Now that summertime is arriving again, I thought it would be timely to present a simple PT6 starting modification that you should probably be making during some of your upcoming starts. As I have often said, when a Ground Power Unit (GPU) is conveniently available, that’s the way to go, especially on very hot days.…
This week I flew with an owner-pilot of a beautiful, late-model King Air 300, doing a bit of in-aircraft recurrent training. He mentioned that when he received his Initial training in this plane a few years ago the instructor emphasized, often and forcefully, that the propeller speed must be reduced back to 1,500 RPM (from…
It is likely that the majority of operating King Airs in use no longer have a rotating beacon. A beacon? Sure. One with an electric motor that rotates the bulb(s)? Quite unlikely. Those old beacon motors were a weak link in the system, often freezing in one position. One theory is that the grease in…
I always appreciate when readers of our magazine take the time to contact Kim Blonigen, our editor, with operational questions they would like me to address. I try to reply as rapidly as possible to the person who is posing the question. Sometimes, ideas for an entire article or two are prompted by the question(s), whereas…
Marc Wolf, a Southern California long-time pilot, instructor, and King Air magazine reader, has requested that I write about the different King Air PT6 shutdown fuel purge systems that have been used through the years. I appreciate the suggestion of this interesting topic and will address it here. First, realize that kerosene is actually more difficult…
Why, yes indeed! All straight 90s, A90s and B90s use a single supercharger, driven by the left engine, as the source of air inflow for cabin pressurization. The PT6A-6 and PT6A-20 engines that these models used had lower compression ratios and delivered less air than later members of the PT6A family, yet in 1971 when…
When we were taking our first ground school lessons, we learned – among many other things – how static air pressure was sensed and used to operate the altimeter, vertical velocity indicator (VVI), and airspeed indicator. Of these three instruments, airspeed was the only one that required an additional input: ram air pressure as sensed…
One of our readers suggested that I discuss some of the common failures that affect the King Air’s pressurization system. I am grateful for his idea and this article will address those abnormalities. Let me begin, however, by stating that the great majority of pressurization problems in King Airs are not the ones I will…
Throughout my many years of conducting initial and recurrent King Air training courses, a topic that consistently stirs some consternation is the fuel calculations associated with the Aircraft Weight and Balance form. The problem arises because the fuel tanks in a King Air do not all reside at the same location in the wing.…
A rather popular optional break system that you will find installed in lots of King Airs is Brake Deice. This system is only offered on King Airs with dual main landing gear wheels, so you will never find it on a member of the 90-series, with the exception of the F90 group, since they, like their…