Big, cabin-class turbocharged piston twins are a bit of a niche item these days. Too large and costly for personal transport, yet lacking sufficient performance to satisfy high-rolling corporate clients yearning for the whine of turbines and the comfort of pressurization, they’re used mostly for air taxi and specialty cargo operations. The businesses that once bought this class of airplane are in many cases now looking to more cost-effective alternatives, including time-sharing of the new crop of efficient jets and even airline travel to get executives to their destinations.
But when the mission matches the capabilities of a large piston twin through accidents of geography or flight profile, they cant be beat. Here in the Northeast is a perfect example: The offshore islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are just a short hop from either Boston or New Bedford, too short a run for a turbine aircraft to make sense, but a perfect place to use a cabin-class twin. Operating costs are relatively low, especially if the seats are full.