Steven,

Do you have any insight as to what happened in the westwind crash in Alabama a while back?

What happened to this Lear?

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Me ... 004-1.html

Then how do I go to the places I go in a Pilatus (single)? I hit all the amazing places of the world just like a guy that a jet does. Probably more.

Higher level of proficiency to fly a twin has nothing to do with going places. I fly into Teterboro and Aspen all the time. I never miss a beat. It's not that hard to do. What level of proficiency am I missing out on? Do you ever get of Flightaware and look at 50+ PC12's flying at any given time all over the world? Waaaaaaaaay more than any SP jet. Where am I lacking in proficiency?

What are the rewards I'm missing out on flying a Pilatus? I make my destinations non stop with a full boat. What SP jet can do this? What are the rewards? Please explain. If the reward of JET was so great, wouldn't they hold their value better? They crash in value like no product I've ever seen.

Sell me on "jet". I'm ready. I can afford it. I crunch the numbers constantly. It doesn't take much number crunching before I realize the only reason I'm doing it is to say "I have a jet".

Slow airplanes stay in the air longer. :-)

If you only look at owner flown PC12s, then not so many PC12s flying. The cargo, freight, and other commercial uses of PC12 is what drives the utilization, so not a true apples to apples when looking at SP jets.


Do you really want someone to answer that question?

No good pilot thinks they are 100% proficient. There is no such thing in my view.


100 knots faster, 10,000 ft higher, quieter, safer, simpler.

Main negatives to jets are cost and runway issues (short and/or slick). Turboprop can go when and where jets can't in some cases.

Mike C.

Appears to be loss of awareness while flying over a dark ocean. Their inability to manage altitude and heading is strange.

That flight appears to have two passengers sitting up front and no pilots.

Fly the airplane first.

NTSB has yet to release findings, so there could be some other reason for the accident that emerges.

Mike C.

Little to go on.

Sounds like improperly set pitch trim or flaps and stall right after liftoff.

They had just switched pilot flying, one wonders if something got missed on the checklist.

http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviat ... 3251&key=1

Mike C.

Then how do I go to the places I go in a Pilatus (single)? I hit all the amazing places of the world just like a guy that a jet does. Probably more.

Higher level of proficiency to fly a twin has nothing to do with going places. I fly into Teterboro and Aspen all the time. I never miss a beat. It's not that hard to do. What level of proficiency am I missing out on? Do you ever get of Flightaware and look at 50+ PC12's flying at any given time all over the world? Waaaaaaaaay more than any SP jet. Where am I lacking in proficiency?

What are the rewards I'm missing out on flying a Pilatus? I make my destinations non stop with a full boat. What SP jet can do this? What are the rewards? Please explain. If the reward of JET was so great, wouldn't they hold their value better? They crash in value like no product I've ever seen.

Sell me on "jet". I'm ready. I can afford it. I crunch the numbers constantly. It doesn't take much number crunching before I realize the only reason I'm doing it is to say "I have a jet".

And yet these were two pro medivac pilots who likely had more experience than both of us.

There are no absolutes in aviation.

Slow airplanes stay in the air longer. :-)

If you only look at owner flown PC12s, then not so many PC12s flying. The cargo, freight, and other commercial uses of PC12 is what drives the utilization, so not a true apples to apples when looking at SP jets.


Do you really want someone to answer that question?

No good pilot thinks they are 100% proficient. There is no such thing in my view.


100 knots faster, 10,000 ft higher, quieter, safer, simpler.

Main negatives to jets are cost and runway issues (short and/or slick). Turboprop can go when and where jets can't in some cases.

Mike C.

Ain't that the truth. You do everything you can to keep it safe and reduce the luck factor needed to complete a flight safely, but when your number is up...

Hey Jason- my plane is faster than yours. Also, I have larger genitalia that comes only with operating a twin. Nah nah.

Lol. This thread is fantastic, but I'm tuning out after it hits 100 pages. It's like stopping in at a bus crash in slow motion.

It's pointless because you can NEVER back up your position. You just say things like this and give up. I asked you to "sell me". I'm all ears. I want a jet. I just can't make the math work. I'll probably get one anyways because I want one. But at least I acknowledge why I'm doing it and that it's totally irrational.

I do recall they were conducting training. Beyond that, I haven't heard anything and I hate to speculate with no other indicators of what could have went wrong.

Our biggest issue on Westwinds was the flap system. Split flaps while conducting V1 cuts could definitely cause some issues, but that is a shot in the dark and probably worth what you paid for it.

I'll follow up and see what I can find out.

It's pointless because you can NEVER back up your position. You just say things like this and give up. I asked you to "sell me". I'm all ears. I want a jet. I just can't make the math work. I'll probably get one anyways because I want one. But at least I acknowledge why I'm doing it and that it's totally irrational.

Using a headset (or boom mic) is a requirement for SP jests. You won't like that. Stay with your PC12. It seems to be serving you fine.