Cessna 208

Holocene

Well-Known Member
Odd question, but understand I'm really only familiar with GA.

How does someone typically get trained to operate a plane like the Caravan? Assume prior experience is nothing more than 172's.

Do outfits hire you to fly right-seat, even though only 1 pilot is needed???
 
Odd question, but understand I'm really only familiar with GA.

How does someone typically get trained to operate a plane like the Caravan? Assume prior experience is nothing more than 172's.

Do outfits hire you to fly right-seat, even though only 1 pilot is needed???
Thats one of the most common ways if you're transitioning into a single pilot aircraft, learn things from the right, then transition to the left.


hope this was a help
 
No. It has been my experience that this IS NOT the way it happens in the Caravan (unless it is one of the known dirt bag operators carrying pax). Most places will send you to Pan Am or Flight Safety for a 5 day course or have some sort of in house training. Once you get in the 208 it is very easy to fly. Though I have seen some guys get themselves all worked up because you have climb up into it or because its turbine. Remember-trim is your friend!
 
How does someone typically get trained to operate a plane like the Caravan? Assume prior experience is nothing more than 172's.

At my company you get, 4-5 days ground school, 4 training flights, 135 checkride, 2-4 days IOE with a line pilot observing. Then you're on the line. In 2 weeks you'll be fully up to speed. In 2 months, you'll be bored silly.


The 208 is a VERY easy airplane to master. It handels EXACTLY like a 182. The systems are somewhat more complex, but it very forgiving of routine mistakes. Once you master it, you can really horse it around and have some fun. "Sure I can make the the runway from 4,000 on downwind."

One major thing to watch out for is Ice. The ice protection system on the 208 is very good, but it is only there to buy you time so that you can get out of iceing conditions. Just because you are burning kerosene dosen't mean a thing to mother nature.
 
Baj and USMC hit the nail on the head. When I flew freight and moved on into the Caravan we had to go to Pan Am in MEM for the 5 day course then once a year for 2 day recurrent. Once we got approved to do training in house it was what USMC said minus the IOE. There were many guys from the various Fed Ex feeders that had nothing more than 172 experience and they all did fine in the Pan Am course.

Nice airplane just make sure you leave yourself an out if you flying in ice a lot. I think its better to have had experience in ice previously to flying a van, but just be conservative either way.
 
At my company you get, 4-5 days ground school, 4 training flights, 135 checkride, 2-4 days IOE with a line pilot observing. Then you're on the line. In 2 weeks you'll be fully up to speed. In 2 months, you'll be bored silly.


The 208 is a VERY easy airplane to master. It handels EXACTLY like a 182. The systems are somewhat more complex, but it very forgiving of routine mistakes. Once you master it, you can really horse it around and have some fun. "Sure I can make the the runway from 4,000 on downwind."

One major thing to watch out for is Ice. The ice protection system on the 208 is very good, but it is only there to buy you time so that you can get out of iceing conditions. Just because you are burning kerosene dosen't mean a thing to mother nature.

Awesome, thanks.

Obviously I'm not looking for a job with my PPL, but was just wondering about this. The 208 seems like it would be fun to fly. I consider it a "big" airplane...:cwm27:
 
Having done both the flight safety course and the 'kick the tires and GOOOO' style C208 introduction, I'll say, you better read up before you go to flight safety. While it is simple to fly, if its your first turbine transition, you'll want to study hard before going to the 5 day training class - the classroom training goes over quickly before you know what happened.

The engine will keep running regardless of which switches or levers you forget to push, can't really mess it up.

Insurance is generally available without formal training with 1000TT and 25 PIC in type (which you'll get from the right seat).

There's lots of private owners flying around in VFR-only Vans, some with floats.

Put in your time at a turbine/piston Drop Zone starting out in the small piston stuff, and you'll typically be offered 25 hours right-seat time in the van.
 
I wasn't super-impressed with Flight Safety's Caravan presentation. It seemed more like 5 days on "look what the Garmin 530 can do" with a few "oh that's a limitation just memorize it" or "oh that's a memory item just memorize it" or my favorite "oh you don't need to know that" (only to get that question on my 135 oral).

Unless things have changed in the past 11 months I'd recommend hitting the books hard before going so you know the systems, limitations and memory items and have questions all ready to be asked when you get there.

One cool thing was going over to the mx training facility to actually see a ripped apart PT6. I hadn't seen that before, so that was very fascinating.

-mini
 
....you'll want to study hard before going to the 5 day training class - the classroom training goes over quickly before you know what happened.

That's how most 121 and 135 ground schools work. It may be one of the toughest things for a new pilot to transition from working on their ratings where their instructor "taught" them everything to moving into a ground school program where they need to teach themselves and then go back and ask the instructor about anything that didn't make sense.
 
People keep saying that but really I didn't find 135 or 121 ground school that difficult. So long as you keep your head open and absorb what they teach it should be cake. Which is to say don't zone out and you'll be good.
 
I wasn't super-impressed with Flight Safety's Caravan presentation. It seemed more like 5 days on "look what the Garmin 530 can do" with a few "oh that's a limitation just memorize it" or "oh that's a memory item just memorize it" or my favorite "oh you don't need to know that" (only to get that question on my 135 oral).

Unless things have changed in the past 11 months I'd recommend hitting the books hard before going so you know the systems, limitations and memory items and have questions all ready to be asked when you get there.

One cool thing was going over to the mx training facility to actually see a ripped apart PT6. I hadn't seen that before, so that was very fascinating.

-mini

It's a good thing Airnet has their own sim now. I did the training at flight safety, but with one of our instructors. I keep hearing how bad it is with the flight safety guys. I'm sure the planes with type ratings are better than the caravan course (I hope).

I just got done with simcom training in the TBM and it was pretty in depth. They literally had every part ripped out of the TBM that you wanted to see in the classroom. It was a good experience.
 
It's a good thing Airnet has their own sim now. I did the training at flight safety, but with one of our instructors. I keep hearing how bad it is with the flight safety guys.
I'm pretty sure that was the problem. I got some "re-training" when I got back from Wichita and our instructors knew the plane inside-out. Far better training, IMO than the Flight Safety "team". Made the checkride easy.

-mini
 
Two examples...

Local sky dive op near me requires 1000tt for the Caravan. Training is done in house. Basically ride along/ fly along with a more veteran pilot or CFI and learn all you can then get the owners "blessing".
Most 135, or 121 ops flying the 'Van will send someone to a more formalized training. Usually Flight safety, Pan Am, or a "quality" in house training department such as Airnet or Martinaire. I picked up the Pan Am manuals on ebay for the 208 a while back. Seem pretty nice to me...really liked the system diagrams. The electrical diagram looks similar to a 172r!
 
I did Pan Am coming up on two years ago. I had the manuals before hand so I had the same ole memory items-weights, speeds and what not. The course in of itself is fast paced for the simple reason we only had 12 hours of class. Its not a difficult airplane. I have to say I was satisfied by the training. I was prepared for when I actually stepped up into the seat. (Got to hear some interesting stories too from a Vietnam era radar/navigator)

Thinking back on my ground school experiences-Why is it that there's always, ALWAYS one dbag that feels the need to chime in with a "Thats similar to how we did it at my previous company..." and a "One time we were doing that and then this happend..." ####! No one cares!!! It has no bearing on anything!!!
 
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