Page 4 - Volume 18 Number 11

2 • TWIN & TURBINENOVEMBER 2014editor’sbriefingIt WILL HappenThe old Commander and its pilot were both in need of a post- maintenance flight, so I filled the right seat as PIC and mentor. It was a beautiful fall day, no better chance to get in the required time. Takeoff and climbout were perfect, the systems checked and the pilot was up to speed. And then it camepull-ups to sling the nosegear over-center, all without illumination of the offending light. It was obvious that the landing would be made without confirmation of the gear’s condition. We briefed the procedure; the pilot flying would hold off contact until the elevators lost effectiveness, and from the right seat I would observe the nosegear’s shadow on the down-sun side of the aircraft. Shoulder harness tight against possible sudden deceleration, we would exit in order once the airplane came to rest.Naturally, the landing was uneventful. I could see the gear was in normal extended position as our shadow leveled for the touchdown and the PF had the speed down to a residential- neighborhood crawl when he finally let the nosewheel make contact. We taxied in with the unsafe light blazing and the audible warning blaring, but no worse for the experience.One thing is for sure; an airplane will land. Nothing lasts forever, not even the finest flight on a beautiful fall day.In This IssueContinuing his comparison of replacement jets as an upgrade for the company’s CJ3, Adam Alpert reports on his impressions of the Embraer Phenom 300. And Kevin Ware gives us an account of a “Goose Bay to London” CJ3 trip across the North Atlantic, never without some unexpected events.You’re probably no more ready to think about the holiday gift season than I am, but it is that time of year, and we’ve gotten into the spirit by choosing some aviation-themed offerings in our annual Gift Guide. Check it out and perhaps you’ll feel even more uplifted to remember folks who’ve blessed you this year.LeRoy Cook. Editortime to extend the gear...No nosegear light. We had two green, but a dark nosegear indication, accompanied by a gear-unsafe annunciator and the warning horn with power reduced. Clearly, this wasn’t going to be a routine recovery. We recycled the gear and went through the emergency procedure checklist. No change; the light stubbornly stayed dark.“We don’t know if it’s a dirty switch, a faulty indicator or a dangling nosewheel,” said I, “but one thing we do know. This airplane is going to land.” Unlike situations with several options at the conclusion, flight is ultimately finite. There will be a termination at the surface when fuel runs out and gravity takes over.The cycles of business, politics and life itself are also like that. Things continue as they always have, but only up to a point. One thing we do know; what goes up eventually comes down. Our smooth-running trip will end. We can participate in its termination or sit back and let it happen, but there will be a finale.In our case, we participated, as much as possible. We tried repetition, alternative methods, and added emphasis like 2G