In cruise flight, we had reached the halfway point across the expansive width of Montana. The smoke that had been looming ahead, obscuring the western horizon in a thick and dingy haze, was now upon us and reduced forward visibility to almost nil. Peering out the side window and downward, the terrain features were visible…
I always appreciate when readers of our magazine take the time to contact Kim Blonigen, our editor, with operational questions they would like me to address. I try to reply as rapidly as possible to the person who is posing the question. Sometimes, ideas for an entire article or two are prompted by the question(s), whereas…
Along-time, out-of-state customer called to say his R/H generator went offline mid-flight. He’s got an F90, but this could happen to any King Air. For troubleshooting purposes, I suggested he swap the GCUs (Generator Control Unit) to see if the problem went to the other side, and it did. I had an exchange GCU drop-shipped…
During more than 30 years of production, the Beechcraft Model 18 series distinguished itself in peacetime and in war, emerging as one of the most successful small, twin-engine transports in aviation history. Beech Aircraft Corporation test pilot H.C. “Ding” Rankin eased both throttles forward as the latest version of Ted Wells’ Model 18 accelerated down…
Garmin International Inc. and Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) announced new incentives to provide King Air aircraft owners and operators significant savings on the G1000® Integrated Flight Deck and qualifying P&WC engine upgrades. The upgrade incentives apply to a broad range of King Air aircraft models and is applicable through January 29, 2016. On the…
Garmin has announced expanded availability of its comprehensive obstacle database to now include Canada for select Garmin portables and certified avionics. Man-made structures such as towers that are greater than 200 feet AGL are included within this database. Customers can now download and install a U.S./Canadian combination obstacle database for the following portable and non-certified…
TRU Simulation + Training, a Textron Inc. company, announced the opening of its new Aviation Maintenance Training Academy located on the Textron Aviation Mid-Continent campus in Wichita, Kansas. Courses currently offered include mechanical and avionics theory and practical for new production Beechcraft King Air 350i, 250, and C90GTx turboprops with the Pro Line Fusion® avionics…
Garmin has simplified avionics database updates such as navigation, charts and more with the new flyGarmin app for Windows, while also accommodating the distribution of Jeppesen charts. Using the flyGarmin app, pilots will enjoy a streamlined experience that makes database updates easier, requiring less time at their computer. Additionally, Jeppesen charts are available for ChartView…
Jeppesen recently introduced new features for Mobile FliteDeck version 2.7 to enhance situational awareness and provide data for both IFR and VFR flying conditions. A new VFR theme provides general and business aviation pilots with the ability to switch between IFR and VFR data on the real time, data-driven enroute map. The ability to import…
Lightspeed Aviation announced the launch of a breakthrough in cockpit communications. For the first time in history, pilots and their passengers can enjoy the untethered freedom of a wireless headset along with premium performance and features. According to the company, Tango uses a patent-pending combination of analog and digital technologies called Lightspeed Link™ to create a…