teakettle31

A Site To Catalog My Aircraft Adventures

Cessna 560XL Excel

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Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Cessna Model: 560XL Nickname: Excel
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Business Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Multi-engine Land
> Engine Description: Twin jet

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 9/2/2021
> Number of Hours Flown: 95
> Number of Times Flown: 31
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: C560XLS, 560XL

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 131
> Date First Flown: 10/11/2002
> Location First Flown: Wichita Mid-continent Airport (KICT)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Cessna Flight Test, Don Alexander

Recollections: The first thing I had to figure out about the “Excel” was that, despite it’s designation being “560XL”, it’s a very different airplane than the “560”.  The 560 is actually on the same type rating as the 500 and the 550.  The 560XL (and it’s improved “XLS” version) is a different airplane.  Being new to civilian business jets, this confused me for awhile! It was a total pleasure to get to fly my first flight with Don Alexander, who had many careers in flight test, including USAF, FAA, McDonnell Douglas, and Cessna. Most guys with that amount of experience would probably not give me the time of day…but Don was giving, kind and fun to fly with. What a gentleman! For more information on Don, go to his obituary.

Cessna 560XL “Excel” (stock photo)
(c) Wikipedia

I enjoyed the 560XL, both in flight test and–the best deal ever–doing recurrent type rating training in the actual aircraft, with the FAA at “Hangar 6”, the FAA’s VIP transport squadron.  The airplane is powerful and, really, a “rocket ship”.  Systems-wise it’s very similar to other Cessnas, making it easy to operate.

C560XL at FAA “Hangar 6”, KDCA
(c) Bob Stoney

Cessna Citation Jet (CJ)

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Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Cessna Model: 525 Nickname: Citation or CJ
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Business Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Multi-engine Land
> Engine Description: Twin jet

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 9/2/2021
> Number of Hours Flown: 54
> Number of Times Flown: 27
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: CJ, CJ1, CJ2, CJ3

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 115
> Date First Flown: 2/4/2002
> Location First Flown: Wichita Mid-continent airport (KICT)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Cessna Production Audit

Recollections:
My first few flights in this airplane were a mix of production audits (a good way to get to know a design) and RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums).  I later did autopilot, takeoff performance and flight control malfunction tests.  The “CJ” is a wonderful airplane that has been upgraded (avionics, engines, stretch) several times and is a very commercially successful airplane.  I’d love to own one!

Cessna 525A CJ2
(c) Wikipedia

Cessna 680 Sovereign

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Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Cessna Model: 680 Nickname: Sovereign
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Business Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Multi-engine Land
> Engine Description: Twin jet

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 9/2/2021
> Number of Hours Flown: 84
> Number of Times Flown: 35
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 134
> Date First Flown: 3/25/2003
> Location First Flown: Wichita Mid-continent airport (KICT)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Cessna Flight Test, Bob Rice

Recollections: The 680 was one of the first civilian flight test programs where I got extensive Part 25 testing experience.  My logbook from 2003 and 2004 shows that I did stall testing, inlet distortion, fuel system testing, systems testing at negative g, engine start testing, control system malfunction tests (Cessna does many of those in the airplane!), autopilot testing, and extensive testing to certify the airplane for flight in icing, including natural icing and “ice shapes” testing (see photos).

Cessna Sovereign Ice Instrumentation (c) Bob Stoney

Cessna builds a solid airplane and the amazing thing is, from the smallest bizject (like the CJ) to the biggest (like high-mach Citation X) they are fly very similarly.  The Sovereign was no exception.

Cessna Sovereign Spin Chute (c) Bob Stoney

One unusual aspect of my time in the Sovereign was it’s the only civilian airplane where I got a type rating in the airplane itself…..and I did it with an FAA guy (FSDO inspector Dan Buerki) in the other seat (and the PIC, a Cessna pilot, riding in the back!).  Dan was a great pilot and instructor, one of the many ASI’s who make FAA Flight Standards look good!

Cessna Sovereign Wing Ice Shapes (c) Bob Stoney

Aero L-39 Albatros

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Aircraft Information
Aircraft Make: Aero Vodochody
Aircraft Model: L-39
Aircraft Nickname: Albatros
Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Tactical Jet
Category: Airplane
Class: Single Engine Land
Engine Description: Single Engine Jet

Aircraft Experience
As of: 10/31/2024
Number of Hours Flown: 2.1
Number of Times Flown: 2
Other Aircraft Models Associated: None

First Flown Information
Sequence First Flown: 104
Date First Flown: 5/24/2000
Location First Flown: NAS Patuxent River, MD (KNHK)
Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: USNTPS Qual Eval (Vendor pilot: “Smith”, details unknown)

Recollections: I’ve flown the L-39 twice, once while in the Navy and more recently as part of training for my job as a Test Pilot in the FAA.  Unfortunately, I do not remember the first flight in 2000.  My logbook is no help and has a curious entry in the remarks section “Smith (imposter)”.  No idea what that means.

Perhaps that first flight was replace in my memory bank with the next one, which I do remember well.  I attended a short course with the UAT company (a company that I’d flown with many years prior in a P-51 during my year as a student at TPS) for Upset and Recovery Training.  I flew with John “Homer” Black and, enroute to the practice area, we flew formation off of fellow FAA test pilot Bill Witzig in another T-39.  

UAT L-39 Albatros (Stock photo) (c) UAT

The upset training was excellent and the jet was easy to fly.  This jet, perhaps as no other, has made it’s way into the civilian “warbird” world and it’s also used in a variety of flight test roles.  Perhaps I’ll get to fly it again!

Aermacchi MB-326 Impala

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Aircraft Information
Aircraft Make: Aermacchi
Aircraft Model: MB-326
Aircraft Nickname: Impala
Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Tactical Jet
Category: Airplane
Class: Single Engine Land
Engine Description: Single Engine Turbojet

Aircraft Experience
As of: 10/30/2024
Number of Hours Flown: 1.3
Number of Times Flown: 1
Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
Sequence First Flown: 119
Date First Flown: 3/27/2002
Location First Flown: Mojave, CA Airport (KMHV)
Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: National Test Pilot School (NTPS), Ed Solski

MB-326 Impala at NTPS (stock photo) (c) Airliners.net

Recollections:
I flew this aircraft, on a familiarization flight at the National Test Pilot School, while I was attending a 6 week “initial” course for my job as an FAA Test Pilot.  It was a flight of two, with Greg Lewis and John Hagen in the other airplane and, after conducting some formation flight, we split to conduct spins, including inverted spins.  The airplane struck me as being a wonderful machine, somewhat akin to the T-2 in terms of it’s utility and ease of operation.