Page 28 - March21T

Owner’s
Lately, it occurs to me, what a long
strange trip it’s been.” – Jerry Garcia (“Truckin” by Grateful Dead)
Corner
Fit for Purpose
Moving from a Heavy-Piston Twin to High-Performance Turbine
by Elliot Zeltzer, Owner-Pilot
contacted me to join their organization. I spent about two weeks of my life with Skywest to realize that this was an ego trip at my age, and I wanted no part of flying 1,000 hours a year.
I found a better fit at Corporate Eagle Management Services, a Part 91K fractional operator based at KPTK. Today, I am a captain flying King Airs and Hawkers. Training is an integral part of this organization – we train every six months, not unlike the airlines. I believe the high level of training is one of the key elements that will allow me to safely operate my next personal aircraft...
New Aircraft Selection
Planning for the completion of a long aviation experience.
In the meantime, we (the family) put thousands of hours on the 421, and it was the bedrock of our family travels. In the extended time it took me to sell the airplane, I embarked on a detailed examination of the next best aircraft for our family’s mission and needs.
In my search, I applied an IT practice for technology acquisition: “Fit for purpose.” Since this was most likely going to be my last aircraft, it needed to be the right choice to meet our mission needs and budget. Contrary to the fantasy/reality TV show “Selling Jets,” I was not interested in the “shiny ball of glitz.”
First, this aircraft had to be a turbine. This was driven by two criteria: 1) Avgas and its availability and price will continue to be a challenge; 2) Our mission profile is based on about an 800-mile radius and very often traversed by the Appalachians in all seasons. The 421C is a great aircraft and
In the Beginning
In 1963, my father had a customer who was in the home building business. He offered my father a ride in his airplane and took us to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (KDTW) – way before it was a major airline hub. I don’t recall most of the trip, but I remember the ride was in either a Piper Apache or Aztec.
Fast forward to 1974, and I started my college experience at Western Michigan University. In the first term, I joined the Sky Broncos f light club and changed my major from business to aviation technology. By graduation, I had accumulated my commercial, instrument, multi-engine, f light instructor and a degree in aviation and business. I then experienced a fork in the road for my career, spending five years in the right seat building time, hoping for an airline job but also perusing a career in modern IT.
26 • TWIN & TURBINE / March 2021
After college graduation, I moved back to the metro Detroit area. I continued to f light instruct but job demands made that difficult. I f lew many different aircraft: 177RG, T210, P210, Aztec, Seneca, C340A and the C421C (the “King” of piston twins). And in 2008, I bought my first aircraft, a 1976 Cessna 421C! I did a complete avionics overhaul (Aspen 2500c glass panel), new paint, and added two firewall forward engines. The 421C was a good partner for me and my family’s travel needs.
Career Part Deux
In 2014, I got my “Ph.D.” in aviation – my ATP – and a few years later, retired from the IT industry. I needed to find something to keep me occupied, so one of my colleagues who operates an aircraft management service asked me to be a contract pilot for him. I joined his organization and f lew King Airs, Citations and Pilatus’s. Skywest then