Photos courtesy of Mark Krause
It sure is fun to fly in somewhere and have people ask, ‘So what’s with the paint job?
Longtime readers of Twin & Turbine may recognize Mark Holt’s name and recall that his uniquely painted Embraer Phenom 100 was featured in February 2017’s issue. The Star Wars and science fiction-inspired light jet, appropriately named the Millennium Phenom, adorned the cover of that issue.
Others may recall seeing the Phenom at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2016, where it was parked center stage in Boeing Plaza. The distinctive airbrushed design was intentional, Holt explained. The custom paint job was a fun way to spark conversations on the ramp and, more importantly, with service members whom Holt transports as part of his volunteer efforts with the Veterans Airlift Command.
“It sure is fun to fly in somewhere and have people ask, ‘So what’s with the paint job? It’s the perfect question to open the door to tell people about the great things that Veterans Airlift Command is doing for our wounded veterans and ask them to consider providing some flights for these great young men and women who have given so much to protect our freedoms and way of life,” he said.
“The airplane really took on a life of its own. If you search the tail number [N100FZ] online, you will see people that have Photoshopped it by the Death Star or put R2-D2 on top of it. People still associate me with that plane. Moving on from the Phenom felt like giving away my dog, one of my family members – because that plane took on a life of its own,” Holt recalled, noting that two engines burning Jet A and the need for recurrent training out of the state helped him decide it was time to move on.
After 10 years of operating the Millennium Phenom, he decided to get back into the single-engine turboprop world. Holt was already comfortable with the Daher family, having previously owned two TBMs.
“The plane that I had before I bought the jet was a TBM 700, which was my first entry into the turboprop world. I flew that like a company car and slid into the front seat like I was putting on my favorite cowboy boots. Although the TBM 700 was a very capable aircraft, the jet gave me faster speeds and higher altitudes and two engines,” he said.
“One of the advantages of the TBM is the reverse thrust. Living in Iowa, reverse thrust is extremely helpful for landing in wintry conditions. The TBM is so powerful it makes one believe if you can get it through the door of the TBM, it will fly. It’s a simpler airplane, and it fits better in my hangar than the Phenom did.”
The model he got following the sale of the jet was a TBM 850, although that particular serial not having a pilot door led Holt to look at other options. It wasn’t long before he stumbled across the 2015 Daher TBM 900 painted in a bold yellow and grey military-themed design inspired by a P-51 Mustang. The initial suggestion from friends was to paint the aircraft plaid, but that paint type had been discontinued.
It had the optional pilot entry door and was still a “very fast turboprop,” as Daher markets, although Holt would have a Phenom 300 if he still had business travel needs. The 900 is a great family cruiser between Holt’s wintertime residence in California and fits the transport needs of Veterans Airlift Command perfectly.
“What I gain with the TBM is efficiency, since it has a much greater range than the Phenom 100. Instead of a range of 1,100 nautical miles, I can go 1,500 nautical miles without worrying too much about fuel. With no tailwind from San Diego to Mason City, Iowa, it’s about 1,300 nautical miles, and I can go all the way home without stopping. I’d have to have at least a 50-knot tailwind in the jet to do that non-stop.”
At 31,000 feet, Holt is still above most of the weather and is averaging a cruise speed of 315 knots true. At the “sweet spot” of 26,000 feet, the airplane burns 60 gallons per hour. Passenger comfort is also important, although he rarely flies with more than a few other people in tow.
“The TBM is also very comfortable because it was designed to be a freight hauler. The seat tracks run from the very front all the way to the back, so you can put the seats wherever you want. The only constraint is the big door on the passenger side. In the 900 I can switch my seats around; I can have two forward-facing seats in the back and put the other two seats facing forward as well, if desired, or just pull them out of there,” he said.
“The other thing I did was get rid of the cabinets between the middle and pilot seats, so I gained an extra six inches of leg room. I’m a pretty big guy, at 6-foot-one-inch tall and weighing 240 pounds, with a big
physique. The extra space is nice, and getting in through the pilot door is much more graceful than climbing through the cabin.”
In the jet, Holt would do recurrent training in a simulator. He does this annual work in aircraft now, preferring this option over spending a week out of state for simulator training. He is considering adding simulator training electively back into his regimen every other year, though, to practice emergency procedures that can’t be performed safely in the actual airplane.
Since selling his business in 2015, Holt’s mission has changed, but his commitment to Veterans Airlift Command has not wavered. Just as he had with the Millennium Phenom, Holt showcased the Valkyrie at Boeing
Plaza during this year’s weeklong aviation celebration in Oshkosh.
Holt’s energy for supporting the organization is infectious, and he sees it as a small repayment for those who have fought for our freedoms. To date, he has flown more than 50 missions since starting his work with Veterans Airlift Command in 2015.
When you sign up to fly veterans, you join a team of people dedicated to serving those who have given so much by serving us, U.S.A.
“Never has any of the veterans I’ve flown complained about their station in life. They are moving on, and I do it because of the appreciation that they share and what they have done for our country. Promoting this organization is the most rewarding thing that I have ever done with an aircraft,” Holt said, advising that the commitment required to support veterans is minimal – but the impact is huge.
“When you sign up to fly veterans, you join a team of people dedicated to serving those who have given so much by serving us, U.S.A. The organization has flown over 23,000 passengers with over 2,500 volunteers.”
When not flying the TBM, there is a good chance that Holt is flying one of his other aircraft. He recently sold a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver that he owned for twelve years, but also has a 200 horsepower, STOL-equipped Cessna 172 and a T-34 Mentor painted in a tribute paint scheme to the Marine Corps.
Holt routinely flies the latter aircraft in formation with a group of other warbird pilots, where they do flyovers for funerals, memorials, and other special events. He also has a 2,231-foot-long grass airstrip (IA51) on his farm in Northwood, Iowa.
