Per the many requests, some additional photos.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rwr5h6ny2745 ... GxSga?dl=0

Back from two days of training in Kansas. The whole turbine thing takes a little while to understand, but once you get the basics, it's so much easier than a piston.

Flew the plane back from St. Louis this morning and saw performance numbers like this (see pic). Hit some decent ice going from FL200 to FL270.

In a nutshell, super fun to fly, major power at your finger tips, and boy I'm glad Jet A pricing has come down...

that's what i'm talking about!

Congratulations John! Very interested in hearing about your experience in training, flying, owning and maintaining your bird. It looks like you picked up a nice example with the -35 and nice avionics stack. It also looks like it had an HSI recently, so you should be able to enjoy a number of the next years with little / no engine related expenses.

The JP fits my mission profile well and I'd love to move up to it if I was actually flying these days!

Please come back and tell us more about it when you have the chance.

Congrats, you’ll enjoy it.

Meanwhile, what’s an RA Fail?

On my G500Txi it is "radar altimeter" fail so I assume that it is the same here. Usually means that it is turned off.

John

John-

If you haven’t signed up for the fuel programs- do it. It will save you a ton of cash.

Congratulations John! Both on your new airplane and on flushing others who have gone to the dark-side - leaving the rest of us oh so envious! I'd love to learn the how the extra speed changes your behavior. It must make more places seem easily accessible.

Congratulations John

You have joined the 300 club... next stop 400!
PS: that club does exist with Rocket Engineering gating membership acceptance

For mission creep, it happens. When you have a plane that flies 260 kts. 32 gph the country starting opening up.

I have about ~50 hours in my JetProp and already have seen this start happening, just about anywhere is within reach... add a fuel stop and the entire country is only a few hours away. Amazing!

Good morning...

Just curious, after looking at your TAS, were you temp limited? 156 IAS at FL270 is quite a bit slower than I fly mine unless it is significantly hotter at altitude? Curious to know your torque setting and ITT at that speed and altitude. Enjoy your new toy. Turbine travel is a game changer!

Randy
N10DK - 1999 Mirage/JetProp converted in 2017

Hi Randy

I was temp limited. It was +15 ISA coming back. Should have been closer to 264 KTS.

John,

I hope this plane gives you and your family as much fun and adventure as it did for us over the past 20 years. Enjoy! It’s a great airplane.

——Joey Sager

Wow you joined beechtalk in 2012 and this was your first post. The Jet prop must be a heck an airplane to inspire your first post. Would love to hear more about some of your 20 years of jet prop experience.

After owning 2 great Bonanzas, I bought this airplane as a piston engined Mirage, and flew it as such for about 6 years. During that time, I flew it to many great destinations, including Mexico, the Bahamas, and Alaska.

I converted it to a JetProp in 2007/2008. From the first flight, I could hardly believe this was my airplane. After 6 years, this airframe was so familiar, yet the new power plant changed more than just its looks. The view over the cowl was significantly different, and the power was addictive. I was quite surprised by how much smoother the engine was. The takeoff roll and climb rate were exciting almost beyond belief. Also, the ability to immediately drop the power lever to idle and use the prop as a speed brake gives you the ability to come down an approach at 165 knots to short final in busy airspace, then quickly slow to landing speed almost effortlessly.

Departures in busy airspace also were often much easier, too, because ATC can get you up and out of their airspace quickly if they’re willing. The turbine climb rate got me through icing layers much quicker than the piston version of the same plane, which made flight in such conditions much less stressful. Night flights, mountains, IMC - all were easier and more comfortable than before, especially after the addition of the Garmin glass panel.

Every airplane is a tradeoff. The JetProp doesn’t have the longest legs, although a fuel stop is not a big issue when you come down at 1500 fpm and climb rapidly back up to altitude. I sometimes wished for a bit more payload capability when it came to flights where full fuel was required. FOD can ruin your day (or half a year) even if you’re careful. Finally, the original manufacturer (Brand P) seems to loathe JetProp-converted airframes, and they are not particularly accommodating when it comes to parts and maintenance.

All in all, my JetProp experience was incredible. We have many happy memories in that plane, including flying with many of the Apollo and Gemini astronauts, seeing the US with our family, and a flying honeymoon with my pilot wife hopscotching our way from San Diego to Yosemite to the Sequoyah’s, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, then back to our home in Oklahoma. It was always reliable on business trips. While I’m sure it must have happened, I can’t remember a single trip being scrubbed due to an airplane issue while I owned it. All this with fuel economy not that much different than my Tahoe. My kids cried when we sold it, and I almost did, too. It was almost as hard to part with as the two Bonanzas I enjoyed. I know, I know, you’re not supposed to become attached to machines. Fortunately, we still have the great memories!

——Joey

Appreciate you sharing. I look forward to all the adventures and places this aircraft will take us.