Page 16 - Volume 14 Number 2

MAINTENANCE TIP
Looking Backby Dean Benedict
It’s a new decade. Such milestones tend to prompt us to stop and take a look back. For me, I’m continually impressed by the resilience of the Beechcraft King Air – all of them. Every model has its virtues, and they have stood the test of time like no other aircraft in general aviation.
I went to work for BeechWest Van Nuys in 1975. Beech, Cessna and Piper were to general aviation what GM, Ford and Chrysler were to the auto industry. Many considered Beech head and shoulders above the rest and I heartily concurred. As a mechanic I was struck by the relative ease with which things went back together after disassembly. Beech Aircraft built each airplane by hand, and care was taken in the fitting of panels and where possible, components were located where maintenance could access them.
Everything comes apart faster than it goes back together. Having to fight every nut and screw in every panel during reassembly takes tons of time. That time is money coming out of the customer’s pocket. When I worked on other brands it was a constant struggle to replace panels after inspection. The screw holes in the panel never lined up with the airframe. Interior removal and replacement is generally a nightmare on any aircraft, but interior jobs seemed to go more smoothly on a Beechcraft. Looking back, I considered myself lucky to be working on them.
Strolling Down Memory Lane
During my first year at BeechWest we took delivery of BB-6, one of the very first King Air 200s. That was exciting. The model 90s already in existence were very popular, but the buzz on the 200 was spectacular –
14 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
more speed, greater range and a comfortable cabin. Recently, on a whim, I checked BB-6 on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) website. It was de- registered in 2005 (at age 31) and exported to Mexico. Who knows? It could still be flying today and coming up on its 46th birthday. Another serial number that stands out in my mind is LJ-10, a model 90 built in 1964 (no A, B, C or E ... just a straight 90.) It came into Van Nuys for regular maintenance and I performed a lot of work on it. I saw on the FAA website it was de-registered in 2016. I’d like to assume it gave 52 years of King Air caliber service.
Buying High Time
I am asked about high-time King Airs often. Prospective buyers see a King Air with 10,000 hours and they balk. In most cases, as long as an aircraft has been properly inspected and maintained, having high hours is not a red flag. However, good research is necessary to determine how that aircraft has been treated over the years. The reports generated by computerized maintenance programs are easily passed around to brokers and prospective buyers. At minimum they show that the aircraft has had maintenance performed. But if you want the real story on an older aircraft, nothing beats slogging through the actual logbooks, related documents and the POH.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Right now, I’m evaluating a model 350 for a seller who will be putting it on the market. The computerized maintenance report lists one engine as having 2,200
FEBRUARY 2020