While King Airs are flown at several colleges across the country in faculty and staff transport roles, there are several aviation programs that offer training in some model of twin turboprop to their students. Among the short list of schools operating these aircraft are the University of Oklahoma and the University of North Dakota, both well-respected universities turning out dozens of professional pilots in every graduating class.
University of Oklahoma
The aviation program at the University of Oklahoma (OU) has been a staple since 1947 at the largest college in the state. Though the current fleet is primarily Piper-based, they do incorporate other aircraft and systems allowing for an array of training, building from the simple to the complex.
As they work through their ratings, the school’s roughly 165 flight students become familiar with more complex aircraft during their multi-engine training. Whether this is completed in one of the school’s two Piper PA44-180 Seminoles or their Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD), the groundwork is laid for future flights that are not offered in many other college aviation programs.
This is because the program has a 1996 Beechcraft C90A (serial number LJ-1428). N370U has been in the program since 2005, when the aircraft was purchased to replace the school’s Aero Commander, which was used for many years for advanced multi-engine training. The King Air is currently employed as the flight article in support of OU’s Turbine Transition Course, which students are able to take once they have their commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine class and instrument ratings.
This class is a requirement for Professional Pilot track students and an elective for other flight scholars. Eric Metoyer, assistant director for the School of Aviation Studies, provides some insight into the course’s history. “The university desired an aircraft that had turbine engines to provide higher performance,” he says. “They were needed to help OU create a turbine transition class thus allowing our students to train to the next level of flight performance. Exposing students to flying aircraft with turbine engines helped close the gap in knowledge and skill between twin reciprocating engines and the jet engines of business and commercial aviation. Providing our students the opportunity to fly a twin-turbine aircraft definitely sets the University of Oklahoma apart from many other programs. Having spoken with regional and major airline representatives numerous times, I certainly get the impression that they hold our turbine transition training in high regard.”
The class is structured like other flight courses at the university, with an extensive ground school segment and an in-flight portion.
“Students receive three hours of college credit and log five flight hours in the aircraft,” Metoyer continues. “As important and significant as the flying, our students undergo approximately eight weeks of ground school while meeting three times per week. The challenge is not insignificant as the students receive volumes of information with stage check exams along the way. This ground school mimics military and professional ground schools by forcing students to ‘drink from a firehose.’ We find this approach truly prepares the students for the follow-on training they will inevitably receive as they move on to the next rung in their career progression. The airlines and military expect students to be able to digest large volumes of information in a short time and come out with a thorough understanding of complex systems. We pride ourselves in the knowledge that our students leave OU well prepared for that environment.”
The intensive ground school is broken up into four stages. During the initial stage, students are introduced to various types of gas generators, turbofans and turboprops, along with the different types of thrust reversers. They also work toward obtaining knowledge related to various propeller and electrical systems. In order to complete this stage, students are required to a score 70% or better on a written exam, which is reviewed afterward with an instructor to ensure any content related to incorrect responses are fully understood by the student. All four stages require the same passing percentage to progress.
The second stage introduces knowledge related to various hydraulic systems, control inputs, as well as pressurization and fuel systems found on turbine aircraft. The student will also receive thorough knowledge of the related systems for the Beechcraft King Air Model 90.
Pro Line Fusion avionics. The partnership allowed UND to provide feedback on the avionics while at the same time giving students the opportunity to learn a popular avionics system. (Credit: Jacob Canty)
Students then go on to learn about various methods of ice and rain protection, landing gear systems and annunciator systems during the third stage. At this point, they also become familiar with fire protection systems as well as limitations, in addition to determining performance and weight and balance in turbine aircraft. This is followed by the final stage, where students are introduced to the performance factors, weight and balance, and the advanced weather and navigation equipment found on turbine aircraft.
N370U is hangared at the University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer Airport (KOUN), which is owned by the school. The five hours of flight time is split amongst three flights, with the first and third averaging one and a half hours long and the second two hours. During each lesson the instructor will also assume the role of nonflying pilot and will assist the student with execution of checklists, radios and navigation. Most flights are limited within the three practice areas to the south of KOUN, with boundaries extending roughly 20 nautical miles south and 25 nautical miles on each side.
The aircraft itself has largely remained “stock,” although it has undergone improvements over the years, including a new interior and several upgrades to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Among these betterments are an upgrade from the original GNS400 to a GTN725, a digital radar replacing the original, and a system upgrade to WAAS and ADS-B (in and out). Of course, the King Air’s paint scheme is white and Oklahoma crimson with an OU logo on the tail.
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks is almost universally known for two things: ice hockey and aviation. UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is in its 53rd year of operation and boasts nearly 1,800 enrolled undergraduate students and 120 aircraft, with degree options ranging from Air Traffic Management to Commercial Aviation. In addition to Grand Forks, the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, UND Aerospace Foundation and Chandler-Gilbert Community College have a long-term partnership to operate the Phoenix Flight Training Center in Mesa, Arizona, where 40 aircraft fly 50,000-plus training hours annually.
Initial training begins in the Cessna 172S or Piper Archer aircraft and goes to Piper Seminole aircraft for multi-engine coursework. Ultimately, students have the opportunity to train in King Airs between the two UND aviation campuses. Flight training occurs in North Dakota out of Grand Forks International (KGFK) and in Arizona out of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (KPHX).
The department added the first of its three King Air C90GTi aircraft in October 2008. Over the course of the models’ tenure with the program, they have collectively flown nearly 40,000 hours with roughly 75% of the hours originating in North Dakota.
(Credit: Jacob Canty)
Currently N23ND (2009, serial number LJ-1944) is the lone twin turboprop in North Dakota while N26ND (2009, serial number
LJ-1956) and N330PE (2008, serial number LJ-1917) are typically operated out of the Grand Canyon State. All were upgraded to Pro Line Fusion® avionics between June 2018 and 2020, a project that was undertaken as a partnership between Rockwell Collins and the school. The majority of the avionics equipment was donated by Rockwell Collins and the UND Aerospace Foundation paid to have the conversions completed. According to Chuck Pineo, executive director of the Foundation, the partnership has allowed the group “to showcase and provide feedback on the avionics,” while at the same time allowing students to learn a popular avionics system.
Additional work on the aircraft has also been completed from updates on two of the aircraft’s interiors to engine overhauls. The Foundation, which owns the aircraft, plans to paint two of the aircraft in the coming year. While much of this work was completed at outside facilities, a majority of routine maintenance is completed in-house. Generally, the aircraft based in Mesa are repositioned to Grand Forks during training flights for maintenance.
“UND does a majority of our own maintenance and that is performed at the Grand Forks location under our Part 145 Certified Repair Station,” says Dick Schultz, director of flight operations. “UND has provided specific training of the King Air for several mechanics and has purchased necessary tooling and equipment to complete phase inspections [in-house].”
Each of UND’s King Air aircraft averages 122 hours of training per month. N23ND trained 52 students in 2020 with 1,055 flight training hours. N26ND and N330PE combined for 1,873 hours and 95 students.
King Air time is optional for Professional Pilot undergraduates to complete their program, as the school has a CRJ 200 FTD (flight training device) to accommodate required training for the degree. The aircraft are available to all students in the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences and are the basis for an elective course that while available to all students was created primarily to meet international course requirements.
For instance, students from China in aviation programs abroad must comply with the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s TCO (Third Country Operator) requirements for flight training. This includes the option of a 20-hour or 50-hour Part 141-approved course, which are called the “High Performance Aircraft 20-Hour Course” and “High Performance Aircraft 50-Hour Course,” respectively at UND. The C90GTi aircraft are the only aircraft flown in the classes.
Students from Saudi Arabia also enroll in the program due to one of the country’s regional operators (Saudi Aramco) requiring its students to satisfactorily complete the 20-hour course.
UND chose the King Air platform, Pineo says, because it was determined to be the best aircraft to meet international course requirements. “The decision was based on acquisition cost, operating cost, reliability and other factors,” he says.
UND Aerospace has found that its flight instructors especially benefit from having flight time in King Airs. Having learned in the aircraft themselves, they have historically been able to quickly transition to instruction in the model and seamlessly instruct rising turboprop pilots. Many graduates stay on at UND full-time, instructing in the twin turboprop and the school’s hundred plus other aircraft. Other graduates find themselves in King Airs, whether it be in medevac or corporate operations.
While having a King Air in an aviation program is a rarity of sorts, a couple of schools have sought to replicate the aircraft’s operations with flight training devices. Among the programs with these devices are Arizona State University (ELITE Simulation Solutions King Air B200 iGATE 602 model) and Indiana State University (Precision Flight Controls Modular Flight Deck model configured to a King Air 200).
Whether it be in the air or a replicated environment, the Beechcraft King Air is an important aircraft to the nation’s aviation programs and helps to prepare students for a litany of flying careers after graduation.
Grant Boyd is a private pilot with seven years of experience in general aviation business from marketing to customer service. He has written more than 85 articles for aviation publications and enjoys learning about aircraft/pilots with unique missions. Grant can be reached at grantboyd2015@gmail.com.