Garmin has announced imminent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification to bring Garmin Autoland and Garmin Autothrottle to the retrofit market, starting with select G1000® NXi-equipped King Air 200 series aircraft, and soon after, select King Air 300 series. The certification marks the first time Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle have been offered as a retrofit solution,…
McCauley Achieves FAA Certification for B300 High-performance Propeller
McCauley Propeller Systems recently announced that its newest C780 propeller for the Beechcraft King Air B300 series, featuring four aluminum swept blades and a 105-inch diameter, has successfully achieved certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The new high-performance propeller offers King Air B300 operators additional payload, increased takeoff and climb performance, reduced noise in…
Banyan Air Service Joins SmartSky’s Network of Installation Partners
SmartSky Networks, the innovative air-to-ground inflight connectivity provider, announced Banyan Air Service as a new sales and installation partner. The Florida-based full-service Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operation is now offering services to install and upgrade private jets and turboprop aircraft to the fastest and most reliable connectivity solution in operation today. “We are proud…
The Making of a Movie Star
Meet the guys who helped prepare the King Air for a starring role in “On a Wing and a Prayer” Photos provided by Doug Scroggins unless specified otherwise The first thing you the reader of King Air magazine should know about the film “On a Wing and a Prayer” is that it was written and…
Propeller Erosion … and How to Avoid It
Walk down a ramp where numerous King Airs are parked and look closely at their propeller blades. I wager that you will see quite a variety of conditions. Some will look almost new, whereas others will be badly sandblasted. It may be that the reason for the difference is reasonable and unavoidable. Namely, one airplane…
Teacher’s Pet – the Model 45
In 1948, senior management at Beech Aircraft Corporation saw the need for a new military trainer to equip postwar air forces. Their solution was the “Mentor” that would become one of the most popular Beechcrafts ever built. When World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of Japan in September 1945, the United States Army…
Technical PIREP Front Nose Steering
Editor’s Note: This information was originally released by the King Air Academy in 2017 and received a large response from the receiving audience, many finding their retaining clip compromised. We thought it would be beneficial to publish it again for those who may not have seen the first transmission. It is paraphrased below. This is…
Bluetail Introduces Mach 2 Search Bluetail, the leading Software as a Service (SaaS) aircraft records platform for business aviation, has introduced its second-generation Bluetail® MACH 2 Search feature. “When we introduced our MACH Search engine in 2021, it set the standard as the first machine learning search engine purpose-built to meet the specific needs of…
Ice Vanes: How Important Are They?
One of the ongoing debates among King Air pilots has to do with the necessity to use the engine anti-ice system as the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) directs: “Before visible moisture is encountered at +5°C and below, or at night when freedom from visible moisture is not assured at +5°C and below.” Depending upon your…
The Wing AD – Who, What and Where
I’ve been getting a few calls lately about “the wing AD.” King Air owners want to know: Do I have to do it? And if so, where should I go? They are referring to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airworthiness Directive (AD) 91-12-10, which applies only to certain King Air B200s and 300 models that…