Usage and Flight Loads Analysis of King Airs in USFS Service

Flight data of Beechcraft King Airs being used as Aerial Supervision Modules by the USFS is analyzed. The operational conditions experienced by the airplanes are studied, as well as the magnitude of the vertical loads. The airplanes are flown in four different types of missions in USFS operation. These missions consist of 10 different flight phases. Data from 1853 flights and 7 aircraft is presented. In addition the flight loads are separated into those due to gusts and those due to maneuvers using the two-second rule. The gust and maneuver loads exceedance charts are presented for the entire flight for various MSL altitudes. In addition, the combined loads are presented and compared to existing data and FAR 23.