Aircraft Information
Aircraft Make: Shorts Brothers
Aircraft Model: C-23A
Aircraft Nickname: Sherpa
Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Turboprop
Category: Airplane
Class: Multi Engine Land
Engine Description: Twin Engine

First Flown Information
Sequence First Flown:
Date First Flown: 03/24/1997
Location First Flown: Edwards AFB
Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: USAFTPS

Aircraft Experience
As of: 06/06/2020
Number of Hours Flown: 1
Number of Times Flown: 1
Other Aircraft Models Associated: Shorts 330, 360, Skyvan

Recollections: I basically remember nothing about this flight. Surprising, since it’s such an unusual airplane. The date makes me think I was on a class field trip (at this time I was the Chief Flight Instructor–CFI–at USNTPS and the date is about right for a field trip with class 111) but I have no memory of flying this plane.

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Make: Beechcraft
Aircraft Model: 2000
Aircraft Nickname: Starship
Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Turboprop
Category: Airplane
Class: Multi Engine Land
Engine Description: Twin Engine

First Flown Information
Sequence First Flown:
Date First Flown: 04/26/1991
Location First Flown: NAS Patuxent River, MD
Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Tom Carr, Beechcraft

Aircraft Experience
As of: 06/06/2020
Number of Hours Flown: 1
Number of Times Flown: 1
Other Aircraft Models Associated: King Air line

Recollections: This flight, in N15535 (I did not record the serial number) was a “Qual Eval” (Qualitative Evaluation) flown when I was an instructor at USNTPS.  When I flew this QE I had quite a bit of time/experience in the King Air and my overall memory of this flight–besides it being flown with Tom Carr, a Test Pilot I would 12 years later work with again when I joined the FAA (flight test is indeed a small world!!)–was how amazing it was to me that an airplane that looked SO DIFFERENT (look at the photo) could still be “just a King Air”.  I was instantly at home in the cockpit (despite some new-ish avionics which I’m sure I didn’t understand very well), the basic controls were all in the same place as every other King Air.  The of flying it was, at least within the scope of that one flight and my memory 30 years later, was just like every other King Air.  

The history of the Starship was an interesting one and it came back into my life when I joined the FAA…not because I ever flew it again, but because I heard stories and, from a distance, watched as it’s commercial history played out.  There’s always many sides to every story but the “party line” at Beech was that the FAA had made it so hard to certify this unusual design (composite, pusher, canard, etc) that it grew too expensive.  FAA bubbas around at the time had a different take, of course (since I wasn’t involved, I reserve opinion).  Regardless, the cost of this 300-ish knot airplane was the same as a 400+ knot bizjet and, so, only the most diehard owners kept it going.  Beech, tired of having to support it, tried to get rid of all the starships, scraping the ones they could and offering to give Startship owners a jet in return for their prop.  But, airplane owners are nothing if not stubborn and so–to this day–a few remain flying.  There’s even a Facebook page for the Starship.  I feel lucky to have gotten to fly one, even if just once…and even if early in my Navy career when I had no idea I’d “meet” the airplane again under wholly different circumstances.  

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Make: Beechcraft
Aircraft Model: 1900
Aircraft Nickname: Not sure
Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Turboprop
Category: Airplane
Class: Multi Engine Land
Engine Description: Twin Engine

First Flown Information
Sequence First Flown: TBD
Date First Flown: 7/28/2004
Location First Flown: KBEC Beech Field, Wichita KS
Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Lou Johanson, Beechcraft Test Pilot

Aircraft Experience
As of: 5/16/2020
Number of Hours Flown: 2
Number of Times Flown: 1
Other Aircraft Models Associated: King Air line

Recollections: One could argue that I should lump this one in with other King Airs.  Sitting in the cockpit, it’s hard to tell the difference.  But, I feel justified separating this for two reasons: (1) This is an AMAZING machine and the people who fly it even more amazing…it can be flown (legally) single pilot, in icing, without an autopilot!  Now…that’s some good training!  and (2) my only flight in this airplane was an interesting one…we (the Beech Test Pilot and I) were investigating the aircraft’s characteristics in a mis-trim situation and a stuck-trim situation.  We performed this test in support of an accident investigation and it was one of the many early experiences I had in the FAA that really made me glad I’d chosen flight testing as my life’s work, and the FAA (a job whose variety is, in my opinion, unmatched in the world of flight test) in particular.  This flight was in UE-141.

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Aircraft Model: 441
Aircraft Nickname: Conquest II
Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Turboprop
Category: Airplane
Class: Multi Engine Land
Engine Description: Twin Engine

First Flown Information
Sequence First Flown:
Date First Flown: 07/27/2007
Location First Flown: KMHV, Mohave, CA
Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: National Test Pilot School, Russ Stewart

Aircraft Experience
As of: 06/06/2020
Number of Hours Flown: 1
Number of Times Flown: 1
Other Aircraft Models Associated:

Recollections: With many airplanes, what I remember most is not the airplane but the people I flew with. In this case I flew with Russ Stewart, one of the senior instructors at the National Test Pilot School (NTPS–not to be confused with the NAVY test pilot school…USNTPS). Russ is a perfect instructor…calm, knowledgeable, safe and extremely effective. A great instructor who is also likeable…a combination that few share to the degree that Russ does. I have been fortunate enough to fly with Russ 4 times, twice in the Sabreliner, once the Cirrus SR22 and–doing an Asymmetric Power demo–in the C-441. It was my first time in this model and Russ made it easy to get to the topic of Asymmetric Power (the airplane’s handling qualities aspects when one engine is shutdown). I was a lead instructor for Asym Power at USNTPS for many years but, even so, I learned a lot from Russ on this hop. He is THAT GOOD.