Anyone here have any info on the Beech Premier 1?

I bet you could fit an MU-2 in your hangar!

 

Ok, that's funny.

Jason, I flew a new PC12 this summer. What an awesome machine! What year is yours?

 

Mine is a 2010. I've flown it coast to coast, Canada to South America. It's a great airplane that does everything. Yes, they're expensive but I don't think I've lost any money on mine. It may have increased in value a couple hundred K$. The market for them is strong because so many corporate flight departments are dumping their jets and buying up PC12's. It's faster than a jet when you don't have to stop for gas. 7 hours of range with full throttle.

 

So you have the Primus panel, correct? That is an awesome bird. Everything you could want. I've heard of them going Napa to ATL fully loaded nonstop. Do you happen to know John Lee at KCHS with a Pilatus?

 

I have the Honeywell APEX. It's on all the NG's. It's the only part of the airplane I don't like.

I've flown mine Napa to Atlanta non stop several times with 6 passengers, 12 cases of wine, bags etc. A Gulfstream 200 or smaller cannot do that mission It can be done easily with no wind in the Pilatus in a little over 6 hours. In fact, the only time I stop for gas is if it's really cheap.

I do not know John Lee.

 

It is 100% business.

Is Napa a "no business" destination or something?

 

I'm farmer and I have meetings in Napa. I'm "in the business". Lot's of process equipment is built and tested in Napa. Some of the most amazing equipment is in Napa.

I also have customers all over the world so it's pretty easy to do business wherever I go.

Yes, write offs make aviation possible. Without them I'd bet most airplane manufacturers would go belly up.

 

Agreed, I have seen a lot of people getting out of jets and going back to the bigger turbo props such as King Airs and PC-12's. The values of these have held pretty steady compared to jets, mostly due to lesser fuel burn and operating costs.

 

Suggest you reconsider, move to Youngstown, and we'll split a CItation III. Friend on the field upgrading to a Citation X.... Ok, it was just a thought

 

Jason, I've heard the same complaint about the Honeywell APEX. The sales guy at PDK assures me that once I fly it a while, I will like it as much, if not more, than my G1000. Is the APEX just not as intuitive as the G1000, or does it really lack some of the functionalities that we take for granted in the Garmin?

 

HA! I have the same sales guy…… Scott or Sean?

The APEX has nothing on the G1000 and Scott and Sean hear me ***** all the time. That said, it's a small price to pay for the utility of the PC12. My Apex does work great and they are right that once using it, it makes flying the PC12 very simple. It just does not have the "whiz bang" of the G1000. It does not have the depth of the G1000. It's like comparing Apple to IBM. No XM radio in the cockpit with the Honeywell.

If you want a PC12, you don't have much choice. The Honeywell is going into the new PC24 so hopefully Honeywell will get their act together and make some upgrades.

I would buy my PC12 again even though I don't like the Apex. The plane truly is the "be all end all". I'm trying to upgrade to a jet but cannot find one that has the utility of the PC12. You need a really big, 2 pilot jet to match the utility of the PC12.

 

Jason, what percentage of the time do you fly the Pilatus single pilot?

 

Scott.

Sorry to get off-topic but this is very useful information to me. I have a very (perhaps) unusual mission in that I need range but don't need useful load. In fact, the combined weight of my family of four is under 350 lbs. It will likely be a decade or more until we are over 550 lbs. At the same time, my two homes are 1100 NM apart from each other. I travel between the two at least a dozen times a year. My business travel is typically 500 NM or less. I definitely would need to be able to fly single pilot and would ideally like to top most weather. I would never need to land unto unimproved terrain or short runways. I also couldn't care less about ramp appeal. I am thinking that the TBM (or Epic, etc.) may be the ideal plane for me. Alternatively, I could probably financially justify the Eclipse, Mustang, or (stretching a bit) the Phenom. Of course, I took a flight in the Pilatus and immediately fell in love. It's such an awesome plane though quite expensive. However, I simply don't need the size and would almost never need the useful load.

Not Jason, but I suspect he flies his PC12 single pilot 99% of the time. I could be wrong.

 

TBM would be good for that mission. If you are not afraid of an older airframe, a dash 10 Commander has similar performance and fuel burn as the TBM with the benefit of better engine out performance and more baggage room, and a lower purchase price.

The Eclipse would also be a good fit for that mission, probably the best if you family can really live with the small cabin and you never, ever want to take anyone else with you (grandparents, etc).

 

100%

The number one reason I don't have a bigger airplane is I don't want to deal with another pilot. It's all about freedom.

 

Fly both a Mitsubishi and a Commander, and see which one you prefer. Commander has excellent support as well.

 

FYI, this month's issue of the AOPA magazine has a story about a round-the-globe trip in an MU2. You can read it online on the AOPA website. Enjoy!

 

That strikes me as funny...

So the Dash 10 Commander has better single engine out performance than a TBM glider...

 

Sierra Industries makes a conversion for the Beech. Think it increases the range to 2000 miles. Much better climb, etc.

Art