FARTHER, FASTER A contender for the heart of an individual owner B Y J I L L W. TA L L M A N THE JT-A IS MORE than a luxury version of a Skyhawk. The leather-like interior, airbag seat belts in the front seats, and optional air conditioning are nice, to be sure. But this bird brings better performance, increased range, and that Continental CD-155 to the party. The full-authority digital engine control and the single-lever power control take it to another technological level. Viewed from the outside, the JT-A is pretty much a Skyhawk. The walk-around had presented the familiar airframe with a second oil door and a gearbox-nothing too exotic and easily managed with a checklist. When you climb onto the wing to check the fuel, that's your first real indicator that this airplane is an outlier. No more 100 low lead! That's not trendy-that's strategic, particularly for pilots in Europe and other parts of the world where Jet A is substantially cheaper than 100LL. We know the FAA is working hard to identify replacement fuels for 100LL. Imagine not having to worry about that anymore. 56 | AOPA PILOT May 2018