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“I think that the only thing that kept me up at night is that ‘pain in a landing gear.’ The torque link needs to be removed prior to towing and reattached prior to departing. That’s the only thing about the airplane I’m still trying to get my head around be- cause it’s bizarre. Being a systems guy, though, I love learning new things, and the mental challenge of it is stimulat- ing. I enjoy it.”
For Mr. Ruz, the jet is capable and operationally similar, or even superior, as far as costs are concerned to his previous aircraft.
“I encourage you to spend the mon- ey on a jet instead of a similarly priced twin-engine piston or a single-engine turboprop. Acquisition costs are right in line. After I got into the Phenom, I talked with my mentor pilot again, and he noted that it was almost the same price he had paid for his M600. Until our conversation, he had never realized that operating costs are virtu- ally the same because you are going nearly twice as fast. It’s fascinating.
You don’t know what you don’t know, and this is one area that people don’t venture into because they don’t know.”
Mr. Ruz expanded on this concept, showcasing a key benefit he has per- sonally experienced in his Phenom.
“I will tell you that several mentor pilots I have flown with would not go up to 41,000 feet because they say the plane is slow to climb there and the fuel burn could be better there. I argue that that is not true. The book pub- lished speeds and fuel consumption figures are on point, in my opinion. For example, I f lew to Indianapolis non-stop from Miami and went up to 41,000. I couldn’t have made that trip if I had only gone up to 37,000 feet,” he began.
“The difference between those al- titudes is significant. When you get higher, you burn roughly 275 pounds per side, which is nothing. When you run that calculation, you are at 80 gallons an hour. I am right at the same burn as a TBM, but in reality, probably less since the TBM is going slower.
With a 100-knot headwind in a TBM, you are going 220 knots [groundspeed], whereas, in this jet, you are going over 300 knots. So, if you get up to altitude, you are actually at the same fuel consumption then.”
Unsurprisingly, Mr. Ruz is more than thrilled with his ownership ex- perience so far. And why wouldn’t he be? Getting into a twin-engine jet was a long-term goal for the detail- oriented entrepreneur.
“As far as I am concerned, the Phenom 100 is a smooth, solid, and reliable entry-level business jet. It is fast and agile, and it is easy to start and fly. It doesn’t hurt that this bird is loaded with some serious ramp ap- peal and never goes unnoticed. It is an amazing platform with a fantastic network. There is no comparison,” he strongly concluded.
Wingman
http://oceanreef.com
July 2023 / TWIN & TURBINE • 15
You can follow along with Gabriel Ruz, Jr.’s Phenom journey on Instagram @chief.flying.officer.