True story: I traveled to Texas to check out a King Air at the tail end of its pre-buy inspection. Phases I-IV had been done and the squawks had been addressed. My job was to put my eyeballs on the airplane, do the final ground runs and go on the acceptance flight. When I asked…
FAA Data Reveals Half of U.S. Aircraft Will Miss ADS-B Deadline According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as of Nov. 1, 2018 just over 46 percent of U.S. aircraft were projected to meet the ADS-B equipment mandate deadline of Jan.1, 2020. Digging deeper and breaking out the numbers revealed that close to…
At the completion of my instrument instructor checkride back in ancient times, I recall that I asked the experienced FAA Inspector an important question as he was typing up the completion paperwork: “What’s the most important thing I should teach my instrument students?” “Situational awareness,” (SA) was his answer. I have concluded that he nailed…
By 1933 the Beech Aircraft Company was starved for cash and the future looked dim until a Texas oilman plunked down $12,000 for a custom-built Beechcraft. After more than one year in business, Walter H. Beech had yet to sell an airplane bearing his name. He had flown many demonstration flights in the first Beechcraft,…
Textron Aviation recently announced it has established Textron Aviation Canada, Ltd., a new wholly-owned subsidiary focused on expanding the company’s service network. The first phase of the expansion includes the acquisition of assets of Aspect Aircraft Maintenance, Inc., an aircraft maintenance and repair provider in Calgary, Canada, where a Textron Aviation Mobile Service Unit (MSU) currently operates,…
Garmin has announced expanded pilot training opportunities for 2019 to include additional classes throughout the United States and more instructor-led courses. These training classes include GTN 650/750 touch-screen navigator series, the G500 TXi/G600 TXi and G500/G600 flight display systems, Garmin Integrated Flight Decks, and the GWX aviation weather radar. The training provides pilots with a…
Wherever you are in the world, there’s likely a Beechcraft King Air near you that is flying under the coordination of the United States Army Operational Support Airlift Activity (OSA-A). OSA-A plans, coordinates and conducts non-executive airlift for soldiers, civilians and light cargo for the Army, the Department of Defense and other government agencies. The…
The King Air Academy’s third King Air Gathering (KAG) was the largest one yet with 80 people attending and 42 King Airs flying in that filled the ramp at Gillespie County Airport (T82). Held Sept. 28-29, 2018, the Hangar Hotel and Conference Center located on T82 at Fredericksburg, Texas, was the perfect setup to hold…
I am continuing more of my personal King Air “war stories” for this month’s article. Automatic Unfeathering We all know how worthwhile the wonderful King Air autofeather system is, right? What you may not realize, however, is that numerous King Airs also have an automatic unfeathering system. This first came to light for me when we…
Late in 1928 Walter H. Beech authorized development of the four-place Type 10 cabin monoplane, but by 1930 America’s deepening economic debacle had almost wiped out the once booming market for new airplanes. Fact: The aviation business is cyclical. Any pilot, mechanic, airframe or engine manufacturer, as well as companies operating under FAR Part 91,…