Blog : article

The “Baby Beechcraft” – Part One

The “Baby Beechcraft” – Part One

During the early 1960s, Beech Aircraft Corporation’s Model 23 “Musketeer” marked the company’s foray into the highly competitive, entry-level segment of the general aviation industry. In the wake of World War II, America’s lightweight airplane market exploded as many pilots who had flown fighter and bomber aircraft came home and started flying schools across the…

Value Added: Garmin Pilot application expands features, capabilities and global reach

Garmin International Inc. announced several global enhancements and an expanded feature set for the Garmin Pilot application on Apple and Android mobile devices. European IFR autorouting and flight plan filing, improved airspace classifications, the wireless transfer of Jeppesen charts via Flight Stream 510 and more are available with the latest Garmin Pilot update for Apple…

Value Added: Garmin Pilot introduces a global application for Android mobile devices

New for Android mobile devices, Garmin Pilot is now a full-featured navigation application for use throughout the world, including flight planning, global weather information, VFR flight plan filing and more. Rich, interactive maps integrated within Garmin Pilot offer worldwide coverage using Jeppesen NavData. Highly configurable maps also allow pilots to choose between track-up or north-up…

Technically: From Communiqué # ME-TP-002: Multi-Engine Turboprop Communiqué

Issued: March 2017 ATA 00 – Contacting Technical Support Textron Aviation Technical Support is here to provide technical assistance to owner/operators either by phone or email and sometimes even in person. In order for Technical Support to do this job effectively and accurately, some basic information will be required before the issue is brought to…

Leading the Way

Leading the Way

King Airs Guide Airtankers in Wildland  Firefighting Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft – including Beechcraft King Air 90 and 200 aircraft – are critical tools in protecting lives, property and valuable natural and cultural resources from wildfires. Annually there are an average of 71,000 fires, which typically burn almost 7 million acres of private, state and…

Maintenance Tip: The King Air Cabin Door, Part Two

Maintenance Tip: The King Air Cabin Door, Part Two

I just wrote about the cabin door in the February 2017 issue of this magazine, but I thought of a few more points I could make on this topic. To summarize briefly where I left off: If a King Air has a cabin door squawk, nine times out of 10 it is going to be…

Aviation Issues: NBAA Yearly Top Safety Focus Areas and the Ongoing Threat of ATC Privatization

2017 NBAA Top Safety Focus Areas The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently released its annual list of Top Safety Focus Areas, topics identified by the NBAA Safety Committee as primary risk-mitigation targets for all business aircraft operators. Each year during its annual risk assessment meeting, the NBAA Safety Committee reviews safety survey results, risk-based…

Ask the Expert: Auto-Ignition – History and Usage

Ask the Expert: Auto-Ignition – History and Usage

If you were to gather a group of King Air pilots together and ask them their understanding of and usage of the Engine Auto-Ignition system, I will wager that you would receive a wide variety of responses. Some will arm it on every takeoff and leave it armed until after landing, while others will use…

Debonair!

Debonair!

In 1959, Beech Aircraft Corporation took aim at the expanding business flying market by launching the Model 33 to compete with the Cessna “Skylane” and Piper “Comanche.” In November 1959, Beech Aircraft Corporation’s president Olive Ann Beech challenged the company’s global sales personnel to meet the ambitious goal of $60 million in sales during the…