Thanks Peter
We have our inaugural trip down to Alicante on Wednesday!
I am impressed with Doncaster so far, they carried out a quality control inspection under request from Independence and found some paint defects we had all missed which they are in progress of addressing at the moment.
You said you were going to do it – and you did! Congrats, Phil, hope you enjoy your new toy 
Wish you happy and safe flying !
Thanks JoJo!
don’t think we’ll get it into Libourne though… but Bordeaux is an option
Nice report. It is a great trip to do and easier in a jet. The low altitude is normal. Essentially as they are procedural it is hard for Gander to get you up and down through the tracks. Nothing you can do but keep asking once airborne.
Have you done your type rating already?
You will find service and support dramatically better than in light GA. Doncaster have a good paint team. Shame it is in Doncaster though.
Congratulations on the new aircraft Phil. Bet that was a trip to remember. Wishing you many happy hours of flying ahead.
Not typed on this aircraft at the moment, we have a professional pilot on the payroll to fly this who completed the rating at Flight Safety in Wichita, however the aircraft comes with 2 type ratings included so this is an option, and is below the weight requiring a commercial licence so is doable. I still have the Commander for local trips, say, as far as channel islands etc
This is a utility/transport machine though, its a different ball game….
PhilTheFlyer wrote:
below the weight requiring a commercial licence
There is a weight requiring a commercial license? Where is that written?
Airborne_Again wrote:
There is a weight requiring a commercial license? Where is that written?
AFAIK this is a thing of the past. There used to be a 5.7ton limit, but no more so with EASA (and JAR before that). The limitation with a PPL is the certification category: Single pilot type- or classratings (or part 23 aircraft like this CitationJet) can be entered in any license. Multi pilot types (part 25) require a CPL/ATPL. But I guess there are the usual national exceptions and special provisions. In any case, an HPA rating is required in order to fly that jet.
What is going to be more interesting is how a private pilot will be able to fly this plane once it is under an AOC. In EASA land, jets require two pilots in order to be operated commercially, both of which must have a commercial license, no matter if they are part 23 or part 25 aircraft. If a private pilot owner wants to fly his aicraft himself, it has to be removed from the AOC first and put back under the AOC before the next commercial operation. At least in my part of EASA land this is a major bureaucratic hassle and comes with high administrative costs. Plus the CAMO has to do an inspection of the aircraft every time it is put back under the AOC… We have had one such owner flown aircraft on our fleet for some time – but luckily no more. Maybe the UK CAA handles this more easily, but after everything I heard about them I have my doubts.
Not the case here
This can be flown single pilot on a private flight and of course two pilots for a commercial flight
No other requirements for transition between the two flight types.
Other than needing an ME/IR (which you may or may not have already) you should absolutely do the TR. Will be the best flying training you have ever done.
