That's the opposite of benevolence.

Cirrus for the most part, even with Chinese owners and money is doing well, which is good for aviation and development. It works for them and apparently the large customer base they have built seems to be okay with it. When people stop buying the Jet or their Pistons they'll adjust.

Putting this nice little Citation V into prebuy at a gold plated shop tomorrow morning!

Flew from Ft Lauderdale to Columbus today. FL330. Hot (+15 to + 18j. Approx 350 KTAS 600kb/hr.

At some point ATC gave me a a slight turn for climbing traffic. I started watching them climb on ADSB. We are heading to the same waypoint at this time. I noticed it’s climbing really slow and I’m gaining on it by 30 knots.

I am not accustomed to this. Typically at this altitude others are climbing and separating by 50-125 knots.

That plane is eventually in sight - and ATC confirms it is a Citation -a 550.

Once they leveled at 350 and finished accelerating; our GS was essentially the same.

I was most surprised by the slow climb 14 minutes to go from 310-350. We climbed from 290-330 in right around 5 minutes, but we’re 40 kts slower in the climb.

We flew 880 nm in 2:45. They flew 1080 nm in 3:15.

So, legacy Citation on a very similar flight. Essentiall the same time. I burned 1800 lbs, I wonder what they burned? They filed for 390 but didn’t get higher than 350. High ISA temps limit climb?

My guess is they have lower cap costs and likely lower maintenance. They probably win $/mile. I win on fuel costs and carbon emissions, most landing/facility fees - and my cabin might be a little more comfortable.

And it’s unique.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight ... /KFLL/KCMH

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight ... /KPBI/CYYZ

My planner for today says FL400 (and we'd get there easily), 2:14 enroute, 3020 lbs. So 30 minutes faster for ~1200 lbs more fuel.

The planner is at MCT. I'd probably back off a bit and time would be 2:20 and fuel would be 2830 lbs. That would net 24 minutes faster, ~1000 lbs more fuel.

I don't feel the need to use MCT all the time. My MCT true would be ~410 KTAS, backed off about ~395 KTAS. Depends on weight, of course.

Temps at FL400 are showing ISA + 2, not a big deal.

On this short a flight, my weights would be such that I could use FL430 or FL450 and get my fuel down further. I tend not to do that, but it is an option.


550 is better than a 501, but still not a fantastic performer. Should be able to go 370 KTAS, though. Might have been heavy. There are gross up kits for the 550 that can elevate the max weights pretty high, and that makes it wheezy at high altitudes.


One comfort is being inside the plane less time.


That it is!

But it isn't a jet!

Mike C.

Looks like 560-0092, N592VP, presently at KMQY, Smyrna, TN.

I'd surmise the shop is Stevens but Contour also operates there.

They have the $20K Skystep, which is nice.

They could save a ton of weight if they pull out the tubes on the panel, plus get rid of the pedestal, makes things awkward up front.

Beware of the gross weight increase mod (ups MGTOW to 16,300 lbs). It lowers the landing gear life, check that the tracking shows this (think it becomes 11,425 landings). This plane has a pretty high ratio of hours to landings, so not yet too close to that, but when it comes, the cost is a doozy to get new main gear legs. My plane does NOT have this mod, and I get the net effect of it by the Garmin upgrade, dropping 380 lbs.

The quick release radome is kind of nice, but it really only takes a few minutes to take the nose off without it.

The inspections are out of sync, phase 1-4 due in June 2024, phase 5 in October 2024. Would you tear the plane apart that much just 6 months apart? Tough call on that one, doing a phase 5 early is annoying, too.

More total time than mine, but that's no big deal for a Citation.

Mike C.

About 1900 lbs fuel for me, about $1400.

One way. About 1:20 in the air. 450 nm.

Mike C.

About 1900 lbs fuel for me, about $1400.

One way. About 1:20 in the air. 450 nm.

Mike C.

864 gallons usable, $4.74 (my local price), is $4095.

You will only see that if you have 0 gallons usable on board, which should be rare, hopefully, or your last flight was more exciting than you wanted.

Most of my fuel receipts are in the $1-2K range, occasionally a $3K.

A full tank goes a long way and saves money. For example, KDTS has expensive fuel, almost $3 more per gallon than my home field. I don't need to buy any to go there and come back.

Mike C.

864 gallons usable, $4.74 (my local price), is $4095.

You will only see that if you have 0 gallons usable on board, which should be rare, hopefully, or your last flight was more exciting than you wanted.

Most of my fuel receipts are in the $1-2K range, occasionally a $3K.

A full tank goes a long way and saves money. For example, KDTS has expensive fuel, almost $3 more per gallon than my home field. I don't need to buy any to go there and come back.

Mike C.

Thanks

So appropriate $/mile?

my plane holds 4500lbs of fuel. Was a real shocker first time I said top her off. LOL

But I can make over 1800nm with IFR reserves. But it's stupid expensive.

No question flying a jet uses more fuel.

Full discloser I flew commercial to Nashville this last week. Was going to fly myself but it was just my wife and I and I had sticker shock on the planned fuel burn. Also knew I would be really hungover on the return trip and don't like to do that. So we flew Delta. If I had a M600 I might have done the trip myself. But Again I cant afford a M600 so does not really matter. Haha.

Mike

There is definitely an insurance aspect benefit to being on programs. If you are a corporate user, accountants like regular cash flows vs lumpy ones, even if it ends up costing you more in the long run. Also, some programs include benefits like rental engines and such so your downtime is lower. Again, this has a benefit to a corporate department. Just keep in mind that, like with any insurance, if you underpay then the insurance company goes bankrupt. So I can guarantee that you are overpaying. But if it works for you (and if you can write it off as a business expense) then go for it. But as a private/recreational user, I would like the option. So unless something changes, I will stick with JT15Ds and eat the higher fuel burn in exchange for lower maintenance costs.

Ahh, The power of the 441. I suspect the V is easily three times that.

The point Im trying to make is that if you want to fly a jet at some point money really doesnt matter that much. maybe capx. Yes. But these birds are expensive to fly. Engine programs are almost a minsicle part of the overall equation and also maintain at least some value in your engines.

For me engine program is a fixed cost like insurance. I plan to pay the $58k a year no matter what. I do not think of it as trip cost.

But yes it’s expensive to fly a jet. Any jet.

Mike