Gateway Jets: Citation CJ Line Brings Comfort and Efficiency to Jet Travel

By Carmelo Turdo

The Cessna Citation line of business jets offers a wide variety of models from which to choose, each providing the ideal combination of performance and efficiency to meet each owner's mission. Cessna (now Textron) produces the CitationJet, or CJ, fleet that has evolved and modernized over the last three decades. Along with new models, there are attractive and well-maintained pre-owned aircraft available for first-time jet owners and upgrade customers. This 1996 CitationJet, managed by Gateway Jets, is an example of an updated CJ that will serve the customer's travel needs for years to come.

The Aero Experience recently visited with Gateway Jets Founder and President, Corey Tomczak, to learn more about this aircraft. The CJ series is an update to the classic Citation Model 500 and includes ten sub-types that incorporate improvements in safety, efficiency and comfort without adding undue complexity. In today's market, the CJ is affordable jet transportation, especially when shared among several owners and professionally managed by Gateway Jets. 

The CJ is larger than the later-model Citation Mustang featured in a previous series of stories with Gateway Jets. "This is a step up in terms of speed, payload, range, carrying capacity as well as having lower entry-level costs," Tomczak told The Aero Experience. "Each one of the Citation family of jets that we manage fit the customer needs differently, and to their advantage."

This aircraft has seating for up to seven passengers: five dedicated passenger seats in club-plus-one arrangement; copilot seat if flying single crew; and belted lavatory seat in the rear of the aircraft. Flights can range from 500-1000nm or more depending on number of passengers, luggage and fuel on board. The CJ is certified to fly at 41,000 feet, though typical flights cruise at 34,000-38,000 feet.

The CJ design adds high-value refinements to the conventional airframe and flight control system of the original Citation. The two fuel-efficient and reliable Williams International FJ44 engines burn only 130 gallons/hour at 360kts. A laminar-flow wing design, the product of a joint-venture with NASA, incorporates a gentle sweep and an engine bleed-air leading edge anti-icing system. Baggage compartments are quite large and are conveniently hidden in the nose and cabin behind the aft bulkhead.  

This CJ has also received a significant avionics upgrade, replacing the original vacuum-powered instruments and aging navigation and communications aids with state-of-the-art Garmin products. Illustrated here are the Garmin G600TXI touchscreen main flight instrument displays, the G750 GPS/NAV/COM multi-function displays and GI 275 backup electronic attitude indicator in this well-equipped panel. The weight reduction realized in the avionics upgrade requires about 150lbs. of ballast to be carried in the nose cargo compartment when the aircraft is flown single-pilot. 

The Aero Experience joined Corey Tomczak on a local positioning flight from St. Louis Downtown Airport to St. Louis Regional Airport where the aircraft would receive some minor maintenance at West Star Aviation. In the video below, we introduce the features of the CJ and take a brief look at the flight experience.

Gateway Jets provides aircraft management services for the Cessna Citation series of jets, including the larger Excel/XLS/XLS+ models, from initial purchase to all aspects of air operations, maintenance and compliance. Current aircraft owners will quickly see the advantage of having their aircraft managed by Gateway Jets. For those ready to acquire an aircraft, Corey Tomczak and his team will help buyers define the mission for the new aircraft and choose the most appropriate aircraft type. They will assist in the purchase process, prepare a plan of operations and then work closely with the aircraft owner to ensure the aircraft and crew are ready to fly. Contact Gateway Jets today to find out how their aircraft management service can benefit you and your business.