Most in the aviation industry are familiar with John and Martha King, the faces of the myriad of Kings Schools aviation training courses. Thousands of pilots have gone through their ground school courses for a variety of certificates or ratings, taking in the videos on original VHS, DVD, or streaming online depending on what the current technology is.
With the advent of the Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) replacing the Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the private and instrument certificates, King Schools didn’t take long to update their material.
To help private students prepping for their check ride (and their instructors who aren’t familiar with an ACS check ride yet), John King plays the student pilot in the latest King Schools prep video. The streaming online video is about 5 hours long, includes the oral portion and the flight portion of the check ride, and runs $139 (you can still get the DVD, too!).
I have recommended King Schools and their courses to all of my customers. They have always put out a great product as they reduce the fear felt for a check ride applicant. If you are prepping for your private pilot check ride, checkout the King Schools video today.
Earlier this week, Mooney announced they would be following competitors Piper (with their Archer DX) and Redbird (with their retrofitted 172 known as the Redhawk) into the training market with the Mooney M10 T and Mooney M10 J. Mooney, which hasn’t manufactured a primary trainer since the Mooney M10 Cadet in 1970, is planning on putting Jet A burning Continental Engines in the new aircraft. The mockup was unveiled at Airshow China.
The Mooney M10 T is a 3 seat, fixed gear trainer sporting a Continental CD-135 engine. At 135 HP, the initial design data claims the Mooney M10 T will be able to cruise at 140 KTAS at 75% power, allowing the Jet A engine to burn between 4-5 gallons per hour while holding 42 gallons of fuel. As with other Jet A piston powered airplanes, the Mooney M10 T will have a Fully Automated Digital Engine Control (or FADEC) system. This leaves just a single power lever in the cockpit, allowing the pilot to set a percent power and the FADEC computer will set the manifold pressure, prop speed, and mixture.
The Mooney M10 J has a slightly bigger engine, the 155 HP Continental CD-155. It also is equipped with retractable gear. Initially, Mooney is predicting 160 KTAS at 75% power for the Mooney M10 J. The airplane will come as a two-seater, but will have a third seat as an option. Mooney says that the Mooney M10 J will allow pilots to make an easy transition to the bigger and faster M20J that has been popular for many years amongst “Mooniacs.”
In a new direction for Mooney, the Mooney M10 T Mooney M10 J will both be composite airplanes with side sticks, instead of the traditional sheet metal exterior with a yoke as Mooney aircraft have been in the past. Also venturing from the more powerful Mooney aircraft is the fact that the Mooney M10 T and Mooney M10 J will have two doors. Remaining, though, is the swept tail that Mooney aircraft are known for. Both airplanes will be equipped with Garmin G1000 panels, while the Mooney M10 J will also have the GFC 700 autopilot, marketing more toward aircraft owners rather than students.
The only downside that I read about was the time between replacements for the engines. For the CD-135 engine in the Mooney M10 T, time between replacement is 1,500 hours, whereas the CD-155 only has a 1,200 hour replacement time.
Mooney expects certification and deliveries to begin for the Mooney M10 T and Mooney M10 J in 2017.
Information courtesy of AOPA and Mooney International. Images courtesy of Mooney International.
Earlier this week, Mooney announced they would be following competitors Piper (with their Archer DX) and Redbird (with their retrofitted 172 known as the Redhawk) into the training market with the Mooney M10 T and Mooney M10 J. Mooney, which hasn’t manufactured a primary trainer since the Mooney M10 Cadet in 1970, is planning on…
This is a Press Release from Daher’s website, the maker of the TBM 960.
Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, Lakeland, Florida, April 5, 2022 – Daher today unveiled the latest high-end version of its TBM pressurized single turboprop aircraft family – the TBM 960 – which incorporates Pratt & Whitney Canada’s advanced PT6E-66XT engine and a fully digital e-throttle, along with a digitally-controlled cabin that incorporates an all-new environmental control system, LED ambience lighting and electrically-dimmable windows.
The TBM 960 was introduced at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, where Daher is exhibiting the first production airplane (exhibit stand #MD-22B).
“The TBM 960 is the quintessential TBM, representing the fifth evolution of our very fast turboprop aircraft family since the TBM 900-series’ introduction in 2014,” commented Nicolas Chabbert, the Senior Vice President of Daher’s Aircraft Division. “It takes the maximum advantage of today’s turboprop technology to provide digital control of the engine and the propeller.”
The TBM 960 retains the rapid speed of Daher’s TBM family while enabling lower fuel consumption. At Daher’s recommended cruise setting of 308 kts., the fuel consumption is only 57 U.S. gallons per hour, which is a 10% fuel economy compared to maximum cruise setting for more sustainability.
At the heart of this latest TBM version is the intelligent PT6E-66XT powerplant and Hartzell Propeller’s five-blade RaptorTM composite propeller, both of which are linked to the dual-channel digital Engine and Propeller Electronic Control System (EPECS).
With the EPECS, the PT6E-66XT’s startup is fully automated after a single-switch activation. The cockpit’s power lever is an e-throttle, using a single forward position from takeoff to landing – with the EPECS optimizing powerplant performance throughout the flight envelope while
Daher unveils the TBM 960 at Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo
reducing pilot workload by integrating all functions and protecting the engine’s life. Analysis of engine parameters is driven by 100-plus smart data inputs.
The RaptorTM propeller is fully integrated into the propulsion system. It is specifically designed to reduce overall weight and improve the TBM 960’s takeoff distance, climb and cruise speed. Turning at 1,925 rpm during maximum power output, the Raptor contributes to limiting noise and vibration. Its sound level during takeoff is just 76.4 decibels, meeting the most stringent international noise standards.
With its G3000® integrated flight deck, the TBM 960 retains Daher’s e-copilot® concentration of technological innovation and safety systems in the TBM, which can be compared to an “electronic copilot.” This includes an icing protection system, flight envelope monitoring through the Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) and the Under-speed Protection (USP) systems, the Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) function, as well as the game-changing HomeSafeTM emergency autoland system.
New to the TBM 960 is the Garmin GWXTM 8000 doppler weather radar with advanced surveillance features such as lightning and hail prediction, turbulence detection, zero blind range for close-in returns, and ground clutter suppression. The TBM 960 also is the first application of Garmin’s GDL® 60 next-generation data transmitter for automatic database upload and interconnection with mobile devices.
The TBM 960’s Prestige cabin extends Daher’s use of digital power inside the aircraft, featuring an all-new environmental control system, LED ambience strip lighting integrated into both sides of the overhead ceiling panel, and electronically-dimmable windows – all controlled by a PassengerComfortDisplay(PCD). Enhancementsinthecabin’sstyleandcomfortalsoinclude new ergonomically enhanced seats, USB-A and USB-C power plugs, individual cupholders and headset hangers for each occupant.
For the TBM 960, a fifth TBM paint scheme – called Sirocco, based on the creativity of French designer Alexandre Echasseriau – has been added to the aircraft’s style customization possibilities.
The TBM 960 has been certified by EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency); with certification by the U.S. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) currently underway. Deliveries will begin in the first half of 2022.
With the new aircraft’s launch, Daher’s TBM family is now offered in two versions: the TBM 960 and TBM 910.
This is a Press Release from Daher’s website, the maker of the TBM 960. Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, Lakeland, Florida, April 5, 2022 – Daher today unveiled the latest high-end version of its TBM pressurized single turboprop aircraft family – the TBM 960 – which incorporates Pratt & Whitney Canada’s advanced PT6E-66XT engine and a…
For those of you who frequent the Houston area, make sure to check your NOTAMs. The Houston Executive Airport (KTME) in Katy recently opened a control tower. The Houston Executive tower information won’t show up on the sectional chart till the new chart comes out in the spring. The only way to get the information about the tower and the airspace will be via NOTAMs or when the new Airport/Facilities Directory comes out on November 3rd. The tower opened October 1st.
According to AOPA, the airspace will remain Class G around the airport, even though there is a control tower in place. Since the Houston Executive tower is there, it will be mandatory to contact the tower when passing through the airspace. KTME’s airspace stretches up to 2,000 feet MSL and goes out to a 4 sm radius around the airport. It is a VFR Only tower, so the controllers do not have radar.
The tower is open from 6am-10pm, local time, 7 days a week.
For those of you who frequent the Houston area, make sure to check your NOTAMs. The Houston Executive Airport (KTME) in Katy recently opened a control tower. The Houston Executive tower information won’t show up on the sectional chart till the new chart comes out in the spring. The only way to get the information…
The Garmin GFC 700 Autopilot is an amazing machine. Fully digital and fully integrated with the Garmin G1000 glass panel, it makes a pilot’s workload a lot easier, especially in busy airspace.
I train a lot of pilots in airplanes that have the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot. The Cirrus SR22, the Columbia 350 & 400, the G36 Bonanza, and the Piper Mirage and M350 to name a few. The most common problem I see for pilots transitioning into the Garmin GFC 700 equipped aircraft is that it doesn’t act like other autopilots.
STECs and DFC 90 Autopilots function like this: you push the button for the mode you want on the autopilot controller and that turns the autopilot on.
Not so on the Garmin GFC 700. If you push the button for the mode on the GFC 700, then the flight director engages, but not the autopilot. This confuses folks a lot who move up from different autopilots because their autopilot primacy side of their brain is telling them the autopilot is on whenever they push one of the buttons on the GFC 700 controller.
Here’s an example: A pilot has just departed and is ready to turn on course. In his old airplane with an STEC 55x autopilot, the pilot pushes the direct to key to go to his first waypoint, then pushes NAV on the autopilot controller and the STEC 55x comes on and starts flying on course. Then he presses VS and ALT to initiate a climb.
With the same scenario and a Garmin GFC 700 autopilot, the same pilot (who is used to a 55x), pushes the direct to key, then pushes NAV on the autopilot controller and pushes IAS or FLC to initiate the climb. He lets go of the flight controls thinking the autopilot is engaged. The airplane starts nosing over and he starts panicking.
Why did this happen? The pilot in the second scenario never pushed the AP button on the Garmin GFC 700 so the autopilot never engaged. All he did by pressing the NAV button and IAS button was to turn the flight director on.
How to remedy this? Get in the habit of checking your scoreboard. On the top of the G1000 or Garmin Perspective PFD, there is an autopilot annunciation strip (or scoreboard as I like to call it). In the very middle of the scoreboard is an area to show if the autopilot or flight director is engaged. AP means the autopilot is on; FD means the flight director is engaged but the autopilot is not.
I teach pilots to be in the habit of checking your scoreboard each time you get done pressing buttons on the autopilot controller to ensure the Garmin GFC 700 is in the proper mode. This saves some of those panic moments when it is supposed the AP is engaged, but it’s only the FD.
The Garmin GFC 700 Autopilot is an amazing machine. Fully digital and fully integrated with the Garmin G1000 glass panel, it makes a pilot’s workload a lot easier, especially in busy airspace. I train a lot of pilots in airplanes that have the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot. The Cirrus SR22, the Columbia 350 & 400,…
Mooney announced last week the redesign of their current Ovation and Acclaim models. The biggest change that Mooney pilots will love is the addition of a pilot’s door, allowing the pilot to enter on the left side instead of having to crawl over the passenger seat.
Other upgrades include a keypad for easier data entry on the G1000 and an all in one, digital standby instrument that includes attitude, airspeed, and altitude.
This raises the question, will Piper and Beechcraft follow suit?
Mooney announced last week the redesign of their current Ovation and Acclaim models. The biggest change that Mooney pilots will love is the addition of a pilot’s door, allowing the pilot to enter on the left side instead of having to crawl over the passenger seat. Other upgrades include a keypad for easier data entry…
The Angelina County Airport in Lufkin, TX (KLFK) will be hosting the Angelina County Airfest on Saturday, October 10th. The airport will open up at 9am.
Prepare for a day of food, fun, and some great performances. There will be warbirds and many other classic airplanes on display, not too mention a number of aerobatic performances as the day goes on.
The Angelina County Airport in Lufkin, TX (KLFK) will be hosting the Angelina County Airfest on Saturday, October 10th. The airport will open up at 9am. Prepare for a day of food, fun, and some great performances. There will be warbirds and many other classic airplanes on display, not too mention a number of aerobatic…
Most in the aviation industry are familiar with John and Martha King, the faces of the myriad of Kings Schools aviation training courses. Thousands of pilots have gone through their ground school courses for a variety of certificates or ratings, taking in the videos on original VHS, DVD, or streaming online depending on what the current technology is.
