How do I study a Citation manual?

[Martin747]

I got a Citation technical manual (QuickTurn) and would like to study it to get to know the Citation better. Does anybody know how to study a manual best? It's for the Citation I, II, and SII. Where to start...it's so much.

 

[avbug]

If you were fortunate to get one in English, start on the left and work to the right.


Do you not know how to study?

 

[User546]

Are you perhaps asking what areas are more important to study then others?

 

[Martin747]

Thanks, user997. That is what I meant. I have studied the review questions, which are in the back of the manual (limitations, emergency BOLD ITEMS, annunciator panel lights, fuel system, power plant, fire detection, el. system, engine starting, etc.) But there is a whole lot more than that, like technical charts, or schematics - and now I am wondering, what is most important to study? The reason why I am studying this is, that maybe one day I can get a chance to fly right seat and can be of value.
I am sure that out there is pilot that can say: "Make sure about the Citation II 484 you know this...., and this.... cause boy, did that help me."

 

[SigAV8R]

Make sure you know how to open and close the door. That really helped me out. And also how to service the lavs...you'll be invaluable!

 

[Martin747]

As long as I can get hours...

 

[BoilerUP]

How are you going to be flying a Citation when the biggest thing you've flown (according to your profile) is a Skyhawk?

To answer your question, study system limitations (Chapter 1) and boxed/boldface emergency items (Chapter 2). Boxed items are immediate action; you do them NOW from memory when something happens, and limitations are basically the same as any other GA airplane, except there are more of them.

If you've never flown a complex airplane, you are in for a world of pain. If you've never flown anything complicated (more systems than say a Baron or Seminole), you will probably struggle. Same if you've never studied turbine engine theory. The biggest things I would suggest studying are the hydraulic & gear system, pneumatics and pressurization, and powerplant. Become intimately familiar with a pen and highligher, and take copious notes.

There are two levels of knowledge - enough to be safe, and just enough to operate the airplane (ie., just enough to be dangerous). Study well and you'll be just fine. Good luck!

 

[flyer172r]

Ditto what BoilerUp said, plus the following: learning the schematics are good for knowing how the different parts of each system interact, especially with the electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatics. If you're gonna fly it you should definitely know what each switch in the cockpit does, and what is affected when you move the switch.

 

[avbug]

How are you going to be flying a Citation when the biggest thing you've flown (according to your profile) is a Skyhawk?

If you've never flown a complex airplane, you are in for a world of pain. If you've never flown anything complicated (more systems than say a Baron or Seminole), you will probably struggle. Same if you've never studied turbine engine theory.

World of hurt? How can that possibly be? Very nearly the only thing slower than the skyhawk is a piper cub,and the only thing slower than that is the citation.

Turbine engine theory...complicated stuff there. Sucks in one end, blows out the other. Push thrust lever up to go fast, pull it back to slow down. Don't get it too hot. You now have all the turbine theory you'll ever need to know for the remainder of your career. Complicated stuff. Go fly.

 

[BoilerUP]

World of hurt? How can that possibly be? Very nearly the only thing slower than the skyhawk is a piper cub,and the only thing slower than that is the citation.

Turbine engine theory...complicated stuff there. Sucks in one end, blows out the other. Push thrust lever up to go fast, pull it back to slow down. Don't get it too hot. You now have all the turbine theory you'll ever need to know for the remainder of your career. Complicated stuff. Go fly.

Thanks for marginalizing the importance of knowing WTF is happening with and inside your airplane. Yes, a Citation is slow, and yes, it flies similar to a King Air. But if you have no background to base that on, yes, you will be in a world of hurt. A Piper Seminole does not have very complicated systems, but if you've never flown a complex airplane, it can be difficult to digest. Then step up to a King Air or Cheyenne. MUCH more complicated electrical system than a light twin, much more complicated fuel system, and that little pressurization control that can cause so many fits. If you understand how Seminole gear works, you have a basic premise to learn the hydraulic and gear systems from.

And turbine engine theory is just as simple as you posted - suck, squeeze, bang, blow. No pesky shock-cooling to worry about with Jet-A..but if you've never flown a 6 cylinder piston airplane, you probably don't even know what shock cooling is. And he doesn't need to know anything about compressor stalls, bleed air, the tailpipe being in the wind or just how long it takes a turbine to spool up from idle (like in a go-around situation). Nobody's EVER been killed by not having that bit of information...

I don't doubt the 500/550 Citations are easy airplanes to learn and fly, but if you've never learned about or flown bigger, faster airplanes, then YES, they can be difficult.

 

[User546]

I agree with what everyone else has covered. Also, when studying look at in this sense: What information will help me when I'm sitting in that cockpit as a crewmember? Sometimes you can get way too deep into systems, and when you get into the cockpit, you just sit there in a daze not having a clue what's going on.

Treat your studying like your going to training. Get a photo of the appropriate Citation cockpit, and look at all the buttons and switches on your side of the panel - and then make yourself intimately familiar with each one, and what they do and when you use it. Then from there dig further if you wish, but that is real world flying.

Good luck, and don't let these guys be too hard on you, I did the same thing your doing right now when I finished flight school, and it has paid off tremendously!

 

[avbug]

Thanks for marginalizing the importance of knowing WTF is happening with and inside your airplane.

Au Contraire, mate. I was marginalizing the dramatic twist you placed on the massive leap from mere piston pilot to mighty turbine pilot. The self-service of the statement got to me. Flying turbojet airplanes is a leap backward in difficulty, a leap forward in simplicity. Messing up a piston engine is easy messing up a turbine engine is hard.

The myth of the turbine world is perpetuated by those that cross the bridge, and looking back at where they were, try to support the aura of mystique and complexity. The truth is, that turbine engines are easier to operate than piston engines (and no...any student pilot in a four cylinder horizontally opposed engine should have been taught about thermally managing the engine...if having received competent instruction). With the systems simplicity in function in most modern turboprops, flying the aircraft is easier than most lighter, simpler aircraft.

You really think a second seat in a Citation is going to eat somebodies lunch? I don't think so. Ever stop to think that the military graduates folks with the same amount of time that most civillian flight instructors have starting out...but into tactical turbojet aircraft. No problem. Turbojets are safe, simple, and hard to screw up.

The fact that the citation moves slightly faster than soap on a windy day means that a new pilot isn't overwhelmed by speed beyond comprehension. The fact that the citation was originally intended to be a single pilot airplane, and an entry level straight forward airplane at that, attests to the fact that we're not talking a F-104 here. I'd be willing to bet that I could put almost any private pilot in the airplane and have them flying it comfortably in less time than it takes to do a tailwheel transition.

Learn the annunciator panel, learn the bold face items. Learn the limitations, then go fly.

Study the systems. You should know them. You can't do much about them in the airplane, but you should still know them. The systems are simple. They are straight forward. They are color coded, for crying out loud. We're talking a paint by the numbers airplane, and it was designed that way for a reason.

World of hurt? World of pain? Garbage. If you can grasp the basics for a private pilot, I can explain the rest of what you need to know in an afternoon over lunch...it's just not that complicated, nor is it above the realm of understanding for an inquisitive private pilot who just wants to know more. It's an airplane, just a simple machine, with simple systems, and contrary to what some might tell you, it is easily mastered.

Left to right. English. Sucks in, blows out. Push forward to go fast. Now go fly.

 

[JAFI]

The Citation is not a very complex aircraft to operate. You need to understand how to operate the systems much more than a 172 and the size of the emergency checklist (QRH, if any) is something different.

What bites most pilots (IMHO) moving from aircraft that max speed is less than 150kts to a turbo prop or jet is the time they normally mentaly take to get from point A to point B. Doing a 250 knot down wind seems to be much more of a mental leap from a 90 knot down wind. Also desending from FL390 instead of 3000 feet to be a XYZ altitude crossing ABC fix at PDQ airspeed can take some practice. But just reading the book can only get you some basic knowledge. With out the ground school discussions and review, you may only have part of the picture how to operate the systems.

So my answer is it really does not matter how you read the book. Just read the book as printed, starting from chapter 1 to the end.

For the poster who is having fun with anothers name, again we have proven that children can operate a computer.

JAFI

 

[leardrivr]

Hey man just take it one peice at a time. I don't know anyone who was born a experienced turbo jet pilot. Study the limitations and normal/emergency procedures first. If you know how to function in the airplane then a good captain will help you learn the rest. But most important try to have fun! Oh be sure you can make a good cup of coffee.

 

[350DRIVER]

How are you going to be flying a Citation when the biggest thing you've flown (according to your profile) is a Skyhawk?

The Citations are not overly complex or difficult to understand granted you take the time to learn, study, and understand the equipment. Pretty straight forward, Boiler, cute comment(s) but don't think they hold much weight in reality. Not a "hard" aircraft to fly and it doesn't take one 1,000's of hours of "experience" to be able to safely operate one.

 

[BoilerUP]

*sigh*

Yes, it has been established that a Citation is not that difficult to fly.

But a transition from a single-engine Cessna to a Seminole is a big leap for some people, let alone a jet. Yes, I know a jet is easier to fly than a piston twin, even a turboprop, but if you have no clue how advanced systems work, it could give someone problems. I never said anybody needed a large number of flight hours to handle a jet (I'm proof of that), but my question is in experience. Learning how to think and plan ahead when you are going 350ish knots, as opposed to 120 or even 170 in a light twin, is a big leap that not everybody can make. Its nothing that hasn't been done before, but that doesn't mean it is an easy task for everybody to accomplish.

To the original poster - if you are going to be flying a C-500 series, follow much of the advice in this thread and you'll be fine. Good luck in your future endeavors!

 

[leardrivr]

You guys are makng way to much of this. I mean come on. People are going to think we actualy work for a living. If you wan't to hand fly a non-rvsm 20 series Lear at FL 450 at 3:00 in the morning to some hole in the wall airport. and shoot a non-percision approach with a circling manuever. Than you may need some serious skills. But your run of the mill people operation in a slowtation should be no big deal if you have good situational awearness in your single.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

My first real flying job after instructing was into a Citation. The company sent me out right away for the initial and type rating, which only took two weeks. It wasn't half as difficult as the training that I went through with my airline just to be SIC. Sure, it took a little while to get used to the jet coming from being a single engine CFI, but it wasn't all that difficult. Just study a bit here and there and pay attention in class, you'll be fine.

 

[lawfly]

This thread is old, but what the heck. Not to be cruel, but the first hint of complexity here is the original poster's reaction to the study materials. When I received my Citation materials, I was only to eager to (at least try to) devour them. To each his or her own. My 2 cents: systems. There is also some interactive software, which I still have and which my school provided, which is good practice for the oral and for later review. Maker is "Anijet", I believe. I won't get heavily into the ancillary debate here about the experience prereqs.
The school probably has some; mine did. I was the junior pilot, experience-wise, in my particular class, with everything you see at the left. We had a former DC-9 captain and 757 F.O. (great guy) whose training and checkride I observed before I did my own flying. Recency of experience is relevant, as are your instrument flying skills. It is helpful if you've flown approaches at more than 80 knots. And it doesn't hurt if you've looked at/interacted with turbine gauges before. But your original question was basically, "How do I read/study the materials?" 1.) Thoroughly and, 2.) Systems are of particular importance. I'm more of a text guy than a schematics guy (I'm an attorney, too, so I guess that figures) but I did come away with more of an appreciation for the schematics. I had prior turbine time and had passed the FE written (and the ATP written and flight check) a long time ago, so had some background knowledge. Also, in my course, the callouts were important to commit to memory, along with the maneuvers profiles. Honestly, I absorbed most of that stuff like a sponge. The flying part was a little more challenging, at first, but definitely a fun kind of challenge. By the way, V1, Vr, V2 calculation for each takeoff is different than light piston stuff and the gound checks are different if you've only flown light piston (e.g., anti-ice, speed brakes).

 

[Martin747]

Thank you everybody for your help and understanding. I am into the manual like crazy. I love learning about new systems and aircraft. I am after all new to the turbine matter, (but you gotta start somewhere.)