Winds at 27K would not be substantially worse, maybe 10 knots, so RVSM isn't required to hitch a ride on the winter jet stream usually.

Why not FL350 in the 441? Looking at the soundings around the time of your flight, you would have picked up maybe 10 knots at less fuel flow.


Yes, but the headwinds days are why you have a fast airplane.

Think about the poor souls in King Air 90s. They might be down to 172 speeds with more fuel flow than you.

Mike C.

Winds at 27K would not be substantially worse, maybe 10 knots, so RVSM isn't required to hitch a ride on the winter jet stream usually.

Why not FL350 in the 441? Looking at the soundings around the time of your flight, you would have picked up maybe 10 knots at less fuel flow.


Yes, but the headwinds days are why you have a fast airplane.

Think about the poor souls in King Air 90s. They might be down to 172 speeds with more fuel flow than you.

Mike C.

Like a mechanic once told me: "Fixing almost all leaks is cheap. It's the last 1psi of cabin pressure that will cost you".

I see a light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully it is not a freight train...
After three of four weeks of waiting for stuff to get done, I now expect to be closing any minute (or day).
Good outcome (especially for the seller, but also for me) to the difficult to cost quantify squawk which came up. A SOAP analysis had come back from Honeywell in December and it showed platelets of metal in the oil from one of the engines. Normally my understanding is that this would mean keep flying and re-test after 25 hours but as this was a prebuy, we agreed to open up the gearbox and inspect, which is what I've been waiting on. It came in below the low end of the range of pre-inspection estimation, as it turn out it was just a rough bearing and now ~$20k of spending and three of four weeks later it is all fixed.
Next step, closing. Then ground school. Then in aircraft training. Then mentor pilot time.

I've been reading the POH/flight manual and training manual, so have been getting up to speed but have been otherwise grounded lately other than practicing instrument flying from my desk using X-plane because my Baron is in the shop for annual. Hopefully will have the Baron up for sale by February.

Great news Patrick! I too did the SOAP analysis on the MU2.

Should be closing this week assuming test flight happens and all goes well. Same schedule as you. Feb 1st-5th initial, mentor, then the real world training kicks in! Best of luck!

Been following this post for a bit. Interesting as the info comes in. Also, the debating if fun.

Did some flying in the 690B and the Marquise in my charter business years ago, and enjoyed them both. I have to say that the Commander would be my first choice for sure. Came close to helping a friend buy a Commander a few years back, but never happened.

Both good planes.

For my mission, the Baron still works fine.

Thanks James.
Best of luck for you also

Patrick I am really happy for you and the fact that we will have another Commander at CMA.

Hope your transition goes smooth and we can all meet up at CMA for a spring burger!

Adam,

You getting close, yet?

Closer, but….

All parts are there except exhaust that's still in weld shop. Morris says it will take about 2-3 weeks to finish her up, but I expect it will take longer. Maybe end of Feb? My IR currency expires end of March, be great if I could get both type training in, get an IPC or my approaches done before that expires. At this point I've resigned myself a little and I don't get as worked up by all the delays as I did last year. Cheap, good and fast - pick two, right?

Thats the engineering mantra. And dont let some pointy haired manager tell you otherwise.

Adam,

I wouldn't sweat the IPC that much. Any initial type training worth its salt will have you do so many approaches that the instructor should sign you off for an IPC as well and reset your clock for you.

Good luck!

Closer, but….

All parts are there except exhaust that's still in weld shop. Morris says it will take about 2-3 weeks to finish her up, but I expect it will take longer. Maybe end of Feb? My IR currency expires end of March, be great if I could get both type training in, get an IPC or my approaches done before that expires. At this point I've resigned myself a little and I don't get as worked up by all the delays as I did last year. Cheap, good and fast - pick two, right?

I have secondary information from MT props in Germany that they're re-starting development of the 5-blade mod for the TC's. They're starting EASA STC process and test flights with a German TC this year and expect to have it certified by 2017. From there, bridging it over to an FAA STC is mainly just paperwork.

Good news!