A Beechcraft King Air 300 from 1987 and in service as a special mission aircraft has logged an amazing 50,000 flight hours – that’s 1,470 hours per year, or more than 120 hours a month. More than heavily-used flight school aircraft clock up.
The aircraft is Beechcraft King Air 300 Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (MARSS) aircraft in US Army service.
Bob Gibbs of Textron’s Special Mission dept said, “The Beechcraft King Air is the world leader in twin-turboprop special mission operations because of the aircraft’s unmatched capabilities, ruggedness and reliability.”
The milestone King Air 300 is one of a larger fleet of MARSS aircraft, which are quick reaction capability assets supporting the US Army’s requirement for aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. MARSS delivers imagery and signals intelligence data directly to the warfighter.
Col. James DeBoer of the US Army Fixed Wing Project Office added, “The King Air Model 300 platform has been a solid performer.
“The aircraft was utilised heavily in CENTCOM (Central Command) to fill capability gaps over the past decade.
“An aircraft that was able to reach 50,000 flight hours, with more than 30,000 hours in mostly austere environments, deserves recognition as do the soldiers who flew and maintained the aircraft, and those who stood at the ready to support its missions through parts replacement, repairs and other requirements.”
Nearly 7,600 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world since 1964, making it the best-selling business turboprop family in the world.
The worldwide fleet has surpassed 62 million flight hours in its 57 years, serving roles in all branches of the US military and flying both commercial and special mission roles around the world.