I hope most of the readers of King Air magazine are familiar with the BeechTalk internet forum (www.beechtalk.com). The site is very well-run and controlled by its moderators, members must use their real names, and it is visited regularly by a wide variety of people from novices just entering aviation to old timers like me and…
If you were to gather a group of King Air pilots together and ask them their understanding of and usage of the Engine Auto-Ignition system, I will wager that you would receive a wide variety of responses. Some will arm it on every takeoff and leave it armed until after landing, while others will use…
One of the ongoing debates among King Air pilots has to do with the necessity to use the engine anti-ice system as the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) directs: “Before visible moisture is encountered at +5°C and below, or at night when freedom from visible moisture is not assured at +5°C and below.” Depending upon your…
Now that Old Man Winter is holding much of the country in his icy grasp, I thought it would be an appropriate time to review how to warm up the cabin most effectively after engine start. Operators of the King Air model 90, A90 and B90 have only two choices: Either select auto or manual…
This month you’re getting a break from my normal efforts at imparting some King Air systems or operational knowledge to you. Instead, I am going to introduce you to two different, yet related, endeavors which I believe you will find of great interest. I want you to participate in these ventures and benefit from them.…
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…
I am sure many of my readers have a great deal more experience than I have in operating King Airs in remote areas where paved runways are few and far between. In fact, I’d wager that for many years now the King Air has been perhaps the most popular airplane in commercial service doing this…
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…
Well of course it is! “Three Green, No Red;” I’m good to land. And so you are. You have verified that the individual green gear down lights are illuminated and the two lights in the landing gear handle with the red lenses are both extinguished. You have proper confirmation that your gear is safe for…
For a few years now, all King Airs with six or more installed passenger seats are required to have a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) onboard and operational. This is a stand-alone system in some installations and is integrated into the GPS navigator in other installations. I have a homework assignment for you: Go…