Page 21 - June 2015 Volume 9, Number 6

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I want to make a comment or two about that 10-minute timer that shuts off the system after landing gear retraction. First, the timer does not start unless brake deice is on. In other words, you could be well into the climb or cruise and think, “Dang! I forgot to turn brake deice back on after that winter takeoff to thaw out the wheel wells!” No worries, it will come on now and operate for up to 10 minutes.
On the other hand, suppose you turned on brake deice shortly after takeoff and ran it for, say, six minutes. Now, in the descent for landing, you’ll have four minutes available for preheating the brake assemblies before extending the gear, right? Wrong! Once the timer starts with the gear up, it runs its course completely even if the switch is turned off prior to the end of the 10 minutes. Again, no worries: Once the gear leaves the wheel wells, brake deice will function with no time constraint at all. For what it’s worth, you can also pull and reset the Brake Deice circuit breaker to reset the timer and allow up to another 10 minutes of gear-up brake deice operation.
To conclude, I’ll run through a typical winter usage scenario where there is snow or slush on the ramp and/or taxiways. On starting, I’ll not only take the first engine’s condition lever to High Idle, but the second one as well. Now, after starting, the brake deice switch gets turned on and I check for the annunciator(s). As I begin to taxi, I will pull the condition levers back to Low Idle but if I need to stop in the run-up area or hold short of the runway, I will again select High Idle. Back to Low Idle as I roll onto the runway and I will turn the brake deice switch off now.
Unless an engine fails, I will leave the gear extended for the first 400 or 500 feet after liftoff, remembering to be below the gear retraction speed limit as I finally bring them up. Once I am high enough that an engine power loss would be relatively uneventful – maybe pattern altitude or above – I will now turn Brake Deice back on, check the time, and run it for five minutes or more. If I get distracted, I know it will shut itself off but I’ll eventually back it up by turning the switch off, too.
If the temperature at the destination airport is also close to or below freezing, then I will turn the brake deice switch on either before or right after the gear is extended. I’ll leave it on until performing the shutdown procedure and, if I get any lengthy stops while taxiing, I will remember to select High Idle while stationary. Got it? Good! KA
If you have a question you’d like Tom to answer, please send it to Editor Kim Blonigen at kblonigen@cox.net.
JUNE 2015
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 19
About the Author: King Air expert Tom Clements has been flying and instructing in King Airs for over 43 years, and is the author of “The King Air Book.” He is a Gold Seal CFI and has over 23,000 total hours with more than 15,000 in King Airs. For information on ordering his book, go to www.flightreview.net. Tom is actively mentoring the instructors at King Air Academy in Phoenix.