King Air B200

[Bearing 123]

Hi Guys,
First post here. I am currently flying and typed on both a Meridian and a PC12 for private owners. I have been offered an F/O position on a privately owned B200 of which the owners are willing to pay for the type rating (lucky I know!!) Anybody able to tell me how difficult the rating is considering I already fly single turbines. Also where is the best place in the UK both money wise and training wise to go? I hold a JAA frozen atpl with 850 hrs with 100ish on piston twins
Many Thanks in advance

[mildly amused]

go to BFC at bristol.

my course was very good plus , thay gave me extra hours as co-pilot foc

which got me into the fms and proper airways operations

[G-SPOTs Lost]

Dont fly 200's but can reccommend Martin B and his operation, if you ask him nicely he'll teach you the trick to be in three places at once :ok:

[His dudeness]

You´ll find it easy I guess...its a very straightforward airplane. Got 4000hrs in it and still I´d love to fly it...
As you have made contact with my beloved PT-6 there is not much new stuff for you.
As a "single-engine guy" the only thing to learn is ...single engine / assymetric flight. But you have Rudderboost and very effective controls so its not difficult.
A/C is built like a tank and if a S/N later than BB1476 it has a very comfy cockpit.
If money isn´t a problem, I´d suggest FlightSafety Farnborough, from what I hear they have a pretty new sim there.
Enjoy the best Turboprop ever! :D
BTW, surprised no one has mentioned the B200 in USA that lost most of its left Tailplane and part of the right one 2 days ago. There is a video provided by a local TV station...thrilling! Guys lost 20000ft whilst knocked out by lack of oxygen after a windshield cracked an FL270...Aircraft is really bent, but they landed safely.

this should be the correct link:

http://www.kfvs12.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1213165&h1=Emergency%20Landing&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=223734&LaunchPageAdTag=Business&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.kfvs12.com/Global/SearchResults.asp%3Fqu%3Demergency+landing%26x%3D8%26y%3D5&rnd=70133800

[julest]

We have been operating the B200 at Bristol (www.b-f-c.co.uk) for almost 5 years. Great aeroplane, built like a brick s***house and relatively easy to fly/operate. Training is straight forward and to convert from s/e turbine should be a no brainer. Ground school is upto a week and flight training over a few days depending on the students previous experience. Usually 10 hours is required but those with jet/turbine experience can often get a dispensation from the CAA reducing time required. Flying single crew however can be demmanding and not for the low houred pilot.

Interesting video clip posted by his dudeness. I had a screen go on me at FL270 - and when it goes its like a gun going off in the cabin. Fortunately for me it caused no problems (except you cannot see through the screen). The windscreen is very thick, two layers of glass and a laminate, even with one layer gone the a/c should remain pressuised although the POH recommends a descent to below FL250 and max cabin differetial. At the level the American B200 was at the autopilot should have been engaged so it would be interesting to know why the cabin lost pressure and why the a/c went into freefall. Even at that level there should have been time to put on their O2 masks. Well done the pilots for getting it down in one piece.

[Bearing 123]

Thanks everyone for the input:) Does anybody have a ball park price for the training?
Thanks again

[julest]

Assuming no exemptions you are not going to get change out of £10k

[Bearing 123]

Many Thanks Julest and all the rest of you for the help. BFC does look promising. Apparantely Flight Safety have only got a B1900 and not a B200 in the UK for Type Ratings, at least thats what I've been told.

To all the lovers of the fabulous PT-6, Single engined across large expanses of water, I wouldn't want to put my faith in any other donkey.

In saying that, Kinda looking forward to having two of them again.

Cheers and thanks:ok:

[4HolerPoler]

Guys, this forum is a great source of information - all you've got to do is look.

Less than a month ago we had a great thread - http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=259776 - running that covered King Air 200 training. One of the posters identified a facility that would do a TR for € 7,000 (there's talk of C90 & 200 but it appears that this was for the 200) but now we’ve got someone expressing their opinion that you won’t do it for less than £ 10,000 :confused: :confused:

4HP

[His dudeness]

Quote:pparantely Flight Safety have only got a B1900 and not a B200 in the UK for Type Ratings, at least thats what I've been told.

Sorry, thought they have a sim for the 200...if you check:

http://www.flightsafety.com/farn_home.php

it says they have one...there is one at Paris FSI that I have seen myself, but thats a real old one...

Probably the cheapest way is RWL in Germany, you do part on a fixed sim device and part in the airplane.
Check:
http://www.rwl-flight.de/simulatoren/index.php?m=3

I was told,price is about 7000€, but that info is not really reliable, since old.

@4HP: the 90 and 200 is one class rating. In fact its 90,99,100 and 200 in one rating. Really strange since the B100 is non PT6 powerd but TFE.

[Bearing 123]

Again many thanks for all of the help. I've sent an email to RWL and as soon as I hear back, I will post the most up to date price etc.
Cheers again

[Martin Barnes]

The 200 type at BFC is conducted on the aircraft.

The UK CAA want us to offer a standard course of 10hours which is why we charge 10K. the french and germans offer 6 hour courses in line with the old 1179 system.

the fact is, we are able to offer reduced hours for pilots with previous
turbine types, so check with us.

FSI do have a 200sim in the uk and offer a good course, which requires landings on a real aircraft to validate the TR.

which ever way you go Good Luck.

[5 RINGS]

Quote:
"@4HP: the 90 and 200 is one class rating. In fact its 90,99,100 and 200 in one rating. Really strange since the B100 is non PT6 powerd but TFE."

May I amend this please?

in fact, Beech B100 is powered by TFE, nevertheless Beech 100 & A100 are powered by PT6A-28 or even -35 by retrofit/upgrade.

On the other hand, I'm not sure there would be any specific mention on your licence if you trained on B100 only.

Regards

[Bearing 123]

Hi Martin,
Thanks I may very well come and see you over the next few months, it all depends on the time frame for the aircraft. I have a lot of flying to do over the next several months on the singles to fufill my commitment there and the B200 position doesn't become available until June earliest.

All of the comments here have been really useful and as a first timer on pprune, damn good site!!!

Cheers

[Awyrennwr]

Flight Safety at Farnborough will do you one in the sim for apx £7500 + vat + 6 take offs and landings, the £7500 includes the examiner and sim for the LST. If you do the course as a crew you get 25hrs sim instruction, 12.5 from each seat. Personally would recommend the sim as it allows you do see things you are very unlikley to see in the aircraft during training. ie V1 cuts, hot starts, wake turbulence encounters, windshear encounters etc,etc.....

(I have nothing against BFC and would have happily gone their if it it hadn't been £6000 more expensive by the time all the extras were included and you only get 10 hours for that instead of 25)

If you find the flying difficult, FSI can do a P2 only (restricted) rating wich is easier.

I passed the unrestricted rating first time with 250hrs total time and 35 hrs multi, so it cant be that hard!!

Have fun.

[Cessna 210 Heavy]

If I can just add something about BFC.

I have flown with them a number of time in the RHS, and I would just like to add that they are a very professional and well run company. They really look after the aircraft, I am a licenced Engineer too, and their crews.

BFC get 5 Stars in my book for attitude and training, and they are growing in size, which has to be a bonus.

[GDSD]

I flew the PC12 for about 400hrs, before flying the B200. I completed my TR at Flight Safety in Farnborough in November 2006 and then did dif. training for the Proline 21 fit.
If you need any info/opinion or comment, please drop me a line - we prob know a lot of the same people anyway.
The training from Flight Safety was first class (thanks to Andreas Klein!) - but I've also heard good things about the guys in Bristol.
Kind regards

[crazy gal]

HIYA!!!

Has anyone got experience of the training at Sterling Aviation?

Crazy Gal!

[Grasscarp]

I trained with Sterling and found them very professional and efficient. Enjoyed it too!

[crazy gal]

Thanks Grasscarp. Anyone else had any experience with them?

Crazy x