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By the time we'd got to the runway I was very much enjoying the sheer size of the Caravan and I have to admit here that I just couldn't resist flicking the switches for 'No Smoking' and 'Seatbelts' to 'On' before lining the Caravan up with the runway centreline and opening the power up against the brakes. As the prop rpm settled on 1900, I released the brakes and as the Caravan bounded forward I smoothly increased the power to 1700ft/lb on the torque gauge while also monitoring the ITT and Ng gauges. Almost immediately the ASI came alive as the airspeed started to build while, despite the crosswind, only small inputs of rudder were required to track the centreline. After what seemed to me to be a ground roll of less than 1,000 feet, the ASI swept through 70kts and I eased the control yoke back. The Caravan rotated cleanly into the flying attitude and leapt into the sky.
Although Vy is 107kts, this produced a dizzyingly steep deck angle at our weight, so I retracted the flaps as the ASI passed through 90 and aimed for 120kts. This produced a flatter deck angle, which greatly increased visibility, while the VSI continued to show in excess of 1,000ft/min.

Now, at this point, I confess that I was ever so slightly unsure about what to do next. As I've already implied, the Caravan is very much a mini-airliner, and I couldn't quite shake the feeling that such a large (well, by my standards anyway) aircraft must have some pretty complicated systems. Yet a glance at the checklist revealed that I'd already done everything that needed doing, while Tann seemed perfectly happy at the way that the flight was progressing.

At 4,000ft I levelled out, retrimmed and let the Caravan accelerate to 170kts true airspeed before reducing torque to 1,600ft/lb and rpm to 1,750. At these settings the fuel flow gauge was indicating around 370lbs per hour, although to be fair the PT6 (and indeed any gas turbine engine) is far more efficient at altitude. Indeed, when flying at a similar true airspeed, but at 16,000ft, the fuel flow drops by more than 100pph!

Trimming around all three axes was both easy and precise - pitch trim is accomplished through two elevator trim tabs, controlled by a vertically-mounted trim control wheel on the top left side of the control pedestal or via a switch on the control yoke. Aileron trimming is via a servo tab attached to the right aileron, which is adjusted, using a knob on the central control pedestal, while rudder trim is through the nosewheel steering bungee, connected to the rudder control system. It is adjusted by a trim control wheel, that is also mounted on the central control pedestal.

During the cruise, I briefly experimented with the autopilot but having ascertained that it functioned as advertised, I quickly disengaged it. After all, although they generally fly very nicely, I've never yet met an autopilot that could write! As soon as we had reached an area of uncluttered airspace l began to explore the Caravan's general handling characteristics.

Its flight control system is essentially the same as any other high-wing Cessna, being entirely conventional, with the minor exception of a pair of spoilers mounted above the outboard ends of the flaps. These wing spoilers improve roll control at low airspeeds by disrupting lift over the appropriate flap.

A couple of reasonably steep turns soon revealed another area in which the Caravan is noticeably superior to its piston-powered relatives - visibility in the turn. Not only does the large windscreen wrap around more than other high-wing Cessnas, but the wing is also located further back relative to the pilot's seat. In deference to our passengers, Tann and I agreed that I wouldn't actually stall the aircraft, but a couple of approaches to the stall revealed absolutely exemplary handling, with plenty of warning buffet (particularly flaps down) a good 10kts above the actual stall. A look at the stick-free stability revealed that this is an excellent instrument platform, while a few more steep turns indicated reasonable control forces around all three axes.

Perhaps the most interesting discovery was that the Caravan really is quite good fun to fly, which - bearing in mind that it has been designed as a hard-working utility aircraft - is quite a compliment! Indeed, I would have relished the opportunity to chuck it about a bit more, but somehow I rather doubted that my passengers would have agreed with me…

I really do have to say that, for an aircraft that can carry up to 14 people, this is an astonishingly easy machine to fly. Not only does it look like a 172 on steroids, but it even flies like a 172! In fact, I glanced over my shoulder on more than one occasion to confirm that Ken really was sitting way back there in seat 4B!

I must admit that I could have cheerfully spent the rest of the day flying the Caravan, but once again work got in the way, and all too soon it was time to return to Vandenberg. However, Tann was keen for me to see how well the Caravan glides, so I eased the power lever back, and then drew the propeller control lever back to the FEATHER position. Counterweights and spring tension then twisted the propeller blades through high pitch and into the feathered position. I trimmed for the best glide speed of 90kts at our weight and was astonished at how flat the glide angle seemed.
The POH claims that from our altitude of 4,000ft, the Caravan would glide for 8 miles, and this seems perfectly plausible. Now, none of this is intended to suggest that the aircraft would be improved by fitting a variometer compensated for Total Energy! I just wanted to make the point that in the unlikely event of an engine failure at altitude, you've got time to attempt a restart and the opportunity to glide to a landable area. Indeed, from 12,000ft the Caravan will glide for 25 miles in zero wind, making it quite likely that, particularly in areas of high population density, a quick press of the 'Nearest' button on the GPS and you'd have an excellent chance of gliding to an airport!
The unfeathering system uses engine oil pressure to force the propeller out of feather, so I moved the prop control lever forward of the FEATHER gate and then as the blades rotated back into position slowly eased the power lever forward and set course back to Vandenberg.

A quick listen to the ATIS on our way back revealed that the wind had freshened considerably and was now gusting at up to 28 knots, with a pretty fair crosswind component across the runway. However, during the pre-flight briefing Tann had indicated that the Caravan was a capable crosswind performer, so rather than ask for another runway I decided to find out exactly how good it was in a crosswind. The pre-landing checks were as straightforward as the rest of the aircraft's systems, and then Tann told me something that really impressed me. "Do you know" he said, "that the limiting speed for ten degrees of flap is the same as Vne?" I was hugely impressed by this simple statement, as I can't think of any other aircraft that I have flown that you can do this with.
Despite the considerable crosswind, the three circuits and landings all pretty well followed the same pattern. I simply checked that both fuel tank selectors were On and that the fuel condition lever was still at HIGH IDLE, then pushed the prop control lever to MAX and started deploying the flaps.
Regular readers may remember that I have praised Cessna's excellent Fowler flaps on more than one occasion, and those on the Caravan continue this tradition of excellence. As they are fitted to over 70% of the trailing edge and extend to 30° they do an excellent job of slowing the Caravan down to our approach speed of 80kts, while the spoilers certainly add to the low speed controllability in roll. The first two landings worked out very well considering the conditions, and even Tann was moved to observe that I was doing a pretty fair job.

For the first two landings I only moved the prop lever back into BETA but with Tann's consent I decided that on the last landing I would attempt a real short-field landing. Consequently on the last approach I nailed the airspeed to 75kts, and as we crossed the fence I drew the power lever back to idle and lowered the nose to maintain our airspeed, before a positive flare planted the mainwheels firmly on the ground. Then, as soon as the nosewheel was on the ground I pulled the power lever back into reverse while holding the yoke right back. The engine bellowed hoarsely and we decelerated at an astonishing rate. In fact we were only in reverse for a matter of seconds before I brought the prop out of reverse as the needle of the ASI sank off the scale. It is actually very important that reverse is not used below 25kts in order to avoid eroding the prop. Now, I didn't actually didn't get a chance to measure the ground roll, but I suspect that it was certainly less than 600ft, which for an aircraft of this size is amazing. Once clear of the runway, it was simply a case of retracting the flaps and moving the Fuel Condition Lever to LOW IDLE before trundling back to the parking ramp.

So, in conclusion, what can I tell you about the Grand Caravan? As I'm sure you've already gathered, this is a very capable aircraft, with the ability to lift a formidable load into and out of short, unprepared strips and turn a tidy profit for its operator. From a purely handling perspective, I was particularly impressed at how easy it was to fly such a large aircraft. Indeed, most PPLs with a few hundred hours would be able to convert onto it without any significant problems, and if that basic observation isn't a glowing testimony in itself, then I don't know what is!

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