Hawker 4000: Lots to offer, but too late?

May 2012
Turbine Pilot Contents

• Hawker 4000. Lots to Offer, But Too Late? The stately Hawker lives up to its namesake
• The Ultimate Hawker The Hawker 4000 evolves into a major contender in the super-midsize category
• Mentoring Matters: 'Go Fast, Slow Down' What ATC needs and what the pilot needs on approach
• It's Go Time When aborting the takeoff is not a good idea

With its Viper-spun composite fuselage and Honeywell Epic panel, the Hawker 4000 is one of the most advanced business jets flying. Even nearly a decade late entering service, it still stands out as a highly capable super-midsize airplane. The real question is: Will Hawker Beechcraft survive long enough to leverage the enormous investment it has made in the new model? As we go to press, rumors of impending bankruptcy swirl. In some ways, the mere talk of bankruptcy may hasten its arrival as worried buyers back away, further eroding the company’s financial footing.

Regardless of what happens, the 4000, as Editor at Large Tom Horne points out in “The Ultimate Hawker” on page T–4, is a model worthy of carrying the legendary Hawker brand.

While an airplane such as the Hawker provides lots of automated help when things go wrong, the pilot is still the decision maker, and one of the most critical decisions a jet pilot makes is the go/no-go decision in the case of an engine failure on takeoff. In “It’s Go Time,” page T–15, we explore that critical moment when a pilot earns his pay and hopefully saves the day.

In the real world, you seldom get to fly approaches in a turbine airplane at the leisurely pace you experience in the simulator. Instead, ATC barks at you to keep the speed up. So how do you manage all of that slippery energy when you start down the glideslope? Author Neil Singer provides some insights in “Mentoring Matters: Go Fast, Slow Down,” page T–12.

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