Very light jets, are they for you?

By Ken Armstrong

Perhaps I should ask, are you for them? I struggled with the title because any really important topic needs to grasp those who should be reading the contents and low level pilots who choose to fly in rarefied air are risking the lives of themselves and passengers due to the affects on human physiology and less than obvious challenges and dangers associated with high altitude flight.

The expression, "Fools rush in where angels fear to go," comes to mind, but, the angels have no fear near the tropopause (to the best of my knowledge).

Like any amazing freedom we might be able to afford, there is a learning curve – and with this one, it is much steeper than the jet’s climb profile.

Without question, I am also interested in a Very Light Jet (VLJ) and the personal freedom they provide and I am in no way opposed to VLJ’s. Moreover, cruising at high altitude above most of the weather and higher density traffic and the sense of freedom these aircraft provide has huge allure for many of us.

This category of aircraft is a direct result in turbofan jet engines since they have become smaller, lighter and much more fuel efficient thereby giving birth to this lightweight class of aircraft.

Not only will VLJ’s permit an incredible increase in personal travel freedom, they will also spawn a major increase in business travel for smaller companies that can only dream of joining the fortune 500.

Also, commercial charter operations will be able to enter the jet field or expand their offerings since these mini magic carpets will allow them to carry as few as one or two clients in an efficient and cost competitive manner.

For instance, it would be practical for a company in Nanaimo (Vancouver Island) to visit its branch office in Pincher Creek, Alberta one hour after arriving at the departure airport. To accomplish this trip on scheduled air services would require more than a daytime operation and numerous connections with an inevitable car drive from Lethbridge or Calgary.

Another desirable with private jets is control of the pilot position(s). Airlines are continually starved for pilots to fill the seats caused by expansion and retiring baby boomers and I see standards slipping around the world with this crisis. I’m not going to harp on this topic, but many successful business people would rather fly themselves somewhere than be subject to abuse in the airline system and potentially participating in an accident they can do nothing about – I am in this category.

However, we should all dig our heels in and look at all of the ramifications associated with purchasing, training and operating these aircraft that elevate us to a region of our atmosphere that is not conducive to supporting human life.

Moreover, there are handling issues associated with jet aircraft that are never a concern for piston pounders in the lower elevations (Mind you, turbocharged aircraft do venture into these areas and must face many of the jet’s handling considerations – but TC piston aircraft are another topic).

While the manufacturers may twinge at my coverage of the negatives associated with this "new" area of flight for many, we must all look ahead to the long term effects on our overall industry if a rash of accidents clips the wings of VLJ growth and Transport is pressed into creating even more regulation.

While I am not a high time jet jockey, my hundreds of hours in that element and many high altitude indoctrination courses with the military (not to mention file cabinets full of data), allow me to cover virtually all of the bases.

At this point, I am not sure how many issues of the magazine will be necessary to cover all of the ramifications of high speed, lofty altitude operations. Quickly considering the topic immediately brings to mind topics such as: pilot licensing, IFR environment including approach and departure procedures, ATC procedures, fuel loads/planning, special regulations, pressurization, emergency variations/differences, your new glider, crash considerations, professional vs. personal piloting, turbine engine management, mach number/stall speed ("coffin corner"), and issues related to human physiology - to name a few.

Looks like I have my work cut out for me on this one. As always, I will welcome input from others with experiences and knowledge on the topics to enhance the value of the articles.