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King Air B200 Tutorial Part I
Sitka, AK (PASI)
to
Juneau, AK (PAJN)
by
Kurt "Yoda" Kalbfleisch
ALL MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR FLIGHT SIMULATION USE ONLY, AND HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN
TO BE USED WITH THIS AIRCRAFT IN MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR.
This document is provided free of charge and is public domain. Illustrations, descriptions, schematic diagrams and other data
serve only for explanatory purposes. They cannot be used as the basis for real flight training and/or operations. The author
accepts no liability for conformity of the contents with international, national or local flight regulations. The author claims no
copyright except for his own original text and images. The author is not responsible for any errors or omissions.
Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Welcome to the Beech King Air B200 Flight Tutorial, which is intended for use only with the Flight1
Super King Air B200 product available at www.flight1.com. Garmin is marketing the G1000 to King Air
owners who are considering a move to a newer machine, and their pitch makes sense: upgrading the
avionics and adding a performance package to your existing aircraft would cost a fraction of a new one.
To that end, the aircraft being simulated here is an early-80s model B200 which has the Blackhawk
Modifications XP52 engine upgrade package along with Raisbeck Engineering dual aft body strakes and
BLR winglets, so the performance will be radically different from a stock B200. For that reason, please
refer to the performance data that came with your Flight1 Super King Air B200, rather than a
commercially available B200 Pilot's Operating Handbook.
As you read, keep in mind that unless otherwise specified, all airspeeds are indicated air speeds (IAS). I’ll
indicate annunciator readings with closed brackets and all capital letters, like this: [INVERTER]
For ease of reference, I’ll put the important airspeeds right here on the first page.
AIRSPEEDS FOR SAFE OPERATION (12,500 POUNDS)
Maximum Demonstrated Crosswind Component ………………………………………………………………….
Takeoff Speeds (Flaps UP):
Rotation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
50-Ft. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Takeoff Speeds (Flaps APPROACH):
Rotation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
50-Ft. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Two-Engine Best Angle-of-Climb Speed (VX)………………………………………………………………………….
Two-Engine Best Rate-of-Climb Speed (VY)……………………………………………………………………………
Cruise Climb Speeds:
Sea Level to 10,000 feet…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10,000 to 20,000 feet………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
20,000 to 25,000 feet ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
25,000 to 35,000 feet ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Maneuvering Speed ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Turbulent Air Penetration ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
25 knots
94 knots
103 knots
96 knots
105 knots
100 knots
121 knots
160 knots
140 knots
130 knots
120 knots
182 knots
170 knots
CAUTION
For turbulent air penetration, use an airspeed of 170 knots. Avoid over-action on power
levers. Turn off autopilot altitude hold. Keep wings level, maintain attitude and avoid
use of trim. Do not chase airspeed and altitude. Penetration should be at an altitude
which provides adequate maneuvering margins when severe turbulence is encountered.
Maximum Airspeed for Effective Windshield Anti-icing .……………………………………………………….
Minimum Safe Airspeed in Sustained Icing Conditions ………………………………………………………….
Landing Final Approach (Flaps Down) at 12,500 lbs ……………………………………………………………….
Balked Landing Climb Speed ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Intentional One-Engine Inoperative Speed (VSSE) …………………………………………………………………..
Air Minimum Control Speed (VMCA)(Flaps Up).………………………………………………………………………..
Air Minimum Control Speed (VMCA)(Flaps Approach)……………………………………………………………..
Air Minimum Control Speed (VMCA)(Flaps Down).…………………………………………………………………..
226 knots
140 knots
103 knots
100 knots
110 knots
91 knots
88 knots
78 knots
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
As you’ve probably already surmised by reading the title page, today’s flight will take us from Sitka
Rocky Gutierrez Airport (PASI) in Sitka, Alaska to Juneau International Airport (PAJN) in Juneau, Alaska.
The tutorial will cover how to properly fly the Super King Air B200 from preflight to shutdown, including
engine startup procedures, manual flight plan entry, taxi and takeoff techniques, use of anti-ice and deice systems, cruise considerations, in-flight changes to the flight plan, approach, and finally the landing
using only beta or minimum reverse.
That said, there are a few things I want to show you that I can't in a straight-stick, point-A-to-point-B
flight plan, so we're going to engage in a bit of fantasy here. I'm going to recommend that you go to the
OZx website at this link and download John Sanders' excellent LifeMed Alaska repaint for the Flight1
Super King Air B200. It's purely optional, but well worth it.
I’m going to assume that you’ve properly calibrated your controllers, you’ve correctly configured any
add-ons (like Accu-feel) , and that you understand the basics of how to use Microsoft Flight Simulator X
flight planning features. I’m also going to assume that you’ve initialized the sim with a default airplane,
and preferably with the Flight1 Safe Startup situation. Ready? Let’s go!
THE SETUP
To write this tutorial, I used the Orbx NA Blue Southern Alaska, FSAddons Tongass Fjords, and Orbx PAJN
sceneries, though they are not required. The key thing is to initialize FSX using a default airplane or to
use the Flight1 Safe Startup situation which was included with the Flight1 Super King Air B200. Switch to
the B200 within the sim, after the startup is completed in a default airplane. It doesn't matter where
you place the King Air on PASI.
The time is 1100 local. Once you're settled in the cockpit, you're ready for the first checklist. To make
things easier for you as you work through this tutorial, I've included the checklists in the narrative. You
may feel an urge to use real world King Air B200 checklists, but I encourage you not to. If you really
must have a checklist to hold in your hand, I recommend printing out the relevant pages of the Flight1
Super King Air B200 Pilot's Manual and having them laminated. The real world checklists will, at least at
the beginning, leave you with more questions than you have answers for.
THE SCENARIO (OKAY, THE FANTASY)
We're flying N546LM, a LifeMed Alaska King Air B200 based in Fairbanks. Yesterday, we completed a
long FAR Part 135 mission (aeromedical flights fall under FAA rules for non-scheduled commercial air
operations), and after spending the night, we're now returning home to Fairbanks with only the flight
crew and two flight nurses aboard. No patients, so we're under FAR Part 91, and we'll use the airplane's
registration number as our call sign.
After we reach our cruising altitude of FL260, we'll run through some things you need to know about
operating at cruise flight levels, and then "dispatch" will direct us to divert to Juneau, where we'll end
the flight.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
THE FLIGHT PLAN
Type: BE20
Equipment Code: /Q
True Airspeed= 300 Knots
Altitude= 26,000
Departure Airport= PASI
Route=BKA YAK BIG
Destination Airport= PAFA
Alternate= PANN (Nenana Municipal Airport)
ETE: 1 hour
Fuel: 5 hrs 10 mins (We will load full fuel)
Souls on Board: 4 (680 pounds)
Empty Weight: 7538 pounds
Ramp Weight: 11,896 pounds
Now, you could build this flight plan in whatever planner you use, saving it in the regular FSX .pln
format, and then load the plan as you normally would through FSX, but for this tutorial, we're not going
to do that. We're going to build the flight plan in the B200's G1000, within the sim.
Because Sitka is an uncontrolled airport, here's where we would call Sitka Flight Service Station to file
our IFR flight plan. What we get back from Flight Service is this:
"King Air 546LM is cleared to Fairbanks as filed. Departure via the BIORKA TWO departure, BIORKA
transition. Climb and maintain 5,000 feet. Contact Anchorage Center on 126.1. Expect flight level two
six zero within ten minutes after departure. Squawk 2441. Clearance void after 1130 local."
THE WEATHER
PASI 32003KT 10SM FEW007 BKN100 13/11 A2971
(Winds 320 at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 700 feet, broken clouds at 10,000 feet,
temperature 13oC, dew point 11oC, altimeter 29.71)
PAJN 00000KT 10SM BKN110 BKN200 08/07 A2973
(Winds calm, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 11,000 and 20,000, temperature 8oC, dew point 7oC,
altimeter 29.73)
It's not absolutely necessary to have this exact weather, so if you're comfortable with running a weather
program, FSX real-time weather, a preset weather setting, or something entirely your own, have at it.
BEFORE ENGINE STARTING
1. Elevator Trim – 0o SET
2. Cabin Door – LOCKED
3. Load and Baggage – SECURE
4. Weight and CG – CHECKED
Don't do anything to change the weight and balance (CG). (That'll be the subject of the second King Air
tutorial.)
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Beech King Air B200
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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18.
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33.
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Brakes – SET
Switches – OFF
Landing Gear Switch Handle – DOWN
Power Levers – IDLE
Propeller Controls – FULL FORWARD
Condition Levers – CUT-OFF
Cabin Sign – FSB & NO SMOKE
Cabin Temp Mode – OFF
Vent Blower – AUTO
Aft Blower – OFF
Elec Heat – OFF
Oxygen Supply Pressure – CHECK
Oxygen Supply Control Handle – PULL ON SYS READY
Fuel Firewall Valves – CLOSED
Standby Pumps – ON (Listen for Operation)
Battery Switch – ON [FUEL PRESS] annunciators – ON
Fuel Firewall Valves – OPEN [FUEL PRESS] annunciators – OFF
Standby Pumps – OFF [FUEL PRESS] annunciators – ON
Crossfeed – ALTERNATELY LEFT AND RIGHT [FUEL CROSSFEED] – ON, [FUEL PRESS] – OFF
Crossfeed – OFF
Auxiliary Transfer Switches – AUTO
NO TRANSFER lights – PRESS TO TEST
Fuel Quantity – CHECK (Main and Auxiliary)
DC Volt/Loadmeters – PRESS TO CHECK VOLTAGE
Stall Warning – TEST
Fire Detectors and Fire Extinguishers – TEST
Annunciator Lights – TEST
Database – REVIEW FOR VALID OPERATING DATES AND CYCLE NUMBER
Rotating Beacons Switch – ON
After the first flight of the day, the BEFORE ENGINE STARTING checks in BOLD may be omitted.
Before we move on, I want to point out that nowhere in the above checklist does it say that you
should enter your flight plan into the G1000. In fact, it won't say it in the next checklist, either.
That's because we're going to wait until after engine start before we enter the flight plan.
The reason is that your battery is very limited, and if you want to use it to start an engine
(which, let's face it, if you want to complete this tutorial, you do), you can't run a whole lot of
the airplane's electrical equipment before you do. It's a simple matter of math: without a
generator supplying electrical power, you can run the avionics and a few other essential items
for about thirty minutes on just the battery if it's fully charged. The King Air's battery is rated at
35/36 amp-hours, which means it can supply 35 to 36 amps for an hour, or 1 amp for 35 to 36
hours. The avionics buses alone draw as much as 60 amps, so...depending on how good your
battery is, you have maybe 30 - 32 minutes of avionics on the battery alone.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
"But Yoda," you say, "I'm only going to take a few minutes to contact clearance delivery and
manually enter my flight plan." Yes, of course. Let's say that takes 15 minutes. You've used up
half your battery's juice.
How is that a bad thing? Because one of those terrific PT6A-52 engines will draw upwards of a
thousand amps during engine start. So, starting with a full charge on the battery, you'll get just
over 2 minutes of starter run time before your battery is dead. Starter limits are 40 seconds on,
60 seconds off, 40 seconds on, 60 seconds off, 40 seconds on, 30 minutes off. Three times 40
seconds is...two minutes. So, you get three chances to start an engine before you're left with no
juice in the battery. Using up half your battery charge before you try cranking an engine doesn't
sound like such a good idea any more, does it? Suppose you forget to open the firewall fuel
valve on your first start attempt. Now you're REALLY regretting that 15 minutes you spent
messing with the flight plan before you started an engine, aren't you?
Solution? Wait until after you start engines to manually enter your flight plan into the G1000.
But wait! What about fuel? Aren't we burning fuel by sitting in our parking spot with the
engines running while we enter the flight plan? Yes. But, I've just explained why you can't enter
the flight plan before engine start, and because you're flying single-pilot, you can't do it while
you're taxiing. (Yes, it looks like you have someone in the cockpit with you, but ask them to
enter something. Go ahead. See? You're flying single-pilot.) It's got to be done before you key
up the mic for your departure call, so it's either before you leave your parking spot or while
you're sitting on the run up pad. My personal preference is to get everything done before I
leave the parking spot so I can focus on a clean departure.
Let’s also have a little discussion about engine starts in the Super King Air B200. If you've
studied the manuals on almost any of the King Airs, you'll be under the impression that the right
engine must always be started first. The most obvious reason is that most checklists call for it,
and the reason the checklists are written that way has to do with the belief that the right engine
is in closer proximity to the battery and starting the right engine first somehow makes it less
stressful on the electrical system.
Hogwash. Yes, I said the same thing in my C90 tutorial, but it’s worth saying again. So I will.
Hogwash.
As you'll see in the ENGINE STARTING (BATTERY) checklist below, the B200's electrical system
permits you to start the second engine with power from the first engine's generator. The
additional power from the generator ensures that the second engine spools up to a higher N1
prior to the application of fuel, making for a cooler start, but puts more wear and tear on the
generator, so you should make it a practice to alternate which engine you start first. Feel free to
modify the engine starting checklist to replace the words "right" and "left" with "first" and
"second".
Another non-standard practice you might consider doing, but which is not reflected on this
checklist is that the Ignition and Start switches are left on until after the engine has stabilized at
idle. This minimizes the risk of hot starts, and since the King Air uses starter/generators, there's
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
no harm in leaving the starter on until the engine is idling at full speed. Just remember that you
have to switch the starter off before switching on that engine's generator.
ENGINE STARTING (BATTERY)
NOTE
The [BATTERY CHG] annunciator will illuminate for approximately six
seconds after generator is online.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Right Ignition and Engine Start Switch – ON [R FUEL PRESS] annunciator – OFF
Right Condition Lever – LOW IDLE (after N1 rpm stabilizes; 12% minimum)
ITT and N1 – MONITOR (1000oC maximum)
Right Oil Pressure – CHECK
Right Condition Lever – HIGH IDLE
Right Ignition and Engine Start Switch – OFF (at 50% N1 or above)
Right Generator – RESET, then ON. CHARGE BATTERY until loadmeter reads approximately .50,
then OFF
Left Ignition and Engine Start Switch – ON [L FUEL PRESS] annunciator – OFF
As Left N1 RPM accelerates through 12%:
a. Left Condition Lever – LOW IDLE
b. Right Generator – RESET, then ON
ITT and N1 – MONITOR (1000oC maximum)
Left Oil Pressure – CHECK
Left Ignition and Engine Start Switch – OFF (at 50% N1 or above)
Left Generator – RESET, then ON
Right N1 – REDUCE TO LOW IDLE
CAUTION
If no ITT rise is observed within 10 seconds after moving the Condition
Lever to LOW IDLE, move the Condition Lever to CUT-OFF. Allow 60
seconds for fuel to drain and starter to cool, then follow ENGINE
CLEARING procedures.
ENGINE CLEARING
1. Condition Lever – CUT-OFF
2. Ignition and Start Switch – STARTER ONLY (for a minimum of 15 seconds)
CAUTION
Do not exceed the starter time limits; see LIMITATIONS Section
3. Ignition and Start Switch – OFF
CAUTION
To minimize the ingestion of ground debris, the engine anti-ice system should be ON for
all ground operations.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Congratulations! You have both engines started. N1 speeds on both engines should be between 65 70%, depending on where you have your condition levers set. Set the left and right engine anti-ice to
ON. You may also notice that the checklist has not yet called for the bleed air switches to be set. That's
perfectly okay. On a hot day, switching on the bleed air now would only pump the cabin full of hotter
air. If you feel the need for some fresh air in the cockpit, open the side windows and switch on the aft
blower.
AFTER STARTING, AND TAXIING
1. DC Voltage and Loadmeters – CHECK
2. Avionics Master – ON
NOW, we enter the flight plan into the G1000!
On the GCU 477 MFD controller, press the FPL key. The Flight Plan page will come up with what looks
like a list of dashed lines. Press the dual FMS knob (click on the center of the knob) to activate the
cursor, which should begin flashing at the first spot below the solid line. Using the inner knob (lower left
and right dual FMS knob click spots), bring up the waypoint entry page. Use the alphanumeric keys to
enter "PASI" and click the ENT key to enter the Sitka airport as the origin of your flight plan.
The "add waypoint" window should disappear and the cursor should appear on the next spot on the list,
and just like you entered the airport, now enter "BKA" and click on the ENT key. Verify that BKA is
added to the list, and then use the same process to enter and verify "YAK", "BIG", and "PAFA". When
you're finished, you should have five points on your flight plan: PASI, BKA, YAK, BIG, and PAFA. Press the
FPL key on the GCU 477.
Having completed that, you can now move the range selection to 5000 feet by clicking on the GCU 477
range knob upper left click spot.
Let's continue with the AFTER STARTING, AND TAXIING checklist:
3. Lights – AS REQUIRED
That would be recognition and taxi lights, since this is daytime. At night, it would also be NAV and TAIL
FLOOD lights.
4. Cabin Temperature and Mode – AS REQUIRED
5. Instruments – CHECK
This means we make sure that the Kollsman knob is set correctly. Cross check the altimeter on the
pilot's and copilot's PFDs with the standby altimeter. Ensure that the CDI is set to the magenta GPS
indicator. Click on the OBS soft key and use the CRS 1 knob on the AFCS controller to set a course of
170. This will allow us to intercept and fly inbound on the BKA 350 radial while still using GPS
navigation. Set the altitude alerter to 5000 feet. It'll be helpful to set the BRG 2 indicator to GPS, so that
the double arrow on the HSI points to the next GPS waypoint, in this case, BKA.
Since we can't set anything while we're taxiing, we'll dial up the ASOS broadcast on 135.9 before we
move the airplane, just to make sure nothing has changed since we got our weather in the FBO. Dial in
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Sitka Radio on 123.6, and leave it in the COM 1 standby spot. On COM 2, dial in 126.1 for Anchorage
Center, since there's no Departure frequency for Sitka. Once you have the weather, swap the COM 1
frequencies, and make your call to Sitka Radio:
"Sitka Traffic, King Air 546LM is on the Coast Guard ramp, taxiing to runway Two Niner for departure."
You should substitute "runway One One" for "runway Two Niner" if that's the active runway.
The final step here will be to check that the brakes work. We'll do that as we taxi out of our parking
spot. Tap the brakes as soon as the plane starts rolling, just to confirm that they work. If the brakes
don't work, pull both prop levers into feather. The plane will slow to a stop, and you can shut down.
Use the Flight1 King Air B200's Maintenance Manager to repair any brake problems.
Let's get rolling!
6. Brakes – CHECK
NOTE
Propeller Beta Range may be used during taxi with minimum blade
erosion up to the point where N1 increases. Care must be exercised
when taxiing on unimproved surfaces. If possible, conduct engine checkout on a hard surface free of sand and gravel to preclude pitting of
propeller blades and airplane surfaces.
When you release the brakes, the plane may start rolling right away. This is normal, even if you've
carefully set the power levers at flight idle. If you don't start rolling, move the power levers forward a
small amount, enough to get just about 400 ft-lbs torque on both engines, and let the airplane
accelerate to about 10 knots of ground speed. You can read the ground speed on the top bar of the
MFD. At about 10 knots, pull the power levers back to give yourself about 250 - 270 ft-lbs of torque on
both engines, which should be enough to keep the plane rolling at about 13 to 15 knots.
Move the power levers in small increments until you get the desired power. The engines will lag behind
your power settings, so until you're well practiced at this, be patient and make small moves. If the plane
accelerates too much, pull the power levers back to the bottom of the beta range if you have to. Try to
avoid using the brakes when you can, since King Airs are notoriously hard on brake pads.
Once we leave the parking spot, stay focused on the task of taxiing the airplane, keeping a sharp eye out
for other traffic.
As you move into the run up spot, pull the power levers back to the bottom of the beta range, and set
the parking brake.
BEFORE TAKEOFF (RUNUP)
1. Avionics – CHECK
Once again, cross check the compass headings on the PFDs and the wet compass. Cross check the
altimeters. Double check that the heading bug is set to the runway heading and that the altitude alerter
is set at 5,000 feet.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Now, before we perform the next step on the BEFORE TAKEOFF (RUNUP) checklist, we need to perform
the functional check on the pressurization system. This is a separate checklist on page 86 of the B200
manual.
FUNCTIONAL CHECK DURING RUNUP
1. Bleed Air Valves – OPEN
2. Cabin Pressure Controller – SET
a. Cabin Altitude Selector Knob – ADJUST SO THAT CABIN ALT DIAL INDICATES AN
ALTITUDE 500 FEET BELOW FIELD PRESSURE ALTITUDE
b. Rate Control Selector Knob – SET INDEX BETWEEN 9- and 12-O’CLOCK POSITIONS
3. Pressurization Switch – HOLD AT THE “TEST” POSITION
4. Cabin Altitude Indicator Dial – CHECK FOR DESCENT INDICATION
5. Pressurization Switch – RELEASE TO THE “PRESS” POSITION when pressurizing is confirmed.
6. Pressurization – SET (See BEFORE TAKEOFF procedure.)
This takes us right back into the BEFOR TAKEOFF (RUNUP) checklist:
2. Pressurization – SET
a. Cabin Altitude Selector Knob – ADJUST SO THAT INNER SCALE (ACFT ALT) INDICATES
PLANNED CRUISE ALTITUDE PLUS 500 FEET or MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE
ALTITUDE, WHICHEVER IS LOWER. (If this setting does not result in an outer scale
(CABIN ALT) indication of at least 500 feet above the take-off field pressure altitude,
adjust as required.)
b. Rate Control Selector Knob – SET INDEX AT 12-O’CLOCK POSITION
3. Autopilot – CHECK
Press the AP key on the AFCS controller and verify that ROL/AP YD/PIT is annunciated on the PFDs.
Press the YD key on the AFCS controller and verify that the AP YD annunciations extinguish and the AP
DISCONNECT tone sounds. The flight director will remain on, so press the GO AROUND button on the
left power lever, which will set the flight director to 8o nose up pitch for takeoff and change the
annunciation on the PFD to TO/- -/TO.
4. Trim Tabs – SET
All should be set to 0.
5. Flaps – CHECK AND SET
6. Flight Controls – CHECK FOR PROPER DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
7. Overspeed Governors and Rudder Boost – TEST
a. Rudder Boost Control Switch – ON
b. Propeller Controls – FULL FORWARD (balance of test is performed on individual
engines.)
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
c. Prop Test Switch – HOLD TO PROP GOV TEST
d. Power Lever – INCREASE UNTIL PROP IS STABILIZED AT 1830 TO 1910 RPM. CONTINUE
TO INCREASE UNTIL RUDDER MOVEMENT IS NOTED. (Observe ITT and Torque Limits.)
e. Power Lever – IDLE
f. Prop Test Switch – RELEASE. Repeat steps c, d, e, and f on the opposite engine.
8. Primary Governors – EXERCISE AT 1800 RPM
9. Instrument Vacuum/Deice Pressure System – CHECK (at 1800 rpm)
a. Both Bleed Air Valves – INSTR & ENVIR OFF
i. Pneumatic Pressure Gauge – SHOULD INDICATE ZERO PRESSURE
ii. Both [BL AIR FAIL] annunciators – ILLUMINATED
b. Both Bleed Air Valves – ENVIR OFF or OPEN as desired
i. Pneumatic Pressure Gauge – SHOULD INDICATE IN GREEN ARC
ii. Gyro Suction Gauge – SHOULD INDICATE IN WIDE GREEN ARC
iii. Both [BL AIR FAIL] annunciators – EXTINGUISHED
10. Engine Ice Vanes – CHECK (at 1800 rpm): EXTEND (check torque drop): RETRACT (retain
original torque): MONITOR Ice Vane Annunciators during check.
11. Autofeather – CHECK
a. Power Levers – APPROXIMATELY 500 FT-LBS TORQUE
b. Autofeather Switch – HOLD TO TEST (both autofeather annunciators illuminated)
c. Power Levers – RETARD INDIVIDUALLY
i. At Approximately 400 ft-lbs – OPPOSITE ANNUNCIATOR OUT
ii. At Approximately 220 ft-lbs – BOTH ANNUNCIATORS OUT (propeller starts to
feather)
NOTE
Autofeather annunciator lights will cycle on and off with each
fluctuation of torque as the propeller feathers.
d. Power Levers – BOTH RETARDED (both lights out, neither propeller feathers)
12. Autofeather Switch – ARM
13. Propeller Feathering (manual) – CHECK
14. Fuel Quantity, Flight and Engine Instruments - CHECK
Items in BOLD may be omitted for quick turn-around at pilot’s discretion.
We don't have a co-pilot we need to brief, but it's always a good idea to run through the briefing anyway
before you move the aircraft. It helps to solidify your departure plan in your head by reciting it out loud.
So, here's the briefing: “This will be a left seat, IFR departure of runway 11. Takeoff power will be set
at 1900 foot-pounds torque. Flaps will be set to approach, so Vr is 96 knots and Vyse will be 121. Any
malfunctions affecting the safety of flight at or below 96 knots we will reject the take off, above 96
knots we will continue. If it is an engine failure, identify the affected engine via the dead foot and
verify with the gauges, then feather the affected engine. Climb to minimum safe altitude of 5000 feet.
Through 1000 feet, refer to the checklist and return to Sitka on runway 11.”
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Red line on the ITT is 830, but as a regular practice to reduce wear and tear on the engines, we'll keep
the ITT below 790. This far north, it's not likely that we'll ever come close to those temperatures, but it's
still a good idea to keep them in mind. Once we're airborne, we'll initially hold the flight director
commanded pitch of 8 degrees nose up, letting the airplane accelerate until we're above 400 feet. Since
121 KIAS is the best engine out rate-of-climb speed, we want to maintain at least that speed on
departure. It's okay to go faster, since it's always better to have to slow down to reach 121 knots than it
is to try to accelerate to 121 knots at low altitude with one engine out. At 400 feet above field level (or
420 feet), we'll make a climbing turn to a heading of 223, and once we're on that heading, raise the
flaps.
If you're using rudder pedals, you should have no trouble identifying when an engine died on you. You'll
need to apply full rudder in the direction of the good engine, so one foot will be almost off the rudder
pedals...hence the term "dead foot". The side with the foot pulled back is the side with the dead engine.
It's actually wise to verify this with the instruments before you feather the engine, so look for very low
torque, low ITT, and low N1. Then SAY IT OUT LOUD: "Right engine failure, right condition lever." (Or
left engine, left lever, as appropriate.) Believe it or not, lots of pilots have pulled the wrong condition
lever in the heat of the moment.
There are a few things you need to know about this airport that are cited in the airport notes on
www.airnav.com and www.skyvector.com. First, there are sometimes large flocks of birds on and in the
vicinity of the airport. So, be ready to abort your takeoff.
Before Takeoff (Runup) checklist complete! Check that you're clear and then taxi to the hold short line
for your runway.
BEFORE TAKEOFF (FINAL ITEMS)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Bleed Air Valves – OPEN
Annunciator Lights – EXTINGUISHED or considered
Transponder – CHECKED
Ice Protection – AS REQUIRED
Engine Auto-ignition – AS REQUIRED
Consider the fact that this is Alaska and we're almost certainly going to be flying into icing conditions.
There are fifteen (FIFTEEN!) switches for the various ice protection features of this aircraft, but unless
we're taking off into potentially icing conditions (temperatures below +5oC and low, cold clouds), or
there is snow, or ice and slush on the runway, we should simplify things by switching on most of the
anti-ice features that don't affect performance: fuel vent heat, prop heat (AUTO), windshield anti-ice,
left and right pitot heat, stall warning heat, and left and right engine auto ignition. That way, if we
encounter actual icing conditions, the only switches we need to worry about are the engine anti-ice
switches and once there's actual ice accumulation on the surface of the airplane, the surface deice.
6. PFD Attitude and Heading – NORMAL
7. GPS Position – VALID, ‘LOI’ NOT ANNUNCIATED on HSI
8. Standby Attitude Indicator – ERECT and NORMAL, Fail Flag not in view
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
On the PFD, press the TMR/REF softkey to bring up the Timer/Reference Display. The cursor should be
flashing on the word "START?".
Finally, change the range setting on the MFD map view to 20 miles. This will help with departure
situational awareness.
Okay, visually check for traffic on final for your runway. If you see some, wait until they're clear of the
runway. If you don't, make your departure call on 123.6: "Sitka Traffic, King Air Six Lima Mike on runway
11, departing to the south." Now, switch on your landing lights and strobe lights, then taxi onto the
runway, line up on the center line and bring the airplane to a stop. Hold the brakes.
Notice that the flight director cue on the PFD is showing wings level and about 8o nose up, and that the
CDI on the PFD indicates that we're to the left of the intended track for the first leg, which we've
decided will be inbound to BKA on a heading of 170. We've already set the heading bug to the runway
heading, so check it now that you're lined up.
ON TAKEOFF ROLL
1. [AUTOFEATHER] Annunciators – ILLUMINATED
2. [IGNITION ON] Annunciators – EXTINGUISHED
3. Verify correspondence of PFD airspeed display and standby airspeed
Until the props are at full speed, the engines have to be managed carefully on takeoff. If you advance
one power lever faster than the other, which is unavoidable, you'll create asymmetrical thrust, which
will give you a pronounced wiggle that can be uncomfortable for your passengers. Fear not, though:
there is a way to get a King Air into the air without having to dance on the rudder pedals half way down
the runway.
First, "stand up" the power levers by pushing them forward until the [AUTOFEATHER] annunciators
illuminate, then nudging up a little further if necessary to get the prop RPM to 2000. Observe that the
[IGNITION ON] annunciators have extinguished. N1 will be in the low 90s and torques will initially be
between 1500-1600 ft-lbs. At this point, the props are said to be "on the governors", which means that
when you move the power levers forward, prop RPM will remain constant while N1, torque, and ITT will
all increase.
On the PFD, press the ENT key, then release the brakes and hold the airplane on the center line with the
rudder as it accelerates. Don't exceed 2230 ft-lbs torque and don't let ITT go above 790oC. As the
airplane accelerates, torque and ITT will increase, so be mindful of that.
At 96 KIAS, pull the nose up to about 8o and let the airplane fly itself off the runway. As soon as you
have a positive rate of climb, raise the landing gear. With your HDG bug as a cue, maintain the runway
heading, and use pitch to keep the airspeed at or above 121 KIAS until you're passing 420 feet on the
altimeter. If you follow the flight director cue, you'll do alright.
Passing 420 feet, switch on the autopilot and yaw damper by pressing the AP key on the AFCS controller.
Select HDG mode and set the heading bug to 223 degrees, which will permit us to intercept the OBS
course of 170. Press the VS key twice to select VS mode (the first time selects PITCH mode), and wait
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
until the wings are level before retracting the flaps. The nose will come down and you'll start to
accelerate. Don't let the nose come down so much that you start to descend. At 160 KIAS, use the
thumbwheel to set the rate of climb to 1800 feet per minute. Press the NAV key on the AFCS controller
to enable the autopilot to automatically establish the course inbound to BKA, and then it's time for
another checklist:
CLIMB
1.
2.
3.
4.
Landing Gear – UP
Flaps – UP
Yaw Damp – ON
Climb Power – SET (Observe maximum ITT, torque, and N1 rpm limits.)
In our King Air, climb power with the ice vanes extended is going to be slightly above 1900 ft-lbs or so,
which will usually work out to 91.3 - 91.8% N1. With the ice vanes retracted, climb power will be above
2100 ft-lbs, and you should observe the same N1. Stay mindful of the ITT and torque limits. As the
airplane climbs, you will need to advance the power levers to keep the torques at or above these values.
5. Propeller – 1800 RPM
Pull the prop levers back to 1800 RPM and synchronize the props manually before performing the next
step. The trick to properly synchronizing the propellers is to watch the synchroscope (that funny
morphing diamond/arrow thing above the prop rpm indicators on the MFD) and reduce the pitch on the
prop that sychroscope is moving TOWARDS. So, arrows moving to the left, reduce the pitch on the left
prop. Arrows moving to the right, reduce the pitch on the right prop. When the synchroscope stops
moving and becomes a diamond with two inward-pointing arrows, the props are synced, and you can
switch on the prop sync to maintain synchronization. If you change prop RPM, you may need to switch
off the prop sync and repeat this process to resync the props.
6. Propeller Synchrophaser – ON
7. Autofeather – OFF
Tom Clements, author of The King Air Book, and probably the man with the most time in King Airs of any
pilot (at something over 35,000 hours), has written that this step is really not necessary. The
autofeather system, he explains, is fail safe, in that if the system fails, it won't do anything bad to the
airplane. Since it can't do any harm to leave it on, and the system is actually helpful to the pilot, he
wonders why it should ever be turned off. The only reason he can come up with is to keep the
caution/warning annunciator panel dark, making minor problems easier to notice. I agree, but I'll leave
it up to you. Switch it off or not, your choice.
8. Engine Instruments – MONITOR
9. Taxi and Landing Lights – OFF
10. Cabin Sign – AS REQUIRED
Passing 10,000 feet in smooth air, switch off the cabin sign. Otherwise, leave it on. Smooth air or not,
switch off the recognition lights as you pass 10,000 feet.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
11. Cabin Pressurization – CHECK
Check to see that the cabin climb gauge shows the cabin altitude increasing at about six hundred feet
per minute. The big hand on the cabin altitude indicator should be moving towards the altitude set on
the inner scale of the pressurization controller, and the little hand should always remain in the green
arc.
12. Aft Blower – OFF
Yup. Aft Blower. Why? You may well ask. It's not a checklist item to turn on, but if you were having
issues with keeping the cabin cool, the aft blower helps by drawing air through the cabin. We don't
want it on while the cabin is pressurized. So, we check it to make sure it's off.
Now, switch to the frequency you entered into COM 2 make your departure call: "Anchorage Center,
King Air Five Four Six Lima Mike, is with you out of Sitka, passing 1600 for 5,000, squawking 2441."
"King Air Five Four Six Lima Mike, radar contact, climb and maintain one two thousand."
"Up to one two thousand, King Air Five Four Six Lima Mike."
At some point fairly soon, the airplane will intercept the desired course inbound BKA. Once it does,
press the OBS softkey on the PFD again to deselect the OBS mode. The AFCS in NAV mode will now
track the flight plan you entered back on the ground.
Managing climb speed in the King Air is fairly easy. A page back, just before takeoff, we said that climb
power in this King Air is between 91.3 and 91.8% N1, and if you recall, back on the first page, we listed
the cruise climb speeds. These speeds aren't absolutes, but more like checkpoints at the various
altitudes.
Watch the ITT as you climb. You'll see it increase, because as the air gets thinner, so does its ability to
cool the engine. Yes, the air is also getting cooler, too, and that will have its effect, but the net change in
ITT will be an increase as altitude increases.
You're also going to nudge the power levers forward a bit now and then to maintain maximum climb
power, because as the air gets thinner, the engine produces less power at a constant fuel flow. Torque
will also decrease as we climb, so bumping the power levers up now and then will keep the torque at or
near the redline, which is what we want.
Incidentally, this is a different engine management strategy than you may be used to from flying other
King Airs. The reason is because the PT6A-52 engine's high ITT limit effectively removes interstage
turbine temperature from your concern as you climb. Unless it's a very hot day, you are unlikely to ever
get close to red lining the ITT on these engines. As a result, you can push them harder in the climb than
you can the stock -42 engines, and you can expect them to produce redline torque up to 24 or 25
thousand feet, which makes for a faster climb.
As we pass 11,000 feet, the altitude alerter will buzz.
15
Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
"King Air Six Lima Mike, Anchorage Center. Climb and maintain flight level two six zero."
"Up to two six zero, King Air Six Lima Mike."
Set your altitude alerter to 26,000 feet and continue the climb. As before, watch your airspeed and
continue to monitor your engine instruments. Keep the engine torques above 1900 ft-lbs with engine
anti-ice on or above 2100 ft-lbs with engine anti-ice off, and even though ITT limits will not likely be a
factor, keep an eye on them anyway. Don't let your airspeed fall below the targets listed on page one of
this tutorial.
Keep an eye out for icing, as well. You should periodically look at the leading edges of the wings, and
clear the ice with the surface deice switch every time it forms.
Once you're above the clouds and into clear air, go ahead and close the ice vanes (switch off the engine
anti-ice) and increase the rate of climb to 2,000 feet per minute.
Passing 18,000 feet, press the BARO knob on the PFD to set standard pressure. This will also set your
standby altimeter Kollsman setting to 29.92. Cross check the altitude readout on the PFD with the
standby altimeter, and make sure they agree.
When the plane levels off at FL260, it's time for another checklist.
CRUISE
1. Cruise Power – SET per CRUISE POWER TABLES
2. Engine Instruments – MONITOR
3. Auxiliary Fuel Gauge – MONITOR (to ensure fuel is being transferred from auxiliary tanks)
The proper cruise power setting technique requires a little patience. The first step is to let the airplane
accelerate after leveling off. The best technique is to let the airplane's speed stabilize before pulling the
power and props back to cruise, but under some conditions, this might result in an overspeed, which we
don't want. So, keep an eye on your acceleration when the airplane is above 200 KIAS. If it's still
accelerating fairly quickly, start pulling the power back. If it's close to settling at a speed, let it settle. In
time, you'll get a feel for this.
While you're waiting for the speed to stabilize, look at the outside air temperature displayed on the
lower left of the PFD. You'll need both the OAT and the ISA figures.
In the Flight1 Pilot's Handbook (NOT a real world handbook or POH or tables or anything of the sort,
since this airplane has different engines from the stock models represented in most real world manuals,
not to mention some airframe modifications), find the table for NORMAL CRUISE POWER at 1700 RPM
and the ISA that is closest to the ISA displayed on the PFD.
On that table, look for the OAT that matches what's displayed on the PFD. Let's say it's -37oC. (Ignore
the IOAT column, since that's for airplanes that don't have the whiz-bang G1000 to display actual OAT.)
Look right to left on the -37oC line of the table. You'll see the torque per engine should be 2217 ft-lbs,
giving us a fuel flow of 366 PPH. That would be our target power setting.
16
Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Pull the power levers back slightly, then reduce the props to 1700 RPM. Try to do so without exceeding
25 RPM difference. You should be able to get the props to synchronize again without turning off prop
sync, but if not, then turn it off, manually sync the props, and then switch prop sync back on again.
Once the cruise RPM is set, advance the power levers to set torques to matching values as close to 2217
ft-lbs as you can get. That's right, balance the torques. The performance tables are based on the
engines producing equal power. Once you have that set, check the fuel flow and see that the engines
are within about 5% of what the table says they should be. The fuel flows may not be equal, and if not,
it's a sign that the engine burning the most fuel is (or soon will be) in need of maintenance.
How much speed will that give us? Let's roughly calculate the weight of the airplane: We started
engines at 11,896 pounds, and we should have burned about 200 pounds of fuel since then, so the
airplane weighs roughly 11,700 pounds.
The table shows that our indicated airspeed should be 206 knots for a weight of 12,000 lbs and 208
knots for a weight of 11,000 pounds, so we should be right in the middle at 207 KIAS. That's our target
airspeed.
Wait ten minutes for things to settle out and check the engines and airspeed again. You should be as
close to the torque as you can get it, within about 5% of the charted fuel flow, and within 5 knots of your
target airspeed. If not, set the power again.
Something to consider any time in a King Air is icing. (Have I mentioned this before?) When you switch
on the engine anti-ice, ensure that the [L ENG ANTI-ICE] and [R ENG ANTI-ICE] annunciators are
illuminated. You'll experience a drop in torque and an increase in ITT that indicates engine anti-ice is
working. You can reset power within limits, but odds are, you'll lose a little airspeed.
See those clouds? They're ice hazards. I may have already said so.
Ready to settle in for a comfortable cruise? Me, too, but let's make things interesting, instead. Suppose
the LifeMed Alaska dispatch center called you on the HF and directed you to divert to Juneau. Let's do
it.
First, let's take a look at the approaches into Juneau. There's one runway (8/26), and no approaches for
runway 26 unless we circle to 26 from a runway 8 approach, so we can count on a runway 8 approach.
There are two approaches, the LDA X RWY 08 and the RNAV (GPS) V RWY 08, and both of them use SSR
for an initial approach fix. So, we need to amend our flight plan to: direct SSR, direct PAJN.
"Anchorage Center, King Air 6LM with a request."
"King Air 6LM, Anchorage Center, go ahead."
"Anchorage Center, King Air 6LM needs to divert to Juneau, so we'd like to amend our flight plan as
follows: direct SSR, direct Juneau, over."
It may take a while, but Anchorage Center will eventually get back to you.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
"King Air 6LM, Anchorage Center, cleared direct SSR, direct Juneau. Descend at pilot's discretion to
6,000 feet."
So, you repeat your clearance back and get to work:
Click on the heading knob on the AFCS controller to make sure that the heading bug is aligned with your
present heading, then press the HDG key on the AFCS controller. On the GCU 477, press the Direct To
key and enter SSR in the Waypoint Information window. Press the ENT key. At the ACTIVATE prompt,
press the ENT key again. The CDI should now be pointing off to your right.
On the AFCS controller, turn the HDG knob until it's about 15 degrees to the right of the CDI arrow.
When the airplane steadies on the new heading, press the NAV key so that the airplane will intercept
the inbound to SSR.
Set the altitude alerter for 6000 feet and select VS mode. Using the thumb wheel on the AFCS
controller, set the rate of descent to -1500 feet per minute. Pull the power levers back to set 80% N1, to
avoid an overspeed in the descent.
As N1 drops below 85%, the gear warning horn will sound. Press the Gear Warn Silence button at the
lower right side of the landing gear lever to silence the warning horn.
Now that we're established in the descent, call up the FPL page on the MFD and press the FMS knob to
bring up the cursor. Move the cursor over the FPL entry for YAK, then use the inner FMS knob to bring
up the Waypoint Information page and enter SSR, and press the ENT key. That will insert the SSR
VORTAC into the flight plan above YAK, and put you back into the Active Flight Plan window with the
cursor on YAK.
Click on the lower right of the FMS knob (use the inner FMS knob) to bring up the Waypoint Information
window again. This time, type in PAJN and press the ENT key, which will take you back to the Active
Flight Plan page. Check that PAJN was inserted into the flight plan before YAK and that the cursor is now
flashing on YAK.
In the GCU 477, press the CLR key three times to delete YAK, BIG, and PAFA. The Active Flight Plan page
should now show four waypoints: PASI, BKA, SSR, and PAJN. Press the FPL key to return to the map
page.
It's time for another checklist:
DESCENT
1. Cabin Pressurization Controller – SET
a. Cabin Altitude Selector Knob – SET TO LANDING FIELD PRESSURE ALTITUDE PLUS 500
FEET.
b. Rate Control Selector Knob – SET INDEX AT 12 O’CLOCK POSITION
The field elevation at Juneau International is 26 feet, so set the cabin altitude selector to around 500
feet.
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Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
2. Altimeter – SET
We're going to need to find this information out. Using the outer FMS knob on the GCU 477, select the
WPT - Airport Information page. Press the FMS knob to activate the cursor, type PAJN, and press the
ENT key. Use the outer FMS knob to move the cursor down to highlight the ATIS frequency, located at
the bottom of the Airport Information page under "frequencies".
On the PFD, press the inner COM knob to swap active radios to COM 2, then press the ENT key on the
GCU 477. Notice that the PAJN ATIS frequency is now in the COM 2 standby position. On the PFD, press
the swap key to move the ATIS frequency into the active position and on the Audio panel to the left of
the PFD, select the COM 2 key to listen to the ATIS transmission. Once you have the altimeter setting
for Juneau, you can deselect the COM 2 radio and set the barometric pressure into the PFD using the
BARO knob.
3. Cabin Sign – AS REQUIRED
Set it to "NO SMOKE & FSB".
4. Windshield Anti-Ice – AS REQUIRED (NORMAL or HI well before descent into warm, moist air, to
aid in defogging)
This should already be in the NORMAL position, but check it anyway.
5. Power – AS REQUIRED to give desired rate of descent
NOTE
Approximately 75% N1 is required to maintain the pressurization schedule during descent.
There. There it is. Set the power AS REQUIRED to give you the desired rate of descent. It doesn't say,
"Leave N1 above 85% and try to nurse the plane down without picking up too much speed." The reason
for the horn is that the engineers at Beechcraft figured it would be a good idea to remind you that you
were commanding an N1 speed WITHIN TEN PERCENT of the minimum N1 you need to maintain cabin
pressurization. It's that simple. They assume that if you have the landing gear down, you're low enough
that cabin pressurization isn't going to be a problem. But, when you're pulling the power back to start a
normal descent, they knew you'd need to get close to the minimum, and they built the airplane to tell
you about it.
From now until we're across the runway threshold, we're going to make only minimal adjustments to
power. Be sure to pull the power levers back to keep N1 at around 80%.
Descent checklist complete.
"Anchorage Center, King Air 6LM would like the LDA X-ray approach to runway 8, if possible."
"King Air 6LM, Anchorage Center, roger, you can expect that."
19
Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Alright, now we can really start planning our approach. There's a handy acronym you can use for your
approach briefing: AMORTS
A - Approach Type
M - Minimums
O - Overshoot
R - Radios
T - Timing/Distance
S - Speeds
A for Approach type. We've already decided to use the LDA X RWY 08 approach. Refer to the plate on
page 26.
M for minimums. The MSA compass rose at the lower right of the map on the approach plate tells us
that inside 25NM from CGL NDB, between the inbound headings of 305 and 035, we can descend to
5900 feet. Our initial approach fix is SSR VORTAC, however, and that's 21 NM from CGL NDB, so the
MSA doesn't apply. From the Juneau Sectional, we can see that the maximum elevation figure for the
surrounding area is 5500 feet, which is lower than the MSA. Back on the approach plate, we can see
that we're allowed to descend to 5600 feet between SSR and LYNNS INT, and once on the localizer, we
need to stay above 3700 feet until we cross the Final Approach Fix at BARLO INT. After that, we can
descend to the MDA, which is 3200 feet. Don't fly below 3200 feet unless you have the field in sight.
O for Overshoot, or missed approach. If we're faced with a balked landing, we make a climbing right
turn to 5600 feet onto a heading of 310 to CGL NDB, then outbound on a heading of 251 to intercept the
SSR 027 radial. We hold at SSR VORTAC.
R for Radios. Set NAV 1 to 109.9, the localizer frequency for I-JDL. For this approach, set NAV 2 to
114.0, the frequency for the SSR VORTAC. Don't forget to identify each when you tune the radio. The
approach frequency is 133.9, which is still with Anchorage Center, and since we're already on that
frequency, we don't need to change it. Set the COM 1 radio standby frequency to Juneau Tower on
118.7, and the Juneau Ground frequency of 121.9 into COM2. It's a good idea to put the ATIS frequency
of 135.2 into the standby slot on COM 2, as well.
T for Timing/Distance. Since there's no timing table on this approach plate, we'll make note of the
distances: The FAF is 8 DME from I-JDL, so we must remain above 3700 feet until the DME reading on
the PFD shows 8. We can then descend to the MDA.
S for Speeds. You can consult tables if you want, but there are really only three speeds you need to
know for the approach: Minimum safe speed in icing conditions, VYSE, and VREF.
In sustained icing conditions, ice particles will begin to adhere to surfaces of the aircraft that are not
protected by anti-icing equipment when indicated airspeed falls below 140 knots. So, if you're landing
in icing conditions, you must delay your deceleration as long as possible. What are those icing
conditions? If you answered, "Below 5oC when visible moisture is present," give yourself a lollipop.
VYSE is easy to determine, since it's marked on your airspeed indicator. See the blue line? That's VYSE.
121 KIA, right where it always is.
20
Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
At our expected landing weight of around 11,400 pounds or so, the book says the landing approach
speed (VREF ) is 95 KIAS. (Always round UP when determining safe airspeeds.) But consider what
happens if you're three miles out at 95 KIAS, gear down, flaps fully down, and grinding your way in like
you own the sky: There's an airliner behind you with a thirty-five to forty knot closure rate. And what if
you lose an engine? Yes, you can make it in, maybe, but what if the runway is fouled, and you have to
execute a balked landing? Now you have to accelerate to your best rate of climb speed on one engine
while retracting landing gear and flaps, but you can't retract the flaps safely because of possible ice
accumulation that might cause damage...see what I mean? My point is that the landing approach speed
is not the speed at which you fly your approach, it's your target speed for a point fifty feet above
touchdown, where you'll begin your initial flare.
You should slow to VREF when you're fully committed to landing, say, around 500 feet above the
touchdown zone. Stay at or one to two knots above the blue line speed as long as possible.
Interestingly, if you're at 500 feet above touchdown and 121 KIAS, when you select full flaps, you'll
balloon a bit, but you'll also slow right down to VREF without having to touch the power. Those
Beechcraft guys are pretty smart!
Incidentally, you should also know the Air Minimum Control Speed (VMCA). It's 91 KIAS. That's the
minimum speed at which you can safely fly on one engine.
Are you detecting a theme here?
Oh, and you may be wondering what your actual touchdown speed should be. No one knows. I know
that sounds dramatic, but it's really not. The truth is that it's going to be slightly different for every
situation, and you really shouldn't concern yourself with nailing the perfect touchdown speed anyway.
I'll explain why when we get a little closer to the landing. For now, let's focus on flying the plane.
The end game when we get to Juneau is to make a minimum power landing with a smooth roll out.
Condition levers will stay in low idle, and we won't advance the props to full forward until after
touchdown. Reverse will be available, but we certainly don't need to set up for a short field landing.
The LifeMed Alaska ramp is accessed by taxiway E1, so we'll plan to exit the runway at F, about twothirds of the way down the runway. If you set the plane down on the thousand-foot touchdown
markers, you'll have more than 4,500 feet available for the roll out. You may even be able to make the
run off using just deep beta and medium braking.
Now that we have a plan, let’s get the G1000 set up for the approach.
On the GCU 477, press the PROC key. When you see the flashing cursor over "SELECT APPROACH", press
the ENT key. The PROC - Approach Loading page appears. Use the outer FMS knob to scroll the cursor
down to the "LDA 08-X LNAV+V" item on the list of approaches, and press the ENT key.
A small window pops up with a list of transition waypoints. Use the outer FMS knob to scroll down to
SSR, and press the ENT key.
Since we are already heading direct to SSR, we can use the outer FMS knob to move the cursor to
"ACTIVATE?" and press the ENT key.
21
Beech King Air B200
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Using the NAV knob on the PFD, dial the NAV 1 radio to the frequency for the Juneau localizer (109.90),
NAV 2 radio to the frequency for SSR VORTAC (114.00). Observe that both identifiers are displayed next
to the active frequencies in the upper left corner of the PFD.
Press the HDG knob to center the HDG bug and select HDG mode on the AFCS.
The plate tells us that we're to proceed outbound from SSR on the 007 radial to intercept the localizer at
LYNNS, but the list of waypoints in the G1000 has us going to D18.4, which is 18.4 miles DME from the
runway. As it happens, the G1000 is incorrect, and this is why we still fly with charts, even when we
have the whiz-bang G1000.
On the GCU 477, press the FPL key. Press the FMS knob to enable the cursor, then use the outer FMS
knob to scroll the cursor down to LYNNS. Press the MENU key, ensure that the cursor in the menu
window is over "ACTIVATE LEG" and press the ENT key. Notice that the CDI is now pointing to your left
and showing that the airplane is left of track.
On the PFD, press the OBS softkey, and use the CRS1 knob to set the CDI arrow to 007. Then, press the
NAV key to arm NAV mode again. The airplane will now intercept the SSR 007 radial and take you to the
LYNNS intersection. As you start the turn, press the OBS softkey again and set the altitude alerter to
5600 feet. (That's the minimum altitude for this leg of the approach, remember?)
Press the HDG knob to center the HDG bug, then press the HDG key to go back to heading mode. On the
PFD, press the CDI softkey once to swap nav input to VOR1, and ensure that the CDI arrow is set to 071.
Press the NAV key on the AFCS again so that the AFCS will automatically intercept the localizer.
Allow the aircraft to slow on its own, but adjust power as needed to maintain 150 KIAS.
As you intercept the localizer, set the altitude alerter to 3700 feet. Press the VS key and use the
thumbwheel to enter a -1000 foot/minute descent. Set flaps to approach, and lower the landing gear.
Adjust power as necessary to maintain 140 KIAS to BARLO, which is the final approach fix.
Don't take too long setting power, because it's time to perform the next checklist.
APPROACH
CAUTION
Propeller operation in the range of 1750-1850 rpm should be avoided as
it may cause ILS glide slope interference.
To ensure consistent reversing characteristics, the propeller control
must be in FULL INCREASE RPM position.
NOTE
If crosswind landing is anticipated, immediately prior to touchdown,
lower up-wind wing and align the fuselage with the runway. During
rollout, hold aileron control into the wind and maintain directional
control with rudder and brakes. Use propeller reverse as desired.
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Beech King Air B200
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
FLIGHT TUTORIAL: PASI-PAJN
Pressurization – CHECK
Cabin Sign – ON
Autofeather Switch – ARM
Flaps – APPROACH
Landing Gear – DOWN
Landing and Taxi Lights – AS REQUIRED
Propeller Synchrophaser – OFF
When the gear come down, you'll see [MASTER CAUTION], [PROP SYNC], and [RVS NOT READY]
illuminate. Switch prop sync off and clear the Master Caution indication, but keep the prop levers
where they are at 1700 RPM. If you properly synchronized the props before selecting prop sync, they
should remain synced and your passengers won't experience any uncomfortable vibrations.
Crossing BARLO, set the altitude alerter to 3200 feet and continue the descent at -1000 feet per minute.
Normally, you'd fly your approach at around -600 to -700 feet per minute, but this is a fairly steep
approach. Note that you MUST see the runway before you can descend below 3200 feet! Do you see
that you are not aligned with the runway centerline? That's okay. Continue down the localizer until you
need to turn to line up with the runway.
Switch the Engine Anti-Ice to ON for both engines, then adjust power to about 650 ft-lbs, and the
airplane will slow gradually while you're descending. The Anti-Ice should be switched on in preparation
for every landing, to minimize the risk of FOD when you get on the ground.
You may need to adjust power to stay at or slightly above 121 KIAS. When the GPWS announces "FIVE
HUNDRED," perform the next checklist.
WHEN LANDING ASSURED
Be ready for the plane to balloon a bit when you select full flaps. The nose will pitch up, and you'll need
to push the yoke forward to stay on the glide path. It's going to feel like you have to stand the plane on
its nose.
1. Flaps – DOWN (100%)
Roll in as much nose down trim as you need to. Keep aiming for the white thousand-foot touchdown
marker on the runway. Without touching the power, you should be decelerating to 95 KIAS.
2. Yaw Damp – OFF
Pressing the YD key on the AFCS controller will also disconnect the AP, which is handy. As you turn onto
short final, you should only need to use about 5 degrees of bank, maybe a little more.
As you cross the runway threshold at 95 KIAS and fifty feet or so, pull the nose up slightly to slow your
rate of descent, start bringing the power back to flight idle, and fly the plane down onto the touchdown
markers. Don't worry about your airspeed at this point. King Airs tend to float in ground effect, so if you
need to, ease off the back pressure on the yoke and fly the plane onto the runway at around 200 feet
per minute of descent.
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Beech King Air B200
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3. Propeller Levers – FULL FORWARD AFTER TOUCHDOWN
4. Power Levers – BETA RANGE OR REVERSE (AS REQUIRED)
Keep the airplane on the runway centerline as you slow down, and keep track of the runway exits. We
want to exit onto taxiway F, and we want to be slowed to about 10 - 12 knots ground speed before we
start the turn. To save on brake pads, don't apply the brakes above 80 KIAS. You shouldn't need any
reverse, but If you're going to use any, use all of it, then bring the power levers out of reverse and into
BETA at about 40-45 KIAS, since they'll kick up debris that may be ingested into the engines or obscure
your view.
Turn off the runway onto taxiway F. As soon as you're clear of the runway, come to a stop and perform
the next checklist.
AFTER LANDING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Landing and Taxi Lights – AS REQUIRED
Ice Protection – OFF
Engine Auto-Ignition – OFF
Electrical Load – OBSERVE LIMITS
Trim – SET
Flaps – UP
You should turn off the pitot heat, stall warning heat, and fuel vent heat while on the ground, since you
may burn out the heating elements if you don't. The windshield heat is on a thermostat, so you can
leave it on. Just be aware that it's an unnecessary electrical load and if your generators are struggling to
keep up with the demand of the cabin air conditioning, you might trip a generator off line. (This isn't
modeled, but it's realistic to keep it in mind.)
When the After Landing checklist is complete, make sure the taxiway is clear of traffic and advance the
power levers to get the airplane rolling again. Turn left onto taxiway A, then right onto E1, and find a
parking spot.
What's that? You want another checklist? Okay...
SHUTDOWN AND SECURING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Parking Brake – SET
Avionics Master – OFF
Autofeather Switch – OFF
Light Switches – OFF
Cabin Temp Mode – OFF
Vent Blower – AUTO
Radiant Heat – OFF
Battery – CHARGED
ITT – STABILIZED AT MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR ONE MINUTE
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Beech King Air B200
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At this point, I suggest you set both bleed air switches to INST & ENVIR OFF, though it's not called for in
the checklist. In the real airplane, this is recommended to reduce the chances of the bleed air valves
from being clogged with gunk during engine shutdown.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Condition Levers – CUT-OFF
Propellers – FEATHERED
DC Volt/Loadmeters – CHECK VOLTAGE
Overhead Panel Switches – OFF
Battery and Generator Switches – OFF
Oxygen Supply Control Handle – PUSH OFF
Wheel Chocks – INSTALL
Tiedowns – AS REQUIRED
External Covers – INSTALL
THE WRAP UP
That's it! We've covered how to properly fly the King Air B200 from preflight to shutdown, including
engine startup procedures, manual flight plan entry, taxi and takeoff techniques, use of anti-ice and deice systems, cruise considerations, in-flight changes to the flight plan, approach, and finally the landing
using only beta and wheel braking. I hope you've found that flying the Flight1 King Air B200 can be a lot
of fun!
Look for the Flight1 King Air B200 Tutorial Part II (Weight & Balance) soon!
Kurt "Yoda" Kalbfleisch
San Diego, CA
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Beech King Air B200
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