One day trip to Florida on companies Pilatus, nice planes?

Tim Hancock · 04-09-2007, 08:55 AM

OnRamps hate fest on corporate travel got me thinking about a trip coming up this week for work on our president's other company's Pilatus turbo prop. Any of you commercial guys have any time on them?

Just to spite OnRamp, I think I will fly my Piper to the airport to save me the 30 mile drive in a car

legion · 04-09-2007, 09:08 AM

I think you should fly your Piper to a different airport, then rent a car to drive to the other airport.

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

Where in FL. are you going???

Tim Hancock · 04-09-2007, 09:14 AM

Panama City with our company salesman and one of our controls engineers to look at a potential automated machinery job. We typically do business with more "local" companies, but our new owners are used to traveling around the country to drum up new business, so they offered up the plane to make it a one day affair.

RallyJon · 04-09-2007, 09:15 AM

My BIL sells them and runs a fractional ownership company. I do know that the demand for PC12s far outstrips the supply.

Tim Hancock · 04-09-2007, 09:20 AM

I am "OK" with single engine land, but I am suprised that they are that popular compared to twins from a long term safety standpoint. I know these turboprops are pretty reliable, compared to regular pistomn engines, but when a single engine plane's engine quits, you are going down. I guess the relatively high altitude (20-25k probably) that they typically fly at makes it feasible enough to glide to a nearby airport as compared to me flying around the countryside at 7-10k.

charleskieffner · 04-09-2007, 09:25 AM

we have (3) here. one next door, one in our hanger, and one out on tarmac because only 4 hangers are large enough to contain them. used by native air ambulance as STOL planes and by (3) locals here for biz commute. paint jobs on them out of switzerland are very pricey. the one outsides paint job is getting hammered by sun and owner who lives here is praying for one of the (4) hanger owners to get divorced or die so he may beg borrow steal cheat his way into a hanger. major waiting list and or/cost to purchase big hanger.

how we got hanger was by a lottery. our corp lawyer sent down (4) 25k dollar checks due to number of properties we have here. at the last moment literally 4:55PM on a friday before 8AM sat. drawing for hangers, airport mgr. comes up to me and says they forgot the other property and we have one more lottery chance. problem being we needed another 25K dollar check, that moment. ie. by 5PM deadline. well me being me, i wrote a HOT CHECK for 25,000 dollars by 5PM.

all (4) other GOOD checks were not pulled in lottery, following morning at 8AM.

GUESS WHOSE HOT CHECK WAS PULLED??????

and thats the story of how we weaseled the 1 of 4 big hangers here. and now we lease that hanger to a pilatus.

pilatus is just short of making LAX to hawaii. could make it with bladder inside. one small problem.........there a single engined turbo-prop. could make for along swim if bird goes down.

Joeaksa · 04-09-2007, 09:30 AM

Tim,

Know several people flying them and they love them. Low fuel burn and descent altitude and speed.

Would love to fly one sometime. Try to get the right seat on the trip up or back.

You should take Off Ramp with you to show him how corporate aviation works. Tie him to the wing, am sure he would enjoy the view and fresh air...

Joe

Tim Hancock · 04-09-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Tim,

Know several people flying them and they love them. Low fuel burn and descent altitude and speed.

Would love to fly one sometime. Try to get the right seat on the trip up or back.

You should take Off Ramp with you to show him how corporate aviation works. Tie him to the wing, am sure he would enjoy the view and fresh air...

Joe

I will definitely get the right seat both ways and am hoping for bad weather taking off and landing to get some time up front in the soup.

Joeaksa · 04-09-2007, 09:43 AM

Tim,

Have heard that its a very stable IFR platform, and the LCD displays are very good for situational awareness, so sure you will have fun!

Take photos!

Joe

450knotOffice · 450knotOffice's Garage

I think you'll have a great time in it. If I were the pilot, I'd MAKE you sit in front

Show the pics when you're done.

Tim Hancock · 04-09-2007, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 450knotOffice
I think you'll have a great time in it. If I were the pilot, I'd MAKE you sit in front

Show the pics when you're done.

I don't know many of the commercial pilots at the local airports (most are not involved in the local general aviation scene), but my boss said this one actually lives out by me and he is obviously a pilot, so I am sure we will have plenty to BS about.

Tim Hancock · 04:01 AM

Hopped up in the right seat at 5:45 am and we took off. As we were climbing out, pilot got a flap retraction actuator warning. He called the tower and brought it back in. Looked in the manual for reset instructions and determined we were done for the day.

He will have to ferry the plane to another airport to have it fixed. He said they normally have an alternate aircraft to take, but not today. Hopefully we will get to try again next week.

That turbo prop sure is smooth and quiet. It seemed odd to see that prop spinning yet not hearing any noise to speak of. I was also suprised when we lifted off at probably no more than 100 kts. For some reason it just seemed like we should have been going a bit faster in something that looks like an executive jet.

Sorry, no pics this time around.

I joked with him that I have an "awesome set of tools" in my car and being an IA/AP, "I can fix it"

Tim Hancock · 06:22 PM

Finally got to take our trip to Panama City Florida today. 2 hrs 37 minutes to get there and about 3 hours to return. While I know about most of the new fangled nav and weather systems, I was pretty cool to see them in actual use. Dual GPS radios, dual EFIS, digital altimeters and transponders, Dual HSI display with satellite based weather overlays, ground based weather and collision avoidance unit.

He let me fly it a bit and was suprised by the heavy controls.

I could get used to traveling this way!

some crappy cell phone pics

Unfortunately we did not have any weather to deal with other than a few minutes in the clouds letting down on the way home. I was hoping to get in some experience in the soup.

Jim727 · 04-17-2007, 06:39 PM

Very cool. Pilatus makes an amazing plane. Used to watch the Turbo Porter land in-country; saw one touch down, stop, and turn off - on the numbers.

I want one.

Tim Hancock · 04-18-2007, 06:30 AM

Better pic in daylight from a real camera

If I only had a few million dollars laying around!