N540VA

N540VA is a Beechcraft BE-76, a twin-engine piston aircraft operated by SHIELDS NICHOLAS. SkyMeter has tracked 84 flights totalling 50 hours of airtime via ADS-B. The most frequent segment is KFOK to KBDR. Service window in our records spans 396 days. Of those flights, 40 (47.6%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Beechcraft BE-76 has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,900 lb, light wake category.

About the Beechcraft BE-76

The Beechcraft Duchess is a light twin-engine piston aircraft introduced in 1977, designed primarily as an affordable multi-engine trainer for pilots transitioning from single-engine aircraft to more complex twins. Built by Beech Aircraft Corporation (now part of Textron Aviation), the Duchess filled a crucial niche in flight schools and training operations with its docile handling characteristics, relatively low operating costs, and forgiving stall behavior — making it ideal for teaching engine-out procedures and multi-engine instrument work. Powered by two 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 engines driving counter-rotating propellers, the Duchess eliminates critical engine considerations and P-factor asymmetry that complicate training in conventional twins.

Its T-tail configuration and semi-tapered wing provide stable flight characteristics, while the spacious four-seat cabin offers reasonable comfort for cross-country training flights. The type competed directly with the Piper Seminole in the training market throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Production ended in 1982 after approximately 437 aircraft were built, but the Duchess remains a common sight at flight schools and in private ownership across North America.

With a maximum cruise speed around 155 knots and a service ceiling of 19,650 feet, it offers respectable performance for a light twin while maintaining the simplicity and economy that made it a training favorite. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators over routes, with the largest observed operator.