What percent of your trips are over 1,000 miles? And has that increased since trading up from the MU2?

Chip-

What percent of your trips are over 1,000 miles? And has that increased since trading up from the MU2?

Chip-

For 2022, about 5% and they represent about 15% of the miles flown.


Yes, I have made a number of flights that would not be non stop in the MU2.

Longer range has also allowed my to optimize my fuel costs. I can choose to tanker in more fuel if the fuel cost is significantly cheaper at departure. Sometimes this has saved me as much as $2.50 per gallon.

Mike C.

Tanks are too small.

Tanks are too small.

Prior to my avionics mod, by the time you put two crew and 1 passenger, you had maxed out the full fuel payload.

Mike C.

My two cents for Best Light Jet:

Cessna 501SP. That's what I would have if I could. Second would be the Cirrus VLJ.

I flew the 501SP for awhile and found it to be very easy handling, forgiving , short field capable, and comfortable.

Every airplane has it's tradeoffs when additional capabilities are added, but I found the 501SP to be a great all-around jet, very safe in the hands of a properly trained typical GA pilot.

Other Cessna jets came out after I flew the 501, and there may be newer versions that do the same thing.

On man, you had to bring that up, thought it was going to be quiet 2023.

Andrew

Nice plane. I considered one during my hunt.

I ended up passing on it due to low speed and low range. The JT15D-1 engines are not very efficient, so much so that my V will often do a trip for about the same fuel as the 501SP because I fly so much faster and higher. 501SP owners say they burn about 1200 pph going 370 KTAS in the mid 30s. I'm doing 410 KTAS on 1150 pph in the 40s.

If you modify the 501SP with FJ44-2A engines, so call "Stallion" conversion, then it gets much faster, can fly much higher, and can fly much further. You do give up thrust reversers and you pay the Williams tax to do this, but the plane is a lot better performer.

The "Eagle II" mod, which is FJ44-2A and added fuel in a wing hump is not that great an airplane, IMO. The fuel hump limits speed in cruise so much that the extra fuel doesn't add as much range as you'd think, particularly in a headwind.

The FJ44 modified ones can't get a LUMP from Textron, so they cost more to maintain on top of the Williams tax.

The 501SP is single pilot out of the box, and it is under 12,500 lbs, both of which makes the regulatory and other issues less than my plane. For example, in Europe, I need TCAS II 7.1 (which I don't have), and the 501SP doesn't, due to the weight being under 12,500 lbs. I also can't generally operate single pilot outside the USA.

Mike C.

Prior to my avionics mod, by the time you put two crew and 1 passenger, you had maxed out the full fuel payload.

Mike C.

Mark, be honest. :-)

We can check your figures.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FFL ... /KSDL/KTEX

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FFL ... /KTEX/KSDL

Looks like 1:23 and 1:22 flight times.

As long as we are bragging, flight planner says 1:00, 1480 lbs fuel for my V from KTEX to KSDL with a 5 knot tailwind.

Was the stop in KABQ for fuel? I wouldn't need one on a KOJC to KSDL leg. I'd save about 90 minutes total.

As long as we are bragging... :-)

Mike C.

I am whoever you say I am, if I wasn’t, why would I say I am ? Apologies to Marshal Mathers (aka Eminem).

Didn't expect to wake up to The Way I Am in the LJ thread this morning. Good work.

Chip-

Nice plane. I considered one during my hunt.

I ended up passing on it due to low speed and low range. The JT15D-1 engines are not very efficient, so much so that my V will often do a trip for about the same fuel as the 501SP because I fly so much faster and higher. 501SP owners say they burn about 1200 pph going 370 KTAS in the mid 30s. I'm doing 410 KTAS on 1150 pph in the 40s.

If you modify the 501SP with FJ44-2A engines, so call "Stallion" conversion, then it gets much faster, can fly much higher, and can fly much further. You do give up thrust reversers and you pay the Williams tax to do this, but the plane is a lot better performer.

The "Eagle II" mod, which is FJ44-2A and added fuel in a wing hump is not that great an airplane, IMO. The fuel hump limits speed in cruise so much that the extra fuel doesn't add as much range as you'd think, particularly in a headwind.

The FJ44 modified ones can't get a LUMP from Textron, so they cost more to maintain on top of the Williams tax.

The 501SP is single pilot out of the box, and it is under 12,500 lbs, both of which makes the regulatory and other issues less than my plane. For example, in Europe, I need TCAS II 7.1 (which I don't have), and the 501SP doesn't, due to the weight being under 12,500 lbs. I also can't generally operate single pilot outside the USA.

Mike C.

Mid cruise weight.

The fuel burn in the Citation is not as dependent on weight as the Lear is, I suspect.

The pounds by hour thing I have yet to develop since it varies with weights, length, temperature, etc. I've been using the Ultra MCT fltplan.com profile and usually beat it by 5-10%. I probably need to do something of higher fidelity when I get to flying max length legs.

I'm starting to experiment more with lower cruise power settings to see how the plane feels at altitude. Maximum range does require backing off the power some.

Mike C.