Trading "down" from a C340 to a Malibu

[SpyFlysDOTs]

You're kidding right? You honestly don't see the problem? Let's put it another way, would you let your wife or one of your kids, or perhaps your mother fly with him in that airplane?

Most pilots can, now days, expect to fly an entire career without the statistical probability of an engine failure. To have had four in a single airplane over a period of between 2,000 to 4,000 hours blow me away. There is something wrong there - either he's not telling the truth or there's something else going on. Either way, yes I'll question the judgement of a pilot that would subject himself and, more importantly, others to those kind of statistics.

'Sled

Good point, but have you done any research for this type?
I am quoting what one owner of this type has told me.
Maybe he is unlucky. Maybe he operates this type with fault, or maybe there is some track record of premature engine failure in this bird. From what I know, he no longer flys this bird..having moved on to the 400 series Cessna then onto the Citation.

 

[Lead Sled]

Good point, but have you done any research for this type?
I am quoting what one owner of this type has told me. Maybe he is unlucky. Maybe he operates this type with fault, or maybe there is some track record of premature engine failure in this bird. From what I know, he no longer flys this bird..having moved on to the 400 series Cessna then onto the Citation.

I was just going by what you posted. Like I said in an early post - I have limited time in a Malibu and I wasn't particularly impressed. However, different strokes for different folks. To me it doesn't really matter what interval we're talking about for this guy - 2000 or 4000 hours - the fact that he would continue to fly it astounds me. And unless he happened to do all of his flying solo, I would indeed question his judgment. I'm sorry, a pilot has a certain obligation, if not to himself, certainly to his passengers. As a chief pilot, if anyone came to me with a story like that in an interview... Well, you can imagine how impressed I'd be.

A Malibu/Mirage may be wonderful airplanes, but I imagine that a lot of their issues are maintenance based - you know, a faulty "nut behind the wheel".

'Sled

 

[A Squared]

You're kidding right? You honestly don't see the problem? Let's put it another way, would you let your wife or one of your kids, or perhaps your mother fly with him in that airplane?

Most pilots can, now days, expect to fly an entire career without the statistical probability of an engine failure. To have had four in a single airplane over a period of between 2,000 to 4,000 hours blow me away. There is something wrong there - either he's not telling the truth or there's something else going on. Either way, yes I'll question the judgement of a pilot that would subject himself and, more importantly, others to those kind of statistics.

'Sled

Hmmmm. In the last 5 years I've shut down engines about 60 times (I have the exact number, but not with me at the moment.) Most were precautionary, but more than a few were no foolin' failures ... so what does that leave me? :nuts:

 

[Lead Sled]

A Squared...
In my post I said unless there were extenuating circumstances. A precautionary shutdown in a DC-6 is the prudent thing to do. We're not talking a 4-engine airplane with this guy, he's getting all of this "experience" in a single.

Would I get too excited if my wife or one of the kids or grandkids was flying around with you and you had to shut one down? Not hardly.

This guy's situation is totally different. Besides, you've got a CFIG.

'Sled

 

[A Squared]

Would I get too excited if my wife or one of the kids or grandkids was flying around with you and you had to shut one down? Not hardly.

Yeah, just stirring the pot a little :beer:

This guy's situation is totally different. Besides, you've got a CFIG.

Actually, I don't have the instructor rating, but I guess it does sort of look like it the way I worded my profile. One of these days, though I might get it.