per hour for each engine. So, a stock King Air 300 is no slouch and will flat-out perform. N777XP (the Blackhawk version) is like N30FE in terms of bolt-on items. It has a Garmin panel (Dual 750s) and no wing lockers, but it does not have cabin noise canceling. The owners of N777XP have a few shorter flights, but their primary missions are lon- ger, usually more than three hours of flight time. This is where the extra horses really help. AOPA Finance We f light plan for 330 KTAS in N777XP and are never disappointed. In fact, our first 250 hours of flight time in this airplane (with meticulous recordkeeping) shows an average TAS of 333 KTAS at FL280. It burns 404 pounds per hour on average each side to produce that performance, which is not top-end. Again, we could push the power lever forward more, but we choose a lesser setting to keep main- tenance costs lower. And the cruise performance is only the beginning. The best part about the extra horses is the climb. With full-fuel, six passengers plus bags, and standard air density, we rou- tinely see climbs greater than 3,500 fpm at 160 KIAS. We usually climb at 170+ IAS to keep the pitch angle from going over 10 degrees, which passengers think is more comfortable. So, a climb to the flight levels is super quick, even jet-like. We rotate off the 16 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 JETS – 17,806 CHIEF PILOTS & OWNERS COUNT AIRCRAFT 36 AIRBUS ACJ319 30 ASTRA 1125 32 ASTRA 1125SP 57 ASTRA 1125SPX 29 BEECHJET 400 266 BEECHJET 400A 195 BOEING BBJ 503 CHALLENGER 300 40 CHALLENGER 600 26 CHALLENGER 601-1A 121 CHALLENGER 601-3A 54 CHALLENGER 601-3R 325 CHALLENGER 604 7 CHALLENGER 800 148 CITATION 500 340 CITATION 525 318 CITATION BRAVO 187 CITATION CJ1 96 CITATION CJ1+ 240 CITATION CJ2 225 CITATION CJ2+ 476 CITATION CJ3 174 CITATION CJ3+ 368 CITATION CJ4 189 CITATION ENCORE 74 CITATION ENCORE+ 392 CITATION EXCEL 14 CITATION I 280 CITATION I/SP 445 CITATION II 54 CITATION II/SP 155 CITATION III 124 CITATION LATITUDE 247 CITATION M2 467 CITATION MUSTANG 130 CITATION S/II 323 CITATION SOVEREIGN 105 CITATION SOVEREIGN+ 310 CITATION ULTRA 285 CITATION V 31 CITATION VI 122 CITATION VII 329 CITATION X 38 CITATION X+ 253 CITATION XLS 301 CITATION XLS+ 1 DIAMOND I 32 DIAMOND IA 16 DORNIER ENVOY 3 304 ECLIPSE EA500 75 EMBRAER LEGACY 500 100 EMBRAER LEGACY 600 53 EMBRAER LEGACY 650 247 EMBRAER PHENOM 100 328 EMBRAER PHENOM 300 80 FALCON 10 22 FALCON 100 16 FALCON 200 242 FALCON 2000 27 FALCON 2000EX 34 FALCON 20C 15 FALCON 20C-5 17 FALCON 20D 1 FALCON 20D-5 10 FALCON 20E 49 FALCON 20F 75 FALCON 20F-5 197 FALCON 50 8 FALCON 50-40 118 FALCON 50EX 178 FALCON 900 24 FALCON 900C 116 FALCON 900EX 156 GLOBAL 5000 123 GLOBAL EXPRESS 25 GULFSTREAM G-100 239 GULFSTREAM G-200 14 GULFSTREAM G-300 24 GULFSTREAM G-400 313 GULFSTREAM G-450 11 GULFSTREAM G-500 602 GULFSTREAM G-550 27 GULFSTREAM G-II 12 GULFSTREAM G-IIB 111 GULFSTREAM G-III 175 GULFSTREAM G-IV 338 GULFSTREAM G-IVSP 204 GULFSTREAM G-V 38 HAWKER 1000A 2 HAWKER 125-1A 2 HAWKER 125-1AS 12 HAWKER 125-400AS 2 HAWKER 125-600A 1 HAWKER 125-600AS 61 HAWKER 125-700A 72 HAWKER 4000 223 HAWKER 400XP 44 HAWKER 750 153 HAWKER 800A 14 HAWKER 800B 398 HAWKER 800XP 42 HAWKER 800XPI 88 HAWKER 850XP 187 HAWKER 900XP 2 JET COMMANDER 1121 2 JET COMMANDER 1121B 2 JETSTAR 731 4 LEARJET 23 12 LEARJET 24 2 LEARJET 24A 7 LEARJET 24B 20 LEARJET 24D 8 LEARJET 24E 6 LEARJET 24F 4 LEARJET 25 19 LEARJET 25B 4 LEARJET 25C 45 LEARJET 25D 4 LEARJET 28 32 LEARJET 31 182 LEARJET 31A 26 LEARJET 35 398 LEARJET 35A 21 LEARJET 36 33 LEARJET 36A 32 LEARJET 40 243 LEARJET 45 225 LEARJET 45XR 92 LEARJET 55 6 LEARJET 55B 8 LEARJET 55C 307 LEARJET 60 623 PILATUS PC-12/45 149 PREMIER I 1 SABRELINER 40 7 SABRELINER 40A 2 SABRELINER 40EL 2 SABRELINER 40R 4 SABRELINER 60 5 SABRELINER 60ELXM 68 SABRELINER 65 7 SABRELINER 80 1 SABRELINER 80SC 67 WESTWIND 1 1 WESTWIND 1123 14 WESTWIND 1124 50 WESTWIND 2 TURBOPROPS – 12,801 CHIEF PILOTS & OWNERS COUNT AIRCRAFT 403 CARAVAN 208 1,523 CARAVAN 208B 155 CHEYENNE I 16 CHEYENNE IA 206 CHEYENNE II 56 CHEYENNE III 38 CHEYENNE IIIA 57 CHEYENNE IIXL 35 CHEYENNE IV 235 CONQUEST I 291 CONQUEST II 38 JETSTREAM 31 63 JETSTREAM 32 52 JETSTREAM 41 37 KING AIR 100 450 KING AIR 200 17 KING AIR 200C The Worldwide General Aviation owner/operators and chief pilots of these airc PHOTO BY JESSICA AMBATS TOTAL MARKET COVERAGE June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 17 Do you want your marketing message to reach these key decision makers? 16 KING AIR 200T 229 KING AIR 250 182 KING AIR 300 14 KING AIR 300LW 617 KING AIR 350 62 KING AIR 350C 8 KING AIR 350ER 387 KING AIR 350I 4 KING AIR 350IER 8 KING AIR 90 6 KING AIR A/B90 76 KING AIR A100 184 KING AIR A200 34 KING AIR A90 197 KING AIR A90-1 105 KING AIR B100 1,038 KING AIR B200 107 KING AIR B200C 99 KING AIR B200GT 5 KING AIR B200SE 8 KING AIR B200T 47 KING AIR B90 302 KING AIR C90 38 KING AIR C90-1 186 KING AIR C90A 378 KING AIR C90B 76 KING AIR C90GT 88 KING AIR C90GTI 150 KING AIR C90GTX 13 KING AIR C90SE 258 KING AIR E90 173 KING AIR F90 28 KING AIR F90-1 5 MERLIN 300 13 MERLIN IIB 8 MERLIN III 22 MERLIN IIIA 44 MERLIN IIIB 14 MERLIN IIIC 3 MERLIN IV 11 MERLIN IV-A 101 MITSUBISHI MARQUISE 18 MITSUBISHI MU-2F 1 MITSUBISHI MU-2G 15 MITSUBISHI MU-2J 37 MITSUBISHI MU-2K 12 MITSUBISHI MU-2L 25 MITSUBISHI MU-2M 24 MITSUBISHI MU-2N 29 MITSUBISHI MU-2P 47 MITSUBISHI SOLITAIRE 796 PILATUS PC-12 NG 197 PILATUS PC-12/47 296 PIPER JETPROP 74 PIPER M500 92 PIPER M600 602 PIPER MERIDIAN 198 QUEST KODIAK 100 2 ROCKWELL 680T TURBO 5 ROCKWELL 680V TURBO II 4 ROCKWELL 680W TURBO II 4 ROCKWELL 681 HAWK 85 SOCATA TBM-700A 90 SOCATA TBM-700B 381 SOCATA TBM-850 121 SOCATA TBM-900 38 SOCATA TBM910 136 SOCATA TBM930 6 STARSHIP 2000A 50 TURBO COMMANDER 1000 22 TURBO COMMANDER 690 131 TURBO COMMANDER 690A 135 TURBO COMMANDER 690B 73 TURBO COMMANDER 840 20 TURBO COMMANDER 900 19 TURBO COMMANDER 980 TWIN PISTON – 6,872 OWNERS COUNT AIRCRAFT 35 BARON 56 TC 1,566 BARON 58 446 BARON 58P 118 BARON 58TC 3 BARON A56TC 335 BARON G58 158 BEECH DUKE B60 150 CESSNA 340 480 CESSNA 340A 49 CESSNA 402B BUSINESS LINER 110 CESSNA 402C 20 CESSNA 404 TITAN 312 CESSNA 414 430 CESSNA 414A CHANCELLOR 36 CESSNA 421 30 CESSNA 421A 335 CESSNA 421B 713 CESSNA 421C 38 CESSNA T303 100 DIAMOND D42 65 PIPER 600 AEROSTAR 3 PIPER 600A AEROSTAR 44 PIPER 601 AEROSTAR 4 PIPER 601B AEROSTAR 182 PIPER 601P AEROSTAR 21 PIPER 602P AEROSTAR 509 PIPER CHIEFTAIN 20 PIPER MOJAVE 280 PIPER NAVAJO 196 PIPER SENECA 13 ROCKWELL 520 COMMANDER 3 ROCKWELL 560 COMMANDER 11 ROCKWELL 560A COMMANDER 7 ROCKWELL 560E COMMANDER 6 ROCKWELL 560F COMMANDER 12 ROCKWELL 680 SUPER 3 ROCKWELL 680E 14 ROCKWELL 680F COMMANDER 11 ROCKWELL 680FL GRAND COMMANDER 4 ROCKWELL 680FLP GRAND LINER HIGH PERFORMANCE MOVE-UP SINGLES – 5,726 OWNERS COUNT AIRCRAFT 200 BEECH BONANZA 435 CESSNA 182 52 CESSNA 206 373 CESSNA P210N 21 CESSNA P210R 54 CESSNA T182 790 CIRRUS SR20 2,875 CIRRUS SR22 26 MOONEY ACCLAIM ULTRA 11 MOONEY OVATION ULTRA 271 PIPER MALIBU 93 PIPER MATRIX 525 PIPER MIRAGE Jenna Reid, Advertising 316.409.7033 • Jenna.Reid@vpdcs.com www.twinandturbine.com n & Business Aviation Markets raft ALL RECEIVE Twin & Turbine every month ADVERTISE IN TWIN & TURBINE 18 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 runway with a 3,500 fpm climb rate, and that dwindles down to 1,800 fpm when leveling off at FL280. Simply put, climb performance is never a question with the Blackhawk XP67A. Other Considerations In case you missed it a few para- graphs ago, the Blackhawk XP67A conversion burns more fuel – sig- nificantly more fuel. To go from 335 pounds per hour to 405 pounds per hour is a 21 percent increase. For that penalty, the airplane gains 43 KTAS (333 KTAS compared to 290 KTAS), burns more per hour, but it operates for fewer hours, making the fuel burn a net-neutral consideration on long legs. We fly the stock N30FE on many shorter flights, often less than an hour in length. On those flights, the Blackhawk 300 would not make a lot of sense as it would only save a few minutes on each leg. In my opinion, there’s little need to buy a Blackhawk XP67A conversion unless the airplane is RVSM capable. With the extra horses to get up to altitude, the Blackhawk 300 gets to RVSM alti- tudes easily then cruises fast. a 15 percent increase in speed. Is it worth it? For some, yes. For some, no. I think the greatest consideration is the length of the average trip. If you’ve got a long way to go, a 43-knot increase in speed is significant. If you are flying shorter trips, then the increase in speed is not worth the cost. We fly from southeast Texas to northern Colorado frequently and, for that trip, the Blackhawk 300 is easily our favorite airplane to fly. We also fly from Texas to southeast Florida, and the Blackhawk XP67A will beat the stock 300 by more than 45 min- utes each leg. So, if you’ve got a long way to go, the fuel burn on the overall trip is about the same. The Blackhawk 300 Aside from the extra horsepower, there are a few other considerations that are different. The Blackhawk engines start more slowly. During the start sequence, the secondary fuel is slightly delayed. If you are comfort- able starting a PT6, the delay will not trouble you, but it will be noticeable. I’ve started all the PT6 variants, and I’ve never seen anything near a hot start in the -60 or the -67. Both have lots of margin when contrasted to PT6 engine variants in other aircraft installations. On landing, the stock 300 propel- lers will move to the low pitch stops when the nose wheel touches down. I love this aspect of the stock 300 as it makes me look really good as a pilot. The low pitch stop setting applies just a little reverse thrust, which is ideal on a normal landing. This feature is eliminated on the Blackhawk KA300, so the pilot has to lift the power levers over the gate and into reverse/beta (if desired). All Blackhawk XP67As will have five-blade props, which makes for great ramp appeal. I’m lukewarm to the five-blade prop on some single- engine installations due to lower nose clearance issues, but in the multi- engine King Air, they’re fantastic. What about one engine inoperative performance? Even without looking at the performance charts you al- ready know the Blackhawk XP67A has spectacular OEI performance. Heck, it’ll out-climb in OEI operation most of the other King Air models with both engines operational. I know the chances of losing a PT6 engine are re- mote, but if the worst happens, you’ll be happy to have the most available excess thrust on the good engine. The Right Buyer To me, the best reason to buy a Blackhawk XP67A is speed. If you are an early adopter or an owner that wants the best and fastest, you want a Blackhawk XP67A. There’s nothing like it in the King Air world. But, don’t let my enthusiasm for the Blackhawk XP67A cast any shadow of doubt about my appreciation for the stock King Air 300. If truth be told, N30FE is probably my favorite airplane ever. It is rugged, bulletproof, and just a pleasure to fly. Every time I see the schedule pairs me with N30FE, I’ve got a smile on my face. It may not attract a ramp crowd like N777XP, but it does everything well. The owner of N30FE has no de- sire to upgrade and loves the perfor- mance of the stock 300. Plus, N30FE doesn’t come with the additional price tag that the Blackhawk XP67A conver- sion costs. A Blackhawk XP67A con- version will cost $1.6 million (minus the value of exchange engines), so the extra ponies do require additional up- front cash. If you’ve got engines that are near TBO, then the Blackhawk conversion could be a wise choice. Remember, a Blackhawk KA300 will fly the same trips faster, so it will King Air 300 with Blackhawk's XP67A upgrade. June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 19 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 standardization 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. put fewer hours on the airplane and subsequently cost less to fly a particu- lar trip. The explanation here requires some intricate math or an elaborate spreadsheet, but the numbers are le- gitimate. If you consider the 10-year ownership of a Blackhawk XP67A con- verted 300 against a stock 300, the overall costs might be less due to the fewer hours flown. Plus, you get the added benefit of higher speeds, better climb and better OEI performance. One other buyer might be inter- ested in the Blackhawk XP67A – the buyer looking to buy a jet. At the price point of the Blackhawk engines, some jets could contrast nicely. Usually, the buyer of a jet wants speed, but most of the “affordable” jets come with a small tube, less-than-adequate baggage space, and they don’t operate from shorter runways with aplomb. With the Blackhawk XP67A, you get near jet climb and cruise performance along with a big cabin, a huge useful load and a lot less cost. So, which do you choose? If you have a long way to go and have a larg- er purchase budget, the Blackhawk 300 is probably the best answer. If you fly shorter trips and want the additional load carrying capability of the 300 compared to the 200, then the stock 300 is probably the best air- plane for your needs. Me? I’ll gladly fly either. I love them both. One thing is for sure – you simply cannot go wrong with a King Air 300 airframe regardless of which engine is bolted on the front. CIES First Source 20 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 by Kevin R. Dingman From the Flight Deck Head Games Pilots must manage distractions. The “patient” presented as a black screen with white letters displaying CRITICAL FAILURE followed by a co- matose SAFE MODE. This electronic workhorse travels in my Jeep, the cockpit of the 737, and aboard the Duke – a well-padded aluminum brief- case for a home. But the briefcase re- ceives no exceptional handling. TSA scans and searches, hotel van loading and unloading, jarring, dropping, and wide variations in temperature are its lot in life. Well, they were its lot in life…its virtual existence faded to an eternal black screen. A post-mortem forensic investigation exposed the cause of death: Due to the minus- cule clearance inside the hard drive, a combination of cold temperature start-ups and a malicious virus had conspired against its delicate innards thus destroying both the body and mind of its hardworking hard drive. Measured and Mature The operating system, programs, pictures, music and documents were all lost. SAFE MODE was apparently not so safe after all. The apocalyptic event called for a measured and ma- ture response. My unbridled “OMG” and teary-eyed whimpering appeal, “there’s no place like home,” which had worked in the past, failed to help. Next, a geek-wizard from the Emerald City computer fix-it store was sought for consultation. But neither my whimpering appeal nor the wizard were able to return me, or the hard drive, to Kansas. The al- ternative response was to follow the yellow brick road to the web and order a new laptop. Come hither and behold for all to see the Dell “Inspiron” running Win- dows 10, the newest Internet Explorer and the latest iteration of Word for Of- fice. Never approach a steer from the front, a horse from the rear, or, from any direction, a person over 60 with a new PC (or cell phone), especially one who neglected to back up their old data. Certainly, you’ve had a com- parable level of been-there-done-that. Not since getting my first smartphone have I struggled so desperately not to June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 21 throw it into the air and blast it with a couple rounds from my 12 gauge. I obviously needed assistance – and counseling. I was told that using a kerosene heater to preheat the hard drive to prevent cold start-ups, as I do for the Duke, would produce too much carbon monoxide. And the TSA is hesitant to let me through security with said heater anyway. After three hours of consultation with a computer guy during the setup procedure of my new traveling companion, we agreed on several TSA, EPA and APA (American Psychiatric Association) approved backup systems so as to prevent the security, environmental and no-place-like-home syndromes from manifesting themselves again. The strategy would be this: Allow some warm-up time after travel and before boot-up, use of a flash drive, emailing important documents to myself and securing rental space in “The Cloud” – a virtual safety deposit box for data, on an internet server. No kerosene, no wizard, no shotgun and no psychiatrist. Head in the Clouds Coincidentally, the term Cloud is used to describe the internet “place” where our data is stored. The elec- tronic revolution has created a gen- erational paradigm shift in where our attention is directed. To say that the expression “Head in the Clouds” is accurate would be, well, not only truthful but ironic. I’m sure you’ve seen people, most people in fact, with their heads hung low, staring at an electronic device as they walk or drive. You may have needed a zigzag to avoid colliding with one of them. My Part 121 carrier and the others are once again post-COVID begin- ning to hire new, mostly young crew members. I point out the young part because of the generational differ- ences – a difference in work ethic, colloquial language, manners, atten- tion span and their incessant and apparently fluent use of electronics. But it’s not just the younger genera- tion distracted by electronics. I guess because we old geezers are a “bit” slower in learning and using new tech, often the electronics distract us older folks even more than the tech-savvy youth. These electronic distractions come from the usual suspects: social media, music, e-readers, email, Googling and texting. Often their use is at an inappropriate time – like when I’m trying to conduct a pre-departure crew briefing (a mandatory event in the Part 121 world). And occasion- ally it’s during the gate arrival phase when my crew is supposed to be dis- arming the inflatable slide function of the passenger exits. We’ve “blown a slide” or two because they weren’t disarmed before the gate agent or catering dudes and dudettes opened the door from the outside. I’m certain it’s happening at all the airlines, and it’s not just the newbies making mis- takes. It’s all crew members that are allowing themselves to be rushed or distracted, often by electronics. Insidious and Overwhelming Unfortunately, we pilots can stick our heads in this new societal and metaphoric cloud just as much as any- one. The data available in the cockpit is more and more often coming from other than ground-based VHF and UHF signals – and the majority of available information is not aviation- related. Today’s electronic content comes from geosynchronous orbiting satellites for weather and GPS, and the internet, radio and cell/Sat phones for everything else. While these sources of information and entertainment are transformational in their usefulness, they can be habit forming, insidious and an overwhelming distraction. It’s no epiphany that the many forms of electronic information distract us from the moving parts of reality. And in our above-the-ground reality, the moving parts often move unforgiv- ingly quickly. We made too many wrong mistakes. – Yogi Berra Aerox Short N Numbers 22 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 Have you ever been running a flight plan and been interrupted by a phone call, email or text and had to start over? How about when you were driving to the airport, or pre-flighting the plane, or boarding your pax? Did you forget to duck while texting and hit your head on part of the plane? Did you forget to remove a protective cover or the chocks because you were distracted? Forget to close or lock the hangar door? Maybe one of your pax took a call, answered an email or text while you were giving them a brief- ing on the doors, environmental sys- tem or how to communicate in-flight. Our new information sources can be attention grabbers, and we must learn how and when it’s appropriate to ignore them to ensure the safety of our flights. Sterile Period At the airlines, the “when to ig- nore” is a well-defined point: when we begin required duties or run the first checklist. And if that fails, the “sterile” period, engine start to 10k, is a line in the sand – the time at which all communication and activities are strictly related to the operation of the jet. In GA, the beginning of the before starting engines checklist is a good point to turn off the phone, reader and non-EFB tablets. You may even add “non-essential electronics off” to your on-screen checklist or write it on your old-school paper ver- sion: PED’s…Set and Off. Personal electronic devices set in airplane mode or off. Before f light isn’t the only time that our electronics may beckon to us. In the middle of the cruise segment, particularly if the flight is longer than a couple of hours, our minds will drift or we may indulge in non-flying activities. Call it boredom, daydream- ing or complacency, but whatever it is, your head is in the clouds and you’re not paying attention. You may catch yourself, ATC may ask you if you copy center, or they might call you on guard. This is your heads-up, your black screen with white letters telling you that you’ve been placed in safe mode. Remember, safe mode isn’t so safe after all. If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push- button finger. – Frank Lloyd Wright Send Solutions (Airtext) June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 23 Kevin Dingman has been flying for more than 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 28,000 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 volun- teer missions for the Christian orga- niz tion Wings of Mercy, is employed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke.Contact Kevin at dinger10d@gmail.com. Yingling Do you have a plan if your GPS, GFMS or electronic kitbag becomes corrupted? How about if the GPS sig- nal is disrupted by intentional USAF jamming? Our EFB and aircraft elec- tronics are not as sensitive as a lap- top’s hardworking hard drive, but they are electronic machines after all, and machines malfunction. The method in which we typically bring ourselves back to reality is to simu- late the failure of a system or instru- ment – like our primary artificial horizon, in this case, the loss of our virtual world of electronic data. The less often we perform this exercise, the more uncomfortable it becomes to lose the virtual world. Perhaps at some point during ev- ery flight we should tune out some, or all, of the virtual world, and tune in more of the real world – except required use of the autopilot during certain, single-pilot operations. Plus, the loss of some of this electronic magic may remind you of why you got into airplanes in the first place. It’s fun to be fully engaged and to fly the thing. Starve Your Distractions Feed Your Focus The electronic information avail- able to us through cockpit installed hardware, our EFB tablets, readers and cell/Sat phones have reached an exciting level of usefulness, but it can also create distractions and some- times dependence. Especially post- COVID, we all lean on available aids, crutches and devices for comfort and safety as we regain proficiency. We deal with real things while at the con- trols of our aerospace vehicles. And it’s those real things that remain the most important. From our airplane’s perspective, it’s still a matter of up- down-left-right and air molecules over and under the wings. Gravity is still there; the ground is still there. And our electronics will supply distracting data or entertainment to the point in which that gravity thing brings us into contact with the ground thing. If your head is in the “Cloud” due to electronic distractions, compla- cency or post-COVID fog, this con- tact may occur at a time, place or a velocity other than that of your choosing. Don’t blow a slide, hit your head on the plane, or let Dorothy drop a house on you while you’re email- ing, texting or engaging in the latest internet fad. 24 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 by Grant Boyd Setting Sights High Don Av8’s Cirrus Vision Jet O w ner ’s Cor ner Don Medine has a story like many others – an early interest in aviation that fell to the wayside as other aspects of life took priority. The high cost of flying and the fact that he did not have any aviation mentors growing up sidelined his lifelong skyward dream for many years. After college, Don became a police officer in Northern California and had “an action-packed, 18- year career.” While his law enforcement career was cut short due to injuries, he was able to fall back on a company he founded a few years after becoming a police officer – Tactical Command Industries. The company designed and manufactured various tactical earpieces and headset solutions for law enforcement and military agencies across 60 countries. Alongside his wife Patti, Don operated the company for nearly two decades until it was acquired in late 2013. Freshly retired at 48, he had newfound time to pursue his passions. Patti purchased f light lessons as a birthday gift and encouraged him to fulfill his longstanding goal of becoming a pilot. And in 2014, he fulfilled that dream and earned his pilot’s license within a year of retiring. Don then worked towards his instrument and commercial ratings, which allowed him to travel the country. These ratings also allowed him to dive deeper into volunteer and philanthropy work. Don coaches high school football and is involved with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Medine is also involved with several volunteer pilot organizations, including the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol, Patient Airlift Services, Angel Flight Soars, Lifeline Pilots and Veteran Airlift Command. The common denominator among these organizations is the mission to provide free-of-charge, non-ambulatory transportation for those requiring treatment at medical facilities outside of their local area and transportation for veterans and their families. To highlight the work of these organizations and some of his flights, Don created the YouTube channel “Don Av8’s.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAY TISDALE June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 25 “It’s been a really positive experience so far, and I see the engagement with viewers growing,” said Medine. “Aviation is an international passion, and it’s great to reaffirm that through the online engagement. I hope I leave viewers with the impression that I am a conscientious pilot that enjoys helping others.” Roughly 50 percent of Don’s flying is for volunteer pilot organizations, while 40 percent goes toward personal and destination f lying. The remainder is typically flights for friends or folks interested in the Vision Jet and its operations. An enthusiastic aviator, Don’s excitement for flying and his aircraft is infectious. On top of spreading the work conducted by volunteer organizations, his YouTube viewers can learn a lot about the Cirrus Vision jet, whether it is visual approach procedures, a washing and waxing demonstration, or panel shots during flights. Don currently divides his time between these philanthropic endeavors and business consulting services in the form of corporate optimization, talent development, product design and leadership practices. He also consults aviation businesses and aircraft owners in areas like aircraft selection, shared ownership options, and partnership referrals for accounting, legal, financing, brokering, management, training and maintenance. Though formally involved in aviation for just seven years, Don quickly ascended to turbine ownership from his first training flight. During primary flight training, he flew Cessna 172s along with 182s for Civil Air Patrol operations. Shortly after obtaining his private license, he purchased a used Cirrus SR22 G5, which he flew for about 18 months. Next, he bought a new Cirrus SR22 G6 for about a year and a half until he started looking for an aircraft with an extended range. Currently, he owns a 2018 Cirrus Vision Jet and operates out of KMQY in Smyrna, Tennessee. “I had been a Daher TBM fan for almost a decade and had a feeling I may eventually move in that direction. I also considered other airplanes like the Piper Meridian, Eclipse Jet and the Citation Mustang. I probably had 30 turboprops and light jets under evaluation before purchasing the Cirrus Vision Jet.” Prior to purchasing the jet, Medine flew it with his wife and aircraft broker Mark Egan with Lone Mountain Aircraft. At the time, he was a 1,100-hour pilot that “started flying later than most people.” He found that the SF50 was a great transition from the SR22s he had owned for several years. The need for a type rating in the Vision Jet was also a welcomed challenge. “I found the SF50 fit my mission well and has predictable operating and maintenance costs. It would allow me to fly even longer volunteer flights and be great for our trips between our homes in the Nashville area and New Hampshire. I soon realized it allowed me to visit relatives in Texas, Florida and South Carolina much more frequently than I imagined. It also opened Owner-pilot Don Medine and family. Service pups go for a flight. A trip for Patient Airlift Services. 26 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 traveling to Longview, TX (KGGG), Laconia, NH (KLCI) and Atlanta, GA (KRYY). That said, volunteer flights take N379JM places where Don normally might not travel. Flying into new airports keeps him “engaged and challenged” in aviation and flying his airplane. Naturally, the thought of transitioning to another aircraft has crossed his mind. “I am at the point where I have been thinking about my next airplane and seeing my jet go to a new owner to enjoy, but the SF50 is nearly perfect for my needs at the current time. It’s a dream to fly and so many people like its aesthetics. Purchasing a new SF50 is certainly being considered, but I will have to get back in line due to tremendous demand. It is an exceptional pilot- owner airplane, and there is nothing better in terms of a piston to jet transition aircraft in my opinion.” opportunities to fly my wife to various Thoroughbred horse races, which is one of her passions.” The Cirrus Vision Jet checks many boxes for the Medine family, with several aspects about the aircraft that Don appreciates. “I really enjoy the safety, comfort and stability of the SF50. Active and passive envelope protection and the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) provides pilots and passengers with confidence in flight. The Garmin Perspective Touch avionic package is feature-rich, and places approach procedures, vertical navigation, crossing restrictions and other functions at the pilot’s fingertips. All of these features provide phenomenal situational awareness, in my opinion.” He went on to note that there is not really anything “missing” from the Vision Jet. “The airplane has so much to offer pilots like myself. The roomy cabin and forward-facing passenger seats are rare in the very light jet category of aircraft. I hope the next generation SF50 has a little more useful load, speed, and a higher service ceiling, but I have never been in an aircraft that offers the same forward visibility as the SF50. As such, calling it the Vision Jet is absolutely fitting.” The aircraft has enabled Don and his family to expand their travel footprint. They frequently enjoy Grant Boyd is a private pilot with seven years of expe- rience in general aviation business from marketing to customer service. He has written more than 85 articles for aviation publications and enjoys learning about air- craft/pilots with unique missions. Grant can be reached at grantboyd2015@gmail.com. Turbines June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 27 ISS 28 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 Paul Bowen What's Your Story? Twin & Turbine is in search of more feature stories for the “Owner’s Corner” – a space dedicated to stories featuring you, the reader and owner-pilot. The intent here is to stretch beyond a typical flight review and deeply explore various owner-flown air- craft through an operator’s eyes. Whether its operational nuances, maintenance know-how or mission performance – who knows an airplane better than its longtime owner? Maybe it’s sharing time-tested learnings about your air- plane, discussing a recent upgrade experience, detailing a memorable trip, or sharing how your aircraft enhances your personal or professional life – this is our formal in- vitation for you to submit a story for potential publication in Twin & Turbine. Features can be written either by you or a member of our team. Submit your story idea to rebecca@twinandturbine.com and we will work with you directly throughout the process. June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 29 F O R T H E P I L O T S O F O W N E R - F L O W N , C A B I N - C L A S S A I R C R A F T OUR NEW WEBSITE IS L LI IV VE E www.twinandturbine.com Product Reviews | Turbine & Piston Operations | Safety & Training Market Trends | Aircraft Upgrades | Industry News | Lifestyle Features Written By Pilots For Pilots 30 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 RosenRosen Ad Index ADVERTISING, JENNA REID 1-800-773-7798 Email: Jenna.Reid@VPDCS.com Hillaero Lighthawk 1st Source Bank .................... 19 Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems ................... 21 Airtext................................ 22 American Aviation ...................7 AOPA Finance ...................... 15 AssuredPartners Aerospace Insurance............................ 13 CIES Corporation ................... 19 Covington Aircraft Engines ....... 11 Factory Direct Models ...............3 Genesys Aerosystems ................ ..............................Back Cover Hillaero Modification Center ..... 30 Innovative Solutions & Support ........................... 27 Ice Shield/SMR Technologies ...... ..................... Inside Front Cover Lighthawk ........................... 30 Luma Technologies LLC .......... 12 Paul Bowen Photography ......... 28 Preferred Airparts LLC ............ 13 Rosen Sun Visor Systems ........ 30 Select Airparts .......................3 Short-N-Numbers .................. 21 StandardAero .........................5 Stevens Aerospace & Defense Systems .......... Inside Back Cover Turbines Inc. ........................ 26 Veterans Airlift Command ........ 31 Yingling Aviation ................... 23 Vac Vets 32 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 On Final by David Miller Fog is Where You Find It 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. In college, I took a three-hour credit course called “Climatology.” I aced it. So, I answer my non-pilot friends’ weather questions by telling them I am a weather expert. A few actually believe me. But I still can’t figure out fog. I think it has something to do with moisture and temperature. It’s very confusing. Sometimes it’s exactly where predicted. Other times, it appears out of nowhere and ruins our day. a cup of coffee to Patty for breakfast. The prior evening forecast was for clear skies and unlimited visibility. It would be a simple out and back. The next morning, KDAL was indeed clear. But not Mesquite. Only 18 miles away, the ATIS reported indefinite ceiling 200 and visibility less than one-quarter. Fog is where you find it. I sat in my COVID-free car in the Signature parking lot under clear skies waiting for a few minutes to see if the Mesquite weather would improve since I wanted to make a landing there to hone my skills. The same people who believe I am a meteorologist also think I am a pilot. I called the Mesquite FBO. “Any improvement in the weather?” I asked. “Well, I can see the tractor on the ramp, so yeah, it’s up to half a mile,” came the reply. I took my time with the pre-flight. “King Air three nine six Delta Mike, contact departure on one two four point three,” said the tower. In the climbing right turn off runway three one right, I began to monitor the Mesquite ATIS. “Mesquite airport information Tango, one three five three Zulu, wind calm, visibility one quarter, fog, ceiling two hundred overcast. Temperature one-one dewpoint one-one. Altimeter two niner niner tree. Expect ILS run- way one-eight. Advise you have Zulu.” I advised approach that I had the ATIS and would plan on a missed approach. Cleared for the approach and handed off tower, the local controller asked if I had the current weather. Affirmative, I answered. He cleared me for the “option,” meaning I had lots of discretion for plan- ning purposes. Intercepting the final approach course, I realized that the fog had now moved several miles east of the airport. “Tower, what’s your visibility now?” I asked. “It’s just gone VFR with three miles,“ he said. And just like that, the fog was gone. Fly safe. I’ve missed an approach at Wichita Falls, Texas (KSPS) in a Beech Duke after being “on top” at 200 feet with un- limited visibility above and dense fog below. The Air Force operates T-38’s there and hurriedly recalled the squadron home one morning as I diverted to another airport in the clear only ten miles away. My friend Larry King departed Hammond, Louisiana (KHDC), recently in his M2 for a one-hour flight home to Mesquite (KHQZ). At the time, the destination was forecast to remain at 900 overcast with more than 6 miles visibility. But by the time he started the approach around sundown, it was down to minimums (as seen in the pho- tograph). “It was the lowest approach in my career, and I didn’t expect the weather to drop so quickly,” said Larry. Fog is where you find it. A few weeks later, I decided to exercise the C90A with a quick, early morning flight from Dallas Love (KDAL) to Mesquite and return. I could make the trip and bring back June 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 3 SMR Technologies, Inc. Stevens 4 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021 Genesys