Chartering A King Air 350 Turbo Prop Aircraft
The Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft spawned from the design of the King Air 200 model and was introduced into service in 1981 as the King Air 300. In order to improve upon the already well-designed King Air line of aircraft, the 300 model was updated in 2005 to the King Air 350. The model is still in production today and indeed the King Air line is one of the best selling turbo prop aircraft ever produced.
The King Air 350 model is equipped with two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-60A engines. The PT6 family of engines is one of the most reliable, successful turbo prop engines ever developed and has been in use on the King Air since it’s inception. The 350 has a maximum seating capacity of 13 passengers with 8 or 9 standard. The aircraft has a range of just under 2,000 miles. In addition, some of the advancements made to the King Air 350 over it’s predecessors include lower overall cabin noise, passenger-controlled cabin lighting, a high-definition video monitor, and an iPod dock.
A big advantage of choosing a turbo prop aircraft to charter is that it is very versatile, more so that many types of aircraft including the jet versions. The speed and range are great for a turbo prop, but along with that it doesn’t require as long of a runway for takeoffs and landings. Due to this the King Air 350 is able to access more airports than jets can. So the traveler can get even closer to their destination which saves a lot of time in transportation. Also the airports accessed are generally less busy than an airport with commercial service which also helps with time of travel.
The beginning step for a charter is to look around for your area’s charter operators. If you are in a medium to large city you will find several operators who handle the King Air 350. The normal range of prices is from $1400 to $3000 and hour, but this isn’t inclusive of ramp fees, fuel, taxes or any other surcharge. Many different groups or individuals can effectively use a King Air, business trips for companies or individuals needing it for business or personal uses. Due to the great range of the plane it is good for all trips except for the longest travels.
To summarize choosing to charter a King Air 350 gives passengers extra time and great flexibility in travel basically not matched by any other type of private aircraft. It offers the most economical and safe plane within it’s class
, so if you are researching this market you would be smart to take a hard look at this Beechcraft King Air 350 turbo prop.
