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Old 06-26-2019, 06:03 AM
  #7  
RachelM
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Joined APC: Jun 2019
Posts: 7
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Originally Posted by JohnBurke View Post
Rachel,

There's far too little information here. If you're talking feeder to FedEx, which utilizes the Caravan, there are a number of feeders already out there. Feeder aircraft run the gamut from the Caravan to Beech 99 and 1900's, Brazillias, etc, up through the ATR 42. There are various piston airplanes that include Piper Navajos, Twin Commanders, Cessna 402's, and so forth.

The Caravan is easy to fly and fairly straightforward. It's slow, and isn't a great weather airplane, and of course has one engine. It's not really an ice airplane.

Direct operating costs such as fuel and crew are only part of the equation. Maintenance is a big factor as is training and maintaining an operating certificate, to say nothing of obtaining one. Fuel may be the least of your costs. If a pilot experiences a hot start on the engine, you're going to be looking at close to half a million dollars, and components such as aircraft radios can get quite costly. Even a starter-generator can run up to 40,000 dollars.

I'm not sure what website gave you a 42,000 lb gross weight for a Cessna Caravan, but it's not even nine thousand pounds; that includes the weight of the airplane and fuel before getting to cargo. Airplanes that weigh greater than 12,500 lbs have additional requirements, including a type rating for the pilot, which adds to the expense. The Caravan is 2/3 that weight.
Thanks for the information, John. There are a lot of factors to take into account. I'm trying to learn about air freight/rail and that is why I have put my questions online.

The airplane would be an additional method of transport. I'm trying to determine whether or not it would be a successful addition. I have no affiliations with FedEx. Perhaps I've misread the website for the weight. I'll double check. After reading the articles above, it may not be the best choice for my location. Again, I appreciate all of your suggestions.
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