In 1948, senior management at Beech Aircraft Corporation saw the need for a new military trainer to equip postwar air forces. Their solution was the Model 45 Mentor, which would become one of the most popular Beechcrafts built. When World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of Japan in September 1945, the United States…
With the summer months in full swing and your calendar chock full of vacation travel, you need the air conditioning in your King Air to be in top form. Now is not the time for a breakdown. The worst-case scenario would be a diagnosis of Black Death – a devastating condition that can wreck your…
“Can I perform a reduced power takeoff to save wear and tear on my engines?” We get this question fairly frequently at King Air Academy and the short answer is no, you can’t do a reduced power takeoff. Naturally, the follow-up question is “Why?” We don’t have charts that give us the performance numbers we…
From an engine fire while traversing South American mountains to missed purchase deadlines and buying two aircraft to ensure getting one, read about Dr. Mario Pereira’s path to owning a King Air C90A. The story of Dr. Mario Pereira locating and ultimately buying a 1990 Beechcraft King Air C90A (LJ-1251) is not a short one.…
ForeFlight Introduces Dynamic Procedures for IFR Flying ForeFlight demonstrated its new Dynamic Procedures at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in late July and planned to release the streamlined solution for viewing instrument procedures after the event. The new feature will launch with a three-month free preview for all customers in supported regions, and then Dynamic Procedures will…
Part of Textron Aviation’s static display in June at the 2025 Paris Air Show was a new multi-mission Beechcraft King Air demonstration aircraft. The aircraft – which was making its show and European debut – is a 360C model equipped to showcase a wide range of missions available on the versatile King Air platform. The…
Legislation Introduced to Stop ADS-B Misuse Companion bills introduced by Congress seek to address growing concerns about the misuse of ADS-B flight tracking data that has been increasingly used by some airports and state governments to collect fees from pilots. U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., drafted the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act while U.S. Rep.…
Restorers and owners of Travel Air aircraft were invited to fly to Wichita, Kansas, to honor the 100th anniversary of Travel Air Airplane Manufacturing Company, which built nearly 1,500 aircraft in the city from 1925 to 1931. After their time at Travel Air, pioneering leaders Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman went on to…
Call to Action: Pause for GA Safety This spring more than a dozen pilot organizations launched the 2025 National Pause for General Aviation Safety campaign with the support of the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team. The initiative encourages every general aviation pilot to take at least 15 to 60 minutes in the remainder of the…
Sales and use taxes on aircraft vary drastically from state to state. Some states have no sales and use tax, while others charge a hefty fee. Additionally, each state has different exemptions to the tax. With ever-changing legislation and interpretation of state sales taxes and exemptions, it is important for aircraft owners to understand the…