Blackhawk Modifications, Inc. announced details of their newest XP Engine + Upgrade program for the King Air 350. The company is developing a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that will allow the installation and operation of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engine to replace the existing PT6A-60A engines on the King Air 350 model. The…
Walter H. Beech possessed a highly competitive spirit that drove him to win, and never was that passion expressed more fully than during his early days competing in air races and aerial exhibitions. Suddenly, the starter’s flag dropped and the race began. One after another the pilots shoved throttles all the way forward. In just seconds,…
A recent thread on the BeechTalk internet forum prompted the idea for this article. All models of King Airs, for many years now, require that the pilot include a first-flight-of-the-day preflight check of the accuracy of the airplane’s pitch trim indicator. In the 1970s, in England, a King Air 90 model nearly had a loss of…
Deadline Coming Soon for Part 135 Operators and EASA SMS Requirements Per a new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulation, U.S. Part 135 operators will need an approved safety management system (SMS) program to fly throughout Europe under the Third Country Operators (TCO) regulation. EASA defines a third party operator as any operator holding an…
Not long ago, I had four King Airs in a row that had flap issues. Three of them were in the hangar at same time. A contagion of flap failures? Flap Cooties? Let’s hope not. F90 – No Washers First, there was an F90 in for a pre-buy inspection, and we found that most of…
There is a premise among professional pilots that some FAA rules are intentionally vague and often open to interpretation in order to provide operational flexibility (within reason). For years, such has been the case with runway condition assessments and braking action reports. For example, most pilots who have operated under Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part…
Bert Bollar has been flying Beechcraft King Airs since 1983 and has flown N88JH, a 1989 King Air B200, for the past 19 years. He calls the airplane a member of his family and considers its owners part of his family, too. “I have a dream job because after this long, I’m treated as family…
Issued: August 2016 Compliance – Recommended: This Service Bulletin should be accomplished at a scheduled maintenance period or inspection. NOTE: This Service Bulletin may be completed at a time when Left and Right Passenger Compartment Cabin Window Panels are removed to facilitate other maintenance such as at the first Cross Tie Inspection at 2500 cycles.…
Starting in August, Air BP’s Sterling Card will be accepted at 62 of Signature Flight Support’s 122 U.S. locations for fuel purchases, as well as other ancillary FBO purchases such as ramp fees, lavatory service, lubricants and de-icing. The agreement brings the card’s global acceptance to more than 700 locations, and marks its entry into…
Garmin International Inc. also announced the integration of geo-referenced Jeppesen terminal charts within the Garmin Pilot app on Apple mobile devices. Jeppesen charts can be viewed within Garmin Pilot from the charts page and in split-screen mode alongside the moving map. The global integration of this new, popular chart option alongside superior flight planning, filing…