Ask just about any Caravan pilot how it flies, and they will invariably describe the big Cessna as nothing more than an oversized 182. [Courtesy: Textron Aviation]
Key Takeaways:
The article explores several large aircraft options available to private pilots without needing a special FAA type rating, which is required for aircraft over 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight.
Featured aircraft include the versatile Cessna 208 Caravan, the classic Grumman Goose flying boat, and the rugged, STOL-capable de Havilland Twin Otter (at precisely 12,500 lbs).
It also highlights the refined Beechcraft King Air 260 for comfortable cross-country travel and the unconventional Antonov An-2 for a unique, utilitarian flying experience.
Seven-thousand-pound diesel pickups. Ninety-eight-inch televisions in 8,000-square-foot homes. Convenience store soft drinks that require two hands to hold and three minutes to fill.
There’s a subset of the population that simply craves excess and revels in abundance.
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Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.
