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| By Carmelo Turdo |
Owning and operating a Cessna Citation jet should be a
rewarding experience. What could be better than arriving at your destination in
your own aircraft, on your own time, ready to step out and get on with your
day? The availability of more affordable and efficient business jets, along
with more professional aircraft management and crew options, make this a great
time to consider investing in the Cessna Citation model that best fits your
needs.
In Part 1 of this series posted last week, Tomczak summed
up the value of the Citation Mustang as the best choice for new jet owners,
especially those who currently own piston or turbo-prop powered aircraft. “The
Citation Mustang is a great entry-level jet. Its operational costs are similar
to turbo-props, with speeds up to 100 knots faster. It offers a great step up
from piston or turbo-prop aircraft without breaking the bank. Upgrading to this
jet allows you to fly above most weather, and the pressurization provides added
comfort and safety."
During our visit, we discussed the typical mission
profile of the aircraft currently managed by Gateway Jets. The needs of the
customer are matched perfectly with the performance of the Citation Mustang.
“This aircraft is perfect for these specific
owners," Tomczak explained. "We can have up to five adults here and
one pilot and make the trip non-stop. This aircraft provides a great shuttle
between St. Louis, West Virginia and Kentucky for the owners of this plane.
This aircraft was designed for a mission of around 800 miles with four
passengers (or longer range when lightly loaded). The owners utilize it for
their trips from 200-450 nautical miles, which allows us to take 4-5 passengers
and full baggage.”
Corey Tomczak showed The Aero Experience around the
Citation Mustang, highlighting the jet's safety features, comfortable cabin and
modern cockpit. The Citation Mustang's compact size belies the amount of
interior space and advanced technology built into the design. This newer member
of the highly successful Cessna Citation family includes many of the best
features of the series but with lower initial and operating costs.
Climbing into the jet through the wide door is easy using
the fold-out steps. Once inside, passengers can pass between the first row and
have plenty of room to turn around and pick out one of the four comfortable
cabin seats for the flight. This aircraft, the High Sierra Edition, features
full leather wrapping and leather stitch package with four-seat club
arrangement. The aircraft also features an optional lavatory seat, a
refreshment and beverage console behind the crew seats and the optional
satellite phone service.
We sat comfortably in the Citation Mustang's cabin. The
high quality of the seat leather and interior fixtures was obvious, and
visibility out of the windows was excellent. “At 6 foot 2, I am by no means
cramped back here," Tomczak said. "It’s a comfortable ride and a
quiet environment. It is ultra-quiet – there is no reason to wear a headset.
The Citation Mustang has pull-out tables on both sides and XM Radio adapters
for the rear seat passengers. One of the key features the passengers like is
the XM audio. They can control up to 200 stations on this remote (control), and
plug into these headsets and adjust the volume.” Whether the flight is one hour
or longer, the trip can be both enjoyable and productive.
From a pilot's point of view, the Citation Mustang is a
pleasure to fly. The modern cockpit and Cessna Citation family heritage make
pilot training and type rating a smooth process. The large cockpit windscreen
and side windows provide exceptional visibility. Corey Tomczak, a veteran pilot
of the Cessna Citation series, had high praise for the Citation Mustang. “All
Citation Mustangs offer the Garmin G1000 three-screen avionics suite. This
makes the pilot’s job simpler and allows the crew to focus on flying the
aircraft, monitoring systems and looking out for traffic. The power-plant
system is engine-controlled. The pilot sets the throttle and the computers do
the rest. The large displays offer great situational awareness.”
The Citation Mustang design includes the best qualities
of the Citation aircraft family. Tomczak showed us around the exterior of the
jet, pausing in front of the wing. "The Citation Mustang is an all-weather
aircraft, equipped with a pneumatic de-ice system on the leading edge of the
wing," he explained. "The rubber boots inflate and contract when ice
is present, shedding the ice. The engines of the Citation Mustang are heated
with bleed air, hot air taken from the engine to prevent ice from forming on
the inlet.” These de-ice boots are low maintenance and do not take power away
from engine like bleed air systems on larger aircraft. St. Louis-based Gateway Jets offers aircraft management services for the Cessna Citation family of jets, including the Citation Mustang like the one featured here owned by an actual Gateway Jets client. The Aero Experience thanks Corey Tomczak of Gateway Jets for the tour of the jet in this story. In Part 3 of this series next week, we will continue our discussion with Corey Tomczak about the aircraft management services offered by Gateway Jets.
Turning to the left engine, he continued, “The Citation Mustang has Pratt & Whitney engines that are electronically controlled, relieving the pilot of some of the management duties while increasing the efficiency of fuel burn.” These engines are very reliable, with an inspection interval of 3,500 hours. He reported using about 90 gallons per hour during flights made with this client.
St. Louis-based Gateway Jets offers aircraft management services for the Cessna Citation family of jets, including the Citation Mustang like the one featured here owned by an actual Gateway Jets client. The Aero Experience thanks Corey Tomczak of Gateway Jets for the tour of the jet in this story. In Part 3 of this series next week, we will continue our discussion with Corey Tomczak about the aircraft management services offered by Gateway Jets.
Michael Jobe describes the program as a start-to finish inspection and restoration process. "Before Kustomizing a plane, we absolutely must know the
true condition of the aircraft. To ensure safety of the public, we conduct an
abnormally thorough inspection, going well beyond a regular annual condition
inspection. We seek to find 'hidden' safety risks on all prospective 'Plane Jane' projects. Jane had an extensive, historic story to tell." Those stories came mostly in her earlier years, where she flew tourists around Yellowstone National Park and crop dusted in Sikeston, MO. 
Fast forward to January 24, and the aircraft is ready for delivery. The Aero Experience accompanied Big River Aviation owner and pilot Paul Voorhees on the flight from St. Louis Downtown Airport to Lee's Summit Municipal Airport, where Mr. Pickett and his wife, Janet, were waiting along with Michael Jobe. We lifted off around 10:00am, but due to unusually strong headwinds, we arrived a little after noon. The classic Cessna flew well, and Voorhees successfully tested the VOR and the wing-leveler autopilot along the way. 
