Flight Test; Cessna Citation Sovereign

My first impression of the Cessna Sovereign as Captain Doug Uridel, First Officer Hanna Fares and I walked out onto the tarmac amidst the other various business jets was one of sturdy elegance. 

We begin the walkaround and Doug points out that the low set wing has a long, thick chord but is faired into the fuselage to offer nicely blended lines.  Main landing gear is the hinged, trailing link design suitable for more rugged airstrips and the nose gear is equipped with dual wheels and placed well forward. 

On the underside of the fuselage below the engines, there is a large external baggage area capable of handling larger items like skis – an attribute that snow enthusiasts will particularly enjoy.  The aircraft boasts large sized cockpit windows allowing good visibility in all directions from the flight deck.  Pre-flight inspection is carried out with the aid of a small step ladder to reach the two rear mounted Pratt and Whitney Canada PW306C engines, and once the gear pins and covers are stowed we are ready to begin our flight.

Entering the cabin of the Sovereign you immediately notice the spaciousness.  Our aircraft, N6691S, is laid out in 8 place club seating with the lavatory at the rear of the cabin and seating for an attendant by the door.  The interior is comfortably appointed and in particular the relatively high ceiling creates a feeling of room to breathe.  The door is equipped with an inflatable seal, and once it is activated the cabin noise level is very low.  There I no doubt that this will be a very nice setting for work or a restful environment for the boss or clients!

My previous business jet was the Lear 35, and entering the cockpit of the Sovereign I was struck by how far cockpit design, layout and equipment have come.  The Sovereign is equipped with Honeywell Epic Avionics, and a lot of thought and planning have been employed.  The primary flight displays are large, easy to see and interpret.  The engines have FADEC control and as opposed to round gauges have bar indicators and are comfortable to use. 

The multi-function displays are controlled by two universal ball cursor control selectors located on the aisle side of either pilot’s chair, and have the option to display e-charts which makes life easier once you get used to them!  Also, the aircraft has a crew alert system to annunciate non-normals or errant selections, and push button commonality for switch selection.  Overall, I found the systems and displays easy to read and use.  After a quick brief from the crew and one flight in the aircraft I felt familiar and comfortable with the cockpit and equipment. 

Cessna Citation Sovereign

It’s time to go flying. We obtain clearance from Dubai tower and engine start is very straight forward; engage the starter, wait for the minimum rotor speed then thrust lever over the detent to idle and let the fadec do its thing.  Doug comments that the e.g.t.’s are lower for the start as the engines are getting some hours on them, and were well below limits given that it was a relatively hot day in Dubai with the outside temperature at 38 C.  It was an efficient start and we were ready to go with checks complete in under five minutes. 

Taxiing is easy in this aircraft, little thrust is required to get us moving and the nose wheel tiller makes for smooth turns - especially for tight turns.   We had a two minute wake turbulence wait behind an A330, then we were cleared for take off. 

The initial acceleration with take off thrust applied is quick, and after an impressively short run and firm rotation we are airborne.  We accelerated and after flap retraction settled at 250 KIAS and noticed a climb rate of near 4,000 feet per minute.  Pilots are always happy when their aircraft has good performance, and they won’t be disappointed with the Sovereign!  The Pratt and Whitney engines are more than adequate for their job and we hold a good rate of climb all the way to our cruise altitude of 35,000 feet. 

Airliners are mostly operated through the automatics so after switching seats with Hanna I have an opportunity to fly the Sovereign, and take full advantage.  The flight controls are comfortable, although a bit heavy in roll.  The aircraft is nicely stable, remaining in the attitude you put it in and so it is pleasant to fly. 

After enjoying the handling for awhile, I engaged the autopilot.  The autopilot/flight director system is straight forward and easy to use.  It works well in all modes including LNAV and VNAV although Doug points out that descending in VNAV mode the aircraft will pitch over and as cruise speed is close to limit speed you need to watch it.  No problems today though, and ATC starts to vector us around the arrival traffic for landing back in Dubai.  Once again we enjoy manually flying and the Sovereign is comfortable, reliable and stable on the way back. 

There are numerous user friendly design options on the aircraft and one of these is the presentation of limit speeds automatically on the airspeed indicator, including flap limit speeds.  This made flying the Sovereign intuitive and simple to transition into, even for a first timer. 

The approach and landing for an ILS back into Dubai was straight-forward and uneventful. The aircraft offers a stable platform and no nasty surprises or habits were evident throughout the entirety of the flight. 

The approach speed with the flaps extended and that big wing chord was relatively low and it’s easy to see that the aircraft will be quite happy utilising smaller runways.

The manufacturers say it will take off from runways as short as 3,640 feet (1,109 m), climb directly to 43,000 feet (13,106 m) in just 23 minutes and cruise at speeds up to 458 knots (848 km/hr).  Its capabilities are already making it popular as a medevac or air ambulance provider as the recent sales to Egypt have shown.

The trailing link main landing gear made touch down smooth, and idle reverse was selected, although not necessary as we stopped the landing roll in a very short run and exited the runway. 

Taxiing the aircraft in was made easy by the tiller and the excellent view from those big windows.  Push button operation fired up the APU to provide air conditioning for ground use as Doug and Hanna were soon to be departing again and pleasant cabin temperatures would be appreciated.

Checklists complete and our flight in the Sovereign was done.

I have always thought that Cessna does a good job of designing their jets to meet predetermined specific mission profiles and the Sovereign is no exception. 

As a business tool it is economical to operate while offering a large amount of flexibility.  It is not one of those aircraft that sacrifices range with payload increases, offering a 900 lb plus payload with full fuel in the tanks.  Performance is a plus as the aircraft can utilize the small runways of smaller airports which can save a lot of time and money while still providing that good work or rest environment.  It has more than adequate stowage externally and internally. 

From the pilot’s point of view the Sovereign is intuitive, stable and comfortable to operate while offering good performance.  I thoroughly enjoyed my flight in the Sovereign and would look forward to flying it on a daily basis. 

Cessna Citation 606 FACTS

(Courtesy of The Pocket Guide to Business Aircraft )

Maximum Cruise Speed                    458 ktas          (848 km/h)

Certified Ceiling                            47,000 ft          (14,326 m)

Airport Performance         

Takeoff Distance                            3,640 ft          (1,109 m)

Landing Distance                            2,650 ft          (808 m)

Rate of Climb at Sea Level          4,016 fpm          (1,224 mpm)

Range                                     2,847 nm          (5,273 km)

Seats:                                     2 crew + 9 passengers

First year produced: 2004