When readers send a question to me or Kim Blonigen, our editor, I try to respond directly without delay. Some questions concern a specific item that affects so few operators that publishing the reply here in my monthly column would merely be wasting ink. However, some questions lend themselves to a wider audience. This month…
Impressed by the success of Piper’s PA-23 Apache and Cessna’s Model 310, in 1956 Beech Aircraft Corporation entered the emerging light twin-engine market with its Model 95 Travel Air. In postwar America, general aviation’s “Golden Age” was born in the late 1940s and by the early 1950s was maturing rapidly, attracting thousands of would-be aviators…
Garmin announced it has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval of additional G5 electronic flight instrument capabilities, including the installation of G5 in place of an existing directional gyro (DG) or horizontal situational indicator (HSI) in select certified fixed-wing general aviation aircraft. When paired with select VHF NAV/COMMs or…
Blackhawk Modifications, Inc. recently welcomed Western Aircraft to their global network of Authorized Dealers. Located in Boise, Idaho, Western Aircraft is an FAA authorized service center, certified aircraft repair station (FE6R532N), and worldwide distributor of parts and avionics for many of the world’s top aircraft manufacturers and OEMs including Beechcraft. The addition of Western Aircraft…
Advent Aircraft Systems continues to increase the aircraft count certified to accept its groundbreaking anti-skid braking technology. The FAA has granted an STC for the Advent eABS™ for all King Air 300 and 300LW aircraft. These aircraft variants join the King Air B300 and B200 variants that were STC’d in February 2016 and June 2017…
PWI announced they have made Rose Aircraft, a premier FBO operating in Mena, Arkansas, as an Authorized Installation Center for their products. The products that will be available by Rose Aircraft include PWI’s latest offering of LED reading lights, which feature PWI-exclusive, heat-reducing technology that allows the lights to run cooler than incandescent and competitors’…
Date: December 2017 ATA 28 − Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) HQ-18-08 The FAA has released Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) HQ-18-08, [information shown below], for a fuel contamination on 36 civilian aircraft. Some of the affected aircraft are Textron Aviation turboprops. (Editor’s Note: King Airs included on SAIB are listed below for your convenience/reference.)…
Disaster Relief from a King Air’s Point of View The call from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) came in late August following Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm that came ashore near Rockport, Texas. Harvey then stalled and moved back toward the Gulf, dumping extraordinary amounts of rain across southeastern Texas and Louisiana. Air…
With the proliferation of Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), fewer and fewer pilots are calling Flight Service for a telephonic briefing. The question remains: Are pilots required to call Flight Service to be compliant with FAR 91.103? Reluctantly, the FAA has finally said, “No.” “Official” Briefing Source? Before EFBs, pilots had little choice but to call…
Thinking of having your King Air painted? No doubt the first thing that comes to mind is the cost. New paint is pricey, and you’ll want to shop around. For a 90 series King Air you could see quotes ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, or more. With bigger aircraft and custom paint schemes, it only…