I’m in love with the Phenom 300.

On December 31, 2010 at about 8:00 AM, we departed Ft. Lauderdale for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After stopping in Bangor, Maine, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon, France (which is a group of small islands near Newfoundland, Canada), we arrived for a night halt in Santa Maria, Azores, Portugal at 11:45 PM local, 15 minutes before they rang in the New Year on these islands about 700 miles west of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. Over the next 10 days, we delivered the airplane to Saudi Arabia and made training flights to Morocco, Malta, Greece, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Dubai.

I can now really attest to the amazing capabilities of this very sexy jet. The world is very small at 450 knots. For example, Casablanca, Morocco to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is 2,880 nautical miles straight line, but with routings around relatively unfriendly airspace (like Libya and Israel), this quickly becomes a 3,100+ nautical mile flight. With only one stop, we made this trip in a total of eight hours (including refueling time), and it was very easy and comfortable.

The airplane climbs directly to FL450 with ease. Cruising at that altitude, you really can see the curvature of the Earth. Well above the all of the weather and in smooth air with a cabin altitude of only 6,600 feet, the flight is very comfortable. All of the amenities (useable lavatory, sink, cold drink drawer, hot water, etc.) make the passengers and crew very happy.

The airplane I flew was very well equipped. Some of the more important options for this kind of international flying include HF with SELCAL and Satphone. These "big airplane toys" options are very nicely integrated into the Phenom cockpit and make communication with air traffic control, handlers, etc. a breeze. I also got to make some calls back home to my fiance from 45,000 feet over the middle east, which means I can probably still marry her even though I was having all this fun without her.

It was a great adventure.

-Ben

Bart International features jetAVIVA's recent sale of Embraer Phenom 100 to Australia

Check out this link to Bart International's feature from their Fast Track section in the October / November 2010 issue regarding our recent sale and delivery of Australia's first Embraer Phenom 100! ~

http://www.bartintl.com/content/jetaviva-sells-delivers-1st-embraer-phenom-100-australia

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First Phenom 100 Delivery to India ~

November 21, 2010 marked our first Embraer Phenom 100 delivery to India. The jet was delivered to a premiere Jet Charter company, Invision Air. This was the first Phenom 100 delivered to India and we were so excited to be a part of it. In the early morning hours we embarked on this week-long journey; taking this bird from Brazil to Guyana, Guyana to the Dominican Republic, from the Dominican Republic to the United States, the United States to Canada, Canada to Greenland, Greenland to Iceland, Iceland to the U.K., the U.K. to Belgium, Belgium to Italy, Italy to Greece, Greece to Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia to Oman and finally, Oman to India.

Marcio Lucchese, our Manager of Embraer Phenom Delivery & Acceptance flew the first legs of the journey from its birthplace at the Embraer factory in Brazil to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. On-board the aircraft, Lucchese was accompanied by Capt. Ashish Katyal, a pilot for Invision Air, and Capt. Eloy Bayer, a pilot for Embraer. Once the aircraft reached Ft. Lauderdale, our own Ben Marcus, alongside Capt. Ashish Katyal, and Capt. Eloy Bayer, flew the aircraft for delivery to India. Not only did we get to see the world from 40,000 feet - while in-flight we were able to capture the vast landscapes beneath us, that we can now share with you. We have uploaded all the images we were able to take as we soared across the globe in this mission capable aircraft that has far exceeded our clients’ expectations.

In addition to this first Phenom 100 delivery to India, as I type, we have two additional Phenom 100s making their way to India. One is joining its sister aircraft at Invision Air, while the other is destined for a private operator. Every day holds the promise of a new venture and a new journey. We have been very blessed this year and are setting our sights higher as we continue to grow and make connections around the world.

Citation Mustang Delivery to Canada

After a week of flying around beautiful sunny so cal, we headed north. Another very happy customer.

Air-to-Air Photoshoot with a CJ3!

We're pretty lucky at jetAVIVA as every now and then we get to do some pretty cool stuff... the following video captures a bit of some of the fun we have when we went out to do a photo shoot in one of our Client's CJ3 over the Southern California coastline. In the right seat sat former Blue Angels pilot Len Anderson and in the left seat cycled Melanie Endsley, Marty Sprinzen, and jetAVIVA's president, Cyrus Sigari. The photoship was a Beechcraft Bonanza piloted by Ron Morhoff and the photography was completed by Jessica Ambats.

Air To Air Photo Flight from Ron Mohrhoff on Vimeo.

Enjoy!

Phenom 300 Training

The Phenom 300 is an amazing airplane. For a single pilot jet, this Brazilian monster is big, sexy, advanced, fast, and flies high and far.

I just finished up the Phenom 100 to Phenom 300 “Upgrade Experience” course at Embraer CAE Training Services (ECTS) in Dallas, Texas. This five-day course is built to allow pilots already type rated in the Phenom 100 to transition to the Phenom 300. The normal initial type-rating course for the Phenom 300 is seventeen days.

I expected the differences between the two airplanes to be few but I discovered that they are many. It’s no wonder the authorities didn’t want the two airplanes to share a common type-rating.

The first day is all “ground school”. Well, it’s really all ground school because even the “flights” are made in a simulator. But day 1 was all in the classroom. Instructor Lowell spent the session comparing the similarities and differences of the Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300. We reviewed all limitations, memory items, procedures, and systems. For each of these, Lowell presented slides showing tables or photos contrasting the two types of aircraft.

The maximum takeoff weight of the Phenom 300 is 17,968 pounds, which compares to 10,472 pounds for the Phenom 100. With 3,380 pounds of thrust per side, the Phenom 300 has nearly double the thrust of the Phenom 100, giving it significantly better thrust-to-weight ratio. We were warned that the resultant acceleration would make it easy to exceed the relatively low maximum flap extended speed of 180 knots after takeoff. On my first sim session, I learned that it is necessary to pitch to approximately 18 degrees nose up after takeoff to prevent a flap overspeed.

One really nice optional feature of the Phenom 300, which is actually now an option on the Phenom 100 as well, is TCAS II. I have never before flown a G1000 airplane with TCAS II. The symbology is fantastic. With a Resolution Advisory (RA), you don’t only get a vertical speed target, you also get a pitch target. It looks very similar to a highway-in-the-sky box.

One of the many changes from the Phenom 100 to the 300 is the TEST panel. On the Phenom 100, the test panel is comprised of three buttons located to the left of the copilot control wheel. On the Phenom 300, additional test features such as the baggage smoke detector and ice detector, require more space, so the panel has been relocated to the lower left panel ahead of the electrical panel and is now a rotary knob.

The hydraulic system is significantly different. The 100 uses a single electric hydraulic powerpack to pressurize the hydraulic system. Hydraulic system users are the landing gear and brakes. On the 300, the hydraulic system is pressurized by an engine driven pump on each engine. The users include the landing gear and brakes, but also mutli-function spoilers (more on this later), the spring-loaded-rudder-booster system, and the stick pusher. On the 100, the stick pusher uses an electric motor.

The electrical system on the two types are nearly identical, except that the 300 has higher capacity starter-generators.

On the 300, upon activating the starter for the second engine start, the running engine automatically accelerates to 72% N2 to provide more current from that generator for the 2^nd engine start. Curiously, it does this whether or not a GPU is plugged in and supplying power to the aircraft (at least in the simulator).

The 300 has a pressure refueling system. The 100 is fueled over-wing only. The pressure refueling system, also known as a single-point refueling system, is smart. The pilot can pre-select the desired fuel quantity in pounds and the system automatically shuts off when the desired fuel quantity is reached.

The multi-function spoilers serve three purposes: speed brakes, ground spoilers, and roll spoilers. Speed brakes may be deployed at any speed and are very effective in slowing the airplane. They may not be used with flaps. When flaps are extended, the speed brakes automatically stow. Additionally, the speed brakes automatically stow if decelerating below 110 knots and if the thrust levers are advanced. The ground spoilers automatically deploy on landing and during rejected takeoffs. The ground spoilers automatically stow at 30 knots on rollout. The roll spoilers provide supplemental roll control in the low speed flight regime when the flaps are extended (in any position other than up/0).

Another difference between the aircraft is pitch trim control. The Phenom 100 uses trim tabs at the trailing edges of the elevators. The Phenom 300 has a horizontal stabilizer that moves to trim. Tabs at the trailing edges of the elevators are used to lighten control forces automatically.

The Phenom 300 has a ventral rudder under the tailcone that provides yaw damping automatically when the yaw damper control is switched off.

There are two flap panels on each wing of the Phenom 300, as opposed to one flap panel on each wing of the 100. The 300 uses a relatively conventional drive system to actual the flaps, with a single electric motor actuating all of the flap panels simultaneously through mechanical linkages. The Phenom 100 has sophisticated computerized position monitoring system to prevent asymmetric extension of the flaps. There is no mechanical interconnect.

The pneumatic deicer boots on the Phenom 100 are replaced by bleed-air heated leading edges on the wings and horizontal stabilizer of the Phenom 300. Owing to this more sophisticated deicing system, the bleed air system on the Phenom 300 is a bit more complex than that on the 100. Pilots now have manual control of not only the Pressure Regulating Shutoff Valves but also of the Flow Control Valves for pressurization. Under normal circumstances, these are all controlled automatically, however the pilot can manually close any of the valves.

The maneuver profiles of the 300 are a bit simpler than that of the 100. For example, the flap position for all approach and landing maneuvers is position 3. It doesn’t matter if you’re making a precision or non-precision approach, single engine or two engine, and even circling, in all cases you use Flaps 3. Full flaps should be available someday, and then this simplicity will change.

On the 2^nd day, our sim session was a cold, nasty day scenario out of New York’s JFK airport. We learned about how to operate the anti-icing systems, their limitations, and impact on flight procedures. The requirements for use of anti-icing systems on the 300 are identical to those of the 100; engine heat must be used in visible moisture with temperatures of 10C or below, all other anti-icing equipment must be used in visible moisture with temperatures of 5C or below. There are a couple of interesting differences, however. For example, when the wing and stabilizer anti-ice system is enabled on the ground, the surfaces do not begin to heat. Instead, an “ARMED” CAS message is displayed. Approximately at liftoff, the surfaces begin to heat up automatically. Another interesting difference is that the wing and horizontal stabilizer heat have an “anti-ice envelope”. For example, if you attempt to activate the system above 30C, the surfaces do not heat up and an “INHIBIT” CAS message is displayed. Like the 100, approach speeds are significantly higher with the anti-ice systems on.

Also on the 2^nd day, we got our first crack at various types of instrument approaches and the airwork that must be flown on any type rating checkride.

Day 3 was a hot and high scenario. On takeoff out of 6,159 foot elevation Cheyenne, Wyoming with a temperature of 25C, I lost an engine at V1. I was quite pleased with the single engine climb performance, reaching 1,000 feet AGL and cleaning up the flaps quickly. We then came around for an ILS with a single engine missed approach.

My perception is that the 300 requires more rudder force during single engine takeoffs and go-arounds than the 100 does. Although the 300 has a rudder boost system, it also has about double the thrust of the 100. Your legs will feel it. I’ll have to visit the gym a bit more before my next 300 recurrent training.

Also on the 3^rd day, we had the opportunity to practice TCAS II RA response and TAWS escapes, as well as an emergency descent. The emergency descent is made with gear down and speed brakes extended. 9,000+ FPM descent rates are expected.

My instructor got a bit mean toward the end of the sim session, giving me a right generator failure followed by a left engine failure. With a loss of both generators, the electrical system automatically configures to the “Electrical Emergency” mode, isolating the main DC busses and keeping the emergency and central busses powered. In Electrical Emergency mode on the 300, you lose ALL trims. This was a big shock to me. You don’t even have backup elevator trim. Changes in airspeed yield big changes in elevator force. It took quite a bit of strength and stamina to limp the airplane back to the runway on a single engine. With no flaps and no normal brakes, the landing roll was long. It was good to practice this worst-case scenario.

Day 4 was essentially a mock checkride. This session and the checkride are based out of JFK again. This checkride is like every other type rating checkride you might have already taken. The tasks that generally must be performed include steep turns, stalls, unusual attitude recoveries, two non-precision approaches, one of which must be hand-flown and one of which must have a course reversal, two single-engine ILS approaches, one of which must be hand-flown, a single-engine missed approach, a balked landing, a visual approach, and a no flap landing. There’s also a circle-to-land approach thrown in there somewhere.

Day 5 was the oral and practical test. On the oral, if you know the limitations, memory items, and basic systems functionality, you’re all set. There are no trick questions. The night before, I prepared by studying over dinner at Vito's Restaurant on the south edge of DFW airport. I highly recommend it.

I love this airplane. The design is very well thought out and the performance is breathtaking.

Companion Training at the 2010 CitationJetPilots owners conference

At this year's CitationJetPilot's owners conference in Colorado Springs, the folks at jetAVIVA were pretty busy.

First off, the firm was tasked with putting together a flight training course for companions of single pilot jet owners. The course focused on what the companion would need to do to get the jet on the ground should their pilot ever get incapacitated. Here's a video of the training experience... it was a total blast!

2010 CJP jetAVIVA Companion Flight Training from jetAVIVA on Vimeo.

Additionally, jetAVIVA's Cyrus Sigari presented the state of the Citation pre-owned market to the owner base. jetAVIVA's Meghan Conley welcomed all guests who flew into the Colorado Jet Center at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Next year, the event will be held in Amelia Island, FL at the Ritz-Carlton hotel and resort. Should be good fun!

Ohio to Australia: Phenom 100 Ferry Flight

Dear Friends,

It has been a few days since I returned home from one of the most amazing trips of my 9,000+ hour career. Every once in a while I have to “pinch myself” to believe that I had this opportunity of a lifetime.

I believe that most of us aviators chose to take that first flight lesson not thinking about a career in aviation or the flexibility that an aircraft can provide, but rather we did it for the adventure, the challenge, and the pleasure of flying.

This trip that I am about to describe was all about the adventure, the challenge, and the flying. It took Captain Edwin Sahakian and me 19 stops and about 10 days to fly an Embraer Phenom 100 from Ohio to Australia.

Our journey started weeks before the first takeoff. As one can probably imagine, 19 stops in 12 countries is not an easy task, and the amount of paperwork involved is overwhelming. After departing the US, every single landing requires some kind of permit, approval and/or previous arrangements. Most of these requirements are date-specific, meaning, for example, that our over flight permit for North Korea was good for the 12^th but unacceptable for the 13^th. Even though we were not in a hurry to get to our destination, we had to keep a very firm schedule to make sure that our permits were good for the trip.

Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law presented itself right on the very first leg. Upon our landing in Winipeg, Canada the hydraulic system gave up on us. After a pleasant ferry flight to Portland and excellent service coordinated by Embraer, we were quickly back in the skies.

From Portland all the way to Australia, our bird performed magnificently. There was not a single issue with the aircraft.

Our first stop after Portland was Juneau, Alaska. Unfortunately, we had to fly at night due to the fact that we were behind schedule. We couldn’t see much, but the scenery that we saw was beautiful. I can only imagine the beautiful scenery we would have seen had the flight been during the day.

After a quick turn in Juneau we proceed to Anchorage. Signature Flight Support has a great facility there. We chose to sleep in the crew room to save the time of getting to a hotel in order to get us back on the schedule with an early departure from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

When we arrived in Nome, I started to realize what I got myself into. Canada, Portland, Anchorage were no big deal, just like any other flight, but when you look at the map and draw a line from Northern Alaska to Northeast Russia, it hits you. We were about to depart for one of the most remote areas on the planet. And for guys and gals like me that lived during the Cold War era, flying over and landing in Russia is just something that I never thought I would do. In the back of my mind I was always worrying about a MIG on my tail.

The MIG never came and we had a nice flight to Anadyr, in the Northeastern-most reaches of Siberia. Welcome to altitudes in meters and distances in kilometers. We received a fairly confusing clearance for an ILS approach, but we were able to perform a safe landing with almost 100 ft to spare before CAT I minimums. The runway in Anadyr hasn’t seen maintenance since Gorbachev was in charge but we managed to take it to the ramp with all tires inflated. As we turned off of the runway, a huge Antonov was revving up those Prattskis getting ready to go. We were in Russia all right!!

Here are the highlights of our trip:

Route: Dayton, OH - Winnipeg, Canada – Great Falls, MT – Portland, OR – Juneau, AK – Anchorage, AK – Nome, AK – Anadyr, Russia – Magadan, Russia – Yuzho, Russia – Seoul, South Korea – Taipei, Taiwan – Hong Kong – Danang, Vietnam – Koh Samui, Thailand – Singapore – Bali, Indonesia – Darwin, Australia – Mont Isa, Australia – Sydney, Australia

Incredible sightseeing: The glaciers in Alaska are absolutely beautiful, with different tones of white and blue, their strange shapes and massive size.

Russia: difficult to explain, but it looks like they are running 20 years behind, from the hotel to the airport vehicles, almost everything is outdated. It was great to see the Russian officials wearing their uniforms. It felt like I just stepped into a Cold War movie.

Korea: Just like Russia, it was a little “funny” to fly through North Korean airspace and talk to a North Korean at Pyongyang Center; I kept checking my “6” for a MIG that never came.

Seoul was great; I have lots of memories from Seoul from the time that I used to fly MD-11s there almost 12 years ago. If Russia is 20 years behind the US, South Korea is 20 years ahead.

Hong Kong: We were able to spend a couple days in HK. It was another “pinch me to believe this is real life” moment. Wow!!, we are landing at Hong Kong International Airport, with only 747s and 777s in sight everywhere and here we come with our MTOW of little more than 10.000lbs. We had beautiful weather, a beautiful approach, and finally a couple days to relax and enjoy. We were officially back on schedule.

Vietnam: I knew that was a MIG coming!!! We landed in Danang on our way to drop our passengers in Thailand. After the warm welcome from the local authorities we watched a pair of MIGs landing just a few minutes after us. I am not sure if it was a good idea for an American on an American registered aircraft to be taking pictures of military MIGs in Vietnam but I couldn’t resist… Great stop, great people, and great pictures.

Thailand: I dropped the passengers in Koh Samui, a beautiful island on the East Coast of Thailand. With this landing, I became the first pilot to fly around the World on a Phenom 100. On a previous trip I flew from Los Angeles to Bangkok on an Eastbound route. Celebration followed with Don Perignon and pictures.

Singapore: Setelar airport is under construction, closing everyday at 18:00 local. If you arrive there a minute late, you will not be authorized to land and must proceed to the international airport where the landing fees and headaches are 3x more than Setelar. From the time that we reached our cruise altitude until talking to Singapore Approach, every single controller asked me what my estimate to destination was. It was actually 17:56, a whole 4 minutes to spare. After a few weather deviations, vectors for traffic and a last minute runway change, touchdown was at exactly 18:00L. I got a nice “attaboy” from the controller.

Bali: I enjoyed clear weather all the way from Singapore to Bali. Although I enjoyed having Captain Sahakian along for the flight, he had to get off in HK, and the passengers got off in Thailand, so I was alone on this beautiful flight. There were islands and volcanoes for as far as the eye could see. Upon landing in Bali, the local military approached the aircraft requesting my landing permit. I replied explaining to the officer that all documents were taken care of by our handler. Unfortunately, our handler forgot to send the permit to the local authority so I found myself detained on the local military base due to lack of proper documentation. I asked the officer what would be the consequences of not having a landing permit and he gently explained to me that the aircraft would be impounded and I would be transferred for the local jailhouse. After about 1 hour and a couple phone calls, the proper documents arrived and I was on my way to more comfortable accommodations. I had half a day to enjoy the local beach, food, and beverage.

Australia: Not much excitement to report in Australia besides the personal feeling of accomplishment. If was great to land and say: “Mission Accomplished”. It was a shame that I arrived late at night and taxied into the darkest ramp I have ever seen. It was so dark that I had to use landing lights for taxi. No pictures and no champagne.

Final thoughts: For a trip of this magnitude, the keys to success are experience, research, and preparation. There are many things that can go wrong, especially in the paperwork area. You just need one little mistake to be delayed for a few days or even spend the night in a jailhouse. It is also important to research opportunities to make the trip cost effective. We had quotes from $500 to $3,000 for the exact same service. Prices can vary drastically from one location to another and from one vendor to another at the same location.

I know that most jet owner/operators are busy individuals running a successful business, but if you have a passion for flying and adventure you must plan to take some time off and fly a trip overseas. I can guarantee you, it will be the experience of a lifetime.

Marcio Lucchese

jetAVIVA Acceptance and Delivery Manager

jetAVIVA completed two Phenom 100 deliveries last week. Marcio Lucchese, jetAVIVA’s Manager of Phenom Acceptance and Delivery flew a pre-owned Phenom from Ohio to Australia via Canada, Alaska, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Look for a blog post soon from Marcio about this record-making flight.

Meanwhile, I joined friend and client Charlie Cope of Peak Aero Group to deliver their second new Phenom 100 from the factory in Brazil to the USA. Here is a picture of their airplane on the ramp at the Embraer delivery center in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

It was a great flight. We made an overnight stop in beautiful St. Maarten. Check out this video I shot of an airplane landing over the beach at Maho Bay.

Visit Peak Aero Group’s website at www.peakaero.com. We’re proud to have Peak Aero as a valued client.

Sean D. Tucker and jetAVIVA Team Up to Fight Loss of Control Accidents, Specifically for Light Jet Owner Pilots

Here's the latest news from jetAVIVA... exciting stuff for our beloved friends and clients to participate in!

Sean D. Tucker and jetAVIVA Team Up to Fight Loss of Control Accidents, Specifically for Light Jet Owner Pilots

Sean D. Tucker's Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety, the leading aerobatic and upset recovery training school, in partnership with jetAVIVA, the premier light jet acquisition and sales firm, are launching their new Light Jet Upset Recovery Training course. Geared towards general aviation's light jet owner pilots, the course is specifically designed with the modern jet pilot in mind.

Following the FAA's recent announcement urging all commercial operators to begin incorporating "Enhanced Upset Recovery Training", jetAVIVA and the Tutima Academy are demonstrating their dedication to safety by expanding this recommendation to light jet operators. A recent NASA study demonstrated that Loss of Control (LOC) scenarios continue to outpace other factors as the leading cause of fatal accidents in the last 20 years.

To help combat LOC accidents, the course covers LOC scenarios and aerodynamics with a specific emphasis on LOC psychology. The three-day course utilizes the highly capable Extra 300L and Pitts S2B/C, giving pilots the ability to experience all flight attitudes and to test the edges of the aerodynamic envelope in a safe and structured environment under the guidance of some of the world's top aerobatic instructors.

This course is open to any pilot who flies a turbine-powered airplane or is considering the purchase of a turbine-powered airplane.

The team at Tutima Academy, including company principal and world-renowned airshow performer Sean D. Tucker, developed the curriculum in conjunction with jetAVIVA's jet instructor pilots. Says Sean D. Tucker,"Flying aerobatics is the greatest thrill I've ever experienced. Being able to share my experiences to help other pilots survive emergency situations is even more rewarding."

Since its inception, jetAVIVA has been dedicated to the development of its clients as owner pilots. Says jetAVIVA president Cyrus Sigari "Training for and flying in competition aerobatics has significantly helped increase my personal flying skills, potentially saving my life one day. As a result I have become a firm believer that upset recovery training is not just an educational option; it should be required training for all those operating turbine powered aircraft." jetAVIVA developed its first Jet Familiarization Training course several years ago and has helped hundreds of owner-pilots transition from propeller aircraft to jets.

Based in Los Angeles, jetAVIVA provides expertise in light jet sales, acquisition, acceptance and training for clients from around the world. The Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety is located in King City, CA. The Tutima Academy strives to provide high-precision flight training for pilots of all levels, building confidence during maneuvering, and a deeper understanding into the art of aviating. The goal of both jetAVIVA and the Tutima Academy is to increase safety in one of the fastest growing areas of general and business aviation: the owner-flown light jet arena.

For more information or to sign up for the course, contact jetAVIVA at +1.818.574.7770 or e-mail to contact@jetAVIVA.com.

A few days in the life of an airplane salesman.

The last few days has been good fun. An exciting week in general at jetAVIVA as many of our team members are on all corners of the world, from Australia to Brazil.... As for me, while holding down the fort, I received a call Saturday from a Client who had decided to sell his Citation Mustang and wanted jetAVIVA to represent him in the sale of his plane. The plane as of this weeekend was to be in Orlando getting some maintenance done. As I was planning to be on the East Coast this week anyways, I figured why not jump on the red-eye to Orlando on Sunday night to have a look at the bird and do all of the standard stuff we do whenever we bring a new plane to market. Unfortunately, while checking in for my flight, I was advised that the flight was oversold by 15 people and I was pushed to a fight the next morning at 6 am. Oh joy... another reminder as to why we're in the business of taking people out of airliners.

The next morning, off I went to Orlando where I was to meet the Client at the Orlando Citation Service Center. We had a good time hanging out and reviewing the plane together... this should be a super easy plane to sell as it's low time and in mint condition.




After I gathered the information I needed, off I went to the Marriot in Orlando to get some rest. The next day, I headed up to Baltimore where I met Brad Harris, President of Dallas Jet International who is representing a buyer for Mustang SN 139 which we are selling. Brad and I drove to Harrisburg about 2 hours away for him to review the plane for his Client. Jamey Guise, the director of maintenance on SN 139 took Brad through all the log books and walked him through the plane from tip to tail. Not a scratch on it with 300 hours total time. Jamey did a great job!


Apparently the viewing went well as the next morning we had a contract signed and off to the pre-buy facility we went.


A fun 3.5 hour flight non-stop from Harrisburg, PA to Wichita, KS dodging a few big thunderstorms towering up to 55,000 feet. The plane will live in Wichita for the next week or so during the pre-buy inspection. Jamey flew out with us and will stay with the plane during the inspection... he is a bit sad to see it go...


But... his sadness is temporary as the the boss is buying a bigger, faster Citation CJ2+ to replace the Mustang.


Next week I'll hopefully come back to finish the closing with Brad and fly the plane with the new owners to Dallas where it will be based.

Back home to LA I go next... unfortunately this time my chariot will be a United airlines A320.

Blue skies,
cs