Page 12 - April 2016

vioniCs R.C.AExceeding the standardsR.C. AvionicsTrustworthySixth PageCompetent4/C Ad35 Years ExperienceUp-Grade Specialistwww.rcavionics.com 763-398-3920Hillaero Modification CenterSixth Page 4/C Adprevention seminars, and having a good time with your airplane.Dr. Crabtree’s King Air does not have high-floatation maingear or bleed-air heated brakes, neither of which are needed in their usual operation. On longer trips, Reynolds says he likes to get the airplane up to FL270 or 280, where it holds an 8,000-foot cabin altitude and zips along at 270 knots while burning less than 80 gallons per hour. Utilization averages around 200 hours per year, and the airframe had accumulated 10,500 hours at the time of our visit, a fact belied by its immaculate interior and paint job. Simcom Aviation Training is used to maintain pilot proficiency.Off To Make Some RoundsWe met Jack Reynolds and copilot Jan Hoynacki at dawn to tag along on a day trip around some of their usual Ozark stops; Reynolds tugged the big King Air out of its private hangar at Springfield-Branson National airport and supervised its fueling. Today’s mission carried five passengers plus two crew, for a takeoff weight of about 11,000 lbs. Dr. Crabtree, accompanied by two nurses and a physician’s assistant, arrived on schedule with the usual pile of records and equipment, and we were soon off and running.The PT6A-42’s started reliably cool, the first engine peaking out at less than 800 degrees C., well under the 1,000-degree starting redline. With gen assist, the secondengine responded even more eagerly, with a 640-degree start, and after governing, rudder bias and autofeather systems were checked we launched for Mountain Home, Arkansas’ Baxter County airport (KBPK), a 150-nm hop that would be a considerable distance farther by road.Cleared to 10,000 feet, the big King Air climbed out at 2,000 fpm before power was reduced to 1,900- lbs torque and 1,900 rpm, delivering a steady 1,500 fpm at 150 knots. With 850-shp per side, the underweight BE200 wasn’t even breathing hard. Minutes later, in cruise, we were indicating 210 knots, truing 240 knots with the props pulled back to a quiet 1,700 rpm, on a fuel flow of 350 pph per side.Very shortly, we were on the ILS approach to runway 5 at BPK, whose 5,000-foot runway is typical of the region’s general aviation airport system. The King Air 200’s landing gear is an excellent speed brake, deployable at 182 knots; approach flaps can be extended at 200 knots or less, and full flaps can be out at 144 knots or less. The big turboprop maneuvers nicely at just 125 knots and Reynolds crossed the threshold at 100 knots, requiring only a touch of reverse to exit at the three- quarters turnoff.In the time-honored tradition of business flying, we loitered at the nicely-appointed FBO while the medical folks were occupied10 • TWIN & TURBINE