Page 10 - April 2016

AOPA Insurance Agency Quarter Page4/C AdA Better WayFor Dr. Crabtree, the answer is to bring his team to the patient, using the roomy King Air. Built in 1981, BB-820 came off the production line very close to the change to the B200 version; it is, with several Raisbeck Engineering modifications and an upgrade from PT6A-41 to – 42 engines, the equivalent of a B200. The Raisbeck aft-fuselage strakes and Crown Wing lockers add stability and capability and the curved four-blade props create special ramp appeal, along with a performance boost.Added in 2013, the Raisbeck swept-blade Power Prop propellers are noticeably quieter, according to chief pilot Jack Reynolds, and he says they also make stopping easier on the 3,500-foot runways he sometimes uses. This versatile flexibility is what makes the big King Airs so successful. With the gross weight limited to 12,500 pounds, no type rating is required and operating rules are simplified, yet the cabin can hold up to eight passengers. In addition to making the Ozark-area circuit, the aircraft also makes occasional trips to Colorado and to the West and East Coasts from its Springfield, Missouri base.The King Air’s panel still carries stock Beech-installed equipment, built around Rockwell Collins FD-108 mechanical gauges and AP-105 autopilot, but it’s been supplemented by modern conveniences like a Sandel HSI and two GPS-supported units, a Bendix/ King KLN90B and a Garmin G-500. Reynolds, a retired Center controller, has been flying for over 50 years, so the comfortable, familiar equipment suits him just fine. In addition to his other duties, he is currently the President of the United States Pilots Association (uspilots.org), a national pilot organization run entirely by unpaid volunteers. USPA, Reynolds says, is all about safety, promoting regular accident-8 • TWIN & TURBINEAPRIL 2016