Page 15 - Volume 13 Number 11

The author’s King Air B100 (N139JB) parked among the other King Airs on the ramp at Gillespie County Airport (T82) in Fredericksburg, Texas, location of KAG IV.
in the day. He graciously gave me 15 minutes of his valuable time, and I cherish the memory of that talk, knowing I’m far better for having been in the presence of a King Air virtuoso.
I’m not sure how many hours I have sitting behind PT6s, but it is enough I feel like I’m capable of operating the PT6 with excellence. I expected little from P&W’s Robert Winchcomb as he took the podium to tell us about the PT6 engine, but he quickly dispelled any thoughts I might have conjured of the irrelevance of his presentation. He did a super job of assuming the general PT6 knowledge of the crowd, not making the talk a boring sales lecture, and targeting the nuances of the operation and management of the PT6s on the King Air fleet. I learned a lot from his lecture, but also gained more from talking with Robert during an afternoon break. His knowledge of the PT6 is amazing and he relays that knowledge as a master trainer.
While the vendor support was excellent and the speakers were informative, I felt the best part of the King Air Gathering was the ability to talk with other King Air pilots. During the breaks, it seemed that pilots of particular airframe types would gravitate to each other for discussions of “best practices” and personal experiences. Several times I ventured out to the flight line with a new friend in the form of another owner/pilot to see their airplane and learn about various aspects of their operation. Those discussions proved to be instrumental to my growth as a King Air pilot.
An oftentimes forgotten critical ingredient in a great aviation event is the local FBO. The professionals at the Fredericksburg FBO figured out how to park an enormous amount of King Air aircraft on a ramp that didn’t initially appear that it would hold a flock of King Airs. The line guys were exceptional, the front desk personnel outstanding, and the whole operation was obviously well-led. And, they did all of this work without charging any fees. I believe most of the pilots realized how good the Fredericksburg FBO was during the King Air Gathering and supported them with fuel purchases.
The King Air Gathering was kicked off by a short welcome from Ron McAlister, founder of the King Air Academy who started and coordinates the King Air Gathering.
The Fredericksburg airport is well run and exemplifies what other airports in the U.S. should strive to be: no fees, top notch service and great facilities. I knew T82 was a special place and the whole airport, including the Fredericksburg FBO, showed the King Air Gathering participants why.
Next year the King Air Gathering will be in Wichita, Kansas – home of Textron, where all King Air aircraft are built. I anticipate that King Air Gathering V, in 2020, will sell out quickly and be a super event. I’ll be booking my seat early and I suggest you do too. The King Air Gathering is certainly a must-attend event for any pilot desiring to plug in to the developing safety culture of the King Air, as well as connecting with the King Air community overall. KA
Joe Casey is an FAA-DPE and an ATP, CFI, CFII (A/H),
MEI, CFIG, CFIH, as well as a retired U.S. Army UH60 standardization instructor/examiner. He manages and operates a King Air 300 and B100 and is an active instructor for the PA46 and King Air models. He has accumulated 14,300-plus hours of flight time, with over 5,200 dual-given as a flight instructor. Contact Joe at: www.flycasey.com, by email at joe@flycasey.com, or by phone at (903) 721-9549.