Trade ride in the King Air for a ride in the MU2?

It's not the airplane, it's the pilot.

MU-2, Lear 23, Cessna 310, V-Tail Bonanza, Beech 18... They've all been accused of being demanding to the point of being dangerous, typically by those who don't fly them.

If Mike C. can fly a C-170 and a 210, then I can fly an MU-2. I have YouTube!

You left out the PA-24. :-)

Among that list, the MU2 is the most useful, the C170 was the most loved.

I know where that 170 is to this day and I may yet buy it back again. I mean, a round tail, tail dragger Cessna, what has more style than that?

Mike C.

I owned an "N" model for 15 years and a little over 2k hours. Great reliability and fairly
economical. The only thing that comes close is my Lancair IVP. Does the same speed on
17-23 gallon LOP-ROP. I miss the plane but not the 100hr inspections or the hot sections.

You left out the PA-24. :-)

Among that list, the MU2 is the most useful, the C170 was the most loved.

I know where that 170 is to this day and I may yet buy it back again. I mean, a round tail, tail dragger Cessna, what has more style than that?

Mike C.

I flew -60’s as single pilot CFR 135 night freight for 3 years as a fresh-out-of-college kid building time, after doing a year flying Aerostars. I was fortunate to fly for a great operation, with line MX, training and checkrides done by Reece Howell every 6 months. I flew 4 nights a week, 6 legs a night. I loved every minute. And we still lost a really high time MU2 guy in the BWI crash. RIP Tom. At this point in my life, I would pass. I’m not proficient or current enough in the Mitts to be safe. Great memories though.

James, You've got to be Pleased with results, so far, No?
I'll say it again, I'd buy my own Airline Ticket, to get somewhere to catch a Ride
Even help pay for the Fuel!

Merry Christmas James

Sidney Wakeham

In you opinion, what would be the minimum hours per month you would need to stay proficient?

I think this can vary a lot for different people. Some people need more or less time just as a matter of proclivity, but there are also circumstances that matter, like whether you fly a lot of different types or just one thing. For an individual owner flying just one thing, it is easier to stay familiar with a type (and even a given individual aircraft, really, since older aircraft are increasingly unique from each other).

I think this can vary a lot for different people. Some people need more or less time just as a matter of proclivity, but there are also circumstances that matter, like whether you fly a lot of different types or just one thing. For an individual owner flying just one thing, it is easier to stay familiar with a type (and even a given individual aircraft, really, since older aircraft are increasingly unique from each other).

In you opinion, what would be the minimum hours per month you would need to stay proficient?

This accident is typical of many MU2 accidents. A pilot doing all night duty on multiple cargo runs (6th flight of the night, about 10 hours into his shift) is so tired he lines up for the wrong runway, realizes his mistake, and racks the plane into a steep bank angle and has an accelerated stall right into the ground. He had done the same duty the previous two nights as well.

Swap in another machine, same outcome. The operating environment was the main factor here.

The pilot was finishing his third round-trip, Part 135 cargo flight. The first round trip began the previous evening, about 2150, and the approach back to the origination airport resulted in a landing on runway 15R at 2305. The second approach back to the origination airport resulted in a landing on runway 28 at 0230. Prior to the third approach back to the airport, the pilot was cleared for, and acknowledged a visual approach to runway 33R twice, at 0720, and at 0721. However, instead of proceeding to the runway, the airplane flew north of it, on a westerly track consistent with a modified downwind to runway 15L. During the westerly track, the airplane descended to 700 feet. Just prior to an abeam position for runway 15L, the airplane made a "sharp" left turn back toward the southeast, and descended into the ground. Witnesses reported the airplane's movements as "swaying motions as if it were going to bank left, then right, and back left again," and "the nose...pointing up more than anything...but doing a corkscrew motion." Other witnesses reported the "wings straight up and down," and "wings vertical." Tower controllers also noted the airplane to be "low and tight," and "in an unusually nose high attitude close to the ground. It then "banked left and appeared to stall and then crashed." A post-flight examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. The pilot, who reported 6,800 hours of flight time, had also flown multiple round trips the previous two evenings. He had checked into a hotel at 0745, the morning prior to the accident flight, checked out at 1956, the same day, and reported for work about 1 hour before the first flight began.

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/Repor ... l&IType=FA

Mike C.

Hours are the wrong measure.

I'd suggest 1+ hours of hand flying a month, 2+ approaches hand flown in a month, minimum.

You can get that in 1 hour a month, or a 100 hours in a month, all depends on you.

It will also vary a lot with each individual. At the start, if I was 2 weeks away from the MU2, I'd be really deliberate and somewhat uncomfortable. Now I can go a month or two and not feel particularly out of it.

My training schedule is official SFAR sessions (in airplane or sim, we rotate training providers) every year, 6 months off do a sim sessions (not official, LOFT, etc), then at 3 and 9 months or so, get in a good series of approaches and holds, airwork, etc.

So I am basically handling the airplane about every 3 months in some sort of exercise or training mode. Sounds like a lot but it really isn't.

I look for opportunities to do an approach even if not required for proficiency during normal ops.

If you are an autopilot watcher, you aren't staying truly proficient.

Mike C.