Page 6 - June24

with long legs, combined with mountainous terrain in the West, was asking a lot of the twin Cessna.
Kay, who has her private pilot certificate and instrument rating, comes up with challenges such as seeing every state or visiting all the national parks. Dan acts as the flight department and meticulously plans the routes.
“I try to make it look easy but it’s phenomenal how much time I spend on trip arranging and departure planning. Even with an Aircraft Performance Group subscription, I frequently have to print out approach plates to plot the engine-out route and then create GPS user waypoints for the route. The King Air 350 has Transport Category runway performance numbers: balanced field lengths just like a jet. As a single pilot, I can’t match the safety level of a two- pilot crew as a fractional operator, but I strive to take advantage of the level of safety offered by the 350. I pour a lot of effort into training and maintenance. Safety is further enhanced by the 350’s enormous useful load. With full fuel, my family and luggage, I am more than 1,300 pounds below gross weight. As the pilot, I’m the weakest link in the equation. I work hard not to squander the safety that the 350 affords,” he said.
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JUNE 2024
Daniel Herr flew his 1996 Beechcraft King Air 350 to the 2022 King Air Gather- ing at the Beech Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He brought his family back to experience the museum when returning home to New Jersey after spending spring break 2024 in Texas.
“I’d say it’s a dream come true, but it’s something that my younger self never even dreamed of.”
4 • KING AIR MAGAZINE