Some might compare it to finishing a marathon that you've trained long and hard for, others might refer to it as a favorite book that you just finished. In either example I can see similarities to what happened to me yesterday as I finally got to fly the ultimate airplane so far in my humble career, a Twin Turbine Otter!
After some phonecalls and meetings I was introduced to some great pilots and business folks in southern Maine who are charged with piloting a Twin Otter up to 30 times a day for a busy skydiving dropzone. Understanding the desire for the coveted "twin turbine" time, a deal was struck wherein I was able to sit right seat and log some time in this venerable beast.
Understanding that in coming weeks I would meet with a Twin Otter expert and pour hours into the books on systems and such, I was first introduced to the plane by a through preflight/walkaround by the chief pilot. As many of you know, the Twin Otter is capable of VERY rough and short field operations. Walking up to it, the onlooker quickly realizes this bird is built for TOUGH conditions. It's fixed gear are bulky and there's plenty of ground clearance between the belly and the props and the rough ground these planes fly from. You'd better have had a good breakfast and wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty in this operation, as moving carts, stairways, fuel hoses and such is just part of the routine for these folks. As a jumplane pilot you also fill the role of mechanics, public relations officer, and meteorologists. These folks do more than just hitting the books and memorizing checklists; they're poets of the sky, and sensing winds aloft is their calling. Make a mistake about where to let the jumpers out, and they could end up in the "bushes" (at best!)
Leaving the "where to open the door" to the experts, I did my best to keep up with the flowpatterns of starting, takeoff, climbout, level off and the STEEP descent and landing. At 90 gallons an hour, every minute counts. One extra minute a trip adds up to twenty minutes a day, and that could mean one less load for that day (which adds up to thousands of dollars). Climbing into the copilot door (again make sure you've eaten and are stretched out) and adjusting the rudder pedals, one quickly realizes they're in a whole new world up here. Power levers and most switches are above the pilots' heads and with the 20 skydivers almost completely loaded in, we begin the quick starting process. External cart attached the volts read 28 and we begin the starter-generator, once at 16% Ng fuel is introduced and the PT6A-27 comes to life (what a cool sound!) Temps all looking good the procedure is repeated for that second engine and with generators coming online we start to inch forward.
I can hear the cheers and hollers from the back benches as we release the brakes. Quickly looking back I can tell our passengers are as excited as I am to launch. With small movements on the tiller wheel (the nosewheel is steered VERY carefully by hydraulic pressure) we roll forward onto the narrow strip of pavement and throttle up to takeoff power. In no time the Otter is nosehigh and climbing out at 80 Kts. Flaps up after we're over the trees and away we go!
We call Portland Appch to let them know where we are, and then it's a rapid spiral climb up to 14,000 feet. The props are set at 90% and the power inched up as we climb to maintain 48 lbs torque. In hot temps the climb is limited by temps rather than torque, but not today. It's a cool crisp fall day and the winds are light so we're able to pretty much spiral up right over the airport, avoiding a few puffy cumulus on the way up. I can feel myself shaking with excitement as I pop my ears and grow more accustomed to the hum of those powerful Pratt and Whitneys. I think my excitement is coming from a couple of sources. First, I've never flown a turbine before, and for the most part, it aint all that different from the pistons. The guages are different, and it climbs a lot faster, but in the end, the ailerons and rudders are all the same. It's my job to put the plane where I want it...period. Secondly, I'm tingling knowing that soon (another thousand feet to be exact) our passengers are going to depart on the ride of their lives! A few of them are first time jumpers as was I a month before, as I jumped out of this very airplane strapped to a tandem diver. Words can't begin to describe this experience, and if you're looking for a way to "revive" yourself (as I was, turning 40), DO IT! Assuming all goes well (they're VERY safety conscious) you won't regret it!
Leveling off at 14,000 feet, we give Portland Approach a call notifying them "One minute til jumpers away". With the help of a Garmin and an amber light switch, the cargo door goes up, the cabin becomes a little windy and people start to prepare for their exit. Over the drop zone the power levers come back to 20 lbs torque and "ADIOS"- our passengers start their exit! Once the last ones depart, it's a further power reduction and dramatic nose down pitch attitude and steep turn to get back to the field. Pitch and trim down for 140 kts (couldn't do this in a piston powered plane without the risk of shock cooling) and away we go. In no time we're base to final and putting props into low pitch high rpms, reducing power and adding flaps. Touching down on the far end of the runway we barely even need beta props as the airplane slows down. We've actually even beat the last jumpers to the ground. That was a QUICK descent (this isn't a good idea if you've any sinus congestion!) After engines are shut down we add some fuel to the tanks (400 lbs each tank max) and it's back up again with another load.
I can't tell you how much I was smiling last night as I flew home in the single engine plane that had taken me down there for the day. I have long dreamed of flying a plane like that, and although I had a LOT of help today, and I've a LOT of studying and humbling situations to go through to gain the level of proficiency I saw today, I've no doubt I can do it. I am grateful to the folks at SNE who gave me the opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams, to myself for trying something new and scary-knowing that this is how life rewards us sometimes, and of course for all those folks who believed that we could fly and invented these awesome birds that allow us to touch the clouds!
