Summary
- Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft King Air 350 successfully transported rescued black bear cubs to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.
- The aircraft’s large cabin allowed zoo officials to feed the cubs on the less than six-hour journey from Oregon to Kansas.
- The Beechcraft King Air 350, a variant of the King Air 300, has a maximum takeoff weight of 16,500 pounds and can carry up to eleven passengers.
On Monday, August 12, Textron Aviation revealed that a Beechcraft King Air 350 completed a mission to transport two black bear cubs to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, where the headquarters of Textron Aviation is located. Textron Aviation, which is the parent company of Beechcraft, revealed that the two baby black bear cubs were recently rescued in Oregon, and they needed to be transported to their new resting place at the local Wichita zoo. To accomplish this, a Beechcraft King Air owned by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was utilized.
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Rescue mission
The two black bear cubs were recently rescued in Oregon, but they were in need of transportation to the Sedgwick County Zoo. To accomplish this, the Sedgwick County Zoo enlisted the help of the local Sheriff’s Office, which owns and operates a Beechcraft King Air 350, which is produced in the same town. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office acquired the 2001 Beechcraft King Air late last year to assist with special missions like this.
Photo: Textron Aviation
The Beechcraft King Air successfully transported the two black bear cubs on the journey from Oregon to Wichita, Kansas. This journey took less than six hours, which is significantly shorter than the original transportation method of driving. The large cabin of the King Air also allowed zoo officials to ride along with the two cubs named Sama and Takelma, which allowed the officials to feed the cubs milk every two hours.
According to KSN, both of the bear cubs have spent the past few weeks acclimating to their new environment. Oregon Fish and Wildlife originally rescued the cubs after a shooting incident left their mother dead. Sedgwick County Zoo was on a list to be notified if any black bears needed a home, so the Oregon officials called the zoo immediately. Since the bears are estimated to be three to four months old, the zoo will only have the cubs on display for intermittent periods.
About the Beechcraft King Air 350
The King Air 350 is one of the newest variants of the Beechcraft Super King Air family of aircraft. This series was first introduced in 1972 with the Beechcraft 200. Since then, Beechcraft has continuously upgraded the popular aircraft, with over 4,000 aircraft produced. Specifically, the Beechcraft King Air 350 is a variant of the King Air 300 that includes a three-foot longer fuselage and several other upgrades. This aircraft has been produced with various upgrades since 1990.
The King Air 350 has the following performance specifications:
|
Capacity |
Eleven passengers |
|---|---|
|
Length |
46 feet eight inches |
|
Height |
14 feet four inches |
|
Wingspan |
57 feet eleven inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
16,500 pounds |
|
Cruise speed |
303 knots (350 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
2,670 nautical miles (3,072 miles) |
|
Service ceiling |
35,000 feet |