Page 4 - Volume 18 Number 4

2 • TWIN & TURBINEAPRIL 2014editor’sbriefingThe Best There Ever WasDid anyone ever ask you “What’s the best airplane you ever flew?” or “What’s your favorite airplane?” If you’re like me, you’ll probably deflect the inquiry with some remark like, “The one I happen to be flying right now.” You’re never going to be able tocome up with a single type that everyone will agree on, and, if you’ve been playing the field for a while, settling down with just one is very difficult.I’ve always felt that every aircraft was good for some particular specialty; each one has a redeeming value that can be exploited to advantage. The secret to piloting happiness is to take pleasure in getting the most you can out of whatever machine you are flying, achieving satisfaction by learning what it wants and how to extract its best performance. Which is why I can truly say, “My favorite is the one I’m flying”. If you’re going to have to put on your flying clothes, you may as well as enjoy it.Over the years, I can recall a few specimens that I was glad not to have to fly again, most usually some experimental types that needed a bit more development to make them safe and pleasurable to fly. By and large, however, all certificated aircraft are predictable enough to be managed with proper study and checkout, leaving it up to us to figure out their best characteristics.Are we ever completely satisfied? Not particularly, which is the reason most ownerships tend to last less than five years. Tradingup or, in some cases, down, in order to get a better fit for what we’re trying to achieve, keeps the aircraft sales business alive and healthy. The best airplane is always the RIGHT airplane for the job at hand. If you need to make thousand-mile trips with regularity, you’re probably not going to be happy until you find something that can deliver 250 knots and reach smooth air quickly. If, on the other hand, the majority of your flying is within 100 miles, it makes no sense to feed a high-speed fuel-guzzler.So, as long as we have access to a more-capable aircraft for the occasional big load or long-distance trip, we can take pleasure in using the wings we’re given, even if they come up short in some departments. Take satisfaction in flying the best airplane for your needs. And, for me, that means the one I’m flying today.In This IssueLast month’s featured Citation pilot, Adam Alpert, returns in this issue, with a tale of handling an emergency with his distinctly-different “other” plane, a Grumman Widgeon amphibian. Read how he used CRM to successfully cope with what could have been a doubtful outcome. And Russ Smith gives his analysis of the unintended consequences of trying to improve airline safety. Dale Smith goes to the experts for advice in his story on Troubleshooting Starter Systems, Kevin Dingman reminds us to brush off the accumulations of winter, Tom Turner unveils the mysteries of “Hot Spots” and David Miller empathizes with “wrong airport” pilots. This is a particularly wisdom-rich issue; enjoy.LeRoy Cook. Editor