I spotted an ad on "Bold Method" website for All-In-Aviation in Henderson offering Cirrus SF50 packages. So I called and set it up before we left for Saturday morning. To make it even better, I now have an hour of dual time in a jet in my logbook.

I have to say, I've been really curious about the SF50. It is a really comfortable and nice airplane. It was designed for owner-flown operations. The pilot seats are roomy, comfortable and easy to get in and out of. My wife rode in the back and had tons of room and great visibility. So a total win for passengers and pilot.

Up front, it is a Garmin two screen system with 14" screens and three touchpad control surfaces. We ran through the whole checklist and start up process, including our useful load of 3 people. The computer calculated our runway length requirements and speeds. We ran the rest of the list, getting our avionics setup, field elevation for destination for the auto-pressurization system, and flight plan entered before engine start to keep the hobbs time at bay.

Engine start is a simple affair. Turn the knob to "run" listen for the fuel pump, click the checklist button and then press the "start" button once and monitor the engine display while the FADEC does all the work. Start was quick and easy, ITT's stayed nice and well within the green during start. Once up and running, we're ready to taxi. No run up, no waiting for temperatures. Noise was a bit more than I expected, but not bad.

Taxiing is by differential braking. Due to the V-tail, there is no rudder effect at all on the ground. We get propwash on the ground in the COL4, but not on this jet at all. Once at the runway, quick lights, action, camera and we're ready to roll.

Takeoff is a matter of advancing the throttle past the MCT detent fully forward to the takeoff detent. The Williams responds quickly to throttle input and acceleration is nice and smooth and quick. Climb out is at 115kts and gear up once we're past any landable runway. Vy is 151 kts. I set 4300 in the altitude bug, since we were flying out of Henderson under the class-B. 4000 came up very quickly and needed to throttle down to under 40% to stay under 200kts under the bravo. (woohoo!!!). We went east for some sites, Hoover dam, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon. Visibility is spectacular up front and very nice in the back.

There was some chop and turb down low, which at 200kts is pretty jarring, especially as light as we were. I have some back issues, so that's not so much fun for me, but pulling the throttle back for about 150kts made it better.

I hand flew most of it, from take-off and did a some maneuvers over the sites. Steep turns are easy to accomplish, just by looking out the window with visual reference. Controls are heavy (which makes sense) and the trim is very effective. Since I was new to it, my pitch and altitude were up and down. Nudging the trim wheel by hand generally was too much. The electric trim button just barely moves it and is more controllable. Highest I went was 8500' all VFR noodling around, getting a feel for the plane and letting my wife enjoy the sites.

I set the autopilot for the return to Henderson. We did the descent checklist, which includes a double check of landing elevation for the pressurization system. Easy peezy. The SF50 has flaps like the Columbia, cruise, take off and landing. No speed brakes, but the landing gear do that job. Pulled back the power for descent, configured first click of flaps, then the gear and as we got lined up, full flaps which have a similar "barn door" drag effect as ours. Computer had already figured out our landing requirements and checked it against the field's runway length. Nice.

Landing was an easy affair, just kept the intended spot on the runway 35R in site in the windshield, Vref+10 on final, nice easy flair and the trailing link made me look like a pro. Easy braking and turn off the runway. A few checklist items, then tax back to the hangar. Run the shutdown checklist, switch the engine to "off" and then press the "start-stop" button and shut everything down.

All in all, it's a great personal airplane. Comfortable, easy to fly, lots of room. It would not be much for $100 or $1000 hanburgers. It is a travelling machine, you want to be up high in it where the speed is and the fuel burn drops. We were burning about 65 gph down low. If I had the budget to buy and operate it, I'd be all over it. It would fit a lot of the flying I do and would like to do. That and something cheap and simple for sunny afternoons for hamburger runs. It would be a great airplane for co-ownership, since it is very travel oriented and higher utilization levels would help to offset the expenses a lot.

I'll call it a winner. Nice airplane.

Nice write up Larry. Thanks!


Robert

Great write up!

Gessh..

I took off behind a Cirrus Jet last week in Naples FL. ATC cleared me to 4k ft, then 8kt ft, then 12kft, then 14k ft, then 16k ft, then 18k, then 21k, then 24k, then FINALLY to FL380. Each time apologized that I was behind a Cirrus Jet.

Can't call a Citation Slowtation any longer.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I'd love to do this sometime.

Brent

Great write up, thanks for doing it and for sharing!

There is one sitting in a hangar tonight at KCXO.
I think it is the first one I’ve seen on the road.
Sounds like a PEACH to start up and shutdown!
Thanks for the write-up.