The first thing I noticed was that the huge cowling hinges open good and wide on both sides, providing excellent access to the engine bay. Both sides are very well braced by a rigid stay, a not un-trivial point should you be pre-flighting the aircraft in a strong wind. All the various Caravan models, including the Grand Caravan, are powered by the ubiquitous Pratt & Whitney PT6 free-turbine turboprop. This engine is justly famous as being one of the most reliable aero-engines ever made, although after many years in service with the Caravan several operators identified that if the engine does have a weakness, it is that the ignition system can occasionally cause trouble. Cessna's brilliantly simple solution is to provide a mounting bracket for an optional second ignition unit. In the unlikely event of the ignition presenting a problem it takes less than five minutes to connect the back-up ignition unit - which must be nice to have if you're a bush pilot. Another feature that must be very useful, this time for Arctic pilots, is that the battery features a quick-release connector for the terminals and that the battery holder swings out to facilitate removal. Few things suck the life out of a good battery quicker than extreme cold, and it must be a real asset to be able to quickly and easily remove the battery and keep it somewhere warm overnight. I was also fascinated by the inertial separator mounted in the engine bay. This is controlled via a handle in the cockpit, and when 'BYPASS' is selected, it prevents moisture particles from entering the compressor air inlet plenum. The 'BYPASS' mode should always be used whenever flying through visible moisture with an outside air temperature of less than 4°C. The engine is fed from two integral wing tanks via a fuel reservoir; total fuel capacity is 279 Imp gal.

This particular PT-6 (the 114A model) produces 675 shp and spins a McCauley three-bladed constant-speed prop, which is both fully feathering and reversible. As I was to learn during one of the landings, using 'MAX REVERSE' certainly reduces the landing distance! Although bush planes are traditionally taildraggers, I was interested to note the amount of work that had gone into making this large nose dragger suitable for operations from unprepared surfaces.

Firstly, the big beefy-looking shock strut for the nosewheel is only filled with oil, not the oil/gas mixture commonly used with this type of shock strut. This arrangement (ably braced by a spring-steel drag link) requires considerably less maintenance and is much better suited to the rough-and-tumble world of the bush pilot. A nice touch is the indicator fitted to the nose wheel steering, which will shear off if the leg is towed outside its normal towing limits. Once broken, the indicator hangs by a wire making it easy to spot during the pre-flight.

As for the main undercarriage, although the Caravan appears to use the same one-piece steel tube system as found on most other high wing Cessnas, in fact, there is also an interconnected spring steel tube between the two main undercarriage struts for additional shock absorption. I was intrigued by the two small skids situated under the belly between the main undercarriage struts. Apparently, in the event of a very heavy landing, the undercarriage has been designed to shear off. This precludes the possibility of the airframe being extensively damaged, as the skids protect the belly from further damage. It is then relatively easy to raise the aircraft, refit the two main undercarriage struts and sack the pilot!

Each main wheel is equipped with a hydraulically-actuated single-disc brake on the inboard side of each wheel although, as befits such a well-designed utility aircraft, amphibious floats, over-size tyres and an extended nose gear fork are all options. Another thoughtful feature is the rudder gust lock, which is actuated via a small external handle on the left side of the tail. Although this locks the rudder, if the rudder pedals are moved, the lock automatically disengages.

Before taking my rightful place in the left-hand seat, I took a good look at the doors to the enormous cabin. Not only are there two front doors and an airstair door on the starboard side for the passengers, but on the port side is an enormous cargo door. The combination of this cargo door, the large square cabin, flat floor and optional cargo pod have made the caravan a firm favourite with bush pilots and freight carriers alike. Indeed, US cargo carrier Federal Express currently operates 300 Caravans! The test aircraft was fitted out with four rows of individual passenger seats, which Ken described as very comfortable, as indeed they should be with a generous 36-inch seat pitch. Tann also showed me how quickly the entire interior can be reconfigured, as the seats can be removed or the seat pitch changed very quickly

Having climbed up the ladder to the cockpit I adjusted and locked the comfortable seat, stowed the ladder, locked the door and adjusted my seatbelts before familiarising myself with the controls and instrument panel. I was pleased to see that a five-point harness was fitted, and that the seat not only adjusts over a wide range fore-and-aft and vertically but that it is also possible to adjust the seat-back angle. Hinged arm-rests complete an extremely comfortable pilot's seat.

As for the cockpit layout - initial impressions were excellent. Everything was logically placed and easy to see and reach. I particularly liked the way that the numerous switches for the electrical services were grouped together into various sub-groups and, in the case of the de-ice system, colour coded green. The multitude of circuit breakers was also easy to see and reach on the left sidewall. This left sidewall panel is topped with a small console that contains most of the engine control switches. I approved of this arrangement, as it helps to keep the main instrument panel uncluttered. In fact with its overhead control panel and switches for 'No Smoking' and 'Seatbelts' the Caravan's cockpit really does have the look and feel of a mini-airliner, which is precisely what it is used as in some parts of the world. I was therefore surprised to see that it was fitted with an old-style three-pointer altimeter, an instrument that is far easier to misinterpret than the more modern single-pointer and digital rotating drum altimeter.

With all the pre-start checks completed, Tann began to talk me around the correct procedure for rousing the powerful Pratt & Whitney into life. As with just about every other aspect of the Caravan, this was simpler than the aircraft's size suggested. Having ensured that the parking brake was set and that the various switches and levers were correctly configured for engine start, it was simply a case of ensuring that both fuel tanks were 'On' and that the prop was clear before turning the battery and fuel pump 'On'. Then, having checked that the annunciator for the auxiliary fuel pump is on and the low fuel pressure light is off, the starter switch was moved to 'Start', while at the same time watching for the oil pressure to rise and the 'Ignition On' annunciator to illuminate. Then, as soon as the Ng (gas generator rpm) had stabilised at above 12%, the Fuel Condition Lever was moved to Low Idle and the fuel flow gauge check to ensure it was showing between 80 and 110 pounds per hour. On this occasion the engine lit almost immediately and as the Ng accelerated rapidly towards 55%, I closely monitored the ITT (inter-turbine temperature) gauge. In the unlikely event of the ITT getting close to its limit of 1090°C it is imperative that the Fuel Condition Lever is promptly closed to prevent engine damage. Satisfied that all was well, I then moved the starter switch to 'Off' and checked that the 'Starter Energised' annunciator had extinguished before moving on to the rest of the post-start checks. Now, you'll just have to take it from me that the above procedure actually takes less time to execute than it does to read, but frankly I was very impressed at the speed and ease with which a 675 shp engine was started.

Taxying out to the active runway soon revealed that even at Low Idle, the Caravan wanted to taxi faster than I liked, so to avoid riding the brakes I nudged the power lever back into the 'BETA' range, which reduced our taxying speed to a level that I was comfortable with.

Taxying out certainly reinforced the impression of being in the pilot's seat of a large aircraft, and I enjoyed the unusual sensation of looking down on most of the aircraft that we passed.

The nosewheel steering via the rudder pedals worked well and the toe-operated hydraulic brakes were powerful without being over-sensitive. The pre take-off checks contained no real surprises (even testing the Inertial Separator was a bit like checking the carb heat on a piston-powered aircraft, as you're looking for a drop in power) while the flaps were set to 10°, exactly the same setting as I use in the 172 I often fly.

I then double-checked that both fuel selectors were On, as according to the manual if the fuel selectors are in the OFF position, it is possible to start the engine, taxi, and even take off before the fuel in the reservoir tank (which feeds the injector pump) is exhausted. Furthermore, at high power settings, fuel flow from only one wing tank is insufficient to maintain a full level in the reservoir tank. However, you'd have to be pretty dull to allow this to catch you out, as not only are the two fuel valves easy to see but there is an annunciator light for 'Reservoir Fuel Low' on the Master Annunciator panel directly in front of the pilot.

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