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…
The very first King Air Gathering (KAG) was held in April 2017 after a few King Air enthusiasts (King Air Expert Tom Clements included) discussed that it may be time to plan a “gathering” of King Air owners/pilots with the following goals guiding them: 1) get a group of like-minded owner-pilots together to share information…
The current aircraft market is enough to make your head spin! Is it getting better or is it getting worse? Are inventory levels actually going up or is it just a bunch of junk listed on Controller.com? What will I pay? Am I able to complete a prebuy inspection? Is it still a seller’s market?…
As we approached the summit of the High Peaks Trail, menacing Turkey Vultures circled overhead. Their inky black feathers and scarlet heads contrasted sharply against the pale blue sky as they effortlessly soared over the cliffs surrounding us. Riding thermals between and around the craggy spires, then crossing the valleys again to repeat each circuit,…
Registration is now open for King Air Gathering 2023 being held at the World Golf Village (WGV) in St. Augustine, Florida, Wednesday, April 12 through Friday, April 14. It is expected to be a sold-out event, so register soon! After flying into Jacksonville Executive (Craig) Airport (KCRG) in Jacksonville, complimentary transportation will take attendees to…
The polarized windows in a King Air were designed to block sunlight for passengers sitting on the sunny side of the cabin. They are the King Air’s answer to that little sliding shade found on airliners and elsewhere, and they do the trick nicely, but with one major drawback: They are prone to burning out…
When I taught King Air ground school at Beech Aircraft Corporation back in the 1970s a name we used often was “lever lock switch.” In preparation for this article, I went to my dictionary to see if this word actually existed and was not too surprised to find that it did not. Instead, what I…
The Model A17F and A17FS were like no other Beechcrafts ever built – powerful, brutish machines whose high performance was nothing short of spectacular for their time. Despite America’s bleak economic situation, Walter Beech and his chief engineer, Ted Wells, held tenaciously to the belief that there was a small, but profitable market for a…
Earlier this year, Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) announced it had received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for its ThrustSense® Autothrottle to be installed on Beechcraft King Air 200 and 300 aircraft equipped with G1000 and NXi flight decks. This accreditation allows ThrustSense to be installed on all certified glass cockpit systems…
Aviation, like most activities, requires a certain level of expertise. However, it can also be pursued at a wide variety of levels, from recreational for a few dozen flight hours a year, to professional for a thousand flight hours (or more) per year. Thus, “expert” is a loaded term that can mean a variety of…