Grand Caravan. Wow. I want one.

nyoung

nyoung

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Nathan young
I went flying today. As I walked into the FBO to place a fuel order, I noticed a really nice Grand Caravan on the ramp. Turns out it is a personal airplane vs a freight dog. The owner and his wife use it as a cruiser, and best of all - it had two motorcycle/scooters in the back that they use for transport once they get to the destination. A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

Almost as neat as the Grumman Albatross that has Jet Skis hanging off the wing pods.
 
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I was just reading the story in Plane and Pilot about the Lancair Piston Evolution. It's 750K but will do 270 kts and has a full fuel payload of 900 pounds. I want of them
 
jtheune said:
I was just reading the story in Plane and Pilot about the Lancair Piston Evolution. It's 750K but will do 270 kts and has a full fuel payload of 900 pounds. I want of them
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How many motor scooters ?

I have seen a PC12 with a Harley and a dirtbike in the back. Now THAT is style.
 
nyoung said:
I went flying today. As I walked into the FBO to place a fuel order,
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You should have asked the lineman what the Caravan's fuel order was...that would have snapped you back to reality quite quickly.
 
It's a pretty awesome machine and can haul a lot with the cargo pod installed.

Here's a picture of one from work:

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Parade of Planes in Atlanta today.
 

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The best example I've seen of conspicuous consumption was in 2001 in the harbor of Monaco -- a Caravan on amphibs sitting on a platform on the back of a very large yacht.

(Sorry for the quality of the photo - it was shot from a window of a moving tourist coach in the rain ...)
 

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I've always had a itch for this airplane. There's something about owning a plane that can fly me and all my friends off for a golf trip that is just too cool to not want. But the million and half price tag for a nice one combined with the 170 kt speed in cruise always rains on my enthusiasm. It's an airplane that will do just about anything you want - except get you there fast. Ultimately, I ended up with a Columbia 400 because speed was more important than being good to my golf buddies.
 
I see the FedEx Caravans departing MKE when I'm waiting for the train to Chicago at o-dark thirty, often flying into pretty cruddy weather. I assume those are flown single-pilot (correct me if I'm wrong) and I give credit to those pilots doing some tough duty.

On the other hand, when I peak into the Caravans at AirVenture, slow or not, I want one as well.
 
I don't have any desire to ever drive or fly anything that's called a "Caravan".... :dunno:
 
nddons said:
I see the FedEx Caravans departing MKE when I'm waiting for the train to Chicago at o-dark thirty, often flying into pretty cruddy weather. I assume those are flown single-pilot (correct me if I'm wrong) and I give credit to those pilots doing some tough duty.

On the other hand, when I peak into the Caravans at AirVenture, slow or not, I want one as well.
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My old flying instructor, a Frenchman, flies a FedEx Caravan between San Diego and Imperial. (KSAN - KIPL) He got the job while still putting up with me. There apparently was some serious testing and training to get that job.

I landed at KIPL one time, and he came in right behind me. He let me sit in the drivers seat and gave me a tour of all the cool stuff it had. No glass, all the old stuff, but compared to my Warrior, pretty awesome.

I haven't heard from him in a year or so. That has to get boring after a while, going from A to B and back over and over again. Still beats land based work.

John
 
Caravan? Way too slow... About the same speed as my Cirrus but way higher expenses...

If I get into a turboprop, the TBM700 is where I am going...

Guess this is sort of like the pickup truck vs. sports car debate. I've always been a sports car kinda guy...
 
RudyP said:
Caravan? Way too slow... About the same speed as my Cirrus but way higher expenses...
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In a pinch, you could load a Cirrus INSIDE of a Cargomaster and still go 400nm.

It's a whole different category of aircraft.

If I get into a turboprop, the TBM700 is where I am going...
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Love it. But still no comparison to the Caravan if the mission involves taking along jetskis, floats, motorcycles or 8 of your closest friends with their golf gear.
 
weilke said:
Love it. But still no comparison to the Caravan if the mission involves taking along jetskis, floats, motorcycles or 8 of your closest friends with their golf gear.
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No, but the Pilatus PC-12 is! That's my dream (I won the lottery) plane.
 
We had a Department of Interior PC-12 in the other day. Landed at our 2900 foot gravel strip. It departed with three hours fuel, light luggage and six souls on board and used about 2000 feet.

Not quite as good a STOL performer as the Caravan, but the tradeoff is...much faster at cruise :cheerswine:
 
alaskaflyer said:
Not quite as good a STOL performer as the Caravan, but the tradeoff is...much faster at cruise :cheerswine:
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And about twice the purchase price.

I don't think the Caravans are considered particularly 'STOL', at least not if they are loaded to capacity. The parcel haulers seem to take an average amount of runway (the 208 has a similar wing profile to the 400 series twins iirc).
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-gOs2-P-Hw

One of our caravans at Monument Valley.

I have 2500hrs in a caravan. Great plane for certain things...We also have a PC-12. I would rather have a PC-12.

Considering no one wants to fly 6hrs...you never need full fuel on a caravan, so you can pretty much take anything you can fit in it...I have seen it doing cargo!!!
 
Something magical about this plane. I'll never forget the first time I ever saw one, sitting on the ramp. I'm just a C172 guy but a very high performance single engine high wing a/c is a dream/fantasy. Maybe even better than a small jet. It carries a big load, and is a sngle hi-wing piston. Both it and the Pilatus are attractive. I'm not dealing with economics here (but, lets face it, are we really doing that anyway). I'd love to see a really tricked out C208.
 
gprellwitz said:
The though is somewhat disturbing, like a tricked-out Ford F-150. But I'm sure Scott will find a picture of one for us! :)
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More like a really snazzy conversion van.

There are a couple of them around. As aircraft go, the Caravans are relatively cheap. Not fast, but that doesn't matter if you are retired :wink2:.
 
yeah - I've always thought a grand caravan would make a GREAT recreational vehicle! :)
 
etsisk said:
yeah - I've always thought a grand caravan would make a GREAT recreational vehicle! :)
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Would be awesome. Put a lightweight ramp and a street-legal 4-wheeler in the back, travel the world.

You get used to the slight rocking motion the plane makes when parked on the ramp in light wind. It'll need airconditioning for ground use, it could probably run off one of these super-quiet Honda generators pulled 20ft from the aircraft.
 
etsisk said:
yeah - I've always thought a grand caravan would make a GREAT recreational vehicle! :)
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You could do the same thing with an Antonov AN-2 for a heck of a lot less money. Plus, I don't think you would get that much attention with the Caravan, but I'd imagine that no matter where you go, people are going to look at the AN-2.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
You could do the same thing with an Antonov AN-2 for a heck of a lot less money. Plus, I don't think you would get that much attention with the Caravan, but I'd imagine that no matter where you go, people are going to look at the AN-2.
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You would also go 1/2 as fast, be dependent on avgas supply, have a limited ability to fly internationally, (exp exhibition registration) and outside of Angola and the former eastern block you are hosed if you need mechanical help.
 
Been flying co-pilot in a Garmin G1000 Caravan for 2 years, takeoff and land in less than 1,650 feet regularly. The "SVT" in the G1000 is awesome.
 
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