New Owner Will Fly The Airplane In A Charter Operation

The first King Air C90 to be powered by GE's H80 800 SHP engines has been delivered to its new owner by Smyrna Air Center in Smyrna, TN. A formal ribbon cutting and delivery presentation was held at Smyrna Air Center at Smyrna Airport (KMQY) in Smyrna Tennessee on Thursday December 20th, 2012. The ceremony was attended by Greg Ryan, Sales Director at GE Aviation.

The aircraft, a 1974 King Air C90, LJ-627, N4447W was fitted with two brand new GE H80 800 SHP engines, and two brand new Avia V510 5-Blade Quiet Propellers. Already installed were Raisbeck Wing Lockers, and Raisbeck Dual Aft Body Strakes. Smyrna Air Center’s Avionics Department also installed Dual Garmin G600 MFD/PFD/AHRS ADS-B Compliant Garmin GTX-330ES Mode S Transponder, and Garmin GWX-70 Color Radar, and Garmin 530W GPS, and a GDL-69 Satellite Weather Downlink. Finally, Smyrna Air Center completed a Phase 1-4 inspection series. “I am so proud of our maintenance team," said Brenda Fields, Chief Operating Officer for Smyrna Air Center. "They are some of the best King Air mechanics and avionics technicians in the industry and they are the ones who deserve the credit for making the delivery of this Power90 King Air such a huge success.”

“We are finally realizing our dream of selling slots for the Power 90 Program," said Bob Fields, CEO of Smyrna Air Center. The GE H80 engines make the 90-Series King Air a 290 knot aircraft at 28,000 feet and will take you from runway to 28,000 feet in just 17 minutes!”

Accepting delivery for the new owner was Curt Drumm, owner of Lakeshore Aviation in Manitowoc Wisconsin. Mr. Drumm will place the aircraft on his part 135 charter certificate and operate it for the new owner. “I could not be more pleased with Smyrna Air Center, GE, or the aircraft, said Drumm. The excitement over this aircraft is high and has allowed us to pre-sell charter time in the plane. We fully expect to keep four-seven whiskey flying day after day.”  “I’m already starting to get calls from potential H80 customers wanting to demo the plane”, continued Drumm.

The GE H80 engine combines the M601 engine with GE’s 3-D aerodynamic design techniques and advanced materials to create a more powerful, fuel-efficient, and durable engine than the already efficient M601. GE Aviation’s Business & General Aviation Turboprops have more than 1,600 M601 engines in service that have accumulated more than 17 million flight hours on 30 applications.

The GE H80 engine requires no fuel nozzle cleanings due to its unique slinger ring design, no required hot section inspections, and 3,600 flight-hours, and 6,600 cycles between overhauls. Owners can expect significantly enhanced hot-day takeoff performance and high altitude cruise speeds.

(Image provided by Smyrna Air Center)

FMI: www.smyrnaaircenter.com