Looking for advice on a new plane for the boss. The King Air 90 (2007 GT) that we dry lease is going to be sold and we're deciding which way to go. 75% of the trips are under an hour flight time (ORF-IAD) with 1 or 2 passengers. Boss likes to sit up front when it's just him. I've come up with a few options and I'm curious if anybody has ever done a comparison between any of these. If he buys something, it will more than likely end up on the same management certificate as the Challenger 601 that he already owns.

First, buy the plane we've been flying or another KA 90. It fits the mission well and he seems to like it. It is painfully slow though and I feel like it's pretty loud inside.

Second, a Pilatus. I'm leaning this way for a few reasons. It's a few knots faster than the 90 and I would think that operating costs would drop with it being single engine. He does not need the extra size, but I think he'd be open to it as the charter capability would go up.

Third, a TBM. It's the fastest of the turboprop options, but it may be a little on the small side. Not sure this a viable option.

Last, a Phenom 100 or Mustang. I'm typed in and have flown both. I'd push more to the Mustang because of runway performance and because he doesn't really need the extra speed of the Phenom. I'm planning to steer him away from either plane for multiple reasons though, not the least of which is the type rating requirement.

Any and all advice is welcome, but if you chime in, please share your reasoning. Thanks.

Pilatus sounds like a great fit for your typical mission, cost per nm is quite low. The primary hit will be in the acquisition cost. If he's fine with biting off a chunk of change initially , i'd lean towards the PC-12 as well. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out-

Having flown neither, what runway performance advantage does the mustang have over the phenom? Both have nearly identical advertised takeoff field requirements.

PC-12/47 is your best bet. a /45 will be a lot cheaper, but the MTOW is 500 lbs lower, which will be a factor if you're filling the seats.

Be careful here. The TBM in 850 (assuming you are considering an 850) mode does not have a FADEC. In climb, you are referencing charts and tables to make engine settings. It is a handful for a lot of pilots. The Mustang has terrible avionics (G1000) for this airplane IMO and a lot of people don't like the trash bag lav. Also the cockpit is really cramped.

Dry runway anti ice off, the planes are pretty similar. The Phenom does not have reversers (neither does the Mustang) and until recently, was not available with spoilers. Wet runway, or carrying extra speed from anti ice on, and the Phenom just can't stop.

Good to know about the FADEC, but I don't really see that as a concern. King Air isn't FADEC, nor is the Challenger. Either way, the TBM is off the table as an option.

As for the Mustang, the trash bag lab does suck. The Phenom wins there with the flushing lav, even it you do have to carry the pot all the way through the cabin. At 6'4", I didn't find the cockpit too bad. It was tight, but not uncomfortable by any means.

The G1000 is a lot better than people want to give it credit for. The biggest complaint while I was flying with it was user defined holds, but they've added that feature. I can't really think of any other functions that I would want, that it didn't have.

The pc12 is a great option, fast enough, goes higher, and is comfy inside. I would recomend the freeon airconditioner

The PC-12 would be an excellent choice.

I found the G1000 to be deficient (for jets) in a lot of areas other than unpublished holds. One gets used to the increased functionality available on other platforms when you fly jets for a long time. Some of the problems were fixed through software updates, some were not.

Good luck with your decision.

Pc12 NG...we've been flying them for 3 years, have an '08 and a '14....PM if you want specifics....