It was with great interest that I attended King Air Gathering IV, hosted by the King Air Academy in September at Fredericksburg, Texas. As an active, general aviation instructor and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, I usually get to be the trainer instead of the trainee, so this was going to be of particular pleasure for…
When you were a kid, or maybe even later in life, someone you trusted probably cautioned you about opportunities that look too good to be true; sometimes they are. That kind of advice usually focused on promised riches in exchange for relatively innocent commitments of time or resources. As pilots and aircraft owners, we’re way…
It was November, and as the altimeter moved toward minimums, snow ribboned over the windshield. First officer Sarah Mousseau began easing power levers forward for the missed approach when the dim airstrip lights of Cape Dorset, 1,081 nautical miles northeast of Winnipeg, Canada, pulsed in the gloom. Over the threshold, she raised the nose and…
In early January, the eighth and final SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenburg AFB in California on a mission for Iridium Communications. Seven of those eight rockets carried 10 Iridium NEXT satellites with the final carrying just five, 66 in all. Each satellite placed itself into a low-earth orbit replacing Iridium’s original satellite-phone…
Garmin has announced the GTX™ 335D and GTX 345D, two diversity transponders that provide optimal Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out coverage and visibility while operating throughout the global airspace system. The GTX 335D offers ADS-B Out, while the GTX 345D provides ADS-B Out, as well as ADS-B In traffic and weather for display on compatible…
The King Air market overall is very strong; we are seeing very low inventory levels and a brisk sales volume that has been consistent for the last two years. Looking at Q4 2018, we saw 186 King Air transactions compared to 181 during Q4 of 2017. Model 90 When it comes to the King Air…
King Air magazine contributor Tom Clements announced the first King Air Gathering (KAG) in the January 2017 issue of this magazine, as well as the King Air Academy sending out informational flyers to King Air owners and operators. The attendee list had been limited to 50 King Air owners/operators, so that the group would be…
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…
Another Point Regarding King Air Phase Inspections I read Dean Benedict’s excellent article regarding King Air inspections featured in the August 2016 issue of King Air magazine. I wanted to add to his information, something I have experienced with some King Air operators that have limited knowledge of our inspection program. One of the stipulations,…
EC Source Aviation builds flight department with distinctive aircraft Just a few months after taking a chief pilot position flying helicopters for EC Source, Tim Brown was promoted to director of aviation. This new title meant that not only would he fly the aircraft in support of the construction of new power lines, he also would…