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purchasing the aircraft in Septem- ber 2020. New paint and avionics followed. After all of the work, the low-time bird looked like it had just rolled out of the factory.
This Citation flies about 150 to 200 hours per year, on average. The couple’s mission is varied, primar- ily personal travel to various desti- nations around the country. Endre and Stephanie are each certified to fly the aircraft single-pilot, but they usually fill both pilot seats. They completed their part 61.58 single- pilot exemptions at LOFT in early February this year.
“We often fly the Citation togeth- er and absolutely love doing so! We are so fortunate to be best friends, soulmates, partners, and co-pilots. Sometimes one or the other flies in- dividually,” Stephanie began.
Endre followed, “It’s designed to be a crew-flown aircraft, and we fly a lot together as a crew. We follow NetJets (for whom Stephanie presently flies a Citation Latitude as a first officer)
protocols and callouts, focusing on safety. Even though I’ve said other- wise a few times, the reality is that this is my final airplane. It’s the big- gest plane with the most capability that we can fly single-pilot.”
Intensely passionate about the ben- efits of early-model Cessna jets, par- ticularly the Citation 560, Endre advo- cates for the 500-series lineup within the Citation Jet Pilots (CJP) organi- zation. He serves as the Chair of the Legacy Citation Safety Committee.
“CJP has a group of pilots com- mitted to the legacy fleet. On the forum, you can ask any questions about what these airplanes cost to op- erate, the missions they can perform, and their advantages. It is an incred- ible resource for people considering older Citations. You cannot get better airplanes for the money you spend. When properly maintained and up- graded, they are an incredible value. My Citation V has been the most reli- able airplane I’ve ever owned.
16 • TWIN & TURBINE / April 2024