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to purchase another great 300-series Cessna presented itself.
“I’ve owned the 340A for what’s coming up to three years now. It was very well equipped. It has mid-time RAM VI engines (300 and 700 hours each), spoilers, S-TEC 55X, and an updated interior. I did some avion- ics upgrades when I first got it, as it didn’t have ADS-B Out, and I wanted Flight Stream 210 to integrate with the flight maps on the iPad. This just makes it so much easier to upload routes. I also got the taxi and landing lights replaced with LED lights and the locks replaced.”
Currently, the twin fits all of Pe- rumal’s boxes; he flies for business and recreation – with his family of four.
“I think as the kids grow, I’d like to upgrade to something with more range and speed. I haven’t quite de- cided what that is, but it will be pres- surized and be a turbine. There are planes out there with incredible value, like the Conquest, and also, there are planes that are more updated, sexy, and new, like Citation M2s. It will all depend on the mission and the budget three years out.”
“I fly in the Northeast [United States] mostly for business and mini- family getaways. I also volunteer with
Hope Air, a non-profit that provides medical transpor- tation to people living far from medical care in large cities, like Angel Flights. The timing hasn’t yet worked out for any f lights, but it’s a great organization, and I’m happy to be part of it,” he advised.
“For personal trips, I was in New York for a day with my family a couple of weekends ago during Eas- ter. We love Maine and did that a couple of times last summer, and we will be go- ing camping this summer there, as well as Cape Cod and a day trip to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard (as it’s impossible to find rea- sonably priced accommo- dation there). I discovered the Bahamas for the winter
months, so that will be an annual trip from now on,” Perumal stated.
“With so many destinations I dis- covered through tribal knowledge, I created an app, f ly2places.com – which allows pilots to discover destinations. It also has an itinerary builder for people to instantly put in parameters and get an hour-by-hour itinerary for their destination.”
With Perumal’s hundreds of hours spent in his plane, traveling between Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean, he understands its average performance well.
“With 65% power, [you see] 180 knots true in the 7,000 to 10,000 feet range, 190 knots in the teens, and 200s above FL200. I see fuel burns of under 19 gallons a side at cruise, so 38 gal- lons. I plan on no more than 3 to 3.5 hours [worth of fuel], which comfort- ably gives me around 500 nm depend- ing on the headwinds. Of course, we have those times when I did 280 knots and 740 miles with over 1.5 hours of reserve,” he happily recalled.
Perumal flies roughly a hundred hours annually, including time spent with instructors and fellow pilots in the right seat. He noted that the prac- tice of flying with others is one of the ways that he works to stay sharp in the cockpit.
“I got a commercial ticket, too, to advance my training. I am also work- ingonanATPL,soIcankeepupto date and keep it all fresh. Flying is such a perishable skill. Just f lying, and then the knowledge as well. If you don’t use it, you lose it! I have a couple of friends who are instructors, as well as one who is a 30,000-hour-plus pilot who I go up with frequently. He keeps an eye out on me and calls things out
June 2023 / TWIN & TURBINE • 15