In 1934 amid the United States’ worst economic calamity, the Stearman Aircraft Company unveiled the utilitarian Model 70 – a landmark design that saved the company from extinction. Throughout the early 1930s Ben Selvin and the Crooners could often be heard on the radio belting out the popular song, “Happy Days Are Here Again.” It…
Garmin International, Inc. announced it has received approval of a CASR 175.C Data Service Provider (DSP) certificate from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), enabling expanded aviation database coverage in Australia. In addition to the integration of Airservices Australia data into the suite of Garmin databases, Garmin Pilot™ within Australia has also expanded to offer…
Date: March 2019 ATA 00 – Form 337 for Equipment or STCs Installed at the Factory Technical Support receives requests for a Form 337 for equipment or STCs installed on King Airs at the factory. We have consulted with the Quality Department and they have provided the following explanation of why Form 337s are not…
The King Air market overall is very strong; we are seeing very low inventory levels and a brisk sales volume that has been consistent for the last two years. Looking at Q4 2018, we saw 186 King Air transactions compared to 181 during Q4 of 2017. Model 90 When it comes to the King Air…
We routinely ask King Air operators what options they would add to their aircraft and why, and the following is what we’ve learned. When buying your King Air, you probably figured out pretty quickly that it is one of the most modified and optioned airplanes in history. No other business type aircraft has more available…
King Air owners frequently ask me about available discounts for their insurance program. This has become more prevalent as the insurance market continues to show signs of hardening – coverages are becoming less negotiable, rates are slightly increasing and underwriters are becoming more critical of an operator’s risk profile. In the May 2018 issue of…
Registration is now open for King Air Gathering IV held Sept. 26-29, 2019. The King Air Academy had a vision for the gathering as a way to bring King Air owners and pilots together with experts in the industry and leading King Air vendors to offer a personal experience with the King Air community. Being…
Aviation Groups Ask for Full Funding for Contract Tower Program In a recent letter to Rep. Nita Lowey (D-17-NY), chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, a number of aviation groups asked that the Committee fully fund the Contract Tower Program in the FY 2020 appropriations bill. The $170 million requested will fund the 256 contract…
This article’s title pertains to a somewhat common request that I have received over the years of my King Air training career: Help me find a fix for the autopilot. Even when no question has been asked, I find that quite often when I ride as an instructor or passenger in a King Air, I…
In 1927, Stearman Aircraft, Inc. struggled to meet demand for its Sport Commercial Model C2 biplane, but operators carrying the mail by air were soon clamoring for the Model C2M. According to records held by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Stearman Aircraft, Inc., designated the airplanes built in California using constructor (serial) numbers 101-104. These…