My grandfather, Lt. Lynn Hair, stands in the center of his 370th fighter squadron composite.
This time of year is so exciting. It’s still May as I write this brief. EBACE is going on, and news is coming out of Europe daily. Memorial Day and Independence Day are celebrated in the U.S. and are right around the corner, so EAA’s Airventure at Oshkosh is also coming soon.
Sustainability is one of the major themes at this year’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exposition. eVTOLs, EcoJets, and various sustainable jet fuels are a big focus. And Cessna has gotten into the game with its Citation Ascend, a new iteration of the venerable 560XL series of midsize jets, now claiming an entry fee of around $16M with a promise of sustainable fuel compatibility and loads of upgrades.
Global Jet Capital sees softening business jet demand, yet Jetcraft forecasts swelling demand and increased preowned aircraft values. It’s a mixed bag and there are many unknowns right now.
One of my other day jobs (I have a few) is as executive director for the Pinnacle Air Network, a consortium of FBOs, MROs, aircraft sales, and aircraft charter organizations. We have our annual meeting this month, and we look forward to receiving insights from our partners, some of the industry’s best in observing and forecasting markets and business aviation consumer trends. StandardAero, JSSI, VSE, and JETNET are a few partners providing the Pinnacle members with updates at the meeting. I’ll give some insights gained in next month’s Editor’s Brief.
Memorial Day is a time of remembrance for those who have sacrificed for the United States. So many of us have family or friends who have died in the line of duty. My grandfather on my Mom’s side, an Army Air Force aviator from Dallas who flew the P-47 Thunderbolt in the European theater during WWII, lost his life in his aircraft. Send me a note and let me know about your family or friend who sacrificed for their country.
In this issue, we hear about an owner of a Cessna 340. Cessna’s 300-series twins get overlooked due to the 400-series’ capabilities, speed and range. But let me assure you, the 340, and its unpressurized sibling, the 310, are no slouches in the twin performance category. I accomplished my multi-engine rating in a 310Q, a well-worn training vessel, and let me tell you, it was a beast in the Florida heat doing single-engine NDB approaches to Okeechobee. Raise your hand if you’ve been there, too.
In April, we learned about Bose’s new A30 aviation headset. This month, T &T author, Tigre Pickett, takes the Lightspeed Delta Zulu through its paces and provides a comparative analysis.
Joe Casey, a professional aviation instructor and T&T author, tells us about his experience dealing with braking system symptoms and fallout from failure. His personal experience can save lives and help us understand what to look for and how to mitigate risks from system malfunctions.
Sleep and fatigue are perennial issues for pilots. Kevin Dingman once again provides us with common-sense ways to be at our best in the cockpit by maintaining fitness for flight and awareness of the pitfalls inherent in our aviation environment. And David Miller shows us how one group of pilots uses landing data to compete with one another, not for some random prize but for tangible safety benefits.
Please enjoy this issue of Twin & Turbine.
