Dear YAS:

I saw the latest ad for a Paris jet in the Controller magazine. I am a 37 year old instrument rated pilot with about 600 total hours in different aircraft from a J-3 Cub to a Cessna T210, and a little time flying (I didn't log it though) a Christen Eagle, P58 Baron (years ago) and a 1993 Citation Jet. I don't have a multi-engine rating, but expect to have the necessary time this year for training, etc. I own a position in the Cessna Mustang program.

Our training is conducted by PureJet and they can provide you Private through ATP training using their computer based learning system, so the multi-engine rating is easy to obtain prior to or during your Paris Jet course. The aircraft you have flown will serve you well in your transition to the Paris Jet. Conversely, the Paris Jet will serve you well in your transition to the Cessna Mustang. The Paris Jet is an easy airplane to fly and one simply has to get used to flying IFR at the speeds it travels. You have to think 100 miles ahead of the aircraft as it is going to be there in 15 minutes!

I am interested in learning more about the Paris jet, initially as a 'time-builder' for the Mustang I have on order with Cessna. I am also considering the L-39C, and at the upper end a single engine turbine. I travel long distances within the US for work on a regular basis, am sick of the airlines, and the T210 is not what I need for the cross country travel on short notice that I often do.

I have a few initial questions about a Paris jet. I understand the aircraft you offer for sale in Controller are ground up "restorations," which would be painted, paneled, etc., per the purchaser's request.

Most of the aircraft we offer for sale have gone through the “program” at Aircraft Source. A few are brokered aircraft that have not gone through the program. We clearly identify each, and the price reflects the 2800 man hours each one of our owned aircraft goes through during the program.

Does the Paris jet have de- or anti- icing equipment?

Yes, both. Not presently certified for known ice but that is on the schedule for getting on a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and an easy retrofit for anyone who has purchased an aircraft from us.

Does it have a/c and or heat of any kind?

Yes, both. The production air conditioner works well in flight but badly when the aircraft is not moving (it is an air-cycle machine and requires ram pressure) There is a very good after-market air conditioner which we install as an option at the factory.

With a 900 statute mile range at 350 knots, that is only about 2.8 hours flying time. Can extended range tanks be added or other measures taken to increase the range?

The absolute range for long range tanks is 3.87 hours (484gal /125 GPH) it gives you about 950 nautical plus IFR reserves. I flight plan 320 knots and 125 GPH to be conservative. It will go 350 but you burn exponentially great fuel at that power setting! Notwithstanding, I am ready to get out, use the head, and stretch my legs after more than 2.5 hours anyway!

What are the stall speed and approach speeds for the Paris jet?

Vs 106 Vso 88. The aircraft is equipped with an angle of attack instrument so approaches are made by reference to that instead of airspeed. In this way the plane can maintain the perfect "best lift over drag and 1.3 Vso" and automatically compensate for density altitude and weight on every given landing. For general reference we use the following speeds: 250kt below 10,000 feet; 160kt outside of the marker; 140kt at the marker - gear down flaps 20; 110kt crossing the fence, full flaps and dive brakes; 95kt touchdown.

I am 6'5" and 200 lbs. My brother is 6''7" and about 215. Is either of us too big to comfortably fly the Paris jet?

I am 6'2" and 230. The rudder pedals move for and aft to accommodate LOTS of leg space. I have a customer who is a former wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers who is 6’5” and he is comfortable. At 6'7" we can install custom seat bottoms. Yea, tell your brother he is due to get a custom bottom! Best thing to do is sit in one and check it out for yourself!

What is the luggage capacity in sq. feet? And where is the luggage compartment, in the nose?

Luggage is not a strong point and I don't have the sq. ft. numbers readily at hand; On most aircraft the entire nose is clear for bags and weight is no issue; under the rear seats will accommodate overhead airline size bags, and there is a rear baggage area in the fuselage that has lots of space but is weight limited, so you can maximize that area by packing in soft sided bags. It can be modified to accept fishing rods, guns, or skis. Basic advice is pack light - the good news is, you can fill this puppy up with full fuel, have the 1000 mile legs, and still put 800+ lbs of people and baggage in it! I believe that compares very favorably to the Mustang or Eclipse notwithstanding their larger "area" for bags.

I initially plan to 'self insure' the plane, but approximately how many hours would it take in type to have an insurance company write me? I have no blemishes on my record, to date.

About 50% of our owners self insure. I can put you in touch with the right agent (believe me there is only ONE) who can help with this. I have trained a lot of low time guys who get easily type rated but do not have the hours to qualify for insurance. What I usually do is get them typed, find a qualified airline pilot in their area who likes to fly the Paris Jet and let them build about 100 hours PIC, then at the annual renewal of the policy, switch out the pro pilot for their own name. With 100 hours PIC it is usually no big deal. Average policy now is running less than $11,000 annually with limits around $1mm single limit smooth liability + $350 hull.

I assume at least one or better yet two type ratings would be included with the plane; where could the training be done?

The training is not provided by Aircraft Source and is done independently by PureJet Holdings, LLC; I am your instructor. It can be done anywhere so long as you can commit a week to the training without distractions from family or work. The complete training syllabus is available on the download page of the web site, or by clicking here: Training Syllabus You will see that this is a very thorough program and you will feel extremely confident and competent at the graduation. I have experienced NO failures in over 100 pilots I have trained! If you have two IFR current and more importantly IFR proficient pilots who take the course concurrently, I will discuss a discount on the second rating taken concurrently.

This is probably a good place to point out the obvious; most brokers can't be trusted. They are trying to sell you something after all! I would like to consider myself to be different! Not only am I sitting in the right seat next to you as you are training and have to be able to demonstrate everything I told you about the aircraft, but additionally, my best advertising is from former clients! When you get to a place where you are ready to make a decision I will provide you a list of names of folks who have purchased aircraft from me and taken my training course. They can tell you from the perspective of a student and owner what the Paris Jet is like! Hopefully they might have good things to say about our after-sales service as well.

I have heard the Paris jets are heavy on maintenance, but I have never spoken to an actual owner/operator. Everything is relative, but what is your experience with respect to maintenance costs/hour of operation on the Paris jet?

Nothing could be further from the truth regarding maintenance. I have been completely objective with you in every prior question and told you the good and the bad and this is no exception! Here is an excel spreadsheet where we have taken the actual costs of operation of N53PJ and provided a breakdown of expenses. This aircraft is cheaper to operate than most light piston twins! We own a huge inventory of parts that we provide to our customers at extremely reasonable prices. For example, if you had to replace an entire engine the cost of a factory new, zero time motor is $65,000. You can't even replace a fuel controller on a Citation for that!

A common problem for pilots who transition from piston to jets, is making the comparison of cost to operate. Because jet aircraft are much faster than piston aircraft, and cover a greater distance each hour, operating costs should be compared on the basis of per-nautical-mile (or seat mile) instead of hourly rate in order to create an accurate comparison. .

Thank you and your staff for the time you spent with us showing your operation in Georgia. The most impressive aspects of the trip (aside from your aerobatics ;-) was the fact that you have built a solid team, and that each place we visited had dedicated people working on completing airplanes to the highest standard. There is no way you could get that message across without a site visit.

I look forward to receiving your quote and would ask that you choose from among the aircraft in inventory (you have a few more arriving in a week or so I believe) one that has the lowest times and the best possible components (engines etc.) to create an exceptional aircraft.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

All the best,
-E-