When an earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, a group of volunteer pilots coordinated 715 flights that brought more than a million pounds of critical supplies to the island nation and transported 3,800 passengers, including medical personnel, injured patients and relief workers. Pilots and aircraft owners have donated 13,000 flights to wounded veterans for medical and…
Last month I was invited to meet up with the Silver Foxes, a group of people that worked for Beech Aircraft “back in the day.” Most are long retired, but have stayed in touch with colleagues from what they fondly call “the Golden Days of Beechcraft.” Their reunion this year happened to be in my…
I recently received an email from Jay Vierling of Cincinnati, Ohio, seeking my opinion on some pressurization anomalies and what the mechanics had found. Here’s what he wrote: I have a question and haven’t been able to find any good answers. I own and fly a King Air C90B. I’ve been noticing erratic pressurization during…
Election Results Related to the Aviation Industry For some notable legislators who have supported aviation, there were some close races and some losing their seats. In what media is calling a “stunning” loss, Rep. John Mica (R-Florida), who served as the chairman of the House aviation subcommittee and then of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,…
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 “Mentor” that would become one of the most popular Beechcrafts ever built. When World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of Japan in September 1945, the United States Army…
CenTex Aerospace, Inc. announced that it has received FAA approval of a new addition to the popular Halo series of gross weight increase conversions. The new Halo 275 conversion for King Air 200 and 250 series airplanes increases the maximum takeoff weight to 14,000 pounds and the maximum landing weight to 13,500 pounds. Price of…
StandardAero and Hampton Aviation signed a three-year Authorized Service Center agreement for PT6A engine services. The agreement will provide King Air operators the advantage of one-stop shop services for engine and airframe services. Under the agreement, StandardAero and Hampton will collaborate on PT6A engine removal and installations, line maintenance, hot section inspections, engine overhauls, heavy…
Scheme Designers has announced that customers who commission a custom paint scheme for their aircraft may now also opt to receive photo-realistic, three-dimensional artistic renderings of their aircraft with their new custom scheme. This new tool allows customers to visualize all angles of their aircraft’s custom livery with stunning realism to fully envision the results…
PPG announced it is offering a longer three-year warranty on rebuilt windshields for Beechcraft King Air models due to demonstrating excellent field performance for operators. The three-year warranty, which was previously 24 months, applies to PPG-rebuilt windshields purchased on or after June 1, 2016. The company says, “As the manufacturer of the certified original-equipment windshields…
Textron Aviation announced it has added a new mobile service unit (MSU) at Egelsbach Airport near Frankfurt, Germany. The new MSU further enhances the company’s factory-direct service offerings for Citation, King Air and Hawker operators in Germany and throughout Europe. The company’s newest MSU will be based at longtime partner Hahn Air’s Egelsbach facility (QEF).…