Page 12 - April22T

Piper M350
internal pressures. A Lycoming TSIO- 540 in a Piper Mirage is working hard most of its life because it has turbo- chargers. During the climb, cruise, and even sometimes in descent, that en- gine is producing manifold pressures that are above 29.92 inches. I think less is asked of the normally aspirated engine, but turbine wannabes usually migrate from an airplane with a big turbocharged Continental or Lycoming engine starting with a “5,” meaning engines where a lot is being asked of them in flight. Anything with “TSIO” as the first letters of the engine data plate are really engines designed to create about 250 normally aspirated horsepower, but they then bolt on all sorts of devices to allow them to cre- ate much more horsepower. With big piston engines, more is asked, and asking more demands a more adept aviation management touch.
So, that pilot with two logbooks ends up with a vibration in the engine, an engine hiccup, or starts logging un- wanted glider time, and they survive to tell the story. Then, I get a phone call. So has started the turbine dreams of many a pilot.
And let’s not forget about spouses. While many pilots believe they are the head of their household, the spouses are sometimes the neck, turning the head in whatever direction desired. The spouses don’t like any engine noises other than a hum. Did your engine hiccup? Just ask your spouse; they are aware. They are like a won- derful watchdog that will let you know when anything weird is approaching. They may not be able to tell you what the amber or red light means, but they know when that light normally comes on and normally doesn’t. So, when that noise occurs or the light comes on, the spouse is sometimes the one to say, “I think I’m okay with that turbine up- grade. It is safer, right?” Many a pilot has those turbine dreams answered because the spouse got onboard with the turbine plan.
How Important is a Good Engine?
You already know the answer: It is everything! Every single-engine pilot should be familiar with the mantra, “Put all your eggs into one basket and watch that basket.” Engine health is critical. But so is the type of engine.
Piper M500
Why a Turbine?
Well, the answer is different for many people, but it usually emanates from a negative piston event. To real- istically consider a turbine upgrade, you’ve got to have solid experience in the piston world. Most prospective pilots don’t even think about turbine aspirations until they have at least 500 hours in the logbook, and most have more than a thousand. I’ve seen some pilots move to a turbine in less than 500 hours, but in today’s extremely tight insurance market, most can’t make the move with such few hours and still be insured.
One of the really negative aspects of the PA46 market is that there are plenty of people who have more money than aviation experience. Simply put, they can buy more airplane than they can responsibly operate. Experience is important. Some prove it every year by causing a nose gear collapse on a turbine takeoff, crashing the air- plane on landing by using beta/reverse
10 • TWIN & TURBINE / April 2022
improperly, or by just “being behind the airplane.”
So, most of the time, a turbine wan- nabe is going to have filled up the first logbook. And, with a filled logbook usu- ally comes a harrowing piston story. Most newbies in aviation have an “it can’t happen to me” attitude when it comes to engine troubles. But, anyone with a filled logbook will probably have an inflight story about a valve spring breaking, a turbocharger blow up in flight, a seriously high EGT that scares them, or a complete engine failure. With that experience comes a freshly matured aviation perspective that is far more conducive to one day becom- ing an old pilot.
As for those big turbocharged pis- tons, are they as reliable as the moder- ately sized normally aspirated piston engines? I’ve got an IO-470 in my 1961 Bonanza, and I can operate that sweet engine very cool, very smooth, and once I go above 4,000 ft MSL, the en- gine is now running with less and less