Twin turboprop for the masses

Given that it’s been decades since we did a pilot report on the Piper Cheyenne, you might be surprised to learn that I am such a fan of the model, especially the II XL. From a value standpoint, it’s hard to beat a Cheyenne—fast, comfortable, and capable. As Al Marsh points out in “Jet or Turboprop?”, Jeffrey Brausch puts his to work regularly, helping to build his business.

As with other pilots stepping up to turbine aircraft, Brausch used specialized training to help make the transition. One of the dangers of concentrated training is what author Matthew McDaniel describes as “RAM dump.” It seems the human brain has the ability to store only such much new information. The data gets lost in a big RAM dump unless it is put to use right away. As McDaniel advises in “Consolidation of Knowledge,” expect to fly often right out of the simulator to cement the information learned into your long-term memory.

October 2011
Turbine Pilot Contents

• Turbine Intro: Twin Turboprop for the Masses: Putting value into turbine operations
• Jet or turboprop? This owner decided to keep his Piper Cheyenne II XL
• 200 Feet, Lights in Sight: Low ILS approaches call for a tricky transition
• Consolidation of Knowledge: Ways to avoid post-grad brain dump

In “200 Feet, Lights in Sight,” page T–12, author Neil Singer reminds us how important runway lights can be in maximizing your ability to get into airports when low IMC prevails, an important point for those flying turbine aircraft, which are so reliable and capable when it comes to weather flying.

If you’re someone who has recently made the transition from pistons to turbines or likes to think such a transition might be in your future, read on. These special edition pages are for you.

Only a small subset of the AOPA membership gets this special Turbine Edition—those whom we believe have an interest in reading about higher-end aircraft. In this monthly special edition you get all of the content in the standard editions, plus these extra pages. If you would rather not receive this edition, just let us know at: [email protected]. We’re happy to switch you back to the standard edition.

I hope you learn some new advanced flying techniques and a little about turbine operations in these pages. Let us know what you think at [email protected].

—Tom Haines, Editor in Chief