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I went through the single pilot jet decision making process and decided on a turbine. No type rating, the time differential on my trips translated to maybe one trip a month being worth being in the jet. I have a friend with a II and he has to go through training each six months and effectively get a check ride. Annual recurrent is what is required for me.

My partner in the 58P is committed to stepping up to my KA. Insurance requires 100 hours of training: 25 dual and sim and 75 accompanied time; so, it will be some time before he flies single pilot if he ever wants to. I had military turbine time and needed 20 hours: ten dual and sim and ten accompanied, but I did more.

Jets are to go high, go fast and go far. I found I'm not pressured for time. I do much better on short trips in the turbine. On the one long trip a month I take, saving 20 or 30 minutes isn't as important to me as someone on a tight time schedule; I'm usually going to have fun with some business.

It'll be interesting to see what you do. Have you thought about leasing or fractional to get some time in one of those before taking the plunge? I had several options open to me to fly right seat in a plane I leased. Problem was I couldn't park it and let it set. Normally, it flew back for other sorties while I was away and I got to pay for more than one round trip. Still, you could try before you buy and if it doesn't work, you just wash your hands of it. If you like it, you built some time and got some initial qualifications with adult supervision (g).

Hope it works out.

Best,

Dave

I have 1300 hours, IFR and MEL.

I had 5000 hours total and 2500 turbine PIC when we got the CJ3 and the insurance company asked for 60 hours with another type rated pilot before I could fly single pilot. Was also type rated in the BE-300 and CE-500 before I got the CE-525S rating. I was able to get it reduced to 15 but it required a meeting with the underwriter. I would get a cheap CJ1 and carry some very low liability limits if you expect to get insured any time soon, then maybe move up to a CJ3 later on.

Jason, come on over to citationjetpilots.com and you can talk with lots of folks who fly their Citations single pilot. We did our annual meeting at Couer d'Alene ID last month and had over 100 Citations on the ramp. Most of them flown in SP. We also did companion training to teach companions who fly in the right seat how to fly and land the plane in an emergency.

You will need to make a commitment to the training that is required to get your type rating and then some period of flying with a mentor. The insurance market right now is soft and very favorable to low time step up pilots.

Almost all aircraft owners think the aircraft they have is the best. I have spoken to a few Phenom owners who would like to sell them and get a Citation. I have yet to talk to a Citation owner who wants to move to a Phenom. For an owner flown aircraft Cessna service and support cannot be matched by Embraer today.

I have owned and fly SP a CJ2 and now a CJ2+. Look at the CJ1+ over the CJ1. You want the FADEC controlled engines and the full collins Proline 21 Avioincs package. Used CJ3 prices are a bargain right now with a glut of used aircraft caused by CJ3 owners moving to CJ4s and also planes being dumped in Europe.

If you want to get into a Citation this may be the best time for a while. Nothing I have heard should be a showstopper for you.

How many hours do you think you would fly a Ciation annually?

I got my CJ2 type with less then 2000 hours and 700 turbine hours in a C425. Insurance wanted 75 hours time in type before I flew SP.

The best plan is to go to Flight Safety and do the initial 525 crew type rating which will take 3 weeks of training. Then fly with a co-pilot for about 6 months, get around 75 hours or more, and return to FS for recurrent and do a C525S single pilot check ride. A that point you should be good to fly SP with insurance.

So it will take 6 months of training and mentorship to get to flying single pilot in a Citation. And if you have over 1500 hours get the ATP written done and get your ATP along with your initial type rating.

I think if you keep your liability limit below 50 million, the insurance market is competitive right now and you can get insured. My problem was the we carry 100 million and there are fewer companies in the market at that level. Getting the type rating with a copilot might be harder, I had to do the CE-500 Encore rating at FSI with a copilot and the hardest part for me was learning to work with another pilot and not just do everything myself. I agree with Allen that the CJ1+/2+ and CJ3 are best because of the Fadec and full PL21 system. It is an excellent setup for single pilot flying.

I got my CJ2 type with less then 2000 hours and 700 turbine hours in a C425. Insurance wanted 75 hours time in type before I flew SP.

The best plan is to go to Flight Safety and do the initial 525 crew type rating which will take 3 weeks of training. Then fly with a co-pilot for about 6 months, get around 75 hours or more, and return to FS for recurrent and do a C525S single pilot check ride. A that point you should be good to fly SP with insurance.

So it will take 6 months of training and mentorship to get to flying single pilot in a Citation. And if you have over 1500 hours get the ATP written done and get your ATP along with your initial type rating.

I fly 300 hours a year. If I get a CJ3 I will fly it everywhere including Europe and I will fly to places much farther away so I think I'd fly even more.

Who you get paired up with for your initial type can help or hurt you. My partner had more experience then me with a B1900 and KA350 types and helped me understand what was expected and gave me some tips that helped me through.

It also makes a difference what type of sim instructor you get. Some come from an airline mentality and can be tough on a GA step up pilot.

300 hours a year in a Bonanza can be covered in less than 150 hours in a CJ3. I agree that the mission can expand with the aircraft capabilities.

If you intend to fly to Europe ensure that your aircraft meets the European requirements for Mode S and TCAS. You also have new carbon tax stuff even for visiting turbojets.

Why not just buy a Premier 1? It will do pretty much better than the 3 you have listed, might just be a but short on range. And it'll smoke all 3 of them point to point, and youll save 2 million dollars going the Premier 1 route.

The Premiers cabin is much better in my opinion as well. For tall people plenty of head room.

The Permier is about to be orphaned. Also, it's a 450 KTAS plane, but isn't that at over 1200 pph?

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