28 Mar 2024, 21:55 [ UTC - 5; DST ]
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Post subject: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 15:30 |
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Joined: 09/04/10 Posts: 3539 Post Likes: +3198
Aircraft: C55, PC-12
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My business bought a 2002 CJ2 six weeks ago. I got the type rating in May and insurance didn't require any mentor hours so I was good-to-go when we picked it up. That said, I've chosen to fly with a mentor pilot for my 60 hours so far.
How hard is it to fly? Most of the time it has been pretty easy but occasionally it has eaten my lunch. I'm sure I'll be bringing another pilot fairly often for the next couple of hundred hours.
In a number of cases, I have purposely wanted to see things I wouldn't have done alone. For instance, I planned a flight to land with 1000# (my mentor's minimum - mine is higher). In this case I planned it the night before using the then current winds and temps. The picture was worse the next day (I briefed again in the morning but neglected to check winds and temps) and so landing with 1000# was possible if everything went right but not probable. If I made this mistake alone, I'd just land short (I don't like the idea (with minimum experience) of the workload of missing the approach and heading to an alternate with tight fuel) even though our worse case projected fuel was legal and safe. The WX at our destination went from VFR to IFR but we still had at least 500' better ceilings than minimums. We flew a fuel saving profile on the way down and at the same time briefed several other alternate airports just in case. The workload was high enough to cause me to not do a great job of briefing the approach. I did brief it but I didn't do my usual process of writing everything down on my kneeboard (I almost never refer to it but writing it causes me to remember it). The approach into SEE has 4 or 5 step downs so it is a busy MF'r if you don't know your airplane all that well. I'm learning my go-to power settings for each configuration but I didn't have them down and was somewhat hunting power settings and chasing speeds (not crazy but maybe 10 kts). It all worked out fine and I did it without help but I was fully loaded and if one more thing came up I may have started making errors.
I just finished a flight with a 15 minute IMC leg. I would have left my mentor home if my trip didn't include this but I know these short legs have high workloads. To make it worse, we are still trying to figure out how to couple the AP on a WAAS approach (having a 50/50 success rate) - garmin and collins don't get along that well so it requires a perfect combination of timing and buttonology. We made a plan to shoot the WAAS approach and try to get them to couple. Of course it didn't couple but it was no big deal because I was prepared - so I kick off the AP, push it over, dial in the next step and VS and kick it back on. I follow the steps down and Darin tries a few ideas to see if it will couple. This was fine, but I'm used to approaches in the KA being a pretty low workload because I know it like the back of my hand and am not trying one thing while doing another.
On another flight I brought a fellow BTer who is very experienced in KA's but not CJ's. This was my idea of weening off having a mentor. Our four days of flying went quite well but on the first day, I lined up to land on the wrong runway (at one of those airport where it is easy to do) and he caught it in time for me to do a small correction.
I'm not sure how well I've told the story so far but my impression is that it is easy until it is hard. I'm trying to find all those places where it is hard while I have somebody next to me. I'm lucky enough to have had some 2 and 3 pilot jet experience in 135 and airline environments but both are quite different. Flying a jet single pilot is considerably tougher - I'm sure that some of this is because I'm older, learn slower and get tired easier.
I have tried to approach this with some humility and some separation from my aspirations of doing better sooner. Having read MH's and others stories about this same kind of transition, I hate to admit it but I have occasionally fell into the trap of quietly thinking "I'll probably do better". I'm now sufficiently humbled by this continuing challenge to accept that I'll just do my best and be ready when I'm ready.
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_________________ John Lockhart Phoenix, AZ Ridgway, CO
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Post subject: Re: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 17:27 |
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Joined: 12/16/07 Posts: 17513 Post Likes: +21031 Company: Real Estate development Location: Addison -North Dallas(ADS), Texas
Aircraft: In between
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Great to see you in that John. Riden the wave
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_________________ Dave Siciliano, ATP
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Post subject: Re: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 17:37 |
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Joined: 05/29/13 Posts: 13578 Post Likes: +10962 Company: Easy Ice, LLC Location: Marquette, Michigan; Scottsdale, AZ, Telluride
Aircraft: C510,C185,C310,R66
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Username Protected wrote: Having read MH's and others stories about this same kind of transition, I hate to admit it but I have occasionally fell into the trap of quietly thinking "I'll probably do better". I'm now sufficiently humbled by this continuing challenge to accept that I'll just do my best and be ready when I'm ready. Well you picked a low bar so I understand. Took me 150 hours to get to the point that I felt I could tackle it SP. The good news is that should only be another 30 days at the rate you are going ! The other good news is after you cross the “threshold of comfort” it’s easy peasy. So John...since the CJ is so much faster than the KA you are flying less now right?
_________________ Mark Hangen Deputy Minister of Ice (aka FlyingIceperson) Power of the Turbine "Jet Elite"
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Post subject: Re: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 18:34 |
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Joined: 09/04/10 Posts: 3539 Post Likes: +3198
Aircraft: C55, PC-12
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Username Protected wrote: Nice write up John. Do you use APG for performance planning? I’m using cesnav right now. I’ve been using foreflight but transitioning to FltPlan.com.
_________________ John Lockhart Phoenix, AZ Ridgway, CO
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Post subject: Re: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 18:50 |
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Joined: 01/31/09 Posts: 5233 Post Likes: +3026 Location: Northern NJ
Aircraft: SR22;CJ2+;C510
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Username Protected wrote: Nice write up John. Do you use APG for performance planning? I’m using cesnav right now. I’ve been using foreflight but transitioning to FltPlan.com.
You need to use Cesnav or books for Vspeeds.
FltPlan.com works well for wind and fuel flight planning. The default C525A aircraft profile is good till FL410. But I found it was overly conservative at FL450 and I customized a profile that more matched the TAS and FF I got at 430 & 450.
Do you still have the UNS FMS that gives you Fuel to destination and Reserve?
My CJ2 fuel thresholds were 800 lbs VFR and 1200 lbs IFR/IMC at destination. Only once did I land with below 800 lbs at 750 lbs on a flight from DXR-COS when it was severe clear.
_________________ Allen
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Post subject: Re: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 21:03 |
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Joined: 08/08/12 Posts: 1458 Post Likes: +937
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Quote: we are still trying to figure out how to couple the AP on a WAAS approach John, If the G750 is driving the FMS, you should be able to select the WAAS approach in the 750 and once cleared for the approach select APPR and VNAV on the mode selector. It ...should... work? I know what you mean though. When it doesn't work out as planned, just step down a level in automation (A/P OFF) and make it happen. Unfortunately, that increases work load.
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Post subject: Re: My first 60 hours in a CJ2 Posted: 12 Nov 2017, 21:23 |
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Joined: 01/31/09 Posts: 5233 Post Likes: +3026 Location: Northern NJ
Aircraft: SR22;CJ2+;C510
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Username Protected wrote: Quote: we are still trying to figure out how to couple the AP on a WAAS approach John, If the G750 is driving the FMS, you should be able to select the WAAS approach in the 750 and once cleared for the approach select APPR and VNAV on the mode selector. It ...should... work? I know what you mean though. When it doesn't work out as planned, just step down a level in automation (A/P OFF) and make it happen. Unfortunately, that increases work load. It’s not that simple. There were issues with the Garmin interfacing with the PL21 system under Cessna’s STC. Cessna needed to put the Garmin through the PL21 magenta needles RNAV interface and didn’t simply go through the green needle LOC/GS interface as Jet Tech did with their STC.
_________________ Allen
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