anyone have a huge infatuation with turbo props?

midcap

midcap

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midcap
Don't get me wrong Jets are cool, but for some reason ever since I was a kid and saw my first king air I was just obsessed with how a turbo prop works. I have been lucky in that I was able to ride in a king air twice so far.

I don't know, it's just somthing about hearing that jet whine while the seeing a prop turn that really gets the adrenaline going.
 
I dunno; I think it's something about watching a 7000+ lb aircraft landing on a 2400 foot runway. It's impressive to watch, and it happens daily at Palo Alto.
 
They've been putting food on my table for a while, the performance and bleed air is great, and I trust them more than even a multi engine piston.

That said, the most enjoyable planes I've flown have been pistons.
 
MAKG1 said:
I dunno; I think it's something about watching a 7000+ lb aircraft landing on a 2400 foot runway. It's impressive to watch, and it happens daily at Palo Alto.
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I need to go and look on you tube for short field landings, that sounds pretty awesome.
 
James331 said:
They've been putting food on my table for a while, the performance and bleed air is great, and I trust them more than even a multi engine piston.

That said, the most enjoyable planes I've flown have been pistons.
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I would love to own a turbo prop one day, I think a twin engine piston will more likely be in the cards instead, or who knows...I may never need anything more than a single engine piston.
 
Can't say I always enjoy paying the bills, but moving up to a t-prop has certainly been very enjoyable and a time/ability multiplier.
 
I love the smell of Jet-A in the morning! I've had mine a little over 3 years and I have to say, it's been great! Speed and fuel burn plus the cheaper fuel make it about the same $ per mile as the 421. And James is correct the bills are much fun, but no airplane bill is fun.
 
I love TPs! From Cheyennes & King Airs to the Brasilia & Atr-72 I flew at the airline. The Brasilia was flight planned for 290kts and fun to fly. Jets faster and fun but I think I enjoyed TPs a bit more.
 
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I'm finding that it is easy to get into bad habits that would be really bad in a turbo piston or a jet. Those big props and zero concerns for thrust changes, I can be 3,000 ft high and 225kias 5 miles from the runway and easily get configured for a downwind.
 
James_Dean said:
I'm finding that it is easy to get into bad habits that would be really bad in a turbo piston or a jet. Those big props and zero concerns for thrust changes, I can be 3,000 ft high and 225kias 5 miles from the runway and easily get configured for a downwind.
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I am sure you posted it before, but what model of plane do you have?
 
N747JB said:
I love the smell of Jet-A in the morning! I've had mine a little over 3 years and I have to say, it's been great! Speed and fuel burn plus the cheaper fuel make it about the same $ per mile as the 421. And James is correct the bills are much fun, but no airplane bill is fun.
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I am sure the bill for a PT6 overhaul is more than my house cost :eek:
 
Yes, which is why I'll be happier if I get a class date for the Dash, and not the 145.

Jets are boring. I always made landing bets with my co-pilots in the -12. Had my lunches paid for until they wised up.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
Yes, which is why I'll be happier if I get a class date for the Dash, and not the 145.

Jets are boring. I always made landing bets with my co-pilots in the -12. Had my lunches paid for until they wised up.
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Decided on CommutAir?
 
midcap said:
I am sure the bill for a PT6 overhaul is more than my house cost :eek:
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Yes a double overhaul is more than the value of the airplane!! I have about 1000 hours to go and that will take me 10 years to reach, if I still have it then I will likely buy used mid-time engines. The good news it they don't generally require much unscheduled maintenance.
 
I do think that big props look cool regardless if they are on piston or turbine engines. Gotta love 'em.
 
But did fly this, and it was actually fun, but never could figure out why it came with square cup holders in the cockpit, when our Styrofoam cups were round. French thing I guess. Didn't have an APU, one big drawback. Climbed like a pig out of 10K feet.

upload_2016-12-7_17-47-0.png
 
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midcap said:
I am sure the bill for a PT6 overhaul is more than my house cost :eek:
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Knock on wood, but I doubt my engines will ever be overhauled. They are at 1400 hours now and oh isn't mandatory part 91. I will have to do the hot sections every 1800 hours. At 200 hours/yr, two hot section inspections will take me another 20 years of use. That puts me at age 60 and the plane at 55 years. If we"re both still going strong we'all have the option of doing another HSI(would be an expensive one) that would very likely take both of us well into retirement.
 
Would be loads of fun, but I don't have the coin for the budget needed for a turboprop.


Wayne

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Instagram: waynecease
 
Honest question for the turbo prop guys: seems to me that if you can afford a King Air or similar turbo prop, you can afford a Citation which seems to be a more capable airplane. So why settle for TP?

I say that as someone who is a contractor on the Bravo. Never flown a TP (unless you count the E-2C sim)
 
Depends on where you're landing, some short strips get be a little sketch in a citation.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Honest question for the turbo prop guys: seems to me that if you can afford a King Air or similar turbo prop, you can afford a Citation which seems to be a more capable airplane. So why settle for TP?

I say that as someone who is a contractor on the Bravo. Never flown a TP (unless you count the E-2C sim)
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Depends upon hours/yr and mission. As you know, jets need to get up high to get the fuel burn down and as such short hops kick your butt on fuel. It isn't a concern for me, but the type rating requirement is an issue for some that makes them want to stay tp. Also, the tp's are generally much more forgiving on runway requirements.

When I chewed this up for my needs and mission, I came to believe that the Conquest is 50% more all in per mile that the 310. A legacy citation would be another 30% per mile over the conquest. The speed difference on a 400 mile trip is 20 minutes.
 
James_Dean said:
Depends upon hours/yr and mission. As you know, jets need to get up high to get the fuel burn down and as such short hops kick your butt on fuel. It isn't a concern for me, but the type rating requirement is an issue for some that makes them want to stay tp. Also, the tp's are generally much more forgiving on runway requirements.

When I chewed this up for my needs and mission, I came to believe that the Conquest is 50% more all in per mile that the 310. A legacy citation would be another 30% per mile over the conquest. The speed difference on a 400 mile trip is 20 minutes.
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So is TP insurance significantly less than jets? I haven't had to deal with the insurance side of things, but I know SP jets can be ridiculous to insure (and why I get part time work...)
 
Fearless Tower said:
Honest question for the turbo prop guys: seems to me that if you can afford a King Air or similar turbo prop, you can afford a Citation which seems to be a more capable airplane. So why settle for TP?

I say that as someone who is a contractor on the Bravo. Never flown a TP (unless you count the E-2C sim)
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Even if money was no object I would rather have a King Air 200 for a personal airplane than a jet. But I would have more interest in getting into smaller fields than going fast.
 
Fearless Tower said:
So is TP insurance significantly less than jets? I haven't had to deal with the insurance side of things, but I know SP jets can be ridiculous to insure (and why I get part time work...)
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For my time and experience the cost for insurance on equal hull value was 4x for a citation vs the conquest. The mentor pilot time was quite different also. Then throw in a three day school vs a two week type rating and a ride to ATP standards and well.... they are different animals.
 
One of my instructors watching a King Air with the Hot Wheels go by on the ramp, once said, "That thing gives me a hard on." LOL.

Funniest thing I've ever heard while doing a run up in a 182.
 
Back in my charter days, we had a couple of King Airs on the certificate alongside the jets. I never flew them, but the 200 interior certainly felt a lot roomier than our light Citations. And for many of the typical up and down the coast or LAS trips, the Citation might only beat the 200 by 10 minutes or so. IIRC, the King Air cost a thousand dollars per hour less to charter than say, a Bravo. I've never been privy to the actual MX and operating costs, but it always seemed to me that a King Air (or comparable turboprop) made a lot of sense for trips of a couple of hours or less.

I'd love to own one - some of my favorite flying has been in Cheyennes. Certainly a lot more fun than any jet that I've flown. Unfortunately my income is generally tied to the size of airplane I'm flying, and these days turboprops only get so big. If I didn't enjoy the hustle and bustle of larger cities so much, James331 would already have my resumé. ;)
 
Cost of getting into a TP is $500K +. You can get a very nice PT for a third of that kind of dough. The break even with DOC is a long way out.
 
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denverpilot said:
One of my instructors watching a King Air with the Hot Wheels go by on the ramp, once said, "That thing gives me a hard on." LOL.

Funniest thing I've ever heard while doing a run up in a 182.
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Probably stole the line from Top Gun.

Wolfman: [watching a video of planes being shot down] This gives me a hard on.

Hollywood: Don't tease me.
 
James_Dean said:
Knock on wood, but I doubt my engines will ever be overhauled. They are at 1400 hours now and oh isn't mandatory part 91. I will have to do the hot sections every 1800 hours. At 200 hours/yr, two hot section inspections will take me another 20 years of use. That puts me at age 60 and the plane at 55 years. If we"re both still going strong we'all have the option of doing another HSI(would be an expensive one) that would very likely take both of us well into retirement.
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that's pretty cool....what's a cost per hour with all the figured in come out to?
 
midcap said:
that's pretty cool....what's a cost per hour with all the figured in come out to?
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All in? I budgeted next year at $1000/hr @ 200 hrs/yr and hope for $800.

That includes $265/hr for mx and engine/prop reserves and assumes an OH at 3600 hrs. If the 'just keep doing the hsi' plan works out it is gravy. I plan for 75 gph doing +280ktas above FL250 and 255 - 265ktas block speed depending upon trip length.
 
mscard88 said:
Always wanted to fly an Electra.

View attachment 49619
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The Electra was the only love affair I had with turboprops. It got off the ground like a molested arboreal primate and was cool as long as the engines didn't rip the wings off. I had a few rides in them when I was in the Air Force courtesy of American Airlines.
 
Norman said:
The Electra was the only love affair I had with turboprops. It got off the ground like a molested arboreal primate and was cool as long as the engines didn't rip the wings off. I had a few rides in them when I was in the Air Force courtesy of American Airlines.
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She break it off when you wanted to marry her? Anyway......

Wasn't that an early problem though, the wings coming off? Think they eventually got it under control. Better glue? :)

Forget the name but there was a contractor that flew parts in to Air Force bases (LogAir?) using Electras., used to see it all the time.

Navy P-3s are also based on Electras.
 
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James_Dean said:
All in? I budgeted next year at $1000/hr @ 200 hrs/yr and hope for $800.

That includes $265/hr for mx and engine/prop reserves and assumes an OH at 3600 hrs. If the 'just keep doing the hsi' plan works out it is gravy. I plan for 75 gph doing +280ktas above FL250 and 255 - 265ktas block speed depending upon trip length.
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takes some cash to play the turbine game I see.

It really puts it into perspective when you can buy a Cirrus SR22 for what is costs to operate your turbo prop for 200 hours. :eek:
 
midcap said:
I am sure the bill for a PT6 overhaul is more than my house cost :eek:
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I have a couple of work orders for just under $300k apiece for a set (RH and LH side) of -42s. (And to clarify, yes that's almost 600k to do both engines.)
 
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