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caravan question

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USA_Av8r

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Posts
67
Question:

The use of Beta (not reverse) inflight, namely during descent?

Starting the PT-6 in feather on the caravan?

Any of you regional guys an ex caravan pilot?
 
The AFM says:

Nothing about Beta inflight. The only restriction I can find regarding prop operation is the use of reverse in flight is prohibited. Thats it.

Regarding the starting of the engine in feather, the checklist calls for the prop lever to be in HIGH but again, there isnt anything that PROHIBITS anything else. I.E. starting and staying in feather.
 
Usually Beta is below the flight idle gate on most turboprops. I wouldn't think you would need to slow that rapidly , especially in the Caravan,to want to be putting the prop into Beta.
 
The AFM says:

Regarding the starting of the engine in feather, the checklist calls for the prop lever to be in HIGH but again, there isnt anything that PROHIBITS anything else. I.E. starting and staying in feather.

Think about starting while on a snow/ice covered ramp. I used to always start in feather (Cheyenne and King Airs) in those cases and the prop stayed there until I was ready to move.
 
The only time I started the engine in feather was if I was on an ice covered ramp. Otherwise, prop fwd before start-up. There is never a need to put the thing in beta in flight. It's a caravan..you can put the 1st notch of flaps in at redline 175kts. I used to hold 160 to a 1 mile final then drag it up. Of course if you do this with pax on board it would scrare the crap outta them so unless it's a freight operation I wouldn't recommend that procedure.
 
When I used to fly skydivers and freight in the 'van, we never used beta at all in flight. Flight idle and full flaps, the VSI would peg at 6000FPM descent (at about 120kts, as I remember. Haven't flown a Caravan in over 10 years), and we would be back on the ground in less than 4 minutes from 14,500 MSL. Usually beat the last two tandems down.

We also used to start in feather on every start. Company procedure, as per FlightSafety (at the time, this was back in the early '90's, they may have changed that). It was never an issue with the engine or prop, for that matter.

Peace.

Rekks
 
You don't need to do it you can do it. I've had a pt6 go into beta a few times on short final if you don't close the throttles just right. Pretty scary, you just drop.
 
1. You are not supposed to, but you probably won't die (right away)...

2. Go for it, it is a free turbine- so what difference could it make. Nice when using GPU in the winter, nice that is for the line people who would otherwise be unplugging you in the prop blast.
 

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