NJ Questions

[CA1900]

Hello CA1900.. I start class next week and I have been assigned the XLS. Any advice?

Enjoy it. It's a fun plane. Be ready for the moving tail; it's a handful the first few times. You take off, and it's in trim. When you bring the flaps up, they move fast, but the two-position tail moves slow. So you're pushing hard on the yoke, waiting for the tail to move, then you're pulling on it again. Gooooofy design.

Other than that, it's a good airplane. I enjoy it.

How often do you leave the US?

Maybe once a month, usually to Canada. Have done the Bahamas once in a year. That's about it.

Any Transcons?

A few, but they all involve fuel stops. It just doesn't have the range for it nonstop like the Sovereign does.

What are the owners like?

They vary, but generally good people. Most just want to get on, get going, and do their own thing with no hassles. That's what we're here for.

 

[Mooneymite]

Hello CA1900.. I start class next week and I have been assigned the XLS. Any advice?

How often do you leave the US? Any Transcons? What are the owners like?

Thanks

The XL(S), huh?

I don't know what your background is, but be prepared for a Cessna product. If you have a lot of Cessna 150 time, you should be okay...otherwise, be prepared for a rinky-dink, quirky airplane.

You will come to know and love that 2 postion stabilizer that tries to fly you into the ground after takeoff and ballooons you above the glideslope on approach. The XL brakes...oh, you'll love them! The FMZ? Going right? Gotta turn left first. I could go on and on, but you'll learn soon enough.

Despite all that, you'll like the operation and EVERYONE who flies the XL is extremely good looking and smart.

There are no guidelines for how often you'll leave the country, or how often you'll go transcon. "Typical trip" is an oxymoron at NJA. However, you'll become very familiar with Canada and the Carribean, so bring your passport every trip.

The owners are 99.5% great; however you will remember the 1/2%.

 

[gutshotdraw]

Trained to Cat 1, for NJA

I talked with a very nice 450 PIC they have all the heads up goodies and I'm sure he said they were trained to Cat 2 mins.

We train on the HUD and EVS in the 450/550 to take advantage of EVS lights to go down as low as 100' above TDZ but technically we're not trained for Cat II. We can only attempt a Cat I ILS but if we see the approach lights utilizing the Enhanced Vision System (just a fancy FLIR), we can continue descent to 100' AGL'. At that altitude, the right seater has to see concrete or we go around. They are talking about going for Cat II certification but I don't see it happening or a need for it. Too tough to stay current.

 

[av8tor4239]

The XL(S), huh?

I don't know what your background is, but be prepared for a Cessna product. .

for the right amount of money, time off and to be treated right by the company... I will fly just about anything to anywhere...

 

[NJApilot]

Still doing ndb's ?

We're trained to do NDB approaches -- but since most NDB apps have GPS "overlays" crews tend to opt for the GPS approach. MUCH, MUCH easier!

 

[DHPFLYN]

If you are given a aircraft choice is there any that you would avoid if you could? Or I should say any favorites?

 

[Guitar Guy]

If you are given a aircraft choice is there any that you would avoid if you could? Or I should say any favorites?

Basically, any new plane you would be offered is going to pay the same, so the "more money" argument for the XL/XLS is gone under IBB. The 400XP has a love-it-or-leave-it rep: it doesn't perform well, so it can tend to sit around airports. That means if you want to fly instead of sit, you'll want something else. The X works a lot, too. The Ultra seems to be slowing down and the company is phasing those out over the next several years. The Falcon is probably the easiest gig for an SIC. The Sovereign is a nice plane but again, it's working harder all the time.

Bottom line: they all have pluses and minuses depending on your preferences. Maybe the best thing to consider is which one gets you on the seniority list the quickest.

 

[Mooneymite]

If you are given a aircraft choice is there any that you would avoid if you could? Or I should say any favorites?

The aircraft you fly will, to a large extent, determine what sort of a job you will have. Like long legs? Pick an airplane with big fuel tanks. Hate international flying? Pick an airplane with small fuel capacity. Like to sit around the FBO and drink coffee all day? Pick the airplane that can't fly when the temperature goes above 25 degrees C or when anti-ice is required.

If you want to upgrade in the same airplane you fly as FO, don't choose the Falcon because you might not live long enough.

Every fleet has its own unique characteristics and each fleet has its own unique characters that fly those planes.

 

[DHPFLYN]

Sounds like the X would be the way to go if I get on and offered a choice of aircraft. I would rather fly than sit in a FBO all the time.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Sounds like the X would be the way to go if I get on and offered a choice of aircraft. I would rather fly than sit in a FBO all the time.

The XL and the X are the two busiest fleets, according to the stats I've seen. Remember, there is "busy" and then there is "BUSY". Be careful what you wish for - long duty days and short overnights can get old after a while.

Regardless, I hope you get the opportunity to interview next year and maybe make a choice on your fleet. And give some careful to what you choose for a fleet if you have the opportunity.