It's officially official - Colorado.

Teller1900

Teller1900

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Aug 4, 2007
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3,644
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Denver, CO
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I am a dad!
The wife and I will be moving to Colorado in a little over a month. The specific date (and destination) have yet to be determined due to the circumstances of the move, though I suspect we'll start figuring the details out soon.

So what are the circumstances of the move, you ask? After four years I'm leaving my current job. It was a tough decision, but I think it will be a great opportunity. I have had a great time in the airline world, but it is no longer the lifestyle that my wife and I are looking for. On the bright side, I will be continuing my career path of flying weird looking turbo-props:

AVANTI.jpg


I start class for the Piaggio next Monday. This will check a big box on my "Want to Fly" list! Next to my hometown aircraft (the Beech 2000), this is near the top.

We're looking to be in Colorado probably some time in early May. I'm excited to finally meet our Western contingent! The Fly-B-Que is still very much on the schedule, but I have no idea what work may have me doing that weekend. Unless, of course, any of you want to charter a Piaggio for that weekend.

I appreciate the congrats I have gotten from a few of you already, and I very much look forward to filing my PIREP on the airplane when I first get my hands on it.
 
Congratulations!

I'll be in AZ for the first week of May, but if you need help moving any heavy stuff or anything like that afterwards, I'm always glad to make a trip down to Denver. It also gives me an excuse to hit a Chipotle or two. :)
 
Matt, congrats to you and also congrats to your new employer because they are getting one fine pilot and a darn fine person as a new employee.:thumbsup:
 
Teller1900 said:
The wife and I will be moving to Colorado in a little over a month. The specific date (and destination) have yet to be determined due to the circumstances of the move, though I suspect we'll start figuring the details out soon.

So what are the circumstances of the move, you ask? After four years I'm leaving my current job. It was a tough decision, but I think it will be a great opportunity. I have had a great time in the airline world, but it is no longer the lifestyle that my wife and I are looking for. On the bright side, I will be continuing my career path of flying weird looking turbo-props:

AVANTI.jpg


I start class for the Piaggio next Monday. This will check a big box on my "Want to Fly" list! Next to my hometown aircraft (the Beech 2000), this is near the top.

We're looking to be in Colorado probably some time in early May. I'm excited to finally meet our Western contingent! The Fly-B-Que is still very much on the schedule, but I have no idea what work may have me doing that weekend. Unless, of course, any of you want to charter a Piaggio for that weekend.

I appreciate the congrats I have gotten from a few of you already, and I very much look forward to filing my PIREP on the airplane when I first get my hands on it.
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Is this a private aircraft or are you headed to fly a Sierra Lima one?
 
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Matt:

Magnificent congratulations to you.

This will put you in a much better position to make it to the Gaston's Fly-In, and I expect we'll hoist some cold ones, in your honor, while there!
 
Congrats, Matt!! Glad to hear about your new position. The Piaggio seems like a great aircraft to fly. Every Avantair crew I see really enjoys flying the P180.
 
ScottM said:
Congrats Matt. Is this a 135 gig?
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I believe 91k Fractional. But basically that mirrors some of P135

Congrats!

Im doing sims right now for a p135 carrier, I miss 91 already.
 
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Congrats!!! If that plane is as fun to fly as it looks, you will have great time. Looking forward to the pirep.
 
wabower said:
Noise level (when they fly over) not being one of them?
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Most of what I've heard comes from either the pilots or the passengers who would have been on the inside. ;)
 
Wow! Congratulations. Moving back into snow country, eh? I saw a Piaggio at SDL Scottsdale back in 2004. That bird looked like it was doing a speed run while just sitting on the tarmac -- gorgeous.

HR
 
One more precinct has now submitted a vote count. They are noticeably nosier than the other T/P's, to the point that Piaggio is reportedly looking for a fix. The frac operation seems to use Thermal frequently, and if you're playing golf anywhere around La Quinta the sound is so distinctive you don't even look up.

Everskyward said:
Most of what I've heard comes from either the pilots or the passengers who would have been on the inside. ;)
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wabower said:
One more precinct has now submitted a vote count. They are noticeably nosier than the other T/P's, to the point that Piaggio is reportedly looking for a fix. The frac operation seems to use Thermal frequently, and if you're playing golf anywhere around La Quinta the sound is so distinctive you don't even look up.
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I can't say I've done any sound pressure tests in the backyard, but they're definitely distinctive-sounding enough that you know what they are before they arrive overhead. The "noise" complaints could be that the sound is significantly higher in pitch, than say, a King Air, and might seem subjectively "more annoying" to some folks. I can't really say it's louder than a King Air though.

Definitely quieter than that helicopter the Denver Sheriff's department uses. It's uh... distinctive in its own way too. And the one that hauls butt down Arapahoe Road late at night too, whoever that is. But they're 500' lower typically, so maybe they get a hall pass? ;)

There's a Piaggio maintenance facility at KAPA, so there's a number of the little eggbeaters in and out of there regularly. I hear 'em and run outside to look up from the back porch. Shades of Beech Starship there...
 
Matt,

Congrats on the move and new aircraft! They are great looking planes and yes, they have a sound all their own. There is one that frequents KILG and it always draws attention.
 
Congrats, Matt!

I can understand the tough decision bit. Especially when you're with a company for a bit, even what seem like obvious decisions can be more difficult. I'm sure you're going to enjoy Denver, and the experience of flying the new bird.

I'm sure I'll hear you flying... from my back yard in Pennsylvania. Not quite as bad as the MU-2s that I hear start up in Australia. ;)
 
tonycondon said:
oh yea i bet you spent about 10 minutes thinking about it. lol!

Stopping in ICT on your way?
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It was tough. It wasn't THAT though, but it was a little tough :D. I think Junelle wants to stop in DSM on the way west, so we may be taking the I-80 route instead of the I-70 option. Even if we miss you on this trip, though, I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of ICT than we have since we've been out here.

ScottM said:
Congrats Matt. Is this a 135 gig?
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taters said:
I believe 91k Fractional. But basically that mirrors some of P135

Congrats!

Im doing sims right now for a p135 carrier, I miss 91 already.
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N801BH said:
Is this a private aircraft or are you headed to fly a Sierra Lima one?
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They're 135 Fractional, actually. They just recently switched over to a 135 cert. I think I'm going to like it. Still keep some of the uniformity I'm used to from the 121 world, without being quite so hamstrung by regulations and paperwork (and flight attendants).

Ben, it is, indeed, a Sierra Lima one.

AdamZ said:
Matt, congrats to you and also congrats to your new employer because they are getting one fine pilot and a darn fine person as a new employee.:thumbsup:
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Well thank you Adam, that's very nice of you to say (whether you believe it or not)! :cornut: :D
 
denverpilot said:
Sweet. You're comin' to town to fly the eggbeater! Welcome to DEN!
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I think it prefers to be called the "catfish," thank you! :wink2:

SCCutler said:
Matt:

Magnificent congratulations to you.

This will put you in a much better position to make it to the Gaston's Fly-In, and I expect we'll hoist some cold ones, in your honor, while there!
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Thank you, Spike! If I do make it to Gaston's we'll have to be toasting my wife for letting me go on our anniversary. I think I'm slowly making some headway, though...very, very slowly. :cheerswine:

HPNPilot1200 said:
Congrats, Matt!! Glad to hear about your new position. The Piaggio seems like a great aircraft to fly. Every Avantair crew I see really enjoys flying the P180.
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Thanks Jason! I figure I might be seeing you around some various East coast FBOs now. Actually, we wondered around a Phenom 100 on the ramp at KSHD a couple weeks ago...wasn't yours, was it?

TMetzinger said:
Congratulations, both on the move to a great location and the upgrade to a great airplane.
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wsuffa said:
Congrats, Matt
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woodstock said:
Well done, Matt! Enjoy Colorado.
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stagecoachco said:
Congrats!!! If that plane is as fun to fly as it looks, you will have great time. Looking forward to the pirep.
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Thanks all!

Everskyward said:
Are we having a Chipotle party when Matt arrives? :D

Welcome to Colorado, Matt. I've heard nice things about the Avanti.
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I'm game! Actually, I'm just happy now to know y'all have Chipotle out there; that will make the move much easier! :D

bbchien said:
Gotta get PIC time sometime. Atta Boy!
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Funny thing...that was the hardest part about the decision. I'm a captain at my current shop, but I'll be starting in the right seat at the new job. Overall, though, I think this will be a big step in the right direction.

Lawreston said:
Wow! Congratulations. Moving back into snow country, eh? I saw a Piaggio at SDL Scottsdale back in 2004. That bird looked like it was doing a speed run while just sitting on the tarmac -- gorgeous.

HR
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Yeah, Harley, the irony hasn't escaped either of us. Hopefully it'll be a little easier than the 190-some inches we got during our Maine winter! Hopefully I'll make it back up there at some point. I have to assume BHB, at the least, will have us visiting at some point.

GMascelli said:
Matt,

Congrats on the move and new aircraft! They are great looking planes and yes, they have a sound all their own. There is one that frequents KILG and it always draws attention.
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Thanks Gary!
 
Teller1900 said:
They're 135 Fractional, actually. They just recently switched over to a 135 cert. I think I'm going to like it. Still keep some of the uniformity I'm used to from the 121 world, without being quite so hamstrung by regulations and paperwork (and flight attendants).
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So out of curiosity (and I'm sure this will change some once you start flying), what do you think is the most fun? My flying is all Part 91, but what we do ends up having a bit of 135 taste to it, which I like. 121 seems like it would just annoy me more than anything.
 
Whoo-Hooo! Congratulations Matt! Couldn't have happened to a nicer couple. I really do hope you and Junelle have a great time in Denver. The new job sounds exciting and challenging, a whole new way to fly. We will miss you at the Wings Fly-B-Q! Was always nice to have someone to help with the "heavy lifting"!
 
wabower said:
Noise level (when they fly over) not being one of them?
Click to expand...

Everskyward said:
Most of what I've heard comes from either the pilots or the passengers who would have been on the inside. ;)
Click to expand...

wabower said:
One more precinct has now submitted a vote count. They are noticeably nosier than the other T/P's, to the point that Piaggio is reportedly looking for a fix. The frac operation seems to use Thermal frequently, and if you're playing golf anywhere around La Quinta the sound is so distinctive you don't even look up.
Click to expand...

denverpilot said:
I can't say I've done any sound pressure tests in the backyard, but they're definitely distinctive-sounding enough that you know what they are before they arrive overhead. The "noise" complaints could be that the sound is significantly higher in pitch, than say, a King Air, and might seem subjectively "more annoying" to some folks. I can't really say it's louder than a King Air though.

Definitely quieter than that helicopter the Denver Sheriff's department uses. It's uh... distinctive in its own way too. And the one that hauls butt down Arapahoe Road late at night too, whoever that is. But they're 500' lower typically, so maybe they get a hall pass? ;)

There's a Piaggio maintenance facility at KAPA, so there's a number of the little eggbeaters in and out of there regularly. I hear 'em and run outside to look up from the back porch. Shades of Beech Starship there...
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Shades of Starship, indeed! Big part of why I'm so excited to fly this thing.

Ted DuPuis said:
Congrats, Matt!

I can understand the tough decision bit. Especially when you're with a company for a bit, even what seem like obvious decisions can be more difficult. I'm sure you're going to enjoy Denver, and the experience of flying the new bird.

I'm sure I'll hear you flying... from my back yard in Pennsylvania. Not quite as bad as the MU-2s that I hear start up in Australia. ;)
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While they may be louder or at least more annoying than your average TP on the outside, as Mari mentioned, it's a different story on the inside. The pilots I've talked to mostly use the ship's set headsets - Seinhauser passive, over-the-ear style. They said once you're up and going you actually have to be very cautious of what you say, as the folks in back can hear conversations up front and we can hear the people in the back.

On the outside, yes, it's a special beast. Part of the reason it's so loud is how damn fast they're turning those props. At T/O and climb they're at 2000 RPM, cruise is at 1800 RPM. The next fastest TP props I've flown were on the Beech 1900 (same engines, by the way) - climb at 1770, cruise at 1230rpm. Of course the result is some seriously stellar performance. Easily off a 4,000 foot runway it will best the Q (a damn fast turbo-prop) by 110kts and an extra 16,000 feet.

For you engineering boffins - the weird noise it makes as it passes overhead is because of the counter-rotating props passing through the wing wake and engine exhaust. Unlike most aircraft, it produces a Square Wave sound signature.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
So out of curiosity (and I'm sure this will change some once you start flying), what do you think is the most fun? My flying is all Part 91, but what we do ends up having a bit of 135 taste to it, which I like. 121 seems like it would just annoy me more than anything.
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Well, it's hard to say. I've never actually flown 135, so I can't really speak to that first hand. After four years in 121, I do still really like the 121 way of doing things, but it seems to get more restrictive every day. A lot of it comes down to the OpSpecs of the individual company, though.

I love the CRM aspect and the checklist discipline you get in the airlines. Everything should go the exact same way, every time, whether you've met the person you're sitting next to before or not. It's very technical flying, and I really like that. If you know your books, there's very little grey area; you can just go out, do your job, get your free USA Today and stale bagel, and go home.

On the flip side, things are now getting SO tightly regulated, a lot of PIC authority is being taken away. It used to be Captain says so, it is so. Not any more! It can be tough. There may be times that you know the answer, and if they (dispatch, gate agents, pax, etc) would just do as you say you'd get the mission done, but now everything is a committee decision, filled out in triplicate, so nothing happens until you've taken a massive delay or even cancellation.

Everything that makes 121 enjoyable and run so smoothly on good days is exactly what destroys it at the first sign of IrOps. That said, I do still like 121, and I would go back if the right job presented itself, but for now I'm fairly happy to be out.

I think that's why I'll like the 135 side so much. You get the technical flying, the orderly and systematic approach that you have to everything in 121, without quite as many rules and limitations. It seems to be a happy blend between 121 and the, by comparison, anything goes world of 91.

Ask me again in six months, we'll see.

Gary said:
Whoo-Hooo! Congratulations Matt! Couldn't have happened to a nicer couple. I really do hope you and Junelle have a great time in Denver. The new job sounds exciting and challenging, a whole new way to fly. We will miss you at the Wings Fly-B-Q! Was always nice to have someone to help with the "heavy lifting"!
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Thanks Gary! The Fly-B-Q isn't completely out of the picture, necessarily. :fcross:And if not this year, there's always next year! It's always my pleasure to help, especially when, like last year, all the heavy lifting I show up to do has already been done! :D
 
Teller1900 said:
While they may be louder or at least more annoying than your average TP on the outside, as Mari mentioned, it's a different story on the inside. The pilots I've talked to mostly use the ship's set headsets - Seinhauser passive, over-the-ear style. They said once you're up and going you actually have to be very cautious of what you say, as the folks in back can hear conversations up front and we can hear the people in the back.
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That makes sense, part of having props in the back of the plane.

On the outside, yes, it's a special beast. Part of the reason it's so loud is how damn fast they're turning those props. At T/O and climb they're at 2000 RPM, cruise is at 1800 RPM. The next fastest TP props I've flown were on the Beech 1900 (same engines, by the way) - climb at 1770, cruise at 1230rpm. Of course the result is some seriously stellar performance. Easily off a 4,000 foot runway it will best the Q (a damn fast turbo-prop) by 110kts and an extra 16,000 feet.
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That doesn't seem all that fast. The Cheyenne spins its PT-6s at 2200 RPM for takeoff and 1900 RPM for cruise, and it's a surprisingly quiet airplane (by my standards flying the Aztec and 310). It's certainly quieter than the Piaggio, but it also has smaller props.

For you engineering boffins - the weird noise it makes as it passes overhead is because of the counter-rotating props passing through the wing wake and engine exhaust. Unlike most aircraft, it produces a Square Wave sound signature.
Click to expand...

That's probably part of the reason.

Teller1900 said:
Well, it's hard to say. I've never actually flown 135, so I can't really speak to that first hand. After four years in 121, I do still really like the 121 way of doing things, but it seems to get more restrictive every day. A lot of it comes down to the OpSpecs of the individual company, though.

I love the CRM aspect and the checklist discipline you get in the airlines. Everything should go the exact same way, every time, whether you've met the person you're sitting next to before or not. It's very technical flying, and I really like that. If you know your books, there's very little grey area; you can just go out, do your job, get your free USA Today and stale bagel, and go home.

On the flip side, things are now getting SO tightly regulated, a lot of PIC authority is being taken away. It used to be Captain says so, it is so. Not any more! It can be tough. There may be times that you know the answer, and if they (dispatch, gate agents, pax, etc) would just do as you say you'd get the mission done, but now everything is a committee decision, filled out in triplicate, so nothing happens until you've taken a massive delay or even cancellation.
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That part is interesting, and something that I doubt I'd enjoy. Being completely on the 91 side, there's never a question that I'm the final authority, and I make the schedule (even though it's influenced by others in most cases). Plus since I'm the boss, that makes it even better. There are always external pressures, but they're pretty easy to regulate. I do like good CRM when I have it in the appropriate situations, although these days I'm so used to my single-pilot 91 that when I have a second pilot around, it usually increases my workload in all but a few situations.

Ask me again in six months, we'll see.
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I will. :)
 
Well, let me join the party. Congratulations. You'll like Colorado. We enjoyed it when we were there 30 years ago. Don't let the 'snow' scare you, they get a lot of sun along the Front Range. Now, I will say that in the 4 years we lived there August was the only month we never saw snow. :D
 
Teller1900 said:
Actually, I'm just happy now to know y'all have Chipotle out there; that will make the move much easier! :D
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Chipotle was founded in Denver and the first restaurant is still there on Evans. :)

Teller1900 said:
I think that's why I'll like the 135 side so much. You get the technical flying, the orderly and systematic approach that you have to everything in 121, without quite as many rules and limitations. It seems to be a happy blend between 121 and the, by comparison, anything goes world of 91.

Ask me again in six months, we'll see.
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Since I came from the other direction with a fairly unstructured background in flying I thought 135 was pretty rigid. :D

I've flown with pilots who came from the airlines both voluntarily and involuntarily because of furlough. The things they have mentioned that very different are the fludity of the schedule and the contact with passengers. It's not that unusual to be asked to go to someplace you have never heard of ASAP. Judging from what I hear from fractional pilots in the FBO it's that way for them too.

I think fractionals on the whole are pretty structured, though. Other 135 and 91 companies run through the whole spectrum of working conditions so you can't say they are one way or another unless you are talking about an individual company. You can end up in a great 91 situation or an awful one.
 
Everskyward said:
Chipotle was founded in Denver and the first restaurant is still there on Evans. :)
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I was unaware. Chipotle on Evans it is! :cheerswine:

Everskyward said:
Since I came from the other direction with a fairly unstructured background in flying I thought 135 was pretty rigid. :D

I've flown with pilots who came from the airlines both voluntarily and involuntarily because of furlough. The things they have mentioned that very different are the fludity of the schedule and the contact with passengers. It's not that unusual to be asked to go to someplace you have never heard of ASAP. Judging from what I hear from fractional pilots in the FBO it's that way for them too.

I think fractionals on the whole are pretty structured, though. Other 135 and 91 companies run through the whole spectrum of working conditions so you can't say they are one way or another unless you are talking about an individual company. You can end up in a great 91 situation or an awful one.
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That's pretty much everything I was assuming. My only experience in 91 is rental/training, but the stories I've heard about the commercial side make it sound like a very inconsistent realm. 135 seems like there are enough controls in place to keep the really shady stuff from happening, while still allowing the crews to make their own decisions. I'm looking forward to a little more latitude in the operation (and seeing more than the same 8 airports over and over and over and...). I'd be quite interested to hear about your transition from 91 to 135 and see how it compares to my trek from the other side.
 
Teller1900 said:
I'd be quite interested to hear about your transition from 91 to 135 and see how it compares to my trek from the other side.
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In a nutshell, I spent about 15 years as a mapping pilot then had that middle-age crisis and decided to try another type of flying. I had learned in an ad-hoc way with no formal training. I had never even been to a groundschool until I sat down at King Air initial. I had never set foot in a turbine airplane either. Needless to say there was a whole lot of culture shock. I would tell people the only similarity between the two jobs was that they took place in an airplane. Of course now it's second nature to me as that was 11+ years ago.

Right now I'm assigned to an airplane under a management contract which we fly mostly for the company which owns it but also for occasional charter. That is the "Twin Cessna" everyone speaks of.
 
Teller1900 said:
Thanks Jason! I figure I might be seeing you around some various East coast FBOs now. Actually, we wondered around a Phenom 100 on the ramp at KSHD a couple weeks ago...wasn't yours, was it?
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I don't think so, but you never know. It's a pretty neat airplane though. Part 135 flying is really quite fun. Dispatch is even more exciting especially with scheduled and on demand trips like we run at work. It certainly keeps us all busy!! :goofy:
 
Teller1900 said:
I'm game! Actually, I'm just happy now to know y'all have Chipotle out there; that will make the move much easier! :D
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Dude! We have Chipotle #1 here! It started here.

So now you know that God intended you to live in Denver. LOL! :cornut:

Chipotle #1 still is the little hole in the wall that it started out as. They don't make a big deal of it being #1 at all. Not exactly "Corporate Flagship" material, I guess.

Fun to remember Chipotle when there was only one of them, though. 1993.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill#History

800px-University_of_Denver_campus_pics_107.jpg
 
For a while (prior to 9-11) I had jump-seat privileges (at captain's discretion) on a few 121's including AA and DL. I was flying and teaching G-V, both 91 and 135 at the time, so I got to see a fair sampling of many different operations and SOP's. The biggest difference between 121 and the others was the level of standardization. As Matt says, the crews were truly interchangeable parts, down to the way the FO strung the rubber bands on the knobs to hold the AFIS tapes.

OTOH, if you've seen one part 91 crew you've seen one part 91 crew. Sometimes the reasons for their deviations make sense, sometimes you wonder. One G-V crew had an exterior lights-off check-list call at 10k'. The G-V lights are automatic, so I wondered why their check list was different. Their answer was that they also had a G-3 in the fleet, and the crews flew both planes. They just figured it was easier to have one checklist, even if the G-V crew didn't need that call.

Ted DuPuis said:
That makes sense, part of having props in the back of the plane.



That doesn't seem all that fast. The Cheyenne spins its PT-6s at 2200 RPM for takeoff and 1900 RPM for cruise, and it's a surprisingly quiet airplane (by my standards flying the Aztec and 310). It's certainly quieter than the Piaggio, but it also has smaller props.



That's probably part of the reason.



That part is interesting, and something that I doubt I'd enjoy. Being completely on the 91 side, there's never a question that I'm the final authority, and I make the schedule (even though it's influenced by others in most cases). Plus since I'm the boss, that makes it even better. There are always external pressures, but they're pretty easy to regulate. I do like good CRM when I have it in the appropriate situations, although these days I'm so used to my single-pilot 91 that when I have a second pilot around, it usually increases my workload in all but a few situations.



I will. :)
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