This week marks my first experience flying turbojet-powered aircraft. I did the takeoff from BED and the climb to 28,000′ in the CJ3, whereupon we had to engage the autopilot under the RVSM rules (now that high-flying airplanes are separated by only 1,000′ instead of 2,000′, the FAA requires the use of autopilots). As we descended towards ICT four hours later, I clicked off the autopilot to build a little experience on the controls before commencing the approach and landing. Tony, the captain, piped up from the right seat, “You’re flying by hand now. Do you want to declare an emergency?” I did a reasonable hand-flown instrument approach, breaking out of the clouds about 800′ above the runway. We picked up a trace of rime ice.
The next jet flight was in the new Cessna Mustang, supposedly a very light jet but it looks pretty much the same as the popular CJ-series. Takeoff, the climb through the clouds, and some maneuvers at 10,000′ (steep turns, stalls) were uneventful. The instrument landing system approach and touchdown on the slightly snowy/icy runway were reasonably good.
My final jet flight started off very rocky, with the airplane veering off to the right after I brought up the power. We clipped a couple of runway lights before I got the Mustang back onto the centerline. One engine failed as we were climbing out, but I was able to get it restarted eventually. Then the other engine caught on fire. I followed an emergency checklist to shut down the engine and extinguish the fire. When nearly ready to land, the control tower said that there were deer on the runway, that the airport was unsafe, and demanded a go-around. I climbed back up on one engine, retracting the gear for better climb. I returned for another instrument landing system approach and a touchdown, bounce, touchdown again, veer to the right, and finally brought the plane to a stop on the centerline.
The FlightSafety instructor assured me that “everyone has trouble maintaining directional control with the rudders at lower speeds in the sim.”
A lot of firsts this week: flying turbojets and flying a full motion flight simulator.
May we look forward to a full pilot report on the Mustang?
This sounds like a great story problem for a statistics class.
The Williams-Rolls FJ44 in the CJ3 is more of a bypass turbofan, (FJ = fanjet) than a straight through no bypass turbojet which typically operates at higher pressures and markedly less fuel efficiencies,
I’m not really in the flying community though, But does anyone in general or business aviation make distinctions about “jet types” anymore? Ie, “It’s a jet. ”
True civil turbojets are probably going to be rare, I think you’d only encounter vintage CJ610s and J69s in the few Learjet 23s and Fouga Magisters puttering around. Actually that’s probably a good thing as I think they would both exceed noise limits around a large number of airports. Tiny diameter turbojets such as the J69/Turbomeca Marbore are _loud and shrillllll_
SuperCorgi: The FAA uses the term “turbojet” in the Federal Aviation Regulations, e.g., http://www2.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library%5CrgFAR.nsf/0/127F08AAC177335886257384006CB16C?OpenDocument
This is to distinguish a plane such as the Mustang from a plane such as the Pilatus PC-12, which the FAA would call a “turboprop” due to the rather prominent propeller out front.
As far as the FAA is concerned, the world of powerplants divides into three categories: reciprocating (pistons), turboprops, and turbojets.
Oh! That certainly makes sense from a regulation standpoint. Thanks for the clarification!