Caring for Automation and The Moms Who

Your Propellers Pilot Error Raise Pilots

­F O R T H E P I L O T S O F O W N E R - F L O W N , C A B I N - C L A S S A I R C R A F T
MAY 2021 $3.95 US
VOLUME 25 NUMBER 5

KING
FLIGHT
REVIEW

AIR 360
American Aviation
 EDITOR
Rebecca Groom Jacobs
rebecca@twinandturbine.com
Content s MAY 2021 • VOL. 25, NO. 5
EDITOR IAL OFFICE
2779 Aero Park Drive
Traverse City, MI 49686 Editor’s Briefing
2 The World is Your Oyster
Phone: (231) 946 -7770
PUBLISHER
by Rebecca Groom Jacobs 4
Dave Moore Position Report
PRESIDENT 4 I Want to Break Free
Dave Moore by Dianne White
CFO
Rebecca Mead
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Mike Revard
PU BLICATION S DI RECTOR
10
Jake Smith
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Marci Moon
TWIN & TURBINE WEBSITE
www.twinandturbine.com­­
ADVERTISING
Jenna Reid
1-800 -773-7798
Jenna.Reid@VPDCS.com
6 Using Tech
ADVE RTI SI NG COORDI NATOR
Without Losing Your Mind
Betsy Beaudoin
1-800 -773-7798 by Stan Dunn
betsybeaudoin@villagepress.com
10 King Air 360
GE N E R AL AVIATION The King Air Comes Full Circle
ADVE RTI SI NG I N FORM ATION by Joe Casey
Aviation.Publications@VPDCS.com
18 The Value of Prop-er Care
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
The importance of propellers
R honda Kelly
Kelly Adamson and the people who keep 18
Jessica Meek them turning.
Jamie Wilson by Dave Franson
P.O. Box 968
Traverse City, MI 49685 From the Flight Deck
1-800 -447-7367 22 Raising a Pilot
To change mailing address, The moms of pilots are alike
email rhonda.kelly@vpdcs.com because we pilots are alike.
by Kevin Dingman
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 Editor’s Briefing
by Rebecca Groom Jacobs

The World is Your Oyster

A
s the pandemic subsides, flight activity is ramping FlightSafety International, “because when ATC gives you
back up – and private/business aviation is route changes you did not expect, while possibly speaking
leading the way. rapidly in broken English, is no time for the pilot flying to
A recent report from FlightAware shows that business learn the idiosyncrasies between domestic and international
aviation activity in 2021 is already surpassing the peaks seen flying. On my first international flight, I was left seat, and
seen in recent years. While this is certainly exciting news, the guy in the right seat had flown the route before, so he
operators continue to face constantly changing COVID-19 knew what to expect. If we were just a couple of greenhorns,
travel restrictions and requirements, particularly related to we’d have been so far behind the airplane.”
international flying. To help navigate the complexity of such Consider Ground Operations
evolving policies, the National Business Aviation Association Once pilots have landed safely at an overseas destination,
(NBAA) has developed several resources and tools from they need to be prepared for how the FBO will handle
webinars, podcasts, and articles, to a COVID-specific the airplane.
webpage (nbaa.org/coronavirus). “I found the FBOs overseas to be very busy, so you need
Hopefully, the need for such extensive research will soon to plan a lot more time than you might expect for tasks
dissipate as travel restrictions continue to lift...but in the to be completed because things take a while, particularly
meantime, if you are considering resuming or commencing at a lot of the European locations,” said Moore. “You need
international flying, here are some of NBAA’s top tips to be ready for anything. On my first international flight,
(source: Business Aviation Insider). the ground crews would not handle anti-ice fluid because
Know the Differences it is hazmat, and we were not able to buy fuel that already
Operators that have not flown internationally before had fluid in there. So we needed to carry those additives
need to obtain the latest pertinent information on the ourselves and figure out the hazmat impact of that.”
proposed route, destination and alternate airport from Other international service considerations include
a variety of sources, including consulting the company ground transportation availability, aircraft security, catering
security department, if they have one. Then, they need services and off-duty crew security, even when using an
to obtain international procedures training and develop international trip planning service.
detailed plans that take into account various possible travel Seek Advice from Experienced Pilots
scenarios and contingencies. One of the best ways for new international operators
“As soon as you depart domestic airspace, it’s no longer to obtain reliable information on overseas operations
just about flight planning, flying the plane and getting is to network with those in the industry who know
fuel,” said Robbie Moon, the director of flight operations the intimate details of worldwide destinations, said
for Deel & Winkler Family Office (who has made eight Scott Harrold, president of Sky Aviation International, an
Atlantic crossings to the European Union in a single- aviation consulting firm. Getting advice can be as simple
engine turboprop). “Now you’re talking about customs, as posting a question on NBAA Airmail or attending the
immigration, permits and taxes that may be required. This NBAA International Operators Conference. “Even when an
is where using a flight handler becomes important because operator is using a trip planning service, there are details
it’s almost impossible to know every regulation for every that other operators know from first-hand experience, from
country in the world.” actually making the trips and being there on the ground.”
Additional advice: Know the differences in international “I recommend that anyone with questions about
weather planning; attend an international procedures international operations reach out to NBAA, which has
course from a major training provider; take survival specialists that can either directly answer questions about
training. flying or managing aircraft or can direct that operator or
Pair With an Experienced Pilot pilot to other resources,” added Harrold. “Especially in the
If possible, operators new to international operations age of COVID-19, operators should contact NBAA staff, as
would be wise to pair an aviator making his or her first they stay on top of everything that is changing rapidly.”
trip abroad with an experienced pilot who brings to the
flight deck knowledge of the route.
“Having an experienced pilot with you is key,” explained
Brian Moore, senior vice president of operations for rebecca@twinandturbine.com

2 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

 Raisbeck

Rachel W is sending to me.

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­3

 Position Report
by Dianne White

L
ast February, while watching With this beautiful new panel with
the Super Bowl in my socially all its capabilities installed, I was ready
distanced, virus-free “pod,” a to break free of the Midwest cold and
Doritos commercial aired featuring head south to the Caribbean sun. Four
Matthew McConaughey and the classic friends who happen to be experienced
Queen song, “I Want to Break Free.” Bahamas island hoppers decided to
That song, being the earworm that join in the fun flying a Piper Meridian.
it is, became my personal anthem of We settled on Exuma as our destination
sorts to figure out as soon as humanly and began planning in earnest.
possible when we could safely and In light of the pandemic, flying
legally start traveling in earnest. Last to the Bahamas requires a few extra
year, we missed out on our annual flying steps. Before entering the country,
adventure to the Bahamas, something you must apply for a Bahamas Travel
we’ve been doing for nearly 20 years. Health Visa. In addition, you must
With the vaccine roll-out going quickly obtain and upload with your visa
and more and more states and countries application a negative COVID-19 RT-
easing restrictions, I was ready to PCR test taken no more than five days
break free. before the date of arrival. That 5-day
requirement sets up your window
for obtaining approval to enter the
Bahamas. Even if you’re vaccinated, you are still required
to complete the test and visa application.
It took two days to get our negative test results back,
putting us three days before arrival. With results in hand,
we immediately applied for the travel visa. Then we
waited. And waited. Numerous calls to the number listed
on the website went unanswered. On the day before we
The ramp at Georgetown arrived, one of our friends who was traveling with us sat
International (MYEF) was full on hold for four hours before reaching someone in the
of general aviation aircraft. Bahamas Travel Compliance Unit. She gave the official all
of our visa application numbers, and within minutes, we
Last year, like a lot of aircraft owners, the pandemic made had approval. At that point, we were 14 hours before our
it a perfect time to undertake a major avionics upgrade, planned arrival. (Thanks, Susie!)
including a new autopilot. There is rarely a time when How serious are Bahamian customs about the 5-day
putting our aircraft out of service for a month is workable, but requirement and health visa approval? Very serious. Asked
it seemed ideal with no trips on the books. The KFC 150 pitch what would happen if we had arrived without it, the customs
trim servo had been threatening to fail for a few months, official in Georgetown, Exuma, looked at us very sternly and
and replacing it was surprisingly costly. What started as said, “We send you back to the United States.” And he meant
an autopilot upgrade grew to a much bigger overhaul. In it. Earlier in the day, the FBO personnel told us of a planeful
the end, we installed a Garmin G500TXi, Gi275 standby, of vacationers who arrived and were summarily send back
GFC500, and a GTX345 transponder with ADS-B in and out. to Florida. Just because you applied doesn’t mean you can
Our friends at Columbia Avionics in Columbia, MO, show up and hope they will sort it out once you are there.
did an outstanding job on the install and we left the shop Here’s another thing we weren’t expecting. An approved
virtually glitch-free. If you don’t know them, they have Travel Health Visa arrives as an email with instructions
done some innovative STC’s over the years. Most recently, to download the visa, which includes a QR code. Before
they certified a complete retrofit package for the Citation departure, I called Odyssey Aviation at Exuma International
525 that includes the G600TXi, GFC600 autopilot, GTN Xi (MYEF) to assure parking for our two-ship. The helpful
and GWX75 radar. To say they know their way around a representative told us we must arrive with a literal print-
panel upgrade is an understatement. out of our health visas – the electronic version would not
4 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021
be accepted. The Bahamas is famous for its bureaucracy, Bahamas customs confirmed we had completed the day
but this seemed ludicrous. Back to the FBO in Florida to five rapid test, collected their fees, and we were free to
print out our visas, and good thing we did. Customs was leave. Upon arrival at a U.S. airport of entry, in our case, Ft.
not amused when one individual in our party didn’t bring Pierce, U.S. customs stamped our passports, ran our bags
a hard copy, but Odyssey was kind enough to print it out through a scanner, and let us go on our way. No questions
and run it back to customs. about testing or symptoms.
Once you’re through the customs, you’re free to enjoy Are you ready to break free? Although obtaining the
the islands as long as you follow a few rules: wear a mask in Bahamas Travel Health Visa and taking the day 5 test was
public places and abide by the 10 p.m. curfew. Each day you a pain, the rest of the requirements were no big deal. To
must complete a short online survey attesting that you are us, the beauty of the Out Islands and the pure relaxation
symptom-free and agree to continue to abide by the rules. you can’t help but soak up is well worth it. And there’s
On day five, you must take a rapid antigen test, which is nothing like flying over the Exuma chain at 500 feet on a
easy to do at the local medical clinic. perfect CAVU day.
We prefer the quietness of the Out Islands and this trip we A final word of advice when flying to the Bahamas: when
visited Exuma with its gorgeous beaches and various small in doubt, print it out (in triplicate, just to be safe.)
cays you can visit with a boat rental. This trip, our senses P.S. Don’t forget to file your eAPIS outbound and
were heightened – it had been nearly two years since our inbound. That rule is definitely not one from which you
last visit, and the sparkling turquoise waters, sugar-white can break free.
sand, and stark rock outcroppings were more beautiful than
I remember. Most all restaurants were open, and the local
market had plentiful supplies. The Bahamians we talked to Dianne White is the executive director of MMOPA and editor
were respectful of the restrictions. With limited health care of MMOPA Magazine. For a total of 14 years, she was editor
and no hospital on the island, they are rightfully concerned of Twin & Turbine and has worked in the business aviation
about the virus. However, their economy is dependent on industry for nearly 30 years. She also serves on the board of
tourism and we were told over and over, “Thank you for directors for Angel Flight Central. An active multi-engine,
coming back!” instrument-rated pilot, Dianne lives in the Kansas City area
and can be reached at editor@diannewhite.com.
The weather was stellar, and after a week of complete
tropical bliss, it was time to plan the trip home. Outbound,

Yingling

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­5

Using Tech
Without Losing Your Mind by Stan Dunn

I
discovered aviation at 19 when I won Gyroscopic precession requires reset- from a woman.” Barbara endorsed my
a free hour in a United Airlines DC- ting the heading indicator against the first flight and went on to endorse the
10 simulator. It was one of the most compass every 15 minutes. There is next few pages as well. I would eventu-
intense experiences of my life. The no flight director or autopilot. It is a ally go through a handful of different
realistic bumps and vibrations were touch more sophisticated than what instructors (Barbara left for a job at
enough to make me nervous about Lindbergh used to cross the Atlantic. I Jeppesen), and I eventually finished
crashing. I immediately fell in love joined the Metro State Precision Flight my flight training in Los Angeles.
with the idea of an office filled with team before I had logged any time in My first flight was in N737XE, a 1977
gauges, yokes and throttles. I had dis- an actual aircraft. We ran competitions Cessna 172N. The flight school at the
covered not only a pursuit but also a in the Frasca that utilized altitude, FBO had a dozen 172s – nearly all of
profession. heading, and standard rate turns. If them 1970s variants. Six-packs pro-
September 11 happened shortly af- you were off altitude or heading, you vided basic flight information. Fixed
ter I graduated college. I was quickly accumulated points. Climbs and de- cards and VORs provided for navi-
introduced to the cyclical volatility scents had to occur at exactly 500 fpm gation. The radios were analog. The
of the aviation sector. It was a hor- or you got more points. Like golf, the only way you knew when the battery
rible time to start flying, but I began lowest score won. It was a fun way to was on was the hum of the gyro spin-
anyway. I enrolled in a few classes at develop instrument flying skills. ning up. A good portion of my initial
Metro State College of Denver, largely I walked into the Centennial Airport cross-country flights were via pilotage.
to gain access to their fleet of Frasca for my “intro to flight” in June of that The VORs were used sparingly and
training devices. The first entry in year. I marched up to the counter of only to verify that I was not transgress-
my logbook was a block for the entire the local flight club and told the owner ing controlled airspace around Denver.
semester, logged on May 7, 2001. that I was “looking to learn to fly.” She Hills, antennas, railroad tracks, and
The Frasca is a basic device with a gave me a direct response, “I have the occasional private airport were
six-pack used as the primary means an instructor who can teach you… used to establish position. Dead reck-
to establish aircraft orientation. as long as you don’t mind learning oning with heading, airspeed, and a

6 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

clock did the rest. I got pretty good comparison – a 20 percent washout are about to hit terrain. It will yell at
on an E6B. It was old-fashioned in the rate. NDB holds are ridiculous little you if you are about to hit another air-
new millennium, yet a testimony to maneuvers. Doing it while hand-flying craft. There are over 100 different an-
the possibility of life without digital a powerful twin takes quite a bit of nunciations and verbal alerts to draw
intervention. concentration – and, to be frank, a the pilots’ attention to a risk that needs
My flight training was on and off for little good luck. Even Chuck Yeager to be managed.
many years. Aviation job opportuni- lost a dogfight every once in a while. There is an old saw that the cockpit
ties were lousy for the first decade of NextGen of the future will be occupied by a pilot
the millennium. In 2007 – a couple and a dog: the pilot to satisfy regula-
of months after I got my commer- The aircraft I currently fly has
tory requirements; the dog to bite the
cial certificate – I landed a job flying enough computers that it’s pointless
pilot if they touch anything. The first
Cessna Caravans out of Albuquerque. to count. We have an autopilot, auto-
American in space was a four-year-old
It had a mechanical flight director, a throttles, vertical navigation, EGPWS,
chimpanzee named Ham (Ham the
dual-stack Garmin, an autopilot and TCAS, FMS – a never-ending cortege
Astrochimp if you believe it). He was
a turbine engine. I was in paradise. of processing power. The flight con-
trained to press a lever when a blue
trols are fly-by-wire. Higher-level logic
One Step Forward, prevents aerodynamic stalls and will
light flashed. If he failed to respond
Two Steps Back in 5 seconds, he got an electric shock.
trim the elevator to compensate for
A correct response was rewarded
The Caravan is a great aircraft, but the thrust vector of the wing-mounted
with a banana pellet. I feel a kinship
the DC-10 had put big iron in my blood. engines. FADECs keep the engines
with Ham.
You need multi-engine time to land from exceeding limitations and will
one of those jobs. The pilot market abort a start automatically. Oddly, the The Upside of Automation
was finally beginning to open up. It flight director cannot capture a VOR. If The accident record clearly
wound up being a slim window of op- you really need to track one, you have demonstrates the positive impact
portunity. The Great Recession was to twist the heading. The message is that automation has had on safety.
on the horizon as the aftereffects of clear: Why bother with VORs when you Controlled f light into terrain –
9/11 flowed into the financial crisis. have a dual GPS? Use the flight man- historically the bane of the broad
The retirement age for airline pilots agement computer instead. Ground- pilot community – has all but been
was extended from 60 to 65, right as based NAVAIDs are a dying breed. eliminated as a cause of crashes
the stock market was crashing. Nobody Automation ensures compliance following the advent of GPWS.
could afford to retire. 2008 saw only a with speed limits below 10,000 feet Likewise, the probability of aerial
dozen pilots hired for the airlines in (an altitude that can be adjusted when collision has decreased in line with
the U.S. I managed to be one of them, flying outside of America). The com- the proliferation of TCAS. Automated
flying the Beech 1900D around the puters are capable of automatically lighting systems at large airports
slopes of Colorado. It was back to no adjusting speed as flaps are extended. are helping to eliminate runway
autopilot, sometimes no flight director It will yell at you if the gear is not down incursions as we speak. Fly-by-wire
and a six-pack. Add snow, mountains, on short final. It will yell at you if you logic is reducing loss-of-control
ice, and a maintenance department
under the thumb of the accountants,
and you have a nice start to an ASAP
report. The vast majority of my peril-
ous stories come from my time with
that little airline.
The first generation iPhone came
out at the very beginning of my
fledgling career. Buzzing around the
Rocky Mountains in the twin Beech, it
was clear that the phone in my pocket
was the most sophisticated piece of
electronic equipment onboard. Regula-
tions required GPWS, so a GPS antenna
had been installed in the fleet. It was
the only bit of high tech on the other-
wise stock Beech Airliner.
The failure rate on checkrides was
pretty high. There were a couple of
classes where 80 percent were sent
packing. My class did pretty well in A useful resource or a source of distraction? Technology can be both.

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­7

accidents. The rollout of auto-descent stuck trying to manage computers
for general aviation fleets is bound to instead of taking direct control of
save some lives as well. Navigation the aircraft. Yet, the failure to utilize
systems greatly reduce pilot automation can produce mental over-
workload, with departures, arrivals load leading to mistakes in task-satu-
and approaches selectable via simple rated environments.
keystrokes. No more twisting the Automation is A month after I began flying the
course, configuring and descending,
all while correlating aircraft position
very good at Caravan, the autopilot failed on a
short hop between Hobbs and Carls-
with lines on a piece of paper. Moving managing certain bad, New Mexico. I felt an initial pang
maps mean that position is never a of panic – there were a few seconds
guessing game. aspects of flight, of “what do I do?!” Nearly all of my
The increasing danger is that auto- time prior to the Caravan had been
mation dependence will be ingrained but it is lousy in aircraft without autopilots. It took
into the pilots of tomorrow. The ac- 40 hours with an autopilot to make
cident record is already testifying to
at abstracting me scared of flying without one. The
the atrophy of basic flying skills. The
company I work for promotes an op-
solutions to blip of panic only lasted a few mo-
ments, but it remains a flight that I
erational paradox: On one hand, they unusual events. vividly remember.
encourage the use of automation as a Similarly, I did not fly my first
means to reduce task saturation. On autothrottle-equipped aircraft until I
the other, they encourage pilots to rou- had 5,000 hours. Three months later,
tinely disconnect automation in order I decided to fly an approach manu-
to maintain basic flying skills. Over- ally. I felt a pronounced stab of uncer-
reliance on automation can greatly tainty. Five thousand hours of paying
increase response times as pilots get attention to thrust and airspeed had

1st Source

8 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

atrophied after only three months of in harrowing flight crew heroics, but about politics, and purchase goods has
relegating the responsibility to au- nobody pays attention unless the air- rapidly evolved. Aviation has been no
tomation. I made the decision to fly plane ends up in the Hudson. outlier to this trend. Charles Lindbergh
at least one manual approach every The 737 Max ordeal is an example of has morphed into Star Trek. Automa-
month. If the thing fails in icing con- the peril of handing over basic flying tion allows us (at times) to get away
ditions over Mexico, I want it to be duties to computers (particularly when with distractions. It is not an excuse
no big deal. pilots are kept in the dark). “What is it to become lazy. The safety of aviation
doing now?” becomes the new danger. continues to depend on the compe-
Automation and Pilot Error tence of operators. The importance
Technology only reduces workload
Automation is very good at manag- when pilots are competent at interfac- of a well-trained pilot continues to be
ing certain aspects of flight, but it is ing with the devices. A healthy bit of vital. When used properly, automation
lousy at abstracting solutions to un- skepticism can be an asset: Discon- increases safety. When everything is
usual events. Programmers can ac- necting automation and hand-flying falling apart, the last line of defense re-
count for the obvious stuff, but cod- is almost always the best solution mains the human at the controls.
ing automation for one-in-a-million when the computers do something
circumstances is infeasible. Humans unexpected. The ability to disengage
are still the better solution – particu- automation is quickly becoming an im- Stan Dunn is an airline captain and
larly when lives are on the line. As a portant skill for pilots to master. This check airman. He has 7,000 hours in
result, complex problems are often sounds simple, but it can be confusing turbine powered aircraft, with type
relegated to the pilots. System fail- on sophisticated aircraft. My current ratings in the BE-1900, EMB-120, EMB-
ures in automation are not routine, aircraft has over a dozen different 145, ERJ-170, and ERJ-190. Stan has
but with hundreds of millions of flight switches dedicated to disengaging the been a professional pilot for 14 years,
various automated systems and alerts. and has been flying for two decades.
hours logged every year, they are a
You can contact Stan at Stan@fly-
reality. Nearly all of them end with a Technology is in the midst of a ingformoney.com.
successful landing, such as my benign 30-year revolution. The way we com-
autopilot failure. Some of them result municate, consume news, complain

Ocean Reef

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­9

 PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEXTRON AVIATION

10 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

 KING
AIR 360 THE KING AIR COMES
FULL CIRCLE

by Joe Casey

S
o, how do you improve an airplane that is
clearly the most successful in its class? Own-
ers and pilots alike have nothing but praise
and appreciation for what is truly the “King of the
Air” in the turboprop market. Ask anyone who
operates a King Air 350 and they’ll give high marks
in just about every category. So, how can it be im-
proved upon? Enter from stage left the King Air 360.
The King Air 360 emanated from the King Air
350, the flagship of the Beechcraft brand for more
than two decades. Hence, they’ve had a long time to
make the King Air 300 series perfect. Did they suc-
ceed? Well, there’s no such thing as perfect, but I can
relate that the King Air 360 is an all-encompassing,
truly fantastic airplane with a lot of improvements.
As soon as the email from Textron Aviation hit my
inbox with news that a flight opportunity awaited,
I jumped at the chance and flew to Wichita within
the week.

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­11

 First Impressions About the ThrustSense
T &T Editor Rebecca and I arrived at the fabu-
lous Flight Operations building on Wichita Dwight D.
Autothrottle by IS&S
Eisenhower Airport (KICT) and were greeted warmly
by a host of Textron Aviation teammates. We were then Innovative Solutions & Support, guided by Chairman and
escorted to an immaculate white hangar with a brand new CEO, Geoffrey SM Hedrick, purchased a Pilatus PC-12 in
gorgeous King Air 360. This particular 360 was all white, early 2000 and decided to develop an autothrottle system
awaiting the paint scheme and colors of its future owner. for the aircraft. For the next several years, IS&S worked on
Even in its plain white colors, the 360 looked impressive. it until they came up with a very simple, retrofittable ac-
Luke Scott was the Textron Aviation demo pilot assigned tuator that is truly failsafe.
to put the King Air 360 through its paces with me. Luke has The patented ThrustSense full-regime autothrottle pro-
extensive flight time in many airplanes, but his specialty vides automatic power management from takeoff to touch-
is the King Air 360. The type rating required to fly any of down, including go-arounds. In addition to total speed
the King Air 300-series airplanes is the BE-300 type rating, envelop protection, the system also protects the engine
and I’m a DPE with authorization to administer that rating. against operator-induced exceedances such as engine
So, I get to fly in a lot of King Air 300 series aircraft with
over-torque and over-temp. With the success of the Thrust-
a lot of King Air 300 series pilots, and I can tell you that
Luke was particularly impressive as a pilot and instructor
Sense system for the single-engine PC-12, the company
– one of the best I’ve seen. His knowledge of the airplane turned its attention on using the technology to aid multi-
was Mariana Trench deep, and we instantly bonded from engine pilots.
a professional standpoint. The ThrustSense autothrottle with LifeGuard has been
One of the worries I have when a company makes “im- created to solve the ongoing problem of catastrophic upset
provements” to an already fabulous product is that changes that can occur when there is a loss of an engine on a
are made to the structure that are really not improvements multi-engine turboprop also known as the VMCa problem
at all. The iPhone 8 was not better than the iPhone 6S; – when a multi-engine aircraft suffers the failure of one
classic Coke is way better than new Coke; and watermelon engine. As the pilot tries to maintain altitude and pulls back
Oreos were just terrible. Improvements should really be on the yoke, airspeed reduces to VMCa resulting in loss of
improvements, not refinements that change the guts of a directional control.
product. This is good news for the 360 as Beechcraft didn’t IS&S bought a King Air in 2018 to use as a testbed for
change the general structure or engine of the 350. In fact,
the patented LifeGuard technology. It provides critical VMCa
if a 350 and 360 were parked next to each other, only a true
upset protection by dynamically maintaining the maximum
aficionado could tell the difference. That aficionado probably
would have to read the data tag to be completely confident. safe thrust produced by the “good” engine. As part of the
This is also good news because the classic square/oval
rigorous certification activities, this real-time analysis of
shape of the King Air fuselage is probably one of the truly control loss due to asymmetric thrust in a sudden loss of
perfect aspects of every King Air. The engines are also the airspeed as much as 5 kts/sec, was demonstrated by
rugged and powerful Pratt and Whitney PT6-60’s that pilots controlling to the maximum safe thrust of the remaining
worldwide have grown to trust and appreciate. engine. The pilots maintained directional stability by press-
The performance of the King Air 360 is identical to the ing the rudder on the side of the failed engine and the
350 because the drag experienced and thrust provided are airplane stayed controllable all the way down to the stall
identical. But, that performance is spectacular. I can’t think warning. With loss of an engine, even the best pilots can
of another airplane that can take off from a 3,500-foot land- get into this situation and this innovative technology pro-
ing strip with 10-plus people, a cargo area (including wing vides better control and safer operations.
lockers) full of bags and toys, the fuel tanks all topped off, “Textron Aviation has shown great initiative and trust by
and go 1,500 nm while burning 300 pounds of fuel on each certifying as a standard feature our ThrustSense auto-
side while cruising at FL300 at 300 KTAS. That’s a lot of
throttle with LifeGuard protection on the new-generation
numbers for one sentence, but suffice it to say the King Air
King Air 360 and 260,” said Hedrick. “We’re also offering
350/360 will carry a ton, fly a long way fast, and be efficient
with fuel. Performance and capability improvements were the system as a retrofit solution to other legacy King Air
not the driving force behind the new 360. models through their service centers. It integrates with the
existing throttle quadrant, so installation and operations
Where Are the Differences?
are very simple.”
Two areas of consideration received serious upgrades in Like with the ThrustSense autothrottle for the PC-12, the
the King Air 360: safety improvements and a refined interior. twin-engine version provides a host of features including
To improve upon safety, Beechcraft started by adding FADEC-like engine protection, over-torque and under-torque
autothrottles. I’ll advise that I was a bit skeptical at first
protection, under- and over-speed protection, and more.
that the autothrottles would work well, but once I saw

12 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

them in action, I was blown away. On the takeoff roll, the
pilot simply configures the system with the touch of a few
buttons and then pushes the go-around button. With the
throttle frictions OFF (yes, that a bit weird for a King Air
pilot to do on takeoff!) and the go-around button pushed,
the power levers advance smoothly to a power setting that is
determined by the internal parameters within the system.
There are no computations required by the pilot. The pilot
simply pushes the go-around button, releases the brakes,
steers the airplane with the pedals, places appropriate aile-
ron into any existing wind, and rotates at Vr. Gone are the
days of shifting focus from inside to outside while trying
to apply enough torque to take off while not over-torquing
the engines. The power lever advancement is smooth and Teledyne
incredibly precise.
(Before I go any further, a pet peeve of mine is for turbine
pilots to call the power levers “throttles.” Throttles are on
piston airplanes and turbine airplanes have power levers.
So, the King Air 360 really has “Auto Power Levers,” not
“Autothrottles.” But, autothrottle seems to roll off the tongue
more easily, and I think the term is here to stay, even in
turbines. Now, I feel better…thanks for the nice diversion!)
While the autothrottles make the takeoff easier on the
pilot, the real advantage is while in flight. If an engine were
to fail, the autothrottle feature would apply the correct
amount of power for that particular situation. And, if the
airplane were to slow near Vmc, threatening a Vmc roll, the
autothrottles would decrease the power on the good engine
to ensure that the deadly Vmc roll over does not occur. To
me, this is a huge safety improvement.
Additionally, once in flight, the autothrottles are inte-
grated into the autopilot system, allowing for incredibly
precise aviating. For example, the pilot can select an air-
speed, and the autothrottles will adjust the power levers to
the exact power setting needed for that regime of flight. I
flew an ILS approach to minimums and the autothrottles
managed the power levers to keep the speed exactly where
I wanted it. It was a truly “hands-off approach” all the way
to decision height.
The autothrottle system in the 360 was smooth, integrated,
and a fabulous improvement over the King Air 350. This
one feature improvement was enough to have me hooked,
but there’s more. Select
I was particularly impressed with the multi-scan radar.
Basically, the multi-scan radar takes all of the pilot adjust-
ment of the radar out of the pilot’s hands. It is simply turned
on and the system will adjust the tilt, gain, distance, and a
whole host of other parameters to give the pilot visibility
of convection ahead. I love this feature because I see lots
of confusion in the owner-flown and single-pilot world
concerning the use of the radar. Simply put, most pilots
(my assessment) don’t know how to properly set up and
use the radar to ensure an accurate real-time view of the
weather. If you are to “go tactical” around thunderstorms
(use onboard radar to navigate around storms), you need a
good radar system and also know how to use it. The use of
radar is more an art than a science, and the skill required

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­13

 to operate radar is best learned in a multi-crew cockpit over means that the cabin altitude will be less when the King Air
countless hours of watching a master tinker with the radar. 360 is operated at lower altitudes. To me, FL300 is a great
But now, with the multi-scan radar on the King Air 360, the altitude to fly in the King Air 360 because the cabin altitude
pilot has a resource that is far easier to use accurately. I still is low, the true airspeed is high, and the fuel burn is low.
never advise that a pilot go tactical around thunderstorms, With the increase in cabin differential pressure, the flight
but the multi-scan radar on the 360 is the best radar I’ve levels starting with a “3” are now “home” for the King Air.
ever seen on a general aviation airplane, and I’ve seen and All of this is well and good for the pilot, and the safety
used lots of onboard radars in my 30-plus years of flying. improvements are great. But, the people who write the
Avionics & Interior checks for operating a King Air are usually sitting in the
aft right seat in the cabin. What does that person want in
Ergonomically, the cockpit is King Air-esque, meaning
an airplane? They want it comfortable and nice.
that any pilot familiar with any other King Air will instantly
become comfortable with the layout of the switches and Beechcraft has grown to be VERY good at creating a cabin
position of various functions. This is excellent news because that is exquisite. The new refinements of the King Air 360
the King Air cockpit layout is ergonomically pleasing and cabin are everywhere. The seats will literally move in any
super functional. I have to admit, though, that I’ve got lots direction desired – they’ll move away from the sidewall,
more flight time in steam-gauge airplanes and Garmin- rotate inward, and are probably the most comfortable seats
equipped airplanes, and I’ve got a love-hate relationship I’ve ever enjoyed. The seats were designed using digital
with the earlier Proline 21 avionics found in many of the pressure mapping so that all body types of passengers have
earlier King Airs. But, the Proline Fusion is absolutely a comfortable seat.
stellar, easy to use, and incredibly functional. Three giant Along with the comfortable seating are pleated shades
screens literally fill the entire panel from the left sidewall (gone are the rotating polarizers that wear out so quickly),
to the right sidewall with flight instrumentation. Touch- lots of well-crafted interior lighting details, and “King Air”
screen panels include everything from gorgeous synthetic inspired design motifs throughout the cabin. The interior
vision, flight charts, graphical flight planning, and all of it is designed for luxury, mirroring the comfort, precision
is integrated throughout the cockpit. Yes, I’m a huge fan of and tastes found in the most appointed and expensive
the Proline Fusion. luxury cars.
For a portion of our flight, I gave up my pilot seat so
that Rebecca could move up to the front seat and see the
cockpit at FL300. I went to the back and enjoyed the spa-
cious experience. More interior refinements were noted
that were impressive. For starters, the noise level was far
less than other King Air aircraft. The 360 has “passive noise
canceling,” which has sound deadeners placed throughout
the airplane to deaden the noise. And, when the fore and
aft doors are closed, the sound dropped significantly again.
Before I leave this point about noise reduction, I must
admit that one of my favorite features in a King Air is “active
noise canceling,” which is found in one of the four King Air
aircraft we manage and fly from my home airport. I love the
active noise canceling in that particular King Air and even
inquired the Beechcraft staff about why they’d not include
that system in every new King Air. But they reminded me
that system has a reputation in the marketplace for being
a maintenance hog. In my personal experience, the system
in our airplane has been flawless in use, but others have
complained. The impressive part of the King Air 360 is that
the noise level in the passive noise-canceled 360 is certainly
Author Joe Casey and Textron Aviation Demo Pilot Luke Scott. less than the earlier-model King Air 300 I regularly fly with
active noise canceling. At first I was skeptical, but the pas-
One of my favorite upgrades in the King Air 360 is an sive noise canceling is really impressive.
increase in pressure differential to 6.8 psi from the 6.5 psi Maintenance Savings
differential found in the 350. While 0.3 psi does not sound
like a big deal, it is a big deal. It means that a King Air 360 Another noteworthy change with the King Air 360 versus
can be operated at FL350 and have a cabin altitude that is the other King Air models is the new and improved main-
under 9,700 feet. In a King Air 350, FL350 was attainable, tenance program. Earlier King Air airplanes have a Phase
but the cabin altitude was over 10,300 feet, making FL350 an 1/2 in one year and a Phase 3/4 in the next year. So, all four
uncomfortable altitude for passengers and crew alike. It also phase inspections occur within two years. In the King Air
360, the same inspections occur within a four-year period.

14 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

So, the amount of maintenance that is required is less.
There are still hourly maintenance items, and I’m sure the
maintenance requirements will be different for different
owners who operate their airplanes more or fewer hours
in a given year. But, overall maintenance should be less for
an owner in a 360 compared to any other type King Air,
and that is significant.
I think Beechcraft did a great job of upgrading to the
360. There’s no radical departure from what anyone would
expect in a King Air, but there are obvious refinements and
improvements. Autothrottles, a higher differential pressure,
upgraded avionics, and a better experience for the back-
seaters make the King Air 360 a worthy investment for the
owner who wants the latest and greatest safety improve- Preferred
ments and passenger comfort. I love the King Air line-up
of airplanes, and the 360 is the best King Air ever to roll off
the factory floor in Wichita. If you are looking for the best
King Air, take a 360-degree view of the market, and you’ll
end up with the King Air 360.

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 stan-
dardization instruc-tor/examiner. An active instructor in the
PA46 and King Air markets, he has accumulated 14,300-plus
hours of flight time, with more than 5,200 dual-given as a flight
instructor. Contact Joe at joe@flycasey.com or 903.721.9549.

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­15

 The Worldwide General Aviation
owner/operators and chief pilots of these airc

TOTAL MARKET COVERAGE

285 CITATION V 27 GULFSTREAM G-II 32 LEARJET 40

JETS – 17,806 31 CITATION VI 12 GULFSTREAM G-IIB 243 LEARJET 45
CHIEF PILOTS & OWNERS 122 CITATION VII 111 GULFSTREAM G-III 225 LEARJET 45XR
COUNT AIRCRAFT 329 CITATION X 175 GULFSTREAM G-IV 92 LEARJET 55
36 AIRBUS ACJ319 38 CITATION X+ 338 GULFSTREAM G-IVSP 6 LEARJET 55B
30 ASTRA 1125 253 CITATION XLS 204 GULFSTREAM G-V 8 LEARJET 55C
32 ASTRA 1125SP 301 CITATION XLS+ 38 HAWKER 1000A 307 LEARJET 60
57 ASTRA 1125SPX 1 DIAMOND I 2 HAWKER 125-1A 623 PILATUS PC-12/45
29 BEECHJET 400 32 DIAMOND IA 2 HAWKER 125-1AS 149 PREMIER I
266 BEECHJET 400A 16 DORNIER ENVOY 3 12 HAWKER 125-400AS 1 SABRELINER 40
195 BOEING BBJ 304 ECLIPSE EA500 2 HAWKER 125-600A 7 SABRELINER 40A
503 CHALLENGER 300 75 EMBRAER LEGACY 500 1 HAWKER 125-600AS 2 SABRELINER 40EL
40 CHALLENGER 600 100 EMBRAER LEGACY 600 61 HAWKER 125-700A 2 SABRELINER 40R
26 CHALLENGER 601-1A 53 EMBRAER LEGACY 650 72 HAWKER 4000 4 SABRELINER 60
121 CHALLENGER 601-3A 247 EMBRAER PHENOM 100 223 HAWKER 400XP 5 SABRELINER 60ELXM
54 CHALLENGER 601-3R 328 EMBRAER PHENOM 300 44 HAWKER 750 68 SABRELINER 65
325 CHALLENGER 604 80 FALCON 10 153 HAWKER 800A 7 SABRELINER 80
7 CHALLENGER 800 22 FALCON 100 14 HAWKER 800B 1 SABRELINER 80SC
148 CITATION 500 16 FALCON 200 398 HAWKER 800XP 67 WESTWIND 1
340 CITATION 525 242 FALCON 2000 42 HAWKER 800XPI 1 WESTWIND 1123
318 CITATION BRAVO 27 FALCON 2000EX 88 HAWKER 850XP 14 WESTWIND 1124
187 CITATION CJ1 34 FALCON 20C 187 HAWKER 900XP 50 WESTWIND 2
96 CITATION CJ1+ 15 FALCON 20C-5 2 JET COMMANDER 1121
240 CITATION CJ2 17 FALCON 20D 2 JET COMMANDER 1121B TURBOPROPS – 12,801
225 CITATION CJ2+ 1 FALCON 20D-5 2 JETSTAR 731 CHIEF PILOTS & OWNERS
476 CITATION CJ3 10 FALCON 20E 4 LEARJET 23 COUNT AIRCRAFT
174 CITATION CJ3+ 49 FALCON 20F 12 LEARJET 24 403 CARAVAN 208
368 CITATION CJ4 75 FALCON 20F-5 2 LEARJET 24A 1,523 CARAVAN 208B
189 CITATION ENCORE 197 FALCON 50 7 LEARJET 24B 155 CHEYENNE I
74 CITATION ENCORE+ 8 FALCON 50-40 20 LEARJET 24D 16 CHEYENNE IA
392 CITATION EXCEL 118 FALCON 50EX 8 LEARJET 24E 206 CHEYENNE II
14 CITATION I 178 FALCON 900 6 LEARJET 24F 56 CHEYENNE III
280 CITATION I/SP 24 FALCON 900C 4 LEARJET 25 38 CHEYENNE IIIA
445 CITATION II 116 FALCON 900EX 19 LEARJET 25B 57 CHEYENNE IIXL
54 CITATION II/SP 156 GLOBAL 5000 4 LEARJET 25C 35 CHEYENNE IV
PHOTO BY JESSICA AMBATS

155 CITATION III 123 GLOBAL EXPRESS 45 LEARJET 25D 235 CONQUEST I
124 CITATION LATITUDE 25 GULFSTREAM G-100 4 LEARJET 28 291 CONQUEST II
247 CITATION M2 239 GULFSTREAM G-200 32 LEARJET 31 38 JETSTREAM 31
467 CITATION MUSTANG 14 GULFSTREAM G-300 182 LEARJET 31A 63 JETSTREAM 32
130 CITATION S/II 24 GULFSTREAM G-400 26 LEARJET 35 52 JETSTREAM 41
323 CITATION SOVEREIGN 313 GULFSTREAM G-450 398 LEARJET 35A 37 KING AIR 100
105 CITATION SOVEREIGN+ 11 GULFSTREAM G-500 21 LEARJET 36 450 KING AIR 200
310 CITATION ULTRA 602 GULFSTREAM G-550 33 LEARJET 36A 17 KING AIR 200C

16 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

on & Business Aviation Markets
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316.409.7033 • Jenna.Reid@vpdcs.com
www.twinandturbine.com

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­17

The Value of Prop-er Care
The importance of propellers and
the people who keep them turning. by Dave Franson

of products that spawned multiple in-

dustries. It’s no wonder the Wrights
spent a significant amount of time af-
ter 1909 in court, defending and trying
to protect the systems they designed.
Needless to say, propellers were among
the most important. Their innovative
design moved aircraft propulsion from
an idea to a reality.
Orville Wright actually inspired
Robert Hartzell to start manufactur-
ing hand-carved propellers from his
walnut wood factory in 1917. Since
then, the sharing of insights, develop-
ments and technological innovations
has evolved into the rule rather than
the exception – and the basis for the
regulatory environment in which im-
provements have flourished.
Rebecca Williams is director of parts
and propellers at Yingling Aviation,
a full-service maintenance, repair,
overhaul (MRO) and fixed base op-

P
erator at Wichita, Kansas’ Dwight D.
Eisenhower National Airport. She says
ropellers come in all shapes ensuring that it pulled a consistent communication and cooperation, even
and sizes. There is the fixed- amount of air toward the plane with among competitors, are key to contin-
pitch wood variety that make each rotation. A recent historical sum- ued advancement in propeller design,
great office decorations. There mary produced by Hartzell Propellers efficiency and safety.
are high-tech six-blade composite de- reported that the Wrights’ design pro- “In truth, we all work together,”
signs like those that power the C-130 duced a maximum efficiency of about Williams said. “Many of the propeller
Hercules. And let’s not forget the first 70 percent. Today’s propellers are shops are either recommended, OEM
effective aircraft propellers carved out around 90 percent efficient. factory-trained and certified, or OEM
of spruce, designed and engineered Like the airplanes that utilize them, authorized service providers. The col-
by the Wright Brothers. Wilbur and propellers have evolved considerably laboration among propeller service
Orville were the first to realize that over time. When you consider all the providers worldwide has helped us
the propellers were airfoils, too, variants produced and all the atten- expand the scope and quality of our
and they fabricated and shaped the tion paid to creating more efficient, overhaul, repair and final assembly
Wright Flyer’s two 8-foot diameter durable technology, it’s obvious that of propellers. In some instances, we
blades after extensive research and the Wright Brothers were not just bi- (propeller shops) are the customer, and
experimentation with shapes in their cycle mechanics. Not only did they in others, we are competitors – but we
self-built wind tunnels. design and build a craft capable of sus- are really a family.”
The Wrights tested them in their tained flight, they created a platform Williams also credits the Worldwide
Dayton bicycle shop using a two-horse- for an impressive array of interwoven Aircraft Propeller Association (WAPA),
power motor. They added a twist along technologies that they meticulously which meets annually, creating a fo-
the blade’s length to create a more researched, developed, fabricated and rum to address concerns being raised
consistent angle of attack for the blade, modified into an incredible collection in the field. “We know each other and

18 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

share bulletins and information and take-off performance, alloy leading actually began working in Yingling’s
ask each other ‘what are you doing edges for erosion protection, more Service Department in 2000 and
about this issue,’ and ‘what should we ground clearance, and less cabin moved into the prop shop full time
do to improve our industry standards noise. Established propeller shops in 2010. He, too, is a protégé of Leroy
for customer support?” are where they go to make sure the “Red” Phillips. Phillips launched the
Randy Lammon is a 25-year Air- upgrades are done right. firm’s propeller service in the 1950s
frame and Powerplant mechanic who Yingling has been a leader in pro- and spent a half-century working on
has been at Yingling since 2004. He peller service for more than 50 years. them until his death in 2006.
currently serves as the company’s lead Like Randy Lammon, Jeff Sawyer, “Red knew just about everything
propeller specialist. an A&P mechanic, authorized in- and everyone there was in our busi-
“From a technical perspective, we spector (IA) and licensed pilot, ness, and he did his best to help us
don’t want there to be any accidents,”
Lammon stated. “The manufacturers
put out required inspection guidelines
for well-established reasons. Propel-
lers are technically a shelf-life item.
There are certain things we do to
protect the integrity and durability
of the products, but the hardest part
of maintaining propellers may be to
get the customers to pay attention to
them. A neglected prop can degrade
the performance of the aircraft – and
pose a real safety problem if left un-
addressed.”
Lammon promotes some basic
guidelines a shop technician consid-
ers foundational:
• Read and follow the own-
er’s manual
• Keep your propeller logbook
up to date
• Maintain and properly grease
your propeller (and be careful
not to ‘over grease’ it or you could
throw off the balance)
• Don’t ignore recommended
maintenance intervals or ser-
vice bulletins
• Midlife inspections and reseals
are a good idea
• Refresh paint to protect Rosen
from corrosion
• Stay up to date on FAA adviso-
ry circulars
• Make a visit to your local propel-
ler shop occasionally
Of course, there are a lot of owners
that do maintain and care for their
propellers as prescribed by the
OEM, and others who get just as
excited about new propeller develop-
ments as they do about engine or
avionics upgrades. They want the
latest technology and improve-
ments, including things like better

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­19

– and them – adapt as the industry twin over the same consistent flight
and the technology changed,” Sawyer pattern, it’s a good idea to occasionally
pointed out. “There are still guys like rotate your propellers. Finally, I per-
Red out there in the propeller world. sonally would not use reverse except
They’ve created new techniques and in short-field landings or emergencies.
technology to improve our processes You can control your speed by taxiing
in the repair stations – things like a in beta without producing thrust and
report for service bulletins similar to it will reduce potential blade damage.”
CAMP – but specific to propellers and Another savvy industry veteran is
automated blade measuring systems Bob Finke of International Propeller
using laser sensor technology, MRP in Lincoln, Nebraska. He fits the mold
tracking software, and, of course, spe- of Red Phillips and touts the collabora-
cialized tooling,” he said. tion and cooperation of the “propeller
Sawyer shares a pilot’s perspec- community,” too. He spent 25 years at
tive in advising customers to “always Duncan Aviation before he and anoth-
inspect your propeller before flight. er former Duncan colleague, Scott Lau,
Look for surface irregularities, dents, started International Propeller five
delamination, scratches, corrosion. years ago. Bob is on the board of
Know what repairs can be made in WAPA and says, “It’s awesome – we
the field. When in doubt, let your local communicate with other members
prop shop check it out!” virtually every day to find overhauled
“Don’t forget the same applies or used parts, compare techniques and
to your spinner and hub. Check Rebecca Williams and Randy do what we can to keep our clients’
for surface damage such as cracks, Lammon of Yingling Aviation. costs down. I have email addresses
for virtually every prop shop in the
world,” he added.
Finke also has a vast worldwide cli-
entele. International Propellers was
named the Exporter of the Year for
the Midwest Region three years ago
by the Small Business Administra-
tion (SBA). “We deal primarily with
turbine operators but we have lots of
owner-pilot customers, too. My current
inventory includes everything from
metal single-engine aircraft props to
five-bladed composite models for the
King Air 350 – and if I don’t have what
a customer needs, I have the means
“Propellers are technically a shelf-life item. There are certain to find it quickly,” he said.
things we do to protect the integrity and durability of the
products, but the hardest part of maintaining propellers may At the home of Raisbeck Engineering
be to get the customers to pay attention to them.” in Seattle, Washington, Director of
Sales Rob Richardson has been helping
ensure the spinner and attaching parts it comes to the propeller’s finish, he owners maintain and upgrade their
are “normally” tight, and take a glance cautioned against a “spray can” over- propeller-driven aircraft for decades...
at the back of the hub and ensure the haul – just putting a quick coat of paint and he has seen lots of changes over
hub’s surface is not damaged. Unless over problems. Know the correct pro- the years. Raisbeck has been devel-
it’s absolutely necessary, avoid high cedures for your paint. It is important oping performance and aerodynami-
static RPM on dirt, gravel or rocky to maintain good paint coverage, one cally designed enhancements for
runways. Even glancing around the for safety and another for longevity. OEM production aircraft since 1982
ground or ramp and removing any Better yet…call your local propeller and received its first STC for propel-
debris can go a very long way in pro- shop to ensure it’s done right. lers in 1985.
tecting your propeller,” he advised. “Some things just don’t occur to “Back in the 1980s, we were work-
He also recommended wiping operators, I guess, such as avoiding ing on corporate-owned, crew-
the propeller with a lightly oiled rag pushing or pulling the aircraft by the flown turboprops, both Part 91 and
after each flight, especially if flying propeller blades or spinner,” he added. Part 135 operators. Now, a lot of those
in a corrosive environment. When “I also suggest that, if you are flying a same airplanes are privately owned

20 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

and flown. Those operators all want finally get around to inspecting
to go fast and have the best perfor- them, the blades all need to be re-
mance available. They’re willing to placed. At $7,000 per blade on a pair of
spend the money to upgrade the prop four-bladed props, the cost to repair
just like they do with the airframe and the old props gets pretty close to the
electronics.” expense of buying all-new, zero-time
“We see cooperation between propel- replacements.”
ler service providers and even MROs The network of propeller manufac-
because we’re all trying to deliver qual- turers, maintainers and prop shop op-
ity support and enrich our customers’ erators really is, in Rebecca Williams’s
flight experience. The number of FAA words, “a large but small group.” They
propeller repair stations in the U.S. is aren’t vast in number, but their role in
probably around 50, so we all know keeping the flying public safe is sig-
each other,” Richardson commented. nificant, even if it’s often overlooked. Aerox
“It used to be that the propellers But that’s okay with them. They ac-
and cowlings were the last things tually prefer to be like the products
to be addressed during mandated they service: quiet, efficient and in-
inspections – right before the air- dispensable!
plane went back to the operator. That
perfunctory check allowed a lot of
them to go back into the air without Dave Franson is a veteran commu-
proper lubrication or with corrosion nications executive with more than 45
issues, and that could produce a dan- years of experience with NBAA, Allied-
gerous situation.” Signal Aerospace, Learjet and Cessna
in Wichita, Kansas. He is currently the
“We have seen a lot of aircraft with president of the Wichita Aero Club. You
high-time props. The operators think can contact Dave at davefranson@
they’re saving money by stretching mac.com.
them to the limit. But, when they

Covington

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­21

 From the Flight Deck
by Kevin R. Dingman

Raising a Pilot
The moms of pilots are alike
because we pilots are alike.

A mother is she who can take

the place of all others, but whose
place no one else can take.
– Cardinal Mermillod

Dear Mom, Pilot Psyche: A Mother

regions that control empathy, anxi-
ety and social interaction. Feelings
You always encouraged our inter- of love, protectiveness and worry all
ests, skills and sometimes our whims. understands what begin with electrochemical reactions
Thanks for the typewriter. I used it a child does not say – in the brain. An enhanced amygdala
to write tales about Boy Scouts, my makes her extra sensitive to her ba-
first solo and becoming a private pi- even a grownup child. by’s needs, while hormones create a
lot. It’s in the hangar office now with positive feedback loop. Mommy, Mum,
the Duke, and I write for an airplane Our readers are experienced pilots Mother. Motherhood, Mothering and
magazine. I even wrote an article us- and by nature investigative, skeptical to Mother. The first words of an infant
ing that old typewriter. It was a slow and clinical – it’s part of how we pilots often sound like ma or mama. This
and deliberate process, but the sound stay safe in the air. But it’s you and strong association with mother has
of keys striking the paper, levering the other moms that provided the means persisted in nearly every language
carriage return and changing sheets of by which we enjoy and savor the fruits and every society on earth.
paper made me feel like a real writer. of our clinical behavior. For the mo- Mom is the female of the species
Topics for my articles seldom wander ment, let me indulge the analytical that traditionally held the primary
from the sky and I get lots of nice mail facet of our pilot-reader’s psyche. responsibility for the rearing of off-
from readers. I write about flying and After childbirth, the way a woman spring. Changing diapers, cleaning
about airplanes – except this month. acts is caused by what’s happening in up Cheerios and SpaghettiOs, provid-
This month, for Mother’s Day, I’m her prefrontal cortex, midbrain and ing physical and mental comfort and
writing about you. parietal lobes. Activity increases in managing the very first time we did,

22 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

well, just about everything. Temper- We made you cry
ing the exciting, adventurous, and You wanted that last piece
sometimes dangerous inf luences of pecan pie
of the world, including dad’s hare- It did hurt
brained ideas, are included in your
You were afraid
resume. Mothers are more likely than
fathers to encourage assimilative and You watched us sleep
communion augmenting patterns in You carried us a lot longer
their children. Mothers are more than nine months
likely than fathers to acknowledge It broke your heart every
their children’s participation in con- time we cried
versation. The way mothers speak You put us first
(“motherese”) is better suited to sup- You miss those days…well,
port children in their efforts to un- most of them CIES
derstand speech. With these admis-
sions, my analytical readers should Caught It on Fire
now be more receptive to this, my You didn’t like me riding motor-
less clinically focused, Mother’s Day cycles or flying little airplanes, and
thank you note. you told me so but didn’t stop me.
And you like to tell people how, on
Mothers hold my first solo, I had a close encounter
of the third kind. Well, it was a UFO
children’s hands until it became an IFO (it turns out
for a short while – it was a red party balloon in the traf-
fic pattern). I probably didn’t need to
but their hearts forever. worry you by reporting it on tower
frequency. Except for the military
You and dad raised three boys. The airplanes you have flown with me in
ones known throughout the neigh- all of them. You and dad even went to
borhood, the school, and the airport Oshkosh, Mackinac Island and golfing
as skinny, long-haired and raucous. a few times in the Duke. Remember
We never got into any real trouble, the time we crossed Lake Michigan
but through multiple encounters with in a Warrior at night in the weather
each of us, our small-town sheriff rec- and icing? And don’t forget the time
ognized us as the “Dingman boys.” We dad and I over-primed the 150 on that
were the ones that made babysitters bitter cold morning and briefly caught
cry, grandma shiver, and you worry. it on fire. Now that I’m older with
But you persevered and gave us the lots of experience, I tell people that
confidence to succeed. We’ve grown whether caused by the pilot, a situ-
up to become a machinist, a chemist ation, the weather or by living the
and a pilot. And we know that: experiences of others vicariously, it’s

Hillaero

Dan Moore

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­23

 Michigan countryside. If you lived in
Southwest Michigan in the early 70s
and one morning found some T.P. on
your farm animals, oak trees or TV
antenna, sorry about that; it must
have been some hooligan.

Training is like
fighting a gorilla.
You don’t stop
when you’re tired.
You stop when
The “Dingman boys” with me on the left.
the gorilla is tired.

I sold that little, two-seat airplane

that I bought when I worked at the
paper mill. It was too difficult to move
from base to base after I joined the
Air Force. And for a long time, I didn’t
fly anything but military jets. You
were glad when I joined the Air Force
– you figured it was better than fac-
tory work, especially since I lost part
of a finger and some of my hearing
while working in factories. You were
proud that I advanced from enlisted to
an Air Force officer. Until that is, you
learned I was going to pilot training
and then on to the F-16. Once again,
you worried about me and airplanes.
This time, a stronger and faster air-
plane – one with a gun, missiles and
“Except for the military airplanes you have flown with me in all of them.” bombs, but only one engine. It did
have an ejection seat, but I don’t think
the memory of being properly scared caper like I thought. It was a night- that gave you much comfort. You
that helps develop judgment. And its time bombing mission of our high came out to the airport with dozens
judgment that keeps pilots alive – and school. We dropped 30-some rolls of friends and family when I flew one
I certainly scared myself a few times. of TP (toilet paper) on, but mostly into the Air National Guard base in
around, the school’s football field. We Battle Creek. You bragged and took
TP (Tee Pee)
knew that, like tail-end Charlie, if we pictures; your son was a fighter pi-
Thanks, mom, for running inter- attempted two passes, we would catch lot. I fought the training gorilla, and
ference. You protected us but didn’t flack. So, we made up a feeder slide yes, mom, it was dangerous, but I
shelter us. I’m sure there are times for the little window of the Chero- was careful and did a really good job.
you saved us from others, from situ- kee 140 in order to drop the load in When the Air Force asked me to man
ations and from ourselves. Perhaps just one pass; and we flew high – too a command post in Germany, I left
even from school officials and our high. Bombing accuracy is all about the military in order to keep flying
sheriff during one particular high winds aloft and TOF (time of fall). airplanes. My buddies were leaving
school football game. There was just But I wouldn’t learn such things until too. We all went to the airlines.
one student in our small town known years later in the F-16. Because of this You must have been accustomed to
for flying little airplanes, and every- lack of understanding, it was not so the worry because you seemed to take
one knew that it was the older, long- much as around the football field and it in stride. Maybe you thought that I’d
haired Dingman boy. And I probably school that the TP landed, as it was be flying something less risky – until
didn’t get away with the football game the proximate area of the surrounding 9/11, that is. I’m sorry to worry you

24 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

again, mom, but we are still fight- each other because we pilots are a lot
ing battles of one sort or another all alike. Somewhere in the lives of us
over the world – now it’s COVID. And pilots, there is someone like you that
even though an airline pilot’s life is felt apprehensive about us flying and
extremely structured and repetitive, about little airplanes. But they saw
I have had more mechanical and pas- us through the learning process, the
senger situations at the airlines than cross-countries and the check rides.
I had in military and private flying Some, like you, worry about us still.
combined. I’ve had engine failures, But the Duke is a very nice, bigger,
a handful of generator and hydraulic little airplane. I love it, and I’m care-
ful. So, try to relax, mom. You did a
failures and unruly or non-compliant
really good job. Thank you for laugh-
passengers that I’ve had arrested.
ing with us in the best of times and
Thankfully, the judgment you helped
sticking with us through the worst
me to develop guided me through it Short N Numbers
of times. Happy Mother’s Day.
all. But don’t worry, I’ll be retiring
very soon.
Kevin Dingman has been flying
No More Pilots for more than 40 years. He’s an ATP
I raised a family of my own, like typed in the B737 and DC9 with 28,000
ours. Except that I had to learn about hours in his logbook. A retired Air
little girls – turns out they’re amazing. Force major, he flew the F-16 and
I understand that now, even without later performed as an USAF Civil Air
the neurochemical reactions. None Patrol Liaison Officer. He flies volun-
teer missions for the Christian orga-
of them had any interest in flying,
niz tion Wings of Mercy, is employed
though, so the flying gene will end
by a major airline, and owns and
with me – no more Dingman pilots. operates a Beechcraft Duke.Contact
You’re probably glad to hear that. The Kevin at dinger10d@gmail.com.
moms of pilots are probably a lot like

Send Solutions (Airtext)

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­25

O w ner ’s Cor ner

Family and Fleet by Grant Boyd

Edward Rose & Sons, a family-owned real estate development

and management business, celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Ted Jacobson, Warren Rose, Chris Lentini, 1997. Warren Rose and Chris Lentini, 2007.

S
ince its founding, real-estate company Edward Rose he later said, would be selling a home in the early 1930s.
& Sons has completed more than 80,000 housing units Other achievements of his life were his marriage to his
across 15 states. General aviation has been an integral wife Lillian and raising their four sons, all of whom would
part and key competitive advantage of the Rose family and work in the building business. Catching favorable winds
their namesake business most of its 100 years. from soldier homecomings after World War II, the company
The family’s flying lineage first began with Edward Rose. built an increasing number of quality homes for working-
His beginnings were not in the sky, the construction class families.
industry, or even in the United States. Born in Czarist Russia In the subsequent decade or so following this economic
in the late 1800s, Edward immigrated to America as a boom, Edward’s son Sheldon transitioned from single-
teenager searching for a new life. With sights originally family domicile construction to what would be one of
set on working for the high-paying Ford Motor Company the next real estate booms – multi-family, garden-style
($5 per day for assembly line workers), fortune would find apartment communities.
that he did not find work at the automobile manufacturer Using his own plane, Sheldon would scout out potential
and instead became a carpenter. He then quickly moved land acquisitions and check in on projects under
into building and selling new homes, which ultimately construction. Flying was a natural decision for Sheldon
was the foundation of the company that now bears his as he had his pilot’s license since the late 1940s when he
name a century later. was serving in the Coast Guard. At the outset, he trained
Business at the time was hard, especially after the stock in a Piper Cub but later transitioned to a Cessna 190 and
market crashed and the Great Depression loomed. Even then a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle for business purposes.
so, Edward persevered. One of his greatest achievements, His appreciation and love for aviation extended past its

26 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

CORPORATE ANGEL NETWORK

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Filling Empty Seats With Hope

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It's wonderful that organizations like the Corporate

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corpangelnetwork.org I Westchester County Airport - White May

Plains, NY I (866) 328-1313
2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­27
 she began flight training in a Diamond DA40
and later moved to the venerable Cessna 150. In
2017, she completed her undergraduate degree
from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and joined the
family business as a land acquisitions analyst.
Frances continues to work toward her PPL in
a Cirrus SR20, with the goal of completing this
initial training this summer. She then plans to
jump right into instrument training with multi-
engine and Citation type rating work following
soon after.
What is unique about her job now, compared
to Sheldon’s acquisition work years ago, is
technology’s game-changing effect on the
industry. Frances says, “I look for land on which
Sheldon Rose during a gliding to build apartments as my grandfather did 50
trip in the late 1970s. years ago, only I use Google instead of a plane.”
Nonetheless, aviation remains an important
asset. Throughout Edward Rose & Sons’ history,
undeniable benefits to his business. He also often flew for they have operated the following aircraft models: Cessna
pleasure and covered the contiguous United States, even 421C, Cessna 425 Conquest, Beechcraft King Air 250GT,
dipping down in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cirrus SR20, Cirrus SR22T, Citation Bravo, Citation 510
Mexico City and Cuba. Mustang, CitationJet, CJ2+, and CJ3+. These aircraft have
His welcomed copilot was son Warren, who often been based out of Oakland County International Airport
accompanied his father on land acquisition trips. The (KPTK) near Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The company
flying bug rubbed off on him, and he began flight training also enlists the help of paid contract pilots for various
at 16, receiving his private license shortly after in 1978. In flying missions.
the subsequent decades, Warren worked his way up from “Some of the division heads [in Sheldon’s time] had their
Cessna 150s to Citation jets. Today, Warren still utilizes own aircraft,” Warren said. “While the company does not
aviation for business and leisure purposes, whether visiting employ any pilots at the present time, the pilots that operate
one of the company’s 130-plus apartment communities or our aircraft are independent contractors. We currently
taking his family on vacation. Warren holds the following have about six pilots under contract with Lentini Aviation
type ratings: CE510, CE525 and CE550. He also owns a for their services.”
Marchetti 260 that he flies for fun and utilizes for upset The contracted pilots fly the company’s current fleet
and recovery training. of three Citation CJ3+’s, one King Air 200, and one
Recently following in the family tradition is another Citation Mustang to construction projects (some projects
eager pilot – Warren’s daughter, Frances. Frances has taking up to 10 years) and managed properties across the
been in and around a cockpit (starting with a Cessna United States. They each maintain currency in more than
420) since she was four months old, and her positive one of these aircraft and full-time pilots log anywhere
attitude towards aviation has remained since. At age 19, from 500 to 800 hours of flight time a year.

Left: The company’s King Air 200. Above: Grandaughter and

aspiring pilot Frances Rose in 2008 following the delivery of a CJ2+.
28 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021
 Arizona
A map displaying the states with developed
properties by Edward Rose & Sons.

Kevin Altenburg has flown with the company for 12

years, starting left seat in Citation Bravo’s and flying a
dozen different aircraft for Edward Rose & Sons in the
years since. Chris Lentini, who owns Lentini Aviation,
has flown with Rose family members since the 1970s
when he would fly with Sheldon to maintain the builder’s
instrument proficiency and the occasional company trip.
He explains that they moved into jets in the late 1990s,
which today make up most of their fleet.
“The people [is what I enjoy most],” said Chris. “Warren
and I developed a strong bond early in our flying and have
maintained that to this day. The quality of the people I
fly has always been more important to me than the type
of airplane I fly.”
Kevin agrees “the people” are what make his job
enjoyable. “Whether it is a member of the family or flying
a load of folks to a construction project, the people in
the back make the job in my opinion. All of the people
at Edward Rose treat us like valued team members and
part of the family.”
Another tenured company pilot is Scott Armstrong, who
has been flying company aircraft since 2011. Something
which excited him about the opportunity to fly trips
for Edward Rose & Sons is the ability to fly alongside
CEO Warren.
Factory Direct
“As a pilot himself, safety is paramount to Warren. On
occasion, we fly together, and it’s always a pleasure to share
the cockpit with a fellow airman like him. His dedication
to safety coupled with his ability to communicate as a
crew, his airmanship skills and his servant’s heart make
him an asset in any cockpit.”

Grant Boyd is a private pilot with seven years of expe-

rience in general aviation business from marketing to
customer service. He has written more than 85 articles
for aviation publications and enjoys learning about air-
craft/pilots with unique missions. Grant can be reached
at grantboyd2015@gmail.com.

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­29

 Ad Index
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Oxygen Systems.................... 21
National Flight Simulator.......... 19
Airtext................................ 25
Ocean Reef Club......................9
American
Aviation Inc....... Inside Front Cover Preferred Airparts LLC............. 15
Arizona Type Rating................ 29
Raisbeck Engineering................3
AvFab Aviation Fabricators........ 30
Rosen Sun Visor Systems......... 19
CIES Corporation.................... 23
AvFab Select Airparts...................... 13
Corporate Angel Network.......... 27
Short-N-Numbers................... 25
Covington Aircraft Engines........ 21
Stevens Aerosapce
Dan Moore Aero LLC............... 23
& Defense Systems.......Back Cover
Factory Direct Models.............. 29
Teledyne-Gill Battery............... 13
Hillaero Modification Center...... 23
Turbines Inc.......................... 30
Innovative Solutions
& Support......... Inside Back Cover Yingling Aviation......................5

ADVERTISING, JENNA REID

1-800-773-7798 • Email: Jenna.Reid@VPDCS.com

Turbines

30 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

 On Final
by David Miller

More to the Story

In the March issue, I mentioned my takeoff abort at they asked.” “No, we just have a gear retract problem.”
Dallas Love (KDAL) and how important it is to document After returning to the FBO, the pilot called the mobile
repairs to systems that impact the safety of flight. In service unit who told him it would be the next day before
my case, the hydraulic reservoir was not serviced after they could get to him. My friend knew that there was a fac-
maintenance on the system. I aborted the takeoff after tory service center just 30 minutes away. He called them.
noticing an amber “HYD FLUID LOW” annunciator. “What if I just fly over with the gear down and you can
The maintenance facility corrected the issue and bid take a look,” he asked. “Sure, no problem,” they said. He did
me farewell. “Not so fast,” I argued. “I need a maintenance just that and was on his way home after a simple repair.
release for the logbook.” Three days later, he received a call and a “nasty gram”
“Oh sure,” came the reply. “I’ll be back in a minute from the departure FSDO. “We noticed that you departed
with that.” shortly after a gear issue, and we need to see the mainte-
My years of vast flying experience told me that a paper nance release for the work done.”
trail was important. Or maybe, it was a story related to Oops. It took numerous months to resolve the issue. I
me from another pilot. Okay, that’s what it was. Perhaps was thinking about this exact scenario as I departed the
his story and mine will save you some grief someday. runway after my abort.
My friend departed in his single-pilot jet from a busy Over four months later, I received a certified letter
Northeast airport on a sunny fall day. As usual, right from my FSDO.
after liftoff, he reached for the gear control to raise the “On November 7, 2020, the Dallas, TX (KDAL)
wheels. Nothing happened. After a quick check of circuit Air Traffic Control Tower reported an occurrence at the
breakers, nothing was amiss. But the gear was still down aforementioned airport for aircraft N396DM at 13:40 Z
and locked. hours, 08:40 CDT. The pilot aborted a takeoff due to a
“Tower, we’d like to return back to the airport,” he told hydraulic issue and returned to the ramp. The Federal
the controller. “Do you need to declare an emergency?” Aviation Administration, North Texas Flight Standards
District Office is required to investigate such occurrence.”
Details in hand, I called the inspector. He was cordial
and polite. I explained the incident and ended with, “and I
asked for and received a copy of the maintenance release.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” said the inspector.
“Just send me a copy and we are good to go.” I asked what
might happen if I didn’t have the maintenance release.
The answer was not pretty, especially if an accident had
been involved.
I learned a valuable lesson from another pilot. Hope-
fully, you will, too.
Fly safe.

David Miller has owned and f lown a variety of aircraft

from light twins to midsize jets for more than 50 years.
With 6,000 plus hours in his logbook, David is the Direc-
tor of Programs and Safety Education for the Citation
Jet Pilot’s Safety Foundation. You can contact David at
davidmiller1@sbcglobal.net.

32 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021

SMR Technologies,
ISS Inc.

May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • ­3

 Stevens

4 • ­T WIN & TURBINE / May 2021