Page 28 - Twin & Turbine May 2017

WHO:
Kirby Ortega –
Chief Pilot, Aircraft Management Programs
COMPANY:
Yingling Aviation
WHERE:
Wichita, Kansas
QUALIFICATIONS:
FAA Gold Seal Flight Instructor
FAA Designated Pilot Examiner
30+ years at Cessna, former chief pilot piston engine operations
25,000 hours
by Rebecca Groom Jacobs
1. What led you to becoming (and remaining) a pilot at Cessna for 30 years?
The versatility. I served in various piloting roles over the years such as training, air-to-air, demo and international flight operations. But flight instruction was my introduction to Cessna and actually remained my primary focus – specifically training newer pilots in the Caravan for international flight ops. Traveling to other countries was a huge interest of mine. I have now flown in more than 90, predominantly in the Caravan. Greatly enjoy seeing other cultures, the way they live, and how they view the role of general aviation. In a lot of places, aviation is the tie to civilization.
2. Can you describe your present role at Yingling Aviation?
I’m currently the chief pilot for Yingling Aviation’s aircraft management program. We manage and operate aircraft for local companies. But keeping with the versatility theme, I perform a number of responsibilities around the FBO such as maintenance flights, ferry flights and training. I also do a considerable amount of training and testing on my own – primarily in the Citation Mustang and 525 series. I’ll assist individuals looking for flight instruction in their own airplane whether it be a type rating or recurrent training.
3. You’ve flown nearly every Cessna model – what is your favorite aircraft (or two) to fly?
In the jet line, I’d have to say the Citation XLS+ is one of my favorites. It is just a super well- rounded airplane with great range and speed; extremely easy to fly on top of the impressive performance. The stand-up cabin is also a good feature. The Mustang would be my next pick, mainly for the simplicity of the systems and G1000. I’ve seen a lot of pilots step out of single- engine pistons right up into the Mustang. It involves some extra mentoring for multi-engine time, but the simplicity and redundancy of the systems allows for a nice transition.
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