Steve wrote:
On 20 Sep 2005 08:50:27 -0700, wrote:

How flexible is that schedule? You could go to an ab-initio school that
feeds people into the regional airlines in 12-18 months and get all the

I'm not that flexible and that route appears to be cumbersome and
under a corporate thumb I don't do well in those types of situations.

Fair enough, but keep in mind that in that case a large portion of the
corporate thumb exists to keep cocky/inexperienced pilots from bending
airplanes and scaring passengers, or worse.


If you don't have quite that much time, you could pay to get a type
rating at FlightSafety and look for work flying right seat for check

Can I go this route without working for someone else. Maybe doing
charity work for something like the "Angel Flight" I saw mentioned
here??

Perhaps, but what you're looking to get is loggable turbojet time, and
the guys loaning their jets to Angel Flight are also supplying the
crews. It's the third-tier charter companies, freight dogs, etc. who
might have need of a cheap and willing SIC and if you hang around the
field and get to know the right people you might find yourself getting
some time here and there.


Also, you might want to consider whether you really need a turbojet
airplane... A Lancair Columbia will cruise over 200kts which makes

Can I fly one of these planes you mentioned from L.A. to New York in a
fairly resonable amount of time at night or during somewhat unclear
weather.

If JFK-LAX is your typical flight, I'd take myself over to NetJets and
buy a fractional share and let somebody else do the driving. That trip
is at least 8 hours flying time (and 1, more likely 2 fuel stops) even
in a Mustang or CitationJet, which is a 12-14 hour day before you hit
the ground in LA. I suspect most guys either take a co-pilot or spread
the flying out over two days. You need to go quite a ways up the food
chain to something like a Hawker 800XP before you can make that trip
non-stop, and until you can do that, American Airlines will get you
there faster even adding in the time to take your shoes off, yadda
yadda.

Where an owner-flown aircraft really shines is in the 300-1500nm trips
where you're going direct and non-stop between two places the airlines
don't go direct. Let's say you're spending the weekend at a beach house
in Maine up near Bangor, and on Monday you want to meet with a client
in Syracuse. If you're lucky you'll leave your house at 6am and be
there by noon on the airlines, who will fly you to Newark or Philly
first. There's not too many flights either so if there's any problems
or delays you may not get there until sometime closer to dinner.

I, on the other hand, arrive at the airport at 7, have some coffee,
preflight, maybe file a flight plan, take off around 8, and arrive a
little after 11 in my fire-breathing Cessna 172 (105 knots on a good
day). In a Cirrus or Lancair you'll get there by 10. The faster the
airplane, the bigger the ranges can get. What is your typical mission?
That will dictate the right plane for you.

Now, your question mentioned weather. Good question. I would not
consider a Columbia with anti-ice to be an all-weather airplane, but
it's pretty good. A turbine engine (something like a Meridian) will buy
you more leeway to climb up and above the weather faster. A very light
jet still isn't all-weather but the range of what it can't handle is
relatively limited. Really bad thunderstorms will ground the airlines
too, but they'll push right through ice that would ruin your day fast.

-cwk.