JetSuite (SoCal Phenom 100 Operator) Updates?

[On Your Six]

I hope it all works out for you guys. Should be interesting to watch.

Will LA-based pilots all be based out of LGB or other area airports like VNY or BUR? I thought I had heard Hawthorne would be the base airport in LA at one point but I am not sure...

 

[HighSpeedClimb]

Anyone called for a class yet?

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

I recieved an email last friday from the chief pilot saying congrats. We are in a pool for class dates after the sim is up. He said in the email that the first class would be at the end of June and the second, at the begining of July. I know of 2 others that got the congrats letter. I don't know if I will be in the first or second class. I guess we are waiting on the phone call. To all that didn't make it: Keep trying! Everyone that I met at the meet and greet are a fine group of pilots.

Sorry guys, I heard yesterday that the simulator certification date at Simuflite has slipped again...now to late July. However, you can do the ground school portion at SimuFlite and then go to Brazil for the sim portion.

 

[On Your Six]

Looks like JetSuite has already carried their first paying passenger - Burt Rutan!!!!! Good for them. According to their website, June is booking up quickly for charter flights. Check out this PDF about Burt Rutan:

http://www.jetsuite.com/cms/BurtRutanAchievesAnotherAviationFirstAboardJetSuitePhenom100Jet.pdf

 

[Texanflyboy]

So what's the deal with CAE and the FAA? Wasn't the sim supposed to be certified a while ago?

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

So what's the deal with CAE and the FAA? Wasn't the sim supposed to be certified a while ago?

You know, I really don't know what all is involved with simulator certification, but I can imagine that when so few people have any real world experience in a particular aircraft who's to know if the simulator is operating in the same fashion as the real aircraft?

I know awhile back I saw where CAE was hiring for a "pilot" position that did exactly that....flew new simulators to verify they operated the same as the real thing during certification. I'm not sure if that would be a fun job or not, at least for the long term but it did seem somewhat interesting for a short term assignment.

At any rate, as far as the light jets go, the Phenom's have a great ramp presence as compared to any of the other light jets. The only one that even remotely comes close is the Premiere, but even that is a stretch. I think it will do a bang up job all across the board - fractional, charter and straight 91.

The only thing I thougt was strange about the Phenom was the "brake-by-wire" system and that the performance takes a big hit on (+) ISA days, both of which I just read in the most recent issue of AOPA. Time will tell I suppse. Probably nothing a few "mods" wont take care of anyway.

 

[johnsonrod]

For the people who have been hired at Jetsuite, what's the outlook for single-pilot flying in the Phenom? Any indication from management? How often would you potentially fly it single-pilot?

Personally, I think flying single-pilot around SoCal would be fun (albeit a bit challenging at times with all the GA traffic on weekends).

 

[tdwnds1]

I truly hope for JetSuites' success. Hopefully if they can make it in this environment they will REALLY do well when things recover.

I have my application in...

 

[Heavy Set]

Good AOPA article about the Phenom 100

Found a good AOPA article about the Phenom 100 online and in print at the FBO (I just read the article). Here's the link to the online review:

http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2009/june/turbine0906.html

Sounds like a fun airplane to fly with a nice Prodigy (Garmin) flight deck. It also sounds like it could be a bit sluggish in hot temps:

"Because of higher-than-standard temperatures (ISA +15, on average) climb rate dropped to 350 fpm as we passed through FL340. Using the ship’s ice-protection system, which taps engine bleed air to inflate wing de-ice boots, will also diminish climb rates. In all, it took us 34 minutes to reach our final cruise altitude of FL350."

Flying to Scottsdale during the summer should be fun.... Regardless, it is a good review and the Phenom looks like a real winner with its low operating costs and comfy cabin for an aircraft of its size. That Prodigy should make flying a bit easier too - it is really impressive and easy to understand for anyone with Garmin experience. Evidently there are some new avionics enhancements coming up in the near future - I hope JetSuite includes them in future fleet aircraft.

 

[CaravanMan]

Found a good AOPA article about the Phenom 100 online and in print at the FBO (I just read the article). Here's the link to the online review:

http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2009/june/turbine0906.html

Sounds like a fun airplane to fly with a nice Prodigy (Garmin) flight deck. It also sounds like it could be a bit sluggish in hot temps:

"Because of higher-than-standard temperatures (ISA +15, on average) climb rate dropped to 350 fpm as we passed through FL340. Using the ship’s ice-protection system, which taps engine bleed air to inflate wing de-ice boots, will also diminish climb rates. In all, it took us 34 minutes to reach our final cruise altitude of FL350."

Flying to Scottsdale during the summer should be fun.... Regardless, it is a good review and the Phenom looks like a real winner with its low operating costs and comfy cabin for an aircraft of its size. That Prodigy should make flying a bit easier too - it is really impressive and easy to understand for anyone with Garmin experience. Evidently there are some new avionics enhancements coming up in the near future - I hope JetSuite includes them in future fleet aircraft.

Yep, we saw that performance really well a couple of days ago. I was flying a Phenom back from Brazil and had to climb from the low teens (IIRC) to the mid-30's with the Engine Ice and Wing/Stab protection on. I think from T/O to TOC (FL380 IIRC) it took us about 45 mins. Of course we were at Max Gross, and was insanely hot and humid. Today, back in the States, however, in clear air we were still doing between 1000-1250fpm all the way to FL360, again at MGTOW.