Cessna 208
 

Greetings from a brand spanking new frieghtdog! I just got hired by an outfit to fly a caravan, and i was courious if anyone had any materials or any resources, advice, for flying this beast. Ive got ground school starting on the 4th and id like to be well ahead.

Congratulations exerauflyboy. Would you care to share your experience and background with the others on the forum? Fly safe.

USMCFLYR

Ahhh the mighty 'Van. I hated that airplane for the first 100 or so hours, but after that you really come to love it. As far as flying it, it's honest, and almost impossible to mess up. You can take off with no flaps, the condition lever in low idle, the yaw damper on, bleed air heat and airconditioner on, inertial seperator in bypass, and a fuel selector off, hell, even both of them off (for about 4 mins. anyway) on and it will still go!

The weirdest thing about it is that it wags it's tail for about the first 500 or so feet while you're slow. Once you get the rudders figured out (for that big swinging prop out there) it's a blast to fly. If you fly one with a cargo pod, the total limit for the pod is the same as the temp. start limit (1090). Also, ALWAYS make sure to turn one of the fuel selectors off after you land or shutdown. It will transfer fuel like no other just sitting on seemingly level ground. Oh yeah, the low fuel lights blink off and on with over an hours worth of gas left, thats kindof annoying, but the boxes won't care. Enjoy it, it's fun to fly and painfully easy to operate. (Painfully slow too)

There's a book out there called "The Caravan, Swiss Army Knife of the Sky" that should be required reading, it's full of tips and tricks that are nice to know... For instance, there is a max fuel imbalance of 200lbs. for flight, someone figured out that 8 circles standing on a brake will take care of that for you if you happen to forget to turn one of those selectors off...

Enjoy!

Nice work. I'm jealous. What qualifications did the employer require? How was the oral exam?
Dave

Congrats flyboy, the C208 is one of my favorite planes to fly. Enjoy your time in it, you'll never fly anything like it again.

This guy hit the nail on the head. Great airplane...very forgiving.

I flew the wings off of a Caravan as a diver driver...I've also had it in instrument conditions with a non-RNAV equipped King Silver Crown avionics suite. It is a solid platform that any Cessna bred pilot can handle.

I think AOPA had a really good article on the plane that you can pick up...I recall it discussed the useful 10-11-12 rule. 10 degrees of flaps, 1100 ft/lbs torque, and 120 knots for approaches.

If this is your first turbine aircraft, be careful on takeoffs. The torque indications will increase about 1-200 ft/lbs of torque when you're leaving ground effect. So, if you set the power right at the takeoff torque limit (the normal red line), you will likely cause an over-torque situation on the climb.

Just a few things I recall...maybe I'll remember a few more things later on.

Alright
 

Thanks guys! I'm just a little over the 135 mins, and just litterally acouple hours short on instrument time. But ill make it up int the training.

On the morning of the 15th i was getting my first cup of coffee, when the chief pilot walked up to me and asked if i knew anyone that wanted to fly a carvan out of merced to mather. So i told him "Yea, Me!!!". I had a student, so i told him i'd have to discuss it later on with him around noon. When noon rolls around (after my 2 students are done) i see him in his office, we talk for abit about the run, my experience and so forth. The next morning i drop off my resume with my updated times, and he says tells me he wants to talk to me for about an hour later on that day (thursday). So i have about 2 hours to review and study for a part 135 interview (or so i think). After a hectic and furious study session. I walk in to his office, sit down, get asked something like four questions, BS for the rest of the time. Get the pee test test forum and im hired!!!! Ill get dual rated in the van and 402 (for when the van gets mx).

Yeah this is my first turbo prop and first 135 job, its a great company with great people, and in house mx that goes the extra mile (they fixed the planes i taught in). And thanks for all the help guys, KEEP IT COMIN.

Just curious...what company is it? and where you are located?

redding aero, run starts in merced-modesto-mather (evening). Morning it goes in reverse.

I fly most of the Citations and they are fun. But, the Caravan is a blast! I'm flying one in Santiago, Chile later this month. I wouldn't worry too much about the airplanes initial class. After all it is the Caravan, very easy systems. Not that you should take your training lightly, it is just that it is a very simple airplane.

Just remember to check your power charts for take off and climb, pull the power back for descents (the G1000 system is nice for cruise because it shows you cruise power, but I doubt your cargo bird will have that system). Last thing you want as a new-hire is an ETM exceedence.The flap takes up 70% of the length of the wing, so you will need to trim with any flap setting. First 10 degrees can be put in just belowe Red Line (174kts). Prop is 8 foot in diameter, so when in the flare pull the power back to about 400 Ft/lbs of tourqe and she will just touch right down. Don't just pull it back to idle, with 20-30 degrees of flaps and a flat prop, because she will come down like a piano.

The Caravan is a great bird though! You will have fun with it!