What would you like with your C206?

[spiderweb]

Since it looks like this is the plane my CFI will be purchasing, we've been discussing what would be essential and what would be nice to have. Under discussion will be NA C206Hs built between 1999-2002, with a price cap of about $300k. What I'd like to see beyond the standard NAVII stuff would be stormscope, Shadin, Mode S, HSI, and either an MFD or swap out the KLN GPS for a GNS430 or 480. What would be nice would be a hot prop, and an HSI.

What would you like, given the above?

 

[EdFred]

Since it looks like this is the plane my CFI will be purchasing, we've been discussing what would be essential and what would be nice to have. Under discussion will be NA C206Hs built between 1999-2002, with a price cap of about $300k. What I'd like to see beyond the standard NAVII stuff would be stormscope, Shadin, Mode S, HSI, and either an MFD or swap out the KLN GPS for a GNS430 or 480. What would be nice would be a hot prop, and an HSI.

What would you like, given the above?

Forget the HSI. Never liked em. Chuck the King and put in the 430/480. Mode S and on board weather.

 

[wsuffa]

Forget the HSI. Never liked em. Chuck the King and put in the 430/480. Mode S and on board weather.

Actually, I like my HSI. A lot. It's electric and works in a vacuum failure. It also helps maintain situational awareness, especially in a plane with out the ADF.

Mode S is a must-have for me. The 430 is great, too. DME if you can swing it - I don't like relying solely on the satellites.

 

[Henning]

Since it looks like this is the plane my CFI will be purchasing, we've been discussing what would be essential and what would be nice to have. Under discussion will be NA C206Hs built between 1999-2002, with a price cap of about $300k. What I'd like to see beyond the standard NAVII stuff would be stormscope, Shadin, Mode S, HSI, and either an MFD or swap out the KLN GPS for a GNS430 or 480. What would be nice would be a hot prop, and an HSI.

What would you like, given the above?

By Shadin I assume you mean a fuel totalizer, that's a must have. HSI is next then the Stormscope. After that it's fluff, but the MFD for the GPS would be nice. A hot prop is nice as well as long as you don't let it create a false sense of security.

 

[Henning]

Forget the HSI. Never liked em. Chuck the King and put in the 430/480. Mode S and on board weather.

Really, Once I got used to them, I though them the best things since sliced bread. Make radial and localizer intercepts smooth and perfect every time.

 

[gibbons]

Forget the HSI. Never liked em.

Uhhhhh???? I LOVE my HSI. It would be the FIRST thing I'd put in an airplane that didn't have one.

Chip

 

[spiderweb]

Forget the HSI. Never liked em. Chuck the King and put in the 430/480. Mode S and on board weather.

Agree with the Mode S and on board weather. (Do I have to have Garmin for that?) Disagree with chucking HSI. The HSI in the Saratoga makes flying IFR smoother and easier (for me).

 

[spiderweb]

. . . DME if you can swing it - I don't like relying solely on the satellites.

Right--one doesn't see too many DMEs in the new Cessnas.

 

[Fast n' Furious]

In order. An HSI. Radar. :zap!: A flight attendant named Ingrid. :blowkiss: Beyond that....dunno.

 

[spiderweb]

By Shadin I assume you mean a fuel totalizer, that's a must have. HSI is next then the Stormscope. After that it's fluff, but the MFD for the GPS would be nice. A hot prop is nice as well as long as you don't let it create a false sense of security.

Right--the fuel totalizer. Hot prop for inadvertent icing.

 

[spiderweb]

In order. An HSI. Radar. :zap!: A flight attendant named Ingrid. :blowkiss: Beyond that....dunno.

Radar sounds good. I'm hoping that a stormscope + onboard weather (NEXRAD) might do. How expensive is radar?

Like the flight attendant idea. . . .

 

[wsuffa]

By Shadin I assume you mean a fuel totalizer, that's a must have. HSI is next then the Stormscope. After that it's fluff, but the MFD for the GPS would be nice. A hot prop is nice as well as long as you don't let it create a false sense of security.

If you're doing long trips, I agree on the Shadin or EI fuel totalizer. It's made a real difference in the confidence I have pushing fuel capacity on long trips. Cross-check on leaning, too.

 

[gismo]

Radar sounds good. I'm hoping that a stormscope + onboard weather (NEXRAD) might do. How expensive is radar?

Radar isn't very practical in most singles. The useable range is a function of antenna size and the underwing pods don't usually have room for an adequate sized one. To put a new radar on a 206 would probably cost something like $30k. What onboard radar is good for is picking your way through a line or area of TRW. With a stormscope and/or uplinked NEXRAD, you need more distance from the cells to be safe.

 

[spiderweb]

Radar isn't very practical in most singles. The useable range is a function of antenna size and the underwing pods don't usually have room for an adequate sized one. To put a new radar on a 206 would probably cost something like $30k. What onboard radar is good for is picking your way through a line or area of TRW. With a stormscope and/or uplinked NEXRAD, you need more distance from the cells to be safe.

Thanks for that clarification. Of course, I note that Richard Collins has radar on his P210; but with all the stuff he has in and on his plane, he probably only has enough useful load left for three people.

 

[spiderweb]

If you're doing long trips, I agree on the Shadin or EI fuel totalizer. It's made a real difference in the confidence I have pushing fuel capacity on long trips. Cross-check on leaning, too.

I love the unit.

 

[spiderweb]

Bill, I asked this question a few months back, but have you ever noticed in your picture there that you have a Twin Commander parked behind your Commander?

 

[EdFred]

Actually, I like my HSI. A lot. It's electric and works in a vacuum failure. It also helps maintain situational awareness, especially in a plane with out the ADF.

Does it work in an electrical failure? If the whole electrical system goes kablooey, I'd at least like to be able to have something better than a bouncing compass.

 

[EdFred]

Really, Once I got used to them, I though them the best things since sliced bread. Make radial and localizer intercepts smooth and perfect every time.

Hmmmm....to each his own. Intercepting and situational awareness has never been a problem for me. Not even reverse sensing. My CFI used to get on me for that because I would often dial in the reciprocal radial on purpose (out n backs or holds) so I wouldn't have to switch them again.

 

[Henning]

If you're doing long trips, I agree on the Shadin or EI fuel totalizer. It's made a real difference in the confidence I have pushing fuel capacity on long trips. Cross-check on leaning, too.

It's amazing how accurate they are, I had a Hoskins on my Travel Air and it was dead on, always within a quart on refuel. I'm not up on the latest models for aircraft, but the Flow Scans we use on boats, the new models take a NMEA string from the GPS and can give you range information as well as time, so on really fuel critical flights you can trim your power as the conditions change to make sure you don't run out mid sea.

 

[gismo]

Hmmmm....to each his own. Intercepting and situational awareness has never been a problem for me. Not even reverse sensing. My CFI used to get on me for that because I would often dial in the reciprocal radial on purpose (out n backs or holds) so I wouldn't have to switch them again.

I used to fee the same way, but having flown behind a KCS-55 for several years now, I much prefer HSI's to DG's. At the very least, it will improve your scan speed due to one less instrument to monitor. And unlike some other "pilot workload savers", HSI's are very easy to adapt to, plus they allow for one more instrument on a crowded panel (my original reason for adding one). IMO there is little downside except the cost.

BTW, I've never met a pilot who had flown many hours with an HSI that didn't prefer one. Are you the exception, or are you also without much "HSI time".

 

[gismo]

It's amazing how accurate they are, I had a Hoskins on my Travel Air and it was dead on, always within a quart on refuel. I'm not up on the latest models for aircraft, but the Flow Scans we use on boats, the new models take a NMEA string from the GPS and can give you range information as well as time, so on really fuel critical flights you can trim your power as the conditions change to make sure you don't run out mid sea.

The KLN-94, and Garmin 430/530 (plus others no doubt) will accept flow and quantity from a Shadin totalizer. Many Shadin units don't provide the required output unless you opt for the "LORAN" interface. I had mine modified by Shadin (a friend used to work there), to get the data output.

 

[gismo]

Does it work in an electrical failure? If the whole electrical system goes kablooey, I'd at least like to be able to have something better than a bouncing compass.

Why? You can control the plane with the AH and unless you have a way to navigate, what good is the ability to hold an exact heading?

 

[gismo]

If you're doing long trips, I agree on the Shadin or EI fuel totalizer. It's made a real difference in the confidence I have pushing fuel capacity on long trips. Cross-check on leaning, too.

I agree, but you can get the same capability in an engine analyzer from JPI.

 

[wsuffa]

Bill, I asked this question a few months back, but have you ever noticed in your picture there that you have a Twin Commander parked behind your Commander?

And what you can't see 'cause I cropped the picture is another single Commander two planes over.....

 

[wsuffa]

Does it work in an electrical failure? If the whole electrical system goes kablooey, I'd at least like to be able to have something better than a bouncing compass.

The likelihood of a vacuum failure is higher than the likelihood of a total electrical failure.

Pick your poison.

In an electrical failure, I will still have the horizon gyro. I suppose I could put a vacuum DG on the right side of the panel, but carrying a Garmin portable GPS can work as a rough heading guide.

 

[wsuffa]

With a stormscope and/or uplinked NEXRAD, you need more distance from the cells to be safe.

I like the uplinked NexRad (XM Weather) in conjunction with the stormscope. It's not 100%, so as you point out, you'll want some distance from the cells. Together with the StormScope it gets even better.

Best if you can pick a high-enough altitude and weave between the cells.

I think it's only once or twice a year that I've not been able to visually pick between cells (approx 250 hrs flying a year).

 

[wsuffa]

I agree, but you can get the same capability in an engine analyzer from JPI.

IIRC, JPI didn't offer it at the time. And the EI, but not JPI, can be primary via STC.

 

[Ken Ibold]

He ought to consider the wingtip extension/aux fuel tank STC that holds 200 pounds of fuel and increases gross weight by 200 pounds. Keep 'em empty and you can carry more, fill 'em and boost range.

 

[spiderweb]

He ought to consider the wingtip extension/aux fuel tank STC that holds 200 pounds of fuel and increases gross weight by 200 pounds. Keep 'em empty and you can carry more, fill 'em and boost range.

That sounds amazing--especially with the gross weight increase! There's no penalty for loading. Let me see; 200 lbs of fuel equals 33 more gallons of fuel, which in turn roughly equals two more hours of flying time and possibly 260 more nautical miles of distance.

 

[Ken Ibold]

That sounds amazing--especially with the gross weight increase! There's no penalty for loading. Let me see; 200 lbs of fuel equals 33 more gallons of fuel, which in turn roughly equals two more hours of flying time and possibly 260 more nautical miles of distance.

Actually, I misquoted that STC slightly. It's 15 gallons per side. The other 20 pounds goes to the structure and pumps to move the fuel to the mains. Still, it's a pretty useful addition.

 

[Chris206]

A cargo pod, I've always wanted a cargo pod. I don't know how practical they are in the cost-benefit sense; however, it would be a great place to put the strollers and other assorted junk that comes when traveling with my three kids.

Chris