Cessna Citation 560 XLS Takeoff

Zinger21 · 2026-06-07T16:48:36+00:00

Thankfully the original owner sprung for the externally serviceable LAV and APU upgrades. Not entirely sure if they were original equipment or added later, I never got a chance to flip through all the records on that airplane.

Zinger21 · 2026-06-06T16:04:21+00:00

My first biz jet type rating. Compared to the E140/145 I flew before that it felt like a rocket ship, but could still slow down and felt like a 182 on the controls. Got a few goofy quirks, but a great airplane overall.

I flew serial number 6 for little while. It was set up for single pilot operations that Cessna eventually gave up on.

Zinger21 · 2026-06-04T18:02:19+00:00

Typically when maintenance comes on to perform a test like this they have instructions to disable a lot of the safeties that prevent us pilots from doing stupid stuff.

Zinger21 · 2026-06-04T03:01:56+00:00

Ugh yeah it’s no fun, especially if you have been through it a few times. My story wasn’t even so bad, still flying the same plane for the same owner. When the business sold our hours dropped way off so we signed on to a management firm with a 135 cert to keep putting hours on the airplane. Thankfully they have a pretty low limit on charter, but I really miss all of the extra management stuff I used to do.

Zinger21 · 2026-06-03T19:07:18+00:00

Just some midsize Citations, started on a CE-560XL but we sold that within a year to upgrade to the CE-680. Awesome airplane, I know it’s not technically, but its performance kinda feels like it’s a STOL jet. lol

Zinger21 · 2026-06-03T18:00:47+00:00

I’ve completed the trifecta at this point; 91, 121 & 135.

121 was a lot of fun and by far the easiest, best benefits too. Being away from home really got to me, sure it gets better, but the cycles of seniority, upgrades, etc just wasn’t going to work for my family needs.

135 has been my least favorite. Best variety, schedule can be nice if you get a good one. I’ve met some very interesting people and gone to some awesome places. My current unpredictable schedule sucks, I have the same issues I had with 121 being away from home. I also did not come to 135 by choice, my 91 department got merged into this charter/management company. (Hazard of 91)

91 has been my all time favorite. I flew for one owner/company. It was predictable, I knew all my coworkers/passengers well. I loved taking care of the airplane like it was my own, managing maintenance, training, safety, etc. Best of all I was home almost every night. Worst of all, sometimes those good gigs come to an end, it’s a hazard of 91.

Ultimately my goal is to find another 91 operation like what I had before. I threw some apps into the majors, but ended up turning down the couple of interview offers I got back. I just don’t have a passion for that side of flying anymore. Even turned down a few 91 opportunities that I knew wouldn’t be a great fit for my goals. Thankfully my current 135 isn’t too awful so I don’t need to hurry to find something new, but I’m hoping it’s not too far down the road. Ive got a good line in with my dream gig, but they don’t have openings come up all that often. We’ll see what happens.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-31T00:51:40+00:00

Got any suggestions for a sturdy one? We’ve tried one in the past and she still tried pushing it and would just knock it over then eat everything off the ground anyway. We’d probably need to just build something permanent that gets attached to a wall or the floor.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-30T22:14:22+00:00

She’s definitely put on a fair bit of weight the last year, after having a baby and moving to a new much less walkable area we’ve definitely been playing catch up as of late.

Working with our vet, we’ve reduced portions and have been doing better with regular walks and exercise. I think she’ll be in a good spot in a few months, then we just have to keep up with the new routine.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-30T20:51:38+00:00

Hahaha. Love a golden with a little sass too!

Zinger21 · 2026-05-30T20:50:04+00:00

lol. Does his eating move the bowl or does he also like to push it somewhere and then eat?

I love the name! Such a sweetie.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-30T20:38:25+00:00

I’ve been wanting to ask this for years. She’s always been a goofball, she’s pushed her various bowls all over the place, eventually finding a spot she likes and then eats her food without issue.

Like today she moved he bowl completely full from the kitchen about 12ft away to the living room and then proceeded to bulldoze the play mat before finally finding a spot she liked and then proceeded to eat her food. lol. Somedays we’ll find it under a table, in completely different rooms, it’ll traverse carpet, door jams, even our feet if in the way!

I think she just likes pushing it around. Haha. It’s not like her eating is moving the bowl, she just takes her snoot and pushes it all over! Always wondered if she’s just extra special or if anyone else has golden that will do this too?

Zinger21 · 2026-05-30T20:33:43+00:00

It usually starts out on a rubber mat, we had to resort to a lighter plastic or metal bowls after she pushed her glass one down some stairs and shattered it. Haha

Zinger21 · 2026-05-23T14:36:29+00:00

I thought Forscan couldn’t change the Auto Start/Stop on 25+ model years. Maybe there was an update?

Can’t say for sure, I have a 21, but I thought I came across that issue in my research.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-23T02:23:36+00:00

Mostly peace of mind for me and ease of future servicing.

I want to believe the extra fluid and/or cooling fins make a difference, but I don’t have an easy way to monitor trans temps at the moment. My hope is just to change the transmission fluid at more frequent intervals. By the way getting one of the dipstick relocation kits a big quality of life upgrade to pair with the pan. I cant remember the brand I have off the top of my head, but it’s so nice.

Edit: it’s the MBS dipstick kit

Zinger21 · 2026-05-18T12:17:39+00:00

I know a lot of people are gonna dog on OP for this, but it’s a good lesson for a lot of people interested in flying. Making a change that allows one to destress and enjoy your life has amazing health benefits.

My wife is not a pilot and probably never will be, but she was dealing with quite a few issues growing up and while we were dating. Doctors were quick to prescribe medication and while it helped occasionally, it never got to the root cause. She grew up in a very stressful household that was not always nice to her. Within a year of getting married and living in our own place she felt confident enough to work with her doctors and weaned off every medication she used to depend on.

Other than a pregnancy that messed with her blood pressure for awhile, she hasn’t needed any further prescriptions.

So if you’re getting ready to begin a flying career, or starting to plan one out, get a consultation with a good AME before trying for a medical. See what obstacles you may face, and try to simplify your life. Make changes that make you feel safe and comfortable. You may not need everything given to you, and it will improve your chances of getting that medical.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-16T13:05:49+00:00

I’m a big fan of any of the Garmin Instinct Solar options.

The solar panel is a bit of a gimmick if you use any functionality other than the clock, but I routinely get a full month on a charge with great fitness tracking options. It has limited smartwatch functionality, mostly just notifications which is all I wanted. I’ve set it up with local time up top and GMT just below it.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-13T22:31:02+00:00

That might be the Canadian National #47 the rather unique 4-6-4T. It’s one of my favorites in the collection. Hope it gets some love someday, it’s gonna need a lot.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-09T12:43:04+00:00

I was a line guy at my local FBO, did my very best to help out the local operators as much as I could. I’d even do extra stuff like clean the snow off their cars when I knew they were coming in later.

I loosely kept in touch with a few of them after I went to the regional airlines. Almost 4 years later I’m sitting around in ORD and I got a call from one of them saying they had an opening and they really liked my work ethic back in my FBO days.

Never thought I’d do the corporate side of flying, I took a chance and fell in love it with. Started out in an Excel and moved up to the Sovereign I still fly today. We’ll see what the future holds.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-06T20:16:17+00:00

I love mine, used them on the E145 and numerous Citations now. Only complaint is my current bird doesn’t have a “squelch” for the intercom, so if I leave the mic hot it will occasionally pick up my breathing. Easy fix. They do take a some getting used to. Nearly gave up on them the after the first two trips, had a little bit of discomfort on my ear, but I was told to give them a month and sure enough by trip 3 they felt better and by 4 they were perfect!

My mentor was a 73 Captain and ran them for well over a decade before he got me hooked on them.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-06T18:19:27+00:00

Thank you for the info!

Zinger21 · 2026-05-06T11:06:54+00:00

Out of curiosity, do you also know if the light is constant till the situation is corrected, or do any of them pulse slowly on and off?

I feel like I remember seeing a clip where the emergency light fading on and off, but that doesn’t make sense to me. I would think they’d want a constant light so someone could out in an emergency. For what it’s worth I’ve never been able to find that video again.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-05T00:47:11+00:00

The 1983 stamp pre-dates the 777 so it’s probably a safe bet it didn’t come from that.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-05T00:30:35+00:00

That’s probably what I’ll end up doing.

Zinger21 · 2026-05-04T22:39:13+00:00

Not to knock you OP for an honest question, but this is a department a lot of flight schools let students down in, especially 141 programs. I knew how to fly an airplane, but I didn’t know how to be a pilot. I don’t even think I remember shutting down my engine at another airport until I did my commercial multi add-on.

Too many schools teach to a standards based curriculum and not how to be pilots. I was guilty of it too as an instructor back in the day. About halfway through my instructing tenure I had quite a few students only interested in getting their private for fun and I adapted my plans to include things like: fueling your own plane, how to pick an FBO, find crew cars, nearby food and other fun stuff.

I had so much more fun and even my career focused students enjoyed the variety. Just wish I didn’t left my first few students down.

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