I am not yet a pilot but I was wondering after all the corporate jets I've seen pictures of, how comfortable is the cockpit. It seams like the instrument panal (dash board) is very high. Can you see ok out of it??
How about any air conditioning? Is it hot and stuffy up there or is it cool. I'm sure it depends on the year make and model of the jet but tell me what you've experienced. I live in Utah and it's very hot during the summers here so If I start to fly I want to know what I'm getting into.

 

Most of my experience is in 500 series Citations (Citation I, II, V Ultra), and I find that cockpit very comfortable for the most part. Much better than the Lear 25/35. I wish they had more legroom or that I could at least put my legs up between the rudder pedals like I could in the King Airs, but that's a minor gripe.

As far as climate, 500 series Citations are HOT in the summer on the ground. It's got a major greenhouse thing happening with those huge windows. It's a plus in the winter on a sunny day, because it stays nice and warm during the day, but at night it can get very cold because, again, those huge windows radiate a lot of cold into the cockpit. Most of the Citations I've flown are equipped with optional Freon A/C, so at least you can make an attempt at keeping cool on the ground in the summer - not the greatest, but better than nothing. In cruise, you can pretty much always find a comfortable temperature during the day, but again, at night they can be on the chilly side. I try to remember to bring a sweater if I'm going to be flying at night, even in the summer.

The visibility in Citations is excellent. Better than most piston singles. The other jets I've flown, Lear 25/35 and Citation III, the visibility isn't quite as good, but acceptable. Just something you get used to.

I'm sure the Gulfstreams, Challengers, and big Falcons offer even more comfort, but they are much longer range airplanes than what I fly, and need to offer more comfort for a long haul.

 

I know a few corporate pilots that fly the smaller citations and get sunburn in the summertime, I'm still stuck on small, light singles and twins, biggest a/c ive flown is the 310. In the summer I burn, and in the winter I freeze. whats good about florida is that winter is not very long and it doesnt get too cold!

 

As far as the panel height, Citations, King Airs and the Premier have vertically adjusting pilot seats.

Aero550 is totally right about the 500 series being HOT in the summer. I have always found the King Air to be comfortable. All but a half hour of my Premier time is in the sim so far, so I don't know about it's temperatures, but I can tell you it has dual zone cockpit/cabin temperature controls, and has the most powerful blowers I have seen. I don't anticipate it being a problem.

Once you get to altitude, it is not as big of a problem.

 

Ok great input everyone keep em' coming. I noticed you commented on leg room. Can you strech your legs out or even stand up at all in the cockpit? How does the people you are flying feel if you were to come back there and strech??

 

I can't stand up straight in the cabin of the Citation... I can stretch my legs (if I slide the seat back) about as much as you can in a car. Not too big an issue though since most flights are 2 hrs or less. (Many folks drive longer trips than that each day to work in major metro areas).

I do miss having a bit more room to spread out though. The cockpit of the Citation is significantly smaller than that of the Challenger/CRJ.

 

C310's my bird, and for leg room, I cautiously move my seat back if I have pax and can move around a little bit. I've flown in King-Airs, never had too much problem in them. C421's have plenty of room also to wiggle around in(as with most of the 400-series Cessna's).

 

Citation 500 series are all pretty small, especially if you are over 6 foot tall. I am 6'1", and when I adjust my seat in the Encore (CE-560) so that I am comfortable looking through the windshield, my head starts to rub on the ceiling on the side. Also, getting into the seat can be a chore if you are tall, as you have to get your leg over the center pedastal. The King Airs all have more head room in my opinion, but leg room is a little more lacking unless you put your feet between the pedals. The Citation 560XL has more of a stand up cabin, and more room up front, but still not in comparison to the Challenger and the like.

 

So I'm guessing the Citation's cockpit is pretty tight. What about the cockpit door, does it have to be closed and locked during flight or can you keep it open. How does the people feel about the door being open? Are they conducting so much business in the back that they want absolute privacy?? Also, how do they treat you? Do you get treated like a baggage handler or chauffeur? I've always wondered about that..

 

There is no door in the Citation...just a curtain, and our company wants the curtain open at all times, unless it affects the pilots ability to operate safely. Sometimes at night we will close it if the pax have the lights in the back up to high. I think that for a Charter or Corporate type of flight environment, it looks bad to close the door / curtain as it is a much more personalized form of travel and closing the door creates a large disconnect in that personalized environment. For instance, some of our regular clients will come up and chat for a few minutes during the flight while they are getting something from the galley.

As far as treatment...it really depends on the client. I have been treated poorly by people, to the point that they refuse to speak to you, but I have also been treated very well. I have had clients offer to get us water / coffee and snacks during the flight as well as offering up some of the catering on the longer legs.