Beechcraft King Air 100

The Beechcraft King Air 100 is a King Air 90 with the fuselage stretched by about 1.3 m, two turboprop engines and a pressurised cabin. Its cross-section matches the later King Air 200: 1.45 m high and 1.37 m wide, with five round windows on each side. Most aircraft have seven seats, and five or six people travel comfortably with their bags.

From European hubs the King Air 100 is worth asking for on short legs:

• Zurich - Lugano in 0:52 h and Nice - Calvi in 0:54 h
• Munich or Geneva to Samedan in just over an hour
• Milan Linate - Ibiza as the longest row in the table, 2:42 h

Cabin: seven seats and five windows a side

At about 5.08 m the King Air 100 cabin is clearly longer than that of the King Air 90. Seated there is enough headroom, but you walk through the aisle with your head bowed, and there is no bed.

Seats, avionics and internet depend on what each owner has replaced over the years, so we ask for cabin photos before you decide.

Baggage, skis and pets

The compartment closes off the pressurised cabin at the rear, so bags stay warm and can be reached in flight. Some King Air 100 aircraft also have small lockers at the back of the engine nacelles.

• Five or six people: medium suitcases and soft bags
• Skis and golf bags: list them, as the layout of each aircraft decides whether they fit
• A full cabin on the longest legs: the operator weighs baggage against fuel

Engines, versions and what age means in practice

Three versions were built, all with the same cabin:

The King Air 100 is certified for one or two pilots, and the operator decides which. Age has three practical effects: equipment varies from one aircraft to the next, a replacement of the same type is hard to find after a technical fault, and few European operators hold the type on their Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

Flying a King Air 100 in Europe

Routes from European hubs

Thirty-one one-way legs from all thirteen hubs, from Zurich - Lugano at 164 km to Milan Linate - Ibiza at 978 km, each without a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole King Air 100 with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach, at a planning speed that suits older aircraft.

Up to two hours: lakes, islands and Alpine valleys

Two to three hours: the practical limit of an older turboprop

The calculator gives an indicative price for this class of turboprop on your own route, including smaller airfields close to your destination.

What a King Air 100 charter costs

The indicative rate is EUR 2,100 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. A short leg still costs well above the rate multiplied by the flight time: Zurich - Lugano takes 0:52 h and starts at EUR 6,500, because the operator adds positioning from the aircraft's base and a minimum charge per flight.

The gap narrows with distance. Madrid - Ibiza (1:32 h) is from EUR 8,000, Geneva - Olbia (1:58 h) from EUR 9,000 and Milan Linate - Ibiza (2:42 h) from EUR 10,500. The King Air 100 costs the same for two passengers or seven.

The quote is for the whole aircraft; shared between the passengers, Madrid - Ibiza comes to:

How to pay less on an older turboprop

Empty Legs: rare on this type

Because so few King Air 100 aircraft fly in Europe, Empty Legs on the type are rare. Across the King Air family they appear more often, mainly in summer between the Alps, the Riviera and the islands, at 30-60% below a full charter as examples, not guaranteed.

King Air 100 or a type that is easier to find

Clients usually weigh it against the larger King Air, the smaller King Air and the single-engine Pilatus, all easier to find in Europe.

What to tell us in your request

For a quote we need:

• route, date and preferred departure time
• number of passengers and the baggage, especially skis, golf bags and pets
• whether it has to be this type or a similar turboprop will do

This gives the most options, as few King Air 100 aircraft are free. We always try to find an aircraft close to your departure, but each case depends on the operator's availability and contract.

Questions about the Beechcraft King Air 100

• • How much does a King Air 100 flight cost?

  • London Farnborough to Jersey (1:04 h) starts at EUR 7,000 and Nice to Palma (1:49 h) at EUR 8,500, for the whole aircraft one way. On a flight under an hour, such as Zurich to Lugano (from EUR 6,500), the minimum charge and positioning weigh more than the rate of EUR 2,100 per hour.

• • What is included in the price and what comes on top?

  • The table price covers the aircraft, the crew and fuel. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, de-icing, positioning from a distant base and crew hotels come on top, all listed in the quote.

• • How can I fly for less?

  • Say that a King Air 90 or King Air 200 is also fine, return the same day when the duty time allows and give a departure window. A nearby aircraft of a similar type usually saves the most.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the King Air 100?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft fly in Europe. Across the King Air family they come up more often, at 30-60% below a full charter as examples, with a fixed date and the risk of cancellation.

• • How many passengers fit, and is there a toilet?

  • Usually seven seats, four of them in a club layout, and up to ten in some aircraft; five or six people travel comfortably. Whether the toilet is enclosed depends on the aircraft, and the operator confirms it before booking.

• • How far can the King Air 100 fly without a stop?

  • The B100 has up to 2,074 km of range, but with a full cabin and IFR reserves about 1,320 km. The longest row in the table, Milan Linate to Ibiza, takes 2:42 h.

• • Can we bring skis, golf bags and the dog?

  • Skis and golf bags fit with a smaller group; with a full cabin list them in the request. A dog flies in the cabin next to you once the operator agrees and its EU pet documents are in order.

• • Which smaller airports can it use?

  • Samedan, Sion, Lugano and La Môle for Saint-Tropez are in the table, and the operator confirms each of them for the aircraft offered; at La Môle, with 1,071 m of runway and seasonal limits, the load may be reduced on hot days. The 537 m sloped Courchevel altiport is too short for this type and needs a special qualification, so ski trips there go to Chambéry.