When I ran my maintenance shop and got a new company truck, I kept the old one at the airport as a crew car. After several months of driving the new one, I used the old one to run an errand and was shocked at the slop in the steering. I didn’t remember it…
Due diligence, simply stated, is “examining things or people before buying or employing them.” (macmillanthesaurus.com) I’m talking about a prepurchase inspection, aka, the pre-buy. There is a lot of pushback against them, which makes no sense to me. In buying a King Air, you’re going to part with upward of a million dollars (or maybe…
The rate of oil consumption on a PT6 engine is a vital statistic for proper maintenance and accurate troubleshooting. Pratt & Whitney’s guideline regarding oil consumption for PT6s is 1 quart for every 10 hours of operation. This rate of consumption is the maximum allowable and it applies to every type of PT6 engine found…
When you reach max power during takeoff, you’ve got your eye on the ITT and torque. If ITT is high but torque is lagging, you might worry that a hot section problem has developed in the engine. Before leaping to that conclusion, however, consider the compressor bleed valve(s). All PT6 engines have at least one…
It’s a tribute to the King Air brand that so many are still flying today after 30 or even 40 years since manufactured; but the longer an airplane is “alive and kicking” the greater the opportunity for development of corrosion. When assessing the condition of any King Air, I’ve got the possibility of corrosion uppermost…
After a long, hot summer, cooler temperatures have finally arrived. You might think the air conditioning system (AC) in your King Air deserves a vacation after all of its hard work in the blazing heat. But before you send your AC into hibernation for the winter, I’ve got a surprising tip that could pay off…
For many years I maintained a B200 owned by a family business that had used the same pilot for years. He had flown for the airlines and was a decent guy, but every time he picked up the King Air after maintenance, he pulled the door shut, started the engines and took off without even…
How’s the air conditioning (AC) in your King Air right now? This time of year, my phone is burning up with air conditioning problems due to everything from low Freon to the dreaded Black Death. If your AC is acting up a little or not working at all, there are things an owner/operator can check…
In the last few months, I’ve had several inquiries from King Air owners regarding high-cost maintenance invoices. Most of these guys are new to King Air ownership and their pilots (if they have one) are newbies too. Some sent me their shop invoices for review and I regret to say that I found examples of…
When you hit the Start/Ignition switch and the engine spools up but fails to light off, what do you do? Is it a fuel problem, an ignition problem or both? Obviously if your engine gauges indicate fuel is flowing, then you’ve got a problem somewhere in the ignition system. I’d have a tidy sum in…