anyone have a huge infatuation with turbo props?

midcap said:
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:
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I use my plane as my own personal airliner, and as a business asset it has proven to be very valuable. I was doing 150+ segments a year on the airlines and killing myself doing it. My board came to the realization that they either had to let me fly or find another one of me. The plane was far cheaper, and no way I could do my mission with a SR22. For example, I personally won't fly IFR at night in a single anymore. I also fly over the mountains so now you need a turbo and sucking o2 for hours isn't fun. Then you get to deal with icing and my strong experience is more capability is a *really* great thing.

IMHO, the plane I'm in is about the bottom rung for on-demand business travel. The fact that I have a family of seven also makes the conquest a good choice for personal travel.

P.s. Airlines suck.
 
James_Dean said:
I use my plane as my own personal airliner, and as a business asset it has proven to be very valuable. I was doing 150+ segments a year on the airlines and killing myself doing it. My board came to the realization that they either had to let me fly or find another one of me. The plane was far cheaper, and no way I could do my mission with a SR22. For example, I personally won't fly IFR at night in a single anymore. I also fly over the mountains so now you need a turbo and sucking o2 for hours isn't fun. Then you get to deal with icing and my strong experience is more capability is a *really* great thing.

IMHO, the plane I'm in is about the bottom rung for on-demand business travel. The fact that I have a family of seven also makes the conquest a good choice for personal travel.

P.s. Airlines suck.
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I hear ya...I'm not comparing the two as being both capable of the same missions, just that the turbine game is a big step up.

Plus...who likes taking their shoes off at the TSA check point. :D
 
Shepherd said:
My personal favorite is the MU-2. It's an emotional thing, not an intellectual thing.
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I don't know what it is but the "ugly duckling" sure has a strange sense of appeal to me too.
But I wouldn't turn down any turboprop. They are just so dang fun. Especially the turbine whine and prop bite. And of course beta is very cool too.

(for the record: I do own this spiffy T-shirt)
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Here's a cool turbo prop.

il_570xN.947966400_tgdy.jpg


Piper Enforcer. Back when I was a controller at Eglin they had 2 of them there weapons testing for 2 months in the early 80s. Very cool and fast, PT-6 motors.
 
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mscard88 said:
Here's a cool turbo prop.

il_570xN.947966400_tgdy.jpg


Piper Enforcer. Back when I was a controller at Eglin they had 2 of them there weapons testing for 2 months in the early 80s. Very cool and fast, PT-6 motors.
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That's a cool plane.
 
midcap said:
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:
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Yeah, but at least the turboprop will fly for 200 hours.
 
I'll admit to a pretty big infatuation with single engine turbo props (e.g. TBM and the forthcoming Epic).
 
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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Having owned both and I honestly started looking at a 501 with the Williams engines earlier this year, the cost is a little less than double to operate a Citation vs a 425. The inspections are more than double, fuel is about double and speed is 25-30% faster. Flying out of the Atlanta area, I am held down to 8000 feet or below for the first 30-40 miles regardless of which airplane. And a Citation at 8000 feet is a thirsty girl! I checked insurance and it was about the same, I have about 700 hours SP in a 551. I do like the old Citations, I just couldn't justify the cost difference per hour on my short flights.
 
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James_Dean said:
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.
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That is a good point. The cost to maintain currency in the jet is not insignificant.
 
Here is a little video of one of my work turbo(?)props in action:
 
Art VanDelay said:
An infatuation with turboprops ? No, but thanks for asking.
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heh...


I liked the King Air, then I flew a Metroliner. I definitely liked the King Air after experiencing that POS truck. Then got a hold of a Jetstream 41 and thought I made it. Small A/C unit, a LAV... FLIGHT ATTENDANT. There wasn't anything better.

Then I went to the Dojet and never looked back. APU are the three best letters in aviation. And some real power on the T/O roll and climb out. Was truly a blast to fly and nothing has compared to the pure fun that plane was to pilot.

Plus being above most weather. Not sluggin' around in the ice all winter. Nice.
 
Rex Kramer said:
heh...


I liked the King Air, then I flew a Metroliner. I definitely liked the King Air after experiencing that POS truck. Then got a hold of a Jetstream 41 and thought I made it. Small A/C unit, a LAV... FLIGHT ATTENDANT. There wasn't anything better.

Then I went to the Dojet and never looked back. APU are the three best letters in aviation. And some real power on the T/O roll and climb out. Was truly a blast to fly and nothing has compared to the pure fun that plane was to pilot.

Plus being above most weather. Not sluggin' around in the ice all winter. Nice.
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Has any pilot ever liked flying the metroliner?

Everyone I know that flew it hated it.
 
Air National Guard has them too. F16 unit at KMGM has one.
 
I didn't mind the the metroliner, but certainly not my favorite. I've seen quite a few lately because some of the labs are using them to fly samples. All I can think when I see them is, "Damn, those things were old when I flew them!". And that was 22 years ago.
 
Many here are comparing a turboprop to a recip.
The original question seemed to imply those who prefer a turboprop to a jet.
Perhaps I misunderstood.

That said, a turboprop is a jet except the fan is external in the form of a prop.
The big difference is the ability to to change prop pitch.
 
I like them, i dream of owning a king air for personal use. Probably not going to happen but that's ok, probably will be able to rent one for personal use at some point in my life, that's good enough i guess
 
Jim Case said:
I like them, i dream of owning a king air for personal use. Probably not going to happen but that's ok, probably will be able to rent one for personal use at some point in my life, that's good enough i guess
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A KA for rent? Wonder what's the wet rate and the CFI checkout details :D
This reminded me of that scene in clear and present danger for some reason...
 
Yeah, I guess I didn't think of that. I was referring to like, for instance, flying it down somewhere on vacation and then flying it back in a week or so. Rather than just for a few hours or so.
 
midcap said:
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.
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Okay, second post. You do understand that it's a jet engine blowing air into a drive for the prop.. right?
At least on most kingAirs they use a PT6.
That is nothing more than a jet engine blast blowing through a fan that turns the prop.
If you were strong enough you could hold the prop with the engine at 100+%
The prop is not mechanically connected to any part of the engine.
 
Kritchlow said:
Okay, second post. You do understand that it's a jet engine blowing air into a drive for the prop.. right?
At least on most kingAirs they use a PT6.
That is nothing more than a jet engine blast blowing through a fan that turns the prop.
If you were strong enough you could hold the prop with the engine at 100+%
The prop is not mechanically connected to any part of the engine.
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Yeah, for that level of unholy noise and expensive gear boxes, one must find a Garrett. :)
 
denverpilot said:
Yeah, for that level of unholy noise and expensive gear boxes, one must find a Garrett. :)
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Not sure what the end game is here...????
I have thousands of Garrertt hours. Ear plugs a must. What else ?
 
Kritchlow said:
Not sure what the end game is here...????
I have thousands of Garrertt hours. Ear plugs a must. What else ?
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Don't really have a game.

If you're going to post the obvious on a Friday night, I'll just play along. Haha.

Most of the stuff we all post here isn't exactly tough information to come by. :)

Maybe someone is entertained. Who knows.
 
I mean, if you want to get picky, I believe the breakdown percentage for thrust on the PT6A-67P attributed about 10% (15%?) to exhaust gases so it's not all coming from the prop.
 
Kritchlow said:
Okay, second post. You do understand that it's a jet engine blowing air into a drive for the prop.. right?
At least on most kingAirs they use a PT6.
That is nothing more than a jet engine blast blowing through a fan that turns the prop.
If you were strong enough you could hold the prop with the engine at 100+%
The prop is not mechanically connected to any part of the engine.
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Mostly correct, except that there are indeed some direct drive TPs. Obviously not P&Ws though.
 
Art VanDelay said:
Cmon Skimmer admit it - you'd kill to get some time in the deathtube aka San Antonio sewer pipe !
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I would not turn down an opportunity to fly one, but I'm sufficiently content between my Beech 18 and the part time Citation gig.
 
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