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he continued his education, validated his credentials, and passed the United States Medical Licensure board exams. He then entered Residency in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2005, where he became Chief Resident three years later. Since then, he has put his medical training to use in the Sunshine State and routinely combines it with his passion for aviation.
Dr. Pereira’s business f lights take him all across Florida to treat patients. For the past 12 years, he has primarily practiced in the southern portion of the state in Broward County (Plantation, Coral Springs, and greater Fort Lauderdale area). In addition, he practices in the Lake Okeechobee area, Osceola County (Kissimmee, Orlando, and Ocala), and up into the Panhandle area in Bay County (Panama City, Fort Walton, etc.).
To serve populations within critical access areas, he relies upon his aircraft to reach areas of the state that would be much more time-consuming to travel to by car or airline. When
flying to this region, Dr. Pereira will typically land at general aviation airports located within 20 minutes from his place of practice. On average, this saves him half to full day of travel.
Depending on where he is f lying and for what purpose, he typically travels alone or with two to three passengers. That said, the aircraft has flown with up to six grown adults with “no issues.” Carried baggage is often minimal. If a need to haul more was a factor, then other options would have been explored. “It’s definitely not a cargo mule. Even though it has the space and payload, loading heavy objects is not as easy as you may think. The DA62 is more of a people mover, although there is a five-seat option that has additional cargo space.”
Dr. Pereira advised aviators not to discount the manufacturer when considering their next (or first) aircraft purchase. “After I chose to seriously consider this aircraft, lots of people tried talking me out of it. Recently, the prevailing thought seems to be
that light twins are obsolete and dangerous. But I have found that the DA62 has amazing critical engine performance, and flying it with a lone engine is docile and maneuverable. For example, with one engine the aircraft can still climb 300 to 400 feet per minute with two or three people aboard and full main fuel tanks.”
And as Dr. Pereira ultimately sums it up: “It’s all about the mission, the price, and the pilot. When choosing an aircraft, there is no one-size-fits-all model. A well-studied purchase can be extremely rewarding if determined based upon those three factors.”
Grant Boyd is a recent MBA graduate of Wichita State Univer- sity. A private pilot, Boyd is cur- rently working toward his instru- ment rating, with the ultimate goal of combining his love of business and aviation with a career at a general aviation manufacturer. You can contact Grant at grant- boyd2015@gmail.com
Yingling
October 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 29