I gather it is currently expected to be open in June. A real mess.
I flew there in a Saratoga when weather was good and it was very bumpy.
Thanks Jason,
I am considering bringing the Jetprop back to Europe again, and had a half idea to try landing at Goodwood during my visit, but from what you have described I think I may defer!
Last time I made a few trips to Oxford from Bournemouth. Would be great to meet up if you are around.
I have not finalised dates yet.
E
Would love to meet up. Let me know when you have dates.
We can have a race to FL280 – oops sorry, 250 ok for you? 
FL270 works just fine for me.
You are most welcome to the extra 1,000’ :-)
Would you be up for an offline discussion on maintenance? I have a few friends out here interested in the Meridian, they are G1000 addicts, and I would like some real world experience for them to consider. Given the number of hours you fly, I would love to hear how you have been getting on.
Cheers. E
Sure however the maintenance has been minimal in 250 hours beyond annual.please PM and we can discuss.
I’m with Jason – my goal is to eliminate commercial air travel completely. I never want to see a TSA and security check again. If I can add a hobby/pleasure element to it, then that’s great. But it’s less important than getting utility. Therefore, my future needs will consist of:
Great range
All weather capability
Economical
Fast
For now that’s the Aerostar and I can continue to grow with it by doing upgrades. Eventually I will need to add Jet A capability to that, or else international travel is not really possible. Maybe that’s a diesel upgrade on the Aerostar or maybe it’s a turbine. The only two ones I could even potentially consider financially in the distant future is the MU-2 or the Turbo Commanders.
Back to the original question.
I thought of a SE as well and I would prefer it over the SR22T. I compare it with the turbo as a straight SR22 is a different thing and I wouldn’t go back to a non turbo. I know many downsides of the SE, cold (I have this right now and hate it), smell of burnt jet fuel, old airframe (although they do a nice overhaul during the conversion), low differential pressure, leaky pressure vessel….
This is the main advantage of an SE over the SR22T it runs on Avtur. Let’s be realistic, AVGAS prices will go up, especially if you need 100LL or in future 100UL, Swiftfuel or whatever will be on our doorstep. The market is so small and if you split it with 91UL, Mogas ( which are not useable in a SR22T), you end up with a more expensive fuel solution for all of us. A few airports I go to have stopped suppling AVGAS.
I’ve sat in a PA46, it is okish for a 6ft2, but to get there is another matter. The Extra 500 is just to short. I rubbed with my shin on the instrument panel and the yoke hit my knee. I wonder how you can design a new plane and use the pilot template from the 1960s. I was talking to a Dutch guy, he was a bit taler and had no luck in the E500 either.
Then there is a huge step to the TBM850 ( with a pilot door), a bit too much of an aeroplane for one person.
I agree with moving to Jet Fuel if you can. The Eagles seem a good compromise and you seem to understand the limitations/advantages of that particular conversion. Seems like taking great care on the specific airframe you buy/convert is key.
I’ve been in EAL’s Jetprop (that’s the pic I posted) a couple of times. It’s performance is awesome. The 1999kg MTOW is a particularly nice cherry on the cake, saving something in the region of €50/hr (variable according to country) on European route charges.
The TBM850 is very flyable – I have 1.5hrs in one with a factory instructor and had no problem at all – but the costs are higher all around… the hull value jacks up the insurance, the wingspan jacks up hangarage, the weight jacks up the landing fees, you get even bigger route charges, maintenance costs are higher particularly if the owner is not using Part 91 but just leaves it at a dealer who does the entire MM, and the fuel burn is a lot higher (it’s a bigger plane!). But “a bit too much of an aeroplane for one person” – I would not say that if I was flying between proper facilities and had my own hangar and lots of money 
The avgas issue is a funny one. The bottom line is that one can fly around Europe on avgas. This September, Justine and I will do some Aegean islands. We will fly UK – Croatia – Samos (all with customs and avgas) and from Samos the whole Aegean is reachable, with Sitia and Iraklion in Crete as alternates. Or Megara or even Athens itself (€200). And this is the hardest case you can have in Europe. For the money you would spend on a diesel retrofit, compared to an IO540 overhaul, you can have avgas for the rest of your life. And no diesel engine currently out is as good as an IO540 on any objective measure, I think.
Can you explain what you mean about oxygen getting interesting at FL240
The time of useful consciousness at FL240 is of the order of tens of seconds, so it is critical that the system is working.
It is ok for the sole person to keep an eye on things but imagine this with passengers and possibly with children – making sure they all have their cannulas and are using them. If somebody goes to sleep and starts breathing through their mouth (as kids invariably do) they will have big problems very quickly, and a mask has to be provided for anybody who might be doing that.
In fact a mask is desirable – even though the O2D2 electronic demand reg system will work well at that altitude. And a mask with a mike is about $500, and the quality of the mike (in the MH one I have) is poor.
The problem is that a turboprop will be expensive to fly low down…
The time of useful consciousness at FL240 is of the order of tens of seconds, so it is critical that the system is working
It is not that critical at FL240 – more in the range of 3-5 min. A couple of seconds are left when operating above FL350. Values depend on source but it is interesting to google “time of useful consciousness table”.
