SmartSky Networks, the innovative air-to-ground (ATG) in-flight connectivity provider, announced the launch of SmartSky Private Intranet (PI) routing powered by its Skytelligence services platform. The PI is deployed using an aircraft interface device (AID) and routes data traffic privately to and from the aircraft utilizing SmartSky’s next-generation network and patented beamforming technology that assigns a separate…
There was a seminal moment in my life about 10 years ago when I was in the throes of changing jobs; that moment changed my life. I was in the Army for about nine years in the 1990s and enjoyed it, but I knew I didn’t want to extend my service. I decided to join…
In recent months I’ve fielded quite a few calls on the autofeather system in King Airs. In one case I was engaged to assist a shop with unraveling an autofeather mystery. The system was inoperative on one side and they had taken every conceivable step to fix it, with no luck. As the tech outlined…
It is my strong belief that few pilots (rightly so!) use the same checklist for all of their flight operations in a particular aircraft. Even if they always open the same manufacturer’s current checklist, I believe the way it is used causes it to become a rather different set of procedures. Here are a couple…
In the late 1950s, the U.S. Army’s inventory of the versatile L-23/U-8 Seminole series of light military transports ended with introduction of the L-23F – the versatile Beechcraft that set a new standard for fixed-wing Army aviation. Thirteen years after the end of the bloodiest conflict on earth known as World War II, Americans were…
Bluetail announced that Houston-based Wing Aviation, a Part 135 on-demand charter and aircraft management company, has selected its leading modern aircraft records platform to digitize all of the maintenance and operational logs for its current fleet of over 30 business aircraft. “The on-demand segment has grown to unprecedented levels over the past 24 months, with…
Bose, the leader in premium aviation headset technology, announced its latest innovation: the new A30 Aviation Headset. Bose engineers designed the A30 as a completely new platform supported by a modern architecture, inspired by decades of research and pilot input. The A30 features reduced clamping force for comfort, improved clarity and a new digital active noise reduction system that enables three modes…
Loaders rolling dynamite kegs into a ski-equipped Beechcraft S18A-172, registered CF-BGY, in Hudson, Canada (located 166 miles northwest of Lake Superior) recognized the “twin-tailed wonder” as the first of its type working commercially beyond the U.S.-Canada border. No one on that frigid January day in 1938 could have known that lessons learned would one day…
During one of the past King Air Gatherings, I was asked about engine ice vane usage on the ground. Specifically, a concern was expressed about a temperature restriction stated in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for the model 200-series. Is a limit being violated at times when ice vanes are being used? A follow-up question…
Textron Aviation recently announced it has been awarded the Multi-Engine Training System (METS) contract by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) through a full and open competition. The contract award is for up to 64 special mission King Air 260 aircraft, which will be known as the T-54A. The initial Lot I award will procure 10…