Merlin Metro Driver

[jerrywhite7]

Hey I thought I'd start a new thread here. I am a new Merlin Driver FO (less than 100 hours in type) and would love any tricks to the trade of drivig a Merlin Metroliner.

I also thought this would be a nice little place to post a few pictures and blog from time to time for folks thinking of getting into corporate aviation and what that "first job" might look like.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by jerrywhite7

Hey I thought I'd start a new thread here. I am a new Merlin Driver FO (less than 100 hours in type) and would love any tricks to the trade of drivig a Merlin Metroliner.

I also thought this would be a nice little place to post a few pictures and blog from time to time for folks thinking of getting into corporate aviation and what that "first job" might look like.

What model you flying?

[jerrywhite7]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

What model you flying?

SA-226 dash 10's

[minitour]

Push the black ones forward. Leave the red ones alone.

-mini

[jerrywhite7]

So the way it is working in the Corporate world this week, is that Friday (09/11/2009) we learned that we have a trip starting Monday the next week. They called and told us they have a meeting on Tuesday morning in Athens, GA so they would like to leave Austin "after work" on Monday. Then the bosses mentioned that we would then go to South Carolina maybe on Tuesday or Wednesday, then since we are out in the East Cost area, might as well hit Pittsburg, New Jersey and maybe a few other stops.
So am I going to be gone for a week on this trip or only three days?? Who knows? We also dont know if we are going to have 2 passengers or 6? (the plane can carry 13). So fuel stops or the amount of fuel for our first leg is still up in the air. We also are trying to make hotel arrangements for the next week as well as rental car arragements . .but at this point we dont have very much information.

So the key to Corporate flying (at least our type) is to be flexible. We are the flight department! We are dispatch! We are the travel agent (at least for the capt and myself ..so we make our own reservations.)

Good times .. . should be fun.
This is yet another reason why you learn so much about truly being PIC on these flights when in a small corporate flight department.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by minitour

Push the black ones forward. Leave the red ones alone.

-mini

But one is silver daddy?

[minitour]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

But one is silver daddy?

It has props too!??!?

Oh teh noez!!!

-mini

[spbrian]

When you turn off the AWI, you didn't just flame out both engines even though it seems like it.. If the nose strut is fully extended, your probably too tail heavy, touchdown with about 15% torque anywhere from ref to ref -10, slower than ref -10 no bueno bad bad bad bad. The reason for ref speeds, tail strikes!

Think before pulling, pushing, or switching any switch button or lever...

[KLB]

Originally Posted by spbrian

Think before pulling, pushing, or switching any switch button or lever...

This is probably one of the best pieces of advice you can have about the metro! A lot of the switches looks very similar and doing the wrong thing to one of them can lead to very bad situations!

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Originally Posted by jerrywhite7

So the way it is working in the Corporate world this week, is that Friday (09/11/2009) we learned that we have a trip starting Monday the next week. They called and told us they have a meeting on Tuesday morning in Athens, GA so they would like to leave Austin "after work" on Monday. Then the bosses mentioned that we would then go to South Carolina maybe on Tuesday or Wednesday, then since we are out in the East Cost area, might as well hit Pittsburg, New Jersey and maybe a few other stops.
So am I going to be gone for a week on this trip or only three days?? Who knows? We also dont know if we are going to have 2 passengers or 6? (the plane can carry 13). So fuel stops or the amount of fuel for our first leg is still up in the air. We also are trying to make hotel arrangements for the next week as well as rental car arragements . .but at this point we dont have very much information.

So the key to Corporate flying (at least our type) is to be flexible. We are the flight department! We are dispatch! We are the travel agent (at least for the capt and myself ..so we make our own reservations.)

Good times .. . should be fun.
This is yet another reason why you learn so much about truly being PIC on these flights when in a small corporate flight department.

Easy enough on a domestic business trip, but make it an international vacation trip. Updating customs and eAPIS because they keep adding friends to the trip is 75% of the routine.

[wjmiller3]

Originally Posted by KLB

This is probably one of the best pieces of advice you can have about the metro! A lot of the switches looks very similar and doing the wrong thing to one of them can lead to very bad situations!

I was leaving HDN and leaned over to turn off bleeds and got one of them off, and instead of getting the other I switched the cabin dump.... Didn't realize it till I was in the air and turning bleeds back on.

[KLB]

Originally Posted by wjmiller3

I was leaving HDN and leaned over to turn off bleeds and got one of them off, and instead of getting the other I switched the cabin dump.... Didn't realize it till I was in the air and turning bleeds back on.

Yep it can be sort of a death trap. The ice protection system switches is the ones that I pay very close attention to along with the ignition switches. I've just felt for those switches without looking and accidentally switched the speed switches instead! It doesn't really do anything until you're wondering why either engines aren't starting on the next leg!

[jerrywhite7]

Originally Posted by spbrian

Think before pulling, pushing, or switching any switch button or lever...

bunch of good quotes on this thread so far! Honestly, thank you!
And tail striking, yep . . . that is how I got the job. . . the old FO tail struck with the main owner on board at an outpost airport! yeah, that pretty much ended it for him. I try to come in a bit low, with some power and flat! No tail strike when that happens. . . . Just a different sight picture that flying a light single.

[N8389P]

its like flying a 152!

[minitour]

Originally Posted by jerrywhite7

I try to come in a bit low...

That's probably not a great idea in any airplane.

Today half a dot, tomorrow two dots, next day *smack*.

-mini

[gomntwins]

Originally Posted by spbrian

When you turn off the AWI, you didn't just flame out both engines even though it seems like it.. If the nose strut is fully extended, your probably too tail heavy, touchdown with about 15% torque anywhere from ref to ref -10, slower than ref -10 no bueno bad bad bad bad. The reason for ref speeds, tail strikes!

Think before pulling, pushing, or switching any switch button or lever...

I've got thousands of hours in Metro's and would disagree with the landing with 15% torque. I land it flight idle for every landing. It takes time to learn the tricks to doing it, but landing at 15% generally leads to fast touchdown or eating up a lot of runway in the Metro. I've never had a tailstrike or even felt close to having one.

The nose strut comment: it all depends, if you have a few hundred pounds in the tail it will be well within CG but can fully extend the nose strut. If you're at max gross and the strut is extended, then you probably have an issue.

I'll agree to take your time when hitting any switches. Climb out of ice as soon as possible. They don't climb well at all in ice, however, they will haul plenty if you need them to. Just don't get in that habit.

To the people that think they're extremely difficult all I'll say is, the learning curve is steep, but once you get the hang of flying it, it's not bad. I can almost guarantee you'll see some of those annunciator lights in flight (some of the yellows... and maybe a wing overheat-- wing overheats are common problems on the metro), but the emergencies are usually pretty straightforward and uneventful.

Granted, I fly the sa-227 so the 226 may be a bit different.

[jerrywhite7]

did my first landing tonight in the Metro .. . I was noticing how much power I had in . . . was I a little above flight Idel when I landed . . . (120KIAS at the gate . . . about 115 during the flare).

my worst part was stupid PVT pilot crap and that was keeping it on the centerline during the turn to final, during the approach, landing, flare, and after landing roll!!! REALLY?? I mean, didnt I learn to land a long time ago . . . didnt I TEACH folks to land!?!?!?!? CRAP!!! Not good! (sorry, I'm beating my self up here!)

My capt calls them "fish hooks" basicly anytime you overshoot a turn or go over and below an alitude in which you must "go back" to where you were to correct for the mistake. So LOTS of "fish hooks" during my landings!
Passengers dont like this! Capt dont like this! New FO's dont like this!!!

Anyway, got a nice upgrade suite for free tonight, and we are heading to "some where" tomorrow. Boss says he'll let us know . . . we dropped two PAX off in Athens, GA then we headed over to Dalton, GA. We'll either go to Pittsburg, South Carolina, or back home . . . or canada or somewhere!

Thanks all you Merlin drivers out there. . . you guys are great! you are really helping me out here!

[mjg407]

I guess if we pick up the Merlin, I'll need to be paying attention on this thread.

[jerrywhite7]

So we were about to head home from GA today (back to Austin). Flight plan filed, airplane fueled up, coffee on for the long trip and even the potty changed out (by yours truly of course!) The boss called on the way to the plane (we were finishing lunch) and told us, "let's head home! Pick up two passengers and lets go to Austin."

By the time he got to the airport he (the boss) walks up to me, and says. . . "let's go North!" and that was that. . . Philly here we come! So quick change of flight plan, review the WX, make sure the fuel is good to go. . . and away we go!
I ended up flying the entire leg by hand ( no autopilot for the NG . . . by the way, NG is for New Guy. . . I'm not even an FO yet!). Most of the flight (about a 2.5 hour flight) was in the clouds, so it was good times to hand fly the merlin via instruments and brush up on my scan!

Clouds cleared by the time we got into the DC area and I snapped a quick shot of the Delaware River.

By the way, my capt and I talked during lunch, and he says my flying is great, but we need to work on the landings! And since all good landings MUST have a good approach, I am going to be doing all the approaches from now on (same type of things I teach my students).
So let's see how it goes . . . I hate the fact that I am not dead nuts on . . . put me in a small plane and I fly really well! In the Merlin, it is werid but I make studid student mistakes! My capt should not have to be my flight instructor!
I have always been an "average" pilot. . . no chuck yeager here . . . However, I will be honest, because I hope that a person moving up the ranks might be inspired that sometimes pilots do have Bad days or weeks or have a hard time getting something, but they CAN and will Prevail!

[AP2B]

Sounds like a good Captain you have there. Great reads too man, keep it up!

[jerrywhite7]

really do have a great capt. . . I'm blessed to have this guy!

update day 3 on this trip. . .
Woke up in philly to an overcast adn drizzly day. We were told to pick up our PAX (boss) at an airport about 15 min flight (45 miles or so) away at 1:30pm. So we decided to meet for a "brunch" at an I-Hop, then head to the airport be airborn by 12:00 then at the airport at 12:30-45.
During brunch capt got a phone call from the main office telling us to move things up by 1 hour. So we quickly scarfed down our meals and headed to the airport.

Go to the plane, during pre-flight noticed that one of the mains were low and needed to be serviced. So a quick service and some fuel and we were airborn. I flew the entire leg, landed. Actually not a bad landing! The whole flight was in the soup, and of course the NG doesnt get to use the Auto-pilot.
We landed. . . just before noon, checked into the FBO, and gave them our fuel numbers. (we were told that we "might" be going to Allegheny County Airport AGC outside of pittsburg). I checked my phone and got the FLIGHTAWARE flight plan that came through.
Easy enough, one vor then direct to AGC. So I waited around untill about 12:45 (still no boss!) Then went to the plane, got the handheld, got the local WX and called up clearance. WELL BOY OH BOY! they came back with the longest flight plan for a small jog ever!!! So after copying it down and verify it (twice) I headed back to the FBO to tell the capt.

I was met halfway down the ramp with the Boss walking towards the plane. And say. . "change of plans!" He really loves doing this!!

luckly, it was not a big change, just going to an airport about 25miles to the north of were we had planed, outside of pittsburg. Capt told me we'd just change our destination in the air once we got outside the busier airspace. (smart!!)

I had the take off, had a great case of the leans in the soup!! WOW!!! flew it for about 45 mins, then we let "george" takeover.
Landed, cleaned the plane, windows, spinners and other bug splatter.
Dont know when we are taking off, and where we are going tommorrow . .we think we are leaving around 7am, but we are not sure. . .

Looks like we are going to head back home to TX tommorrow, but not sure about stops or anything else. . .

ah. . good times. . . Hey, but I'm building lots of experience and time on this trip, so I'm happy!
By the way, hotel tonight has a large whirlpool in the room (not bathroom, but room)! very nice. . took a long "whirlpool soak". I will not mention it to the wife, who when I called, had kids crying in the background!!!

[KLB]

Well it's like you making it along pretty well. Don't worry about the overshoot on the approaches to landing. You're just flying at faster speeds than you're accustomed to and a little behind the curve. Heck, I still overshoot a little bit sometimes. I'm usually just beginning to slow from barber poll at that point in most cases though.

[jerrywhite7]

Originally Posted by KLB

Well it's like you making it along pretty well. Don't worry about the overshoot on the approaches to landing. You're just flying at faster speeds than you're accustomed to and a little behind the curve. Heck, I still overshoot a little bit sometimes. I'm usually just beginning to slow from barber poll at that point in most cases though.

Thanks for the encouragment!!! Good stuff!

[jerrywhite7]

Ended up finishing the trip via KLIT (Little Rock, AR) then home KGTU (georgetown, tx outside of Aus).
I shot the ILS into LIT (ok, so Melins go faster than cessna's!!! When the needle starts moving, you better be on top of it!!! Just FYI)

Took off after geting some fuel, and 1.5 later, we shot the GPS into GTU and we were back on the ground.

Comming into Central Texas is fun, becasue as we got closer to the other local GA airports, I heard several of my buddies on the radios shooting approaches with students. And of course when we are at our local airport, it is nice to see my buddies at the flight school as we taxi by them.
It is fun! It is neat to taxi by the ramp and see the airplanes that I used to fly, the airplane I soloed in, got my PVT in, instrument in, my multi in and all the aircraft that I used to fly as a CFI setting there on the ramp.

Afterwards the capt and I had our traditional "what-a-burger" debrief. He talked about the overall trip, where I am, and how I'm doing. He told me that is is happy on my progression and that it took him 8 months to get used to flying the metro (and he was flying 8 hours a day for the regionals).

Plane is about to go into the shop middle next week to put in a G600 (capts side) an autopilot heading bug, and I get my capt'ns old altimeter on my side!!!

Good times!

[AP2B]

Sweet! Congrats on the altimeter.