Operational History
Super King Airs of the Argentine Navy saw active service during the Falklands War of 1982, used on night-time transport missions between Argentina and the islands.
A B300 was used as the presidential transport aircraft of Paraguay between 1991 and 1994.
On June 24, 1996, the 5,000th King Air, a Model B300, was delivered. Less than nine years later, on January 24, 2005, the 6,000th Beechcraft King Air, B200 c/no. BB-1884, was delivered. Beechcraft also delivered a special 40th Anniversary King Air (which was the 400th B300 as well) in 2005; the aircraft featured ruby-coloured exterior paint and real rubies in a special logo in the cabin.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) is a long-term major operator of B200 and B200C King Airs (and previously Queen Airs and 90 series King Airs) as Air Ambulances. In all about 40 200 series King Airs have served with the RFDS. One was destroyed in a fatal crash near Mount Gambier, South Australia on December 10, 2001 while others have been retired and replaced by newer King Airs. As of January 2009, the RFDS operates 34 200 series King Airs throughout Australia.
A large number of military King Airs have been retired and of these, many have entered civil service with Law Enforcement and other government organizations in the United States such as State Police and Sheriff Departments; others are now being used by the Missionary Aviation Fellowship and subsidiary organisations.
Beechcraft intended that the Super King Air would be replaced by the Starship, a very advanced aircraft that proved to be a commercial failure due to its inferior performance compared to promises, and high purchase price. While most of the Starship fleet has been scrapped, the King Air continues to sell in healthy numbers.
Read more about this topic: Beechcraft Super King Air
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“What has history to do with me? Mine is the first and only world! I want to report how I find the world. What others have told me about the world is a very small and incidental part of my experience. I have to judge the world, to measure things.”
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