Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

3 Answers

What do “Bonanza drivers” mean?

Asked by: 6840 views ,
Flight Instructor

When reviewing the article below, I notice "bonanza drivers" which I don't know what do they mean.

I checked online dictionaries and was told that it's related to cargo transportation. Do Bonanza drivers mean giant airplane drivers? I assume cargo airplane is always huge and it's difficult to slow down.

Your kind response will be highly appreciated.

"Another consideration on the approach is airspeed control - and that really begins about 20 miles from the airport.

Begin to slow the airplane down well away from the airport. Why do we want to do this? Well, it will give us more time to think, it will also put us in a better position to descend when the time comes to descend.

Many Bonanza drivers think their airplane will not fly below 150 knots. This isn't true. As a result, they make life very difficult for themselves intercepting the localizer at high speed.

Get the speed down, put out ten degrees of flaps. This will assist you in any descents you have to make and give you a lot more time to think.

Use the landing gear if that is appropriate in the airplane you are in. Some airplanes have a higher landing gear operating speed than they do flap speed. So, if the landing gear will help you slow down, use it.

Don't be afraid to slow down your airplane. Just because others on the approach may be doing 170 to 210 knots - might be jet traffic for instance - the fact that you are going to fly the airplane at 100 knots is of no consequence to anyone else. ATC will sequence you appropriately."

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

3 Answers



  1. Matthew Waugh on Oct 05, 2010

    They mean pilots of Beech Bonanzas.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Bonanza
     

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes

  2. Best Answer


    Andrew Leonard on Oct 05, 2010

    Cessna 206 pilots are also sometimes refered to as drivers. Both the Bonanza and the 206 are larger, capable single-engine aircraft. The 206, especially, is used for carrying things and for photography, so the pilots are usually commercially-licensed, hence “drivers.”

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. Anais on Oct 05, 2010

    Thank you both!!!

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.