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Learn to Fly Private
Welcome to the 29th edition of "Learn to Fly Private." Today is a highly anticipated newsletter. We're putting turboprops up against light jets, and have selected 3 aircraft with a purchase price of ~$5m
The aircraft are: the Pilatus PC-12 NG, the Beechcraft King Air 350i, and the Cessna Citation CJ3. Here's some sample prices around the $5m mark (negotiate them down!):
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As a reminder! If you are deciding between a turboprop or a jet, you can get a free 15 minute call with meusing this link. Totally free, and most people say they find it useful.
Now let's dig in...
The Long Awaited: Turboprop vs. Light Jet Debate
Whether you're thinking about purchasing or chartering, you've likely asked yourself the question "what's the difference between a light jet and a turboprop?"
Those who fly Wheels Up are very familiar with the King Air 350i. The PC-12 is also a popular charter/membership aircraft being flown by Surf Air on the West Coast and PlaneSense nationally. The CJ3 is also a popular light jet flown by smaller operators in most major cities. There are definitely differences between all three, but we're going to find how much different.
Buckle your seatbelts because this is going to be a longer deep dive, but I hope that you'll find it useful.
All operating and cost data comes from Conklin and DeDecker (use code "flyingmag" to save 10% if you want to poke around yourself).
Meet Your Contestants
Cessna Citation CJ3
The Cessna Citation CJ3 was produced between 2004 and 2014. It has since been replaced by the CJ3+ and most recently, the CJ3 Gen2 There are 398 CJ3's in service and they're powered by two Williams FJ44-3A engines. Cousins include the CJ1, CJ2, and CJ4. It does pass the "Bathroom Check" with a lav located in the rear. The CJ3 shares a type rating with other Citation Jets, meaning pilots can move throughout them without additional type ratings. It is certified for single pilot operation, but many operators choose two pilots for safety.
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Produced from 2010-2020, the Beechcraft King Air 350i is most widely known for "Wheels Up" flying in pickers for College Gameday. The King Air has many variations, including the King Air 90, King Air 200, and newest King Air 360, with the roots from the Twin Bonanza of 1951. It is powered by two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-60A engines. There are 162 in service, and all pass the "Bathroom Check" with a lav at the rear. The King Air 350i is certified single pilot, but because of the complexity of flying it is most often flown with two pilots.
Programming note: I know many wanted to see the Piaggio here. It is a pusher model, but with maintenance being such a big issue I didn't include it in this comparison. I'll add to a future issue.
Pilatus PC-12 NG
The PC-12 NG was the variation produced from 2008-2020, replacing the PC-12/45 and PC12/47 and was evolved from an originally freight oriented design. The PC-12 NG is powered by a single PT6A-67P engine and has 411 currently in service worldwide. A unique feature of the PC-12 is a standard rear cargo door. The newest version of the airframe is the PC12-NGX. It passes the bathroom check, with a lav located behind the cockpit at the front of the aircraft. Not ideal.
The Interior: Passenger Count and Interior Dimensions
We are not going to count the potential co-pilot seat in any of these scenarios. These images are not to scale
Citation CJ3 Interior
CJ3 Interior: 6 seats + 1 Optional Divan
Seats: Standard is 6 seats, a 4 place club with two forward facing. There is an optional 7th seat in a single divan or a belted lav.
Dimensions: 4.83ft wide x 4.75ft tall x 15.67ft long
Volume: 286 cubic feet
King Air 350i Interior
King Air 350i Interior: 8 Seats
Seats: 8 seats in a double club configuration
Dimensions: 4.5ft wide x 4.8ft tall x 19.5ft long
Volume: 344 cubic feet
Pilatus PC-12 NG Interior
Pilatus PC-12 NG Interior: 6 Executive Seats Shown
Seats: 6-8 depending on configuration. 4 club seats up front and up to 4 forward facing behind that.
Dimensions: 5ft wide x 4.83ft tall x 16.92ft long
Volume: 356 cubic feet
Side By Side Comparisons
It looks like from an interior standpoint, the turboprops both win in seating capacity and all dimension categories.
The Forgotten Metric: Interior Cabin Altitude
Here is something I bet you don't think about often. What does the altitude feel like when I'm at cruising altitude? In an older airliner, the answer is around 8,000 feet. Which means inside, it feels like you're at 8,000 feet above sea level (i.e., Aspen, Colorado.) Here's the cabin altitudes at maximum certified altitude. You won't necessarily be traveling up there often, but if you do.
CJ3: 8,000ft King Air 350i: 10,150 ft (Leadville, Colorado) PC-12 NG: 10,000 ft
Range: How far can we go?
Both turboprops and light jets have to make a tradeoff between range and weight. If you pack the aircraft full of people or stuff, the maximum range decreases because you cannot take full fuel. More simply put, range is a function of fuel+passengers or payload. The other factor is how fast you go will determine fuel burn. We'll show both (who likes to go slow?)
When you see brochures, the range assumes four passengers at long-range cruise (economic mode) with enough IFR fuel reserves to be able to safely land at the destination.
In honor of my friend Chris Powers who had me on his podcast last week, we're going to leave from Fort Worth/Meacham International Airport.
Assuming Long-Range Cruise Speeds
As you can see, at long-range cruise speeds from Fort Worth, al three aircraft have very similar ranges and can get you most anywhere in the lower 48.
Assuming Max Cruise Speed
If you've got a need for speed, that range decreases a bit, especially in the King Air 350i (shown in red). Still a very solid range from the middle of the country. The CJ3 wins just slightly over the PC-12 on range at maximum cruise speed.
A quick compare here "with seats full." At long-range cruise speeds and all the seats full, how far could you go.
A Side Note: Maximum Altitude
Maximum altitude has to do with how high you can get. This is especially useful to avoid weather by going over the top of it. CJ3 Maximum Altitude: 45,000 ft. King Air 350i: 35,000 ft. PC-12 NG: 30,000 ft.
How does this effect range? Remember, "can't go over it, gotta go around it!"
Speed: How fast are we going to get there?
Remember, everything in aviation is measured in hours. The faster the aircraft, the fewer hours in the air. We're going to get to cost, but the speed effects cost. $500 an hour and takes 2 hours to get there, or $1,000 an hour and takes 1 hour, both costs $1,000.
Speeds by Aircraft
Knots vs. MPH and statute miles vs. nautical miles is always a snag for people. 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour. At 404kts, assuming no winds, is 404 nautical miles per hour. Fort Worth to Miami, Florida is around 1,000 nautical miles.
Which means at normal cruise, the CJ3 gets there in 2:30, the King Air in 3:14, and the PC-12 in 3:45.
Hmm...
But Preston, what is this gonna cost me?
Now we're to the point you might have been waiting for (or regretting?)
Fixed Costs: Gotta Pay 'Em
As a reminder, this data is for illustration purposes only and some market factors could change this up. We're also assuming two pilots for both the CJ3 and King Air 350i and a single pilot for the PC-12 NG. The PC-12 NG also does not require a type rating, so the pilot will likely cost less on an annualized basis. A CJ type rating costs between $12,000 and $35,000 depending on the aircraft according to this reddit post.
Fixed Costs: Credit, Conklin and DeDecker
Variable Costs: How Much You Fly
Cost per hour on a variable is where the PC 12 shines, as it has only one engine. Half ish the fuel, half ish the maintenance, half ish the engine reserves.
For what its worth, I have a few anonymous subscribers that would argue that their CJ3 is closer to $2200 per hour for direct operating costs, and I have some who estimate their PC-12 operating costs closer to $800-$900 per hour. I don't know many King Air 350i fliers, but I would imagine that number to have variance as well.
Total Annual Cost with Market Depreciation, 400 Hours Per Year
Bonus depreciation is a great tax tool. Real depreciation is a cost when you go to sell it. Savvy owners will at least back-of-the napkin math it.
An interesting metric to look at is the "Per Nautical Mile" rate assuming 400 hours per year. This includes the speed factor in the calculation.
Little added math...
Oh yeah, assuming a $2500 an hour charter rate on a PC-12, you would have to charter 406.15 hours to cover before you got on the airplane. That's assuming you get to keep all $2500, which is generous. We calculated here a much lower per hour charter revenue on a CJ3. This is more proof that you can't house hack a jet.
So what's the best deal?
There are more factors that come into play here, including maintenance, availability of pilots, and other market factors. Which one you select will depend on your mission. If you're taking more than 6 people often, you should strongly consider a King Air. If you're conscious of hourly cost and want a true single-pilot aircraft, the Pilatus PC-12 may be the right option for you. If you want to tell people "my jet," the CJ3 is the only option for you. Or, if you want to go over weather or get there fast, the CJ3 is right for you.
I hope that this shows that a turboprop is a viable option for many missions, and might just fit your mission profile. If you're thinking about buying, charter all three of these options at some point and see what you like.