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6 Answers

C90 or 200.

Asked by: 10670 views Aerodynamics, Aircraft Systems, Commercial Pilot, General Aviation

Good day,

Thanks for the help the other day.  I was hopping if you have time; I have a few more questions.

My boss is interested in the TBM 850. Nice looking plane but I’m going to try to talk him into a King Air.

Maybe the C90 or 200. (if it can take off on a 2900ft runway, with 5 people lots of bags and 1000miles of fuel ) ?

I was told by another pilot that since I don’t have much high altitude experience or Turbo experience that I can’t get insured.   

1.       How much high altitude experience did you have before getting trained in the King Air?   

2.       How much flight time (or what do you need to go thru) to get a pressurized endorsement?

3.       Just a guess at what your flight times and experience where,  before training in the King Air and getting insured?

 

Thanks again for your help

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6 Answers



  1. Kent Shook on Jun 02, 2011

    2) The high altitude endorsement requirements are in FAR 61.31(g). There’s no specific flight time requirements.
     
    The one time I’ve flown on a King Air (right seat) we landed and took off from a 2500-foot runway in a King Air 200 with VG’s. There were 2 of us up front, and 5 or 6 high school kids in the back, but no bags so probably a fair bit lighter. Don’t remember what the fuel load was either. If you believe marketing numbers, a new King Air requires 2579 feet of runway at sea level.
     
    Can’t help you with the other questions, as I haven’t gone through training in a King Air myself, but I have a friend who’s a CFI and became a 135 SIC in the King Air 200 at around 1000 hours total time, with VERY little multi time and no high-altitude time.

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  2. Pat Flannigan on Jun 03, 2011

    Kent is right on the money with the take off roll. The King Air 200 eats up a solid 2600 feet at gross weight & at sea level and I’m pretty sure the 90 uses up much less. If I still had the manuals I could give you some numbers for your situation.
     
    As previously mentioned, all you’ll need is a high altitude endorsement in your logbook. I paid around $200 for a short (couple hours at most) online course with King Schools. They mailed a sticky logbook endorsement with John King’s autograph on it and that was that. There is no flight time requirement for the endorsement.
     
    I only operated as a right-seater and started flying the plane with just over 100 hours total time. Most insurance companies will stick with typical charter pilot minimums – 1200 total and 500 mutli. The numbers might be negotiable with higher insurance rates.
     
    If you’re pushing for the King Air, the best argument is safety. If you have an engine failure on a PC-12, you’ve only got one option.

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  3. DooRag on Jun 16, 2011

    Hi guys,
    I’m a senior aviator retired 767 captain with about 30 years major experience.  Learned to fly in gliders at 14.  Very serious advice to all of you.  Check with the Air Force and FAA and find out where you can get a high Altitude chamber ride.  As a civilian I did this at age 15 before we were allowed to go to high altitudes in the mountain wave….30,000 feet plus, in gliders. We flew with Air Force A-13 regulators and bailout bottles attached to our parachutes.  The civilian version is pretty benign…only to FL250 or so.  Still it is very worthwhile and you will learn a great deal.  The FAA should really require this as part of a high altitude sign off.  Later in the Air Force we wet to FL 450 and rapidly decompressed and descended on those same bailout bottles I flew with as a kid.  That ride is very worthwhile and imparts the respect that high altitude flying deserves. Unfortunately unless you are a military pilot you won’t get the full treatment.  You would all gain much from the experience and probably would keep your mask a little closer and think about how short your time of useful conciousness is when up high.  Nothing teaches better than experience. Look into it.  It’s fun and very worthwhile.      Fly Aggressively Safe Guys

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  4. Tristan on Aug 10, 2011

    I’ve done the high altitude chamber at CAMI. You don’t get the full high altitude endorsement, just the knowledge portion of it. I’m also an SIC in a king air 90 (yes it’s legal for us) and we fly into a 3700 ft strip. Not quite as short as 2500 of course but the 90 is perfect for it.

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  5. JB on Aug 13, 2012

    I had a unique situation. I had 494.1 hrs TT was 18 and didn’t have a ME rating. A local pet food company was looking for their first co-pilot on their BE-200 (BB304). I ended up going through the King Air school at Wichita and got my ME Rating at the same time. The next thing I knew I was eating Prime Rib with old Olive Anne Beech herself at the graduation dinner. SInce I was not initially listed as PIC, insurance was not a big deal – until about 10 months later when the Cap was recalled by American AIrlines. By then I had enough time to “argue” my case and was covered on the policy. The hi altitude check came with the company school. I can’t agree more with the advice to RESPECT high altitude flight and do the chamber if you can. I did it twice – at MacDill and Wright Patterson. Excellent experience!

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  6. JB on Aug 13, 2012

    P.S.
    Go King Air! The fact that I’m still alive after they handed me the keys to a million dollar bird at that tender age says something! 19 yrs old, flying it SINGLE PILOT out of a 4,000′ x 50′ strip in the snow belt with a VOR circle-to-land approach in big hills says something about that plane.

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