By Rod Douglas
The weather on the Sunshine Coast is truly spectacular in Autumn. Vivid blue skies, mild days, fabulous. It was my day to play hookie from a family holiday on the river at Noosa to fly the Cessna 400. What can I say - it was perfect flying weather.
As I left the house to drive to Sunshine Coast Airport the phone rang. A two hour delay. Hydraulic fluid all over the floor under the right main. Aviation at work. Anyone with five kids knows that once you’ve committed to do something (particularly when you’re on holidays), it’s sometimes worth just keeping on as a force of nature is unleashed if you try to change. So, with my 11 year old co-pilot Jai in tow, we decided to head to the airport and do the background work in understanding a little more about the Cessna purchase of Columbia and digging a little under the surface of the success story that is Aeromil Pacific.
Driving from Noosa up the beach road is a true delight. I’m absolutely sure it would be even more of a delight if I had have been doing it in one of Steve Padgett’s fleet of cars. When we rolled through the gate in the car park was his immaculate silver 1998 Honda NSX was sitting in front of the office. On the other side of the parking lot a delightful Bentley Continental. Aeromil is clearly a playground for hardworking and successful people.
I was met in the foyer by Peter Lang. A very professional communicator, Peter does an excellent job of ensuring that the Aeromil and Cessna stories are well told. Apologetic that we wouldn’t be leaving on time, he made us comfortable in the boardroom and introduced us to Phil Laffer, Aeromil’s chief pilot. Phil’s been with Aeromil for 12 years having started with them as a scenic pilot flying a Grumman AgCat. Since then he’s run Sunshine Airlines and now spends his time delivering, training and demonstrating the fabulous Citation range of aircraft.
Anyone involved in aviation understands that, while we’d love it to be as simple and as reliable as driving a car, flying a plane requires a completely different order of safety. It still amazes me though that a brand new aircraft with less than 100 hours upon it would have such a fundamental issue as a leaking ‘O’ Ring in the master cylinder, but that was the case.
When I called and told my wife about it she reflected to me an unusual thought… “Actually it’s really amazing that you just get up every morning, turn the key and drive off without thinking about it”. It’s a good point, which is taken for granted by most. The level of engineering reliability in the automotive industry is truly remarkable, with many brands delivering five year warranties with very little maintenance required, even in the disposable world we occupy.
It’s different in aviation. I recently had an important board meeting on a property out West. With five people to take, including a senior CSIRO scientist, I decided to take a twin. A reliable old bus, a Cessna Crusader, was selected. This old girl definitely looks her age. She is mechanically very well looked after but it doesn’t matter which way you cut it, she’s still a 1984 model. Once loaded, we blasted out of Archerfield with all checks completed and looking good. About five minutes into the flight a shudder went through the airframe and the left oil pressure went high and on to the stop.
After another five minutes of trouble shooting, I made the decision to return to AF. The shudder was obvious and continuous and, with a scientist in the right seat, it was a little obvious to the passengers that things weren’t exactly how they should be. My logic was simple. Maybe we’d get there as the plane was performing ok. Maybe it was a faulty gauge. But why take the chance? I’d rather be on the ground at Archerfield and have it cleared by the engineer than find myself on the ground at Wallaroo, 250 nm from the engineers.
What really amazed me was the attitude of the Chief Pilot. While trying to find another appropriate aircraft he made what to him was an obvious comment. “If the board meeting’s really important then don’t take an old aircraft.”
You can of course imagine how successful the local Avis franchise would be if they were trying to make a living out of airplanes with that sort of a service attitude.
Anyhow, back to the mighty Cessna 400. Most people are aware that Cessna has been working towards creating a Cirrus killer for a number of years. In 2006, Cessna released sketchy information of the NGP (or Next Generation Piston). With the classic high wing that has defined all Cessna pistons it was to have been matched with the sort of big 310 hp donk that powers the SR22. While a proof of concept aircraft flew and was seen in a fly-by at Oshkosh and other public venues, very little other information was released.
Then Columbia got themselves into financial trouble. Columbia, was an independent company which grew out of the Lancair family of kit aircraft. It separated and changed its name to distinguish the first certified model from the very successful lineup of kit aircraft. They sold plenty of aircraft and most owners seemed to be very happy with their aircraft. I haven’t been able to establish exactly what caused the financial downfall but, with administrators appointed, an opportunity emerged for Cessna to buy the business. Not surprisingly, Cirrus was a vigorous contender and saw an opportunity to buy the business and to simply put its sprightly competitor out of business.
In the end, Cessna’s commitment to continue the line and keep the factory and its employees won the sale. Cessna suddenly had two viable competitors to Cirrus, by way of the normally aspirated Cessna 350 and the turbo charged 400. Both aircraft significantly outperform their rivals at Cirrus in the cruise speed stakes with the Columbia 400 claiming the fastest single piston title for a number of years before the Mooney Acclaim ‘S’ recently stole that title.
Not surprisingly, with the might of the Cessna marketing machine behind the Columbia product, the first 12 months production was sold out within days of the announcement that Cessna had taken over Columbia and would be continuing production.
Cessna is masterful in the production stakes. The fit, finish and reliability of the Citation range, with its first class reputation for reliability and dispatch rates is testament to that fact. As a Six Sigma company, the standards and expectations with regard to continuous improvement and to driving out waste is legendary. One of the wonderful examples of just how much of a difference this makes was the discovery that at the Columbia factory it was taking 25 man hours to fit the engine accessories, when Cessna was achieving the same outcome in three man hours. With similar opportunities throughout the line, Cessna saw that it could make a real difference while improving quality and maintaining the pressure on Cirrus with its worldwide distribution presence. And for a new aircraft buyer who is about to spend USD $600+ the Cessna name and service security has got to be an enormous plus.
Phil flew the aircraft down from Singapore where it had been after attending the Singapore Airshow. Spending most of his time in Citations it was going to be a special piston single that would win the tall and demanding Queenslander. After 16 hours in the cockpit, over a couple of days, Phil was clearly converted.
The Aeromil facilities at Sunshine Coast Airport include the head office complex and 5 large hangars. All of the facilities are spotless. As expected, you could eat your dinner off the floor and the patient, unhurried yet clearly efficient team at Aeromil lead the way in delivering excellence of service across the board.
The aircraft sitting in the hangar has a slightly mean ‘I’m ready to leap off the ground’ look about it. It’s the tall main gear that really does it, with its swept back legs that reminded me of a cat ready to pounce. This is somewhat offset by the very straight and very Lancair front oleo sprung leg. The Hartzell Scimitar propeller clearly bites hard into the air and sitting behind it are two large throat-like apertures needed to feed the copious quantities of air required by the heavy breathing Continental TSIO-550 –C engine, which produces 310 hp all the way through FL200 and happily to its certified ceiling of FL250.
With a well rounded fuselage and high aspect ratios wings, the aircraft looks very cool. I first met what was then the Columbia 350 about three years ago. I’d ferried an aircraft down to Moruya and had flown back on kero burner into Coolangatta. As I walked back down to the GA parking which was opposite the flight line I noticed an unfamiliar silhouette. At first glance it could have been a Cirrus, but was definitely slimmer and with a more rounded waist, cowl and cabin. It took me a moment to realise it was in fact the first Columbia 350 in the country. And it looked good and fast. A quick call to the distributor confirmed that it was on the ground in Cooly and that I could test fly it the following morning. It was a delightful introduction.
The C400, with its superb finish has definitely been refined over the past few years. Little things make all the difference in a world of constant improvement. Walking around her, one of the first things I noticed was the unusual vortex generating tape that covers the leading edge. Cessna have, for reasons I was unable to establish, chosen not to make available the eVade electric anti-ice that was previously available under the Columbia brand. It’s an interesting decision and one that probably makes little difference for Australian pilots. One can only assume that the vortex generating tape, which must be somewhat sacrificial as new aircraft are delivered with spare rolls, is a positive for the aerodynamic security of the airframe.
The hardware and general engineering smarts of the aircraft are obvious. Clear perspex inspection panels allow the security of the aileron hinges to be easily checked and the strong well designed flap hinges give a great sense of security. With a commitment to there being no single point of failure there is a minimum of three attachment points on all flying surfaces to ensure redundancy. This is a practical commitment to safety that is carried right through the aircraft and is demonstrated by the fact that it was certified under the far more stringent utility category.
The wing, continuing the focus of safety, has not one but two spars, either of which is capable of supporting the full aerodynamic loads of the aircraft. Located forward and aft of the fuel tank they give a level of rupture protection to the fuel tanks that is unprecedented in piston powered aircraft.
The slippery coefficient of the aircraft is clear by the standard electric airbrakes that help slow an aircraft which has a reputation for being slippery in the circuit. This is a practical and pragmatic approach to fitting the equipment that is required for the safe and effective operation of what is a very high performance machine.
The solid trailing access step allows for a long step up on to the wing and the simple positive door handle allows a direct positive action in opening the door which is hinged from above and up in clamshell style. The door, position of the seat and depth of the well makes seating yourself elegantly a process that requires a little thought but which can be achieved with suitable aplomb. It was my first connection to its Ferrari-like feel.
Once inside it’s clear that there are some advantages to the clamshell doors and in drizzling rain you could expect to stay reasonably dry, something that’s not true in a number of competitors. The seats are beautifully finished in soft, hand stitched leather and it takes but a moment to feel the solid lumbar support of the 19g seats. That first moment sitting down in the aircraft gives an unusual feel of almost being in a boat (given, I’m talking about a high speed race boat here). The lower lip of the door sits around elbow height and reminded me of sitting in a Lake Buccaneer while bobbing on the ocean with the door open.
Close the door and a different world emerges. One of my criticisms of the Columbia 350 has clearly been answered as, in the earlier models, the clearance for tall pilots was very poor and I spent the test flight bouncing around with my headset rubbing on the headlining. While the seats still don’t have a height adjustment, which I understand has to do with achieving the crash rating needed for certification, the whole thing works a lot better and I was very comfortable. Phil, who is a good few inches taller than me, found it necessary to let the seat layback one notch but remarked upon the comfort, which is fair praise coming from a jet jockey.
The side stick has a delightfully smooth and light action. With the door closed the arm rest is superbly designed to give full support and it’s clearly very easy and natural to hand fly. One fantastic change as a result of the move to the superbly integrated Garmin G1000 system is the removal of the centre console. It allows for the installation of a couple of really handy hooks for the hard plumbed Bose headsets.
The Garmin installation is standard for the aircraft and continues Cessna’s integration into its piston, turbine and light jet offering. This is an obvious advantage to the pilot that starts at the bottom of the Cessna range and works their way all the way up to the Citation Mustang light jet.
The system comes standard with all the beautifully integrated situational awareness and management tools that take GA flying into the world of what, a few short years ago, was limited to the airlines. Within the dual redundant PFD and MFD comes inbuilt traffic, terrain, Safe-Taxi and FlightCharts. The GFC700 Digital Autopilot rounds out the beautifully complete package with jet like features including go around function, flight level change and control wheel steering.
One of the unique features on the C400 series is the GCU-476 keypad controller. This very cool little pad sits in front of the beautifully authentic hand-carved timber fuel controller that fronts the centre arm rest. That simple piece of elegant wood reminds me of the grand days of the English coachbuilders and places a little bit of handmade natural luxury into the space aged world of the glass cockpit. A very nice touch.
But back to that cool little pad. Anyone who has spent hours twisting knobs on the Garmin 4 or 500 series navigators know that, while it works, it simply isn’t the most efficient way to get your plans set or your frequencies tuned. The alpha numeric pad, which really acts as a flight management head, with just about every function able to be controlled from it, revolutionizes long distance, autopilot controlled travel. It took me a while to get used to it, as being keyboard savvy as I am, anything but a QWERTY layout stumps me. There’s no question, it absolutely simplifies input and makes it as easy as data input in the jet world.
In front and above the headset hangers is the digital climate control system. Hit the on button, set the temperature and the system will do the rest. Automatically deciding whether heating or cooling is required and certified for use from start up through takeoff and landing, the system can cool the cabin by 15°C within 17 minutes of hitting the on button. Very automotive and very welcome. The sort of thing that you’d just kill to have sitting on the ramp at Longreach in the middle of summer.
Above the air-conditioning panel are the engine controls which are conventional, with a full set of vernier controls providing precise adjustment and allowing for exceptional fine adjustment. While I’m generally a fan of vernier controls, on the C400 it suffers from that ‘do I push it or wind it’ debate to moving smoothly to full power while maximizing performance on take-off that is consistent on all single turbos.
The panel is exceptionally well set out. The location of the electrical back up instruments is one of the best I’ve seen with the three round dial set vertically to the left of the PFD and, in the unlikely event that both the big screen went black, flying from them would be possible and simple. You could even do it while keeping one eye outside the aircraft which is almost impossible on some other installations.
As with most G1000 installations, there are few switches anywhere in the cabin with the majority of systems driven through the G1000. The masters, alternators and cross tie switches live overhead, along with the avionics master and cabin light controls. It’s a really intelligent installation which makes good sense. The circuit breaker panel lives next to the pilot’s left knee and is easily accessible with the effective park brake recessed into the lining just ahead. This is an unusual but effective location that is very accessible and the park brake works well. The electric door seal switch and pitot heat are to the right of the standby instruments and are simple push on and light up type switches. Back up fuel pump, vapour suppression and go around switches live with the flap selector (three positions: up, takeoff, full) above the power controls.
So, after a quick trip down the beach and a bite of lunch it was time to get back and see just how amazing this girl’s flight manner really are. Arriving back, Phil had the preflight done and it was simply a matter of climbing aboard, strapping in and starting up. With the automotive style three point belts secured, I wondered about the comparative survivability compared to the four point harness with airbags installed in the Cirrus. While there was no definitive answer, the belts were definitely comfortable.
Locking the doors is simple and, unusually, the right door goes only into a special rescue detent that allows a simple pull on an underfloor release to have the whole door pop off in the event of the aircraft landing inverted. Next, it was time to arm the electric door seal which significantly decreases the sound level in the cabin.
Start up was simple. Full rich, full throttle, prime for five, close the throttle, open it 10 mm and crank. The throaty engine roared to life. Dual alternators on, avionics on, recognition lights on and it’s time to taxi. Taxiing is simple with the very responsive castoring nose wheel and, given a choice, I would take the simplicity, weight saving and ease of this system over a steerable nose wheel every day.
Run-ups and checks are simple and are easily followed through on the checklists on the MFD. There is no question that the aircraft is slightly more complex than the Cirrus with its focus on complete simplicity for the pilot, but that little bit of extra complexity is probably more than worth it for those who value a pilot’s aircraft over ease of operation. In some way, that same comment is probably true when comparing the Avidyne system of the Cirrus versus the G1000 in the C400. I’ll make more comment on that in a later article after I’ve trained on the G1000. You can probably take something from the fact that the Avidyne training program is one day while the G1000 is three.
With the cross tie system checked to ensure that the dual batteries and alternators were doing their thing, we set flaps for takeoff and checked trims. Cleared for takeoff on runway 36 at Maroochydore, we rolled towards the centerline as I started to wind in the vernier throttle. The roar was impressive and the craft accelerated like a startled gazelle. Full power delivered very manageable ‘P’ factor and with temps and pressures good and airspeed live we accelerated rapidly through to rotate at 75 knots. The nose pitched up high and with 8° set we started a 120 knot climb. With a 600 fpm initial climb we were quickly though 400 feet and flaps were selected up. As we accelerated, it was time to really pull the nose up and the near instant 1,400 fpm climb delivered a fighter like zoom that lasted only moments as we levelled out at 2,000 feet for our run to Noosa point and clear of the control steps.
Once level, a quick glance down to the G1000 indicated 181 knots TAS. We all know that if you’re flying an aircraft for the purpose of travel then the excitement should only be in the first and last few minutes of a flight but, at these speeds, in an aircraft this manoeuverable, who’d be silly enough to engage the autopilot?
Out over the step boundary I pulled back on the stick and up we went. We momentarily hit 2,000 fpm before it settled back into a stable 1,400 fpm at 120 knots. Four and a half minutes later we levelled out at 8,500 for some air work. And what fun it was. After a couple of clearing turns, I rolled hard right and through to 60° of bank before pulling back to nail the altitude. It felt like it was on rails. This aircraft has the crisp and instant controls that have you quickly forget that you’re in a luxurious tourer and have you suddenly wanting to do aerobatics. As I rolled straight back hard left and into a 60° bank in the other direction, Jai, my 11 year old, was absolutely whooping it up in the back and loved the amazing rate of turn. Of course, in this aircraft I could have been doing Chandelles and, for those who are wondering, the entry speed is 152 knots.
I suggested to Phil that I’d like to explore a stall series, which I had previously worked through in the Columbia 350. Phil told me that the manual prohibits stalls with passengers in the back seat, which was a good enough reason for me to give that idea up.
I will say this. When I flew the Columbia 350 I was amazed that right through the stall series and in all configurations I had full aileron authority. It is remarkable that the aircraft was certified as spin resistant and is testament to the engineering of the leading edge cuff which pushes the stall ever closer to the wing root and the rudder limiter which means that even with full pro-spin controls the aircraft simply won’t spin. Even more interesting is that while in a power off stall you can fly the aircraft controllably at a 1,100 fpm descent rate all the way to the ground. Why is that remarkable? If you activate the Cirrus Airframe Parachute system you can expect to hit the ground in an uncontrolled descent at a rate of 1,400 fpm.
This is one well engineered and very safe machine. We continued blasting towards Hervey Bay for circuits. One of the characteristics of the aircraft is that they don’t fly to book numbers. At 8,500 feet we were about showing 191 knots: three knots short of the book value. Not bad, but not what it should be either.
Hervey Bay was relatively quiet as we came screaming in. And you literally scream in. Speed brakes out early and you come down nicely with a very minor buffet. Slowly bleeding the power off helps but it’s very easy to ride the bottom of the yellow arc all the way down and, with poor management or a forgetful pilot who didn’t think to throw the anchors out, it might well be impossible to put this speed demon on the ground.
By the time we’d joined downwind we were back to about 12 inches of manifold pressure and the speed was finally starting to bleed back through 150 knots. While I understand that the aircraft lands perfectly well with the speed brakes out it’s a recommended procedure in the manual. First stage flap extension is a relatively low 127 knots so planning is a must. Towards the end of downwind we made it back there and got one stage out before turning base.
The first landing of the day was a little high on profile but made me look like I knew what I was doing. We stayed in the pattern for another three and, while I quickly got the power setting and profiles right, it took me a while to let go of the flat Cirrus landing attitude and re-engage the more traditional higher Cessna nose attitude which increases the drag and delivers a much more gracious landing.
We blasted out of Hervey Bay and climbed to 1,000 feet for the hop across the bay to run up the eastern beach of Fraser Island on what must have been one of the most perfect flying days ever. With all the intense work done it was time to relax and enjoy a beautiful day, flying a beautiful and responsive aircraft just for the joy of it. As we came around the beach at Noosa a pod of dolphins was playing and I figured that I was probably having just as much fun as they were.
Back on the ground at Maroochy I gave her one last envious and lustful look as we walked away as the sun set. Steve was inside and I started asking him deep and meaningful questions about Australian aviation and where he saw it going. His answers were insightful, if a little depressing. Finally I asked him how many C400 and C350’s he thought he’d sell each year. His answer was telling. “Six to eight,” he said. “There are always people who want the fastest and these are simply the Ferraris of the sky”.
As a car lover, he got it right. A beautiful plane that handles superbly and tries to deliver systems and ease that defines luxury. I hope that there will be many more lucky Australia pilots who can ask if you’ve seen the Ferrari in their hangar.
