Originally Posted by
CLRDDIRECT
The other night I saw a Freight Runners Be-99 takeoff in what I swear was well less than 1,000ft. I didn't really realize that these old birds were 'rocket ships' per se.
Was I seeing things? If not, are they really a joy to fly single-pilot?
It's an unpressurized king air with fairly simple systems and yes they are a fun aircraft to fly. With at or near empty takeoff weight they have a better power-to-weight ratio than a P51 Mustang (verified by our DO). They are a joy to fly, some are a little noisier than others due to some of the seals being bad on the storm windows and crew door, but nonetheless fun!!! At the same time it can make you a very dumb pilot. Some pilots have told me they have gotten bored with the airplane because they feel it's too easy to fly. It is interesting to get commments from airline pilots telling you that they have that exact tail number in their logbooks when they were hauling people around.