Page 12 - Volume 16 Number 2

rain at the destination, Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) across most of the route and thunderstorms forecast for later in the day. But, the idea was to treat it as a real-world mission, operating as if the boss or clients were in the back (or, in an owner- flown scenario, the pilot’s family/ friends). The King Air 250 is a very capable platform; weather radar and datalink weather feed directly into the Rockwell Collins Pro-Line 21
avionics suite, providing the pilots with both real-time weather radar and satellite weather information on the two PFDs and a central MFD.
While a good portion of the trip was in IMC and an RNAV approach was required at the destination airport, the flight was very routine and uneventful. We were able to keep a close eye on the weather around us and moving towards the destination. This made weather-related decisions very straightforward and allowed
us to focus neither too much nor too little on weather analysis, while giving time to focus on other cockpit duties. Much of the flight was flown with the ice vanes extended. Thanks to the RAR system, there was almost no torque drop or ITT rise with their use – a terrific improvement over what I and many other King Air pilots used to refer to as “the torque robbers.”
Even Less Runway Required
The 250 truly outshines its predecessors in the runway-required department. Its performance numbers show significant improvement in hot temperature and high altitude situations, along with a big advance in short field capabilities, the area that’s most likely to positively impact owner- flown operators. Historically, King Air pilots have always been able to use airports avoided by small jet operators, due to runway distance requirements. This is one of the
10 • TWIN & TURBINE
FEBRUARY 2012