In the ongoing turmoil of how the launch of wireless broadband networks would interfere with radar altimeters in commercial and business aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) AIR-21-18 Nov. 2. The SAIB cautions manufacturers and operators of the planned deployment of wireless broadband networks on Dec. 5 and the…
Writing about prop balancing in the October 2021 issue of King Air magazine got me thinking about engine vibration analysis. Some King Air owners and pilots have never heard of it, as it’s not required by the factory and not part of any Phase checklist or special inspection. Unless you are a turbine engine fanatic…
Author’s Note: This is a repeat of my article written for the December 2014 issue of this magazine. It also comprises the chapter starting on Page 307 of The King Air Book – Volume II. Obviously, I think it is important enough to review once more. Rarely do we pilots need to apply rapid and…
During 1928-1929, the Travel Air Company’s Walter H. Beech had earned national acclaim for corporate leadership and technical innovation that further increased the reputation of Wichita, Kansas, as the “Air Capital of the World.” By 1928 it had become obvious to Walter Beech that the company he led was in need of a new product…
When you think about what a Green Beret does in his free time, you likely don’t envision him sewing in his garage. But that’s exactly where you’d find Ross Johnson in the evenings when he was on active duty as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. While serving three tours in Afghanistan, Johnson…
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently published that Part 91 operators obtaining Letters of Authorization (LOAs) from the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) will have an easier process of doing so, as soon as early 2022. The application process has been inconsistent among FAA offices resulting in “inefficient use of time and resources for both…
There’s not going to be anything new in this article. Every pilot who earned his or her multi-engine rating has undergone training in how to handle one-engine-inoperative (OEI) situations whenever they may occur. Yet, in recent years King Airs seem to have been involved in a rash of very serious, usually fatal, accidents during takeoff.…
In only five years a Tennessee farm boy transformed Wichita’s Travel Air Manufacturing Company from humble beginnings into one of America’s leading builders of private, business and commercial airplanes. Late October 1926 the Travel Air Manufacturing Company lost its chief engineer, Lloyd Carlton Stearman, who had resigned to start his own company in California. Worse…
Aviation Fabricators (AvFab) recently announced they have received Technical Standard Orders (TSO) approval for the installation of their multi-airframe STOWAWAY medical stretcher for use in all Beechcraft King Air models. Several models of STOWAWAY are available, including one version that adjusts to fit in all four aircraft approved for the installation. – besides the King…
BLR Aerospace recently announced that their winglet system for the King Air E90 and early C90 fleets, as well as the 5-bladed Whisper Prop® system for the King Air 100, are all scheduled to be Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified by the end of 2021. Increasing demand has created limited availability for both popular upgrades…