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Question(s) for King Air Pilots

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Coool Hand Luke

Well-known member
Joined
May 7, 2006
Posts
857
Gentlemen,

I am new to the King Air (350 if it matters). The Collins Proline 21 is nice and the aircraft flies great but I'd like some input:

(1) How do you conduct/complete your pre-flight/takeoff power runup at airports that are not condusive for such things, like Aspen or Eagle/Vail (et al).

It seems like:

(a) you would be blocking all aircraft behind you that don't need to do a runup; and

(b) with the lack of a runup area any aircraft that is directly behind you has the potential for FOD damage (I know I wouldn't like it).

Also, like I mentioned, it handles great once it's in the air, but is very much a pig on the ground. Any tips on this?

Finally, props MAX or 1500 for landing? I've done both. I prefer MAX. Those that choose 1500 mentioned they do it for noise considerations. Don't you think that if you slowly bring the props to MAX the pax wouldn't even notice the change, plus the landing is much less abrupt as the props don't "dump" like they do at 1500.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Cool Hand
 
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KingAir Technique

I've not flown the BE-300/350 airplanes but have a lot of experience in the BE-E90 and Super 200.

Regards run-ups, the companies I worked for considered run-ups a maintenance function and flight crew only did them in training and first flight or last flight of each week.

Regards prop RPM on landing, we always left them in the cruise setting for smooth transition to landing. If single engine then they would be set to max.

TransMach
 
Ive never heard of it handling like a pig on the ground. We always operated with props full forward on t/o and ldg. Try going props full forward on landing if u think it handles poorly. It'll stop very quick. Runups...I tried to do the autofeather check and cycle the props at high rpm each morning as first flight of the day check. Pax didnt seem to mind considering you were checking critical systems. Great airplane...wish i was still flying it. Have fun
 
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Ive never heard of it handling like a pig on the ground. We always operated with props full forward on t/o and ldg. Try going props full forward on landing if u think it handles poorly. It'll stop very quick. Runups...I tried to do the autofeather check and cycle the props at high rpm each morning as first flight of the day check. Pax didnt seem to mind considering you were checking critical systems. Great airplane...wish i was still flying it. Have fun

I am referring to Taxi, but I have not flown anything without a tiller in quite a few years either.

Also, how did you coplete the Auto-feather, Secondary and Primary governor checks with another aircraft behind you?
 
(1) How do you conduct/complete your pre-flight/takeoff power runup at airports that are not condusive for such things, like Aspen or Eagle/Vail (et al).


It seems like:

(a) you would be blocking all aircraft behind you that don't need to do a runup; and

(b) with the lack of a runup area any aircraft that is directly behind you has the potential for FOD damage (I know I wouldn't like it).

Also, like I mentioned, it handles great once it's in the air, but is very much a pig on the ground. Any tips on this?

Finally, props MAX or 1500 for landing? I've done both. I prefer MAX. Those that choose 1500 mentioned they do it for noise considerations. Don't you think that if you slowly bring the props to MAX the pax wouldn't even notice the change, plus the landing is much less abrupt as the props don't "dump" like they do at 1500.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Cool Hand

runups...we do em once a day, usually first flight of the day and/or empty leg. BUT, if I am flying the same plane back to back, it turns into once a week as you get to know the airplane and its associated quirks.

pig on the ground...no comprende

as for the rpms...we bring em up once the power levers go to idle, then nothing changes. the only other time we bring em up high would be on a low minimum approach, or if we were stacked in tight...in other words in preperation for a possible go around.

lol...if you think the props dump in a 350, you havent flown an old straight C90...id rather have em go to ground idle on the ground than 50 feet in the air ;)
 
I've always done the checks (once a day) just cock the plane one way or the other as to not blast anyone behind you, and I left the props back at what ever cruize was, the plane uses hardly any runway to begin with might as well leave it quite. just my 2 cents. back in my A100 days with thoes 4 props hanging out.... boy if you brought out any of the 600lbs torque before touch down the paxs were well aware of your arrival. good times....good times
 
Flew the 350 for 10yrs. Loved the thing. Wish we still had it. Do not understand the pig business on the ground. Will even taxi backwards when needed if you know how. As for the props, pull them back to 1500 for the climb and cruise, ease them forward for the final approach. They now can get you out of trouble or stop you quickly after landing. Have fun.
 
Some of my best memories are flying with my dad in the King Air. He was a master in that plane, 10k hours in it at least.
 

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