Hey all,
I have found a decent part time job this summer flying some jump planes in the Northeast...I figured I would bone up on the Cessna 206 so I don't come in totally clueless....anyone here have any good info/tips to share about the plane? I figure it's not much different then the 182 (besides size, engine etc...lol) Haven't flown many cessnas so I may be a bit rough around the edges...thanks a lot! -Josh

P or U?
Check out www.diverdriver.com too. I'll bet that many of your questions will be answered there under Cessna's.

I used to fly one for the sept of wildlife and have a good 400 hours in one. If it has a STOL kit you can get it to fly slower then a 172. All I can say is TRIM. Never forget your trim. If you takeoff with landing trim you're gonna get a suprise. Typical cessna. Empty it will float. Heavy this bird will carry anything you can fit in it. If they have been using it for a jump plane watch out for oil consumption. Slip her down so you don't shock cool the engine. Hope you have fun. It's a great bird.

I'd watch the slipping. I've seen a tweaked vertical on a 182 from high speed extended duration repetitive slip descents. The time savings is not worth the expense even if you are turning around with another load.
Keep the power up though. They just don't come down as fast as a turbine and don't try to make them. I had Precise Flight speedbrakes on my 185 and that helped a bit but even those cracked the top skins of the flaps just behind the speed brakes from extended duration vibration in the descents. Bottom line is airplanes aren't made to go up and down. They are made to halfway up, stay there for a while and then come down over a period of 20-30 miles. Maybe even in steps if IFR.
I'd come down at about 17-18 inches and five into the yellow when calm, five into the green when bumpy. Be nice to those old airframes, they've had a hard life.
Remember a lot of your shock cooling control is done in the couple of minutes BEFORE you open the door.
Ditto on the trim especially if it's an older model with the smaller horizontal.
If you want to come down fast find a job flying a Pilatus Porter or a Westwind turbine Beech 18 with the gear doors removed. They're both in the vicinity of 10,000 feet per minute in the descent. The Porter has to be in beta though and again it causes vibration which is bad for the tail. It's still around 6-7,000 fpm just at idle with the prop at 97%.
Make sure you get training for a premature deployment and what to do if you don't save it and get a canopy over the tail.

thanks for the responses guys! I was wondering about the parachute getting caught on the tail...It will be neat to see what the procedure is for that...I assume a lot of rudder to try and kick it loose? I have no clue...anyway the info is much appreciated thanks again!

P or U? That'll decide how much you can do with a PD on the airplane.

oh sorry I think they are all U's.....

Order a copy of the Pilot's Operating Handbook from Yingling Aero, if you really want to get ahead of the game.

Then actually READ it .

For example, there is a specific starting procedure which verifies several things regarding the electric backup pump. There are three speeds for that pump, and if you don't want to be finding a place to land off airport, it's a good idea to verify that all three speeds actually work prior to flight. One of those speeds is controlled by a mechanical connection to the throttle.

That's just one example. This is NOT just a big 172. Bigger, more complex engine, more systems, yada, yada, yada.....

Learn everything you can about the airplane BEFORE you start trying to work it, and you'll be more comfortable and more proficient.

What model is it, by the way? Lots of variations in fuel tanks, etc.

Great airplane, period. We switched to a big engine 206 from a 185 (it wasn't my choice) and I never looked back. That 206 was a workhorse.

Heavy controls is probably the first thing most folks notice. It's designed for stability, which is why.

MTV

Well I hate to say it but with a U you are pretty much riding if there isa PD from an open container while someone is still on the plane. With a P they are next to you so you can keep an eye on their containers as they climb out and if you see one get loose you have time to watch the bag or pilot chute head for the tail and actually have to wait to push hard right rudder just as it gets there so it slides by and jerks the jumper off of the plane.
With the U it's all happening behind you, people in the door will be restricting your view of the floaters and they are so close to the tail (probably the larger horizontal too) that if something gets loose it's going over quickly.
Just go over the procedures anyway and think about how you might fly with the left horizontal and elevator only or with a jammed elevator (what usually happens when the lines slide around the leading edge of the horizontal and catch in between the horizontal and elevator and it tries to rip one side off).
These are rare but it has happened and you should be thinking about it.

thanks for the tips guys! I have to get the POH but need to double check to make sure I have the exact model before wasting my time and money with the wrong POH.....I appreciate all the help and info....take care guys

Chute over the tail, I would have to say Have a good skydive my friend cause that is most likely what you will be doing, skydiving not flying the plane.

Good point Mikey. Which is a good reason to make a tandem so you won't be so apprehensive about getting out if need be.
There has been more than one sucessfully flown to the ground though.

I agree with MTV Trim trim trim trim trim.....oh did I say fly it with the trim Oh and u want to be close to the ground when u put the last 10 deg of flaps down. She slows up fast with full flaps

Learn to fly a 206 well, bring it down to MCA close to the ground, and just before touchdown, reach over and retract the flaps, with major nose up attitude. Plane settles, you get on the brakes, and you can really impress those snobs with the 185's...

Just don't pull the flaps too soon.

Great airplane.

MTV

Wait until he gets a chance to fly the U206C <1900 lb empty weight, Sportsman STOL, Wing X, Super Droops, IO-550 w/Polished and Flow matched cyls, Roller Rockers, Gammied injectors, Leading edge exhaust, JPI w/fuel flow, 82inch Super Simitar 3 blade. Now add the 1200lbs of meat and the fun begins.

whoever said TRIM is 100 % right. 206's are awesome, but not really fun. heavy on the controls, and i wouldn't cross-country one again without a 3-axis autopilot....they do rule the middle fork of the salmon here in idaho. people like ray arnold and lori macnichol can really make one sing....

Got a few hundred hours in one back in the 70s. Flew on government contracts taking pictures of stuff. Company was really cheap and skimped on the maintenance. Crankshaft broke. A 206 can come down fast! Really a great airplane though, you'll like it. A bit heavy on the controls to horse around, but will carry anything you can stuff inside. Because of the kind of flying you're going to do, I'd read everything I could get my hands on regarding "shock cooling." I don't want to kick off a s..t storm, but let's just say there are more than one theory and opinion out there. If you can get them, there is a series of books called "Fly the Engine" or something to that effect. Lots of good information on engine management under extreme conditions.

Make sure you respect the Va speed empty....lost a friend to airframe failure. My pic from back in the day is a photo of the painting made of the image taken in 1985. I found the slide last time I moved and it was so damaged the only thing the photo shop could do was make a simulated oil painting from the image.

here goes

[img]http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-8548[/img]

HighlanderLynn wrote:Make sure you respect the Va speed empty....lost a friend to airframe failure. My pic from back in the day is a photo of the painting made of the image taken in 1985. I found the slide last time I moved and it was so damaged the only thing the photo shop could do was make a simulated oil painting from the image.

here goes

[img]http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-8548[/img]

I admit I have never done any extansive research into this, but I've often heard old timers say "there's never been an in-flight break up of a strut braced (as opposed to a cantilever - wing 210) single engine Cessna." So it's not true?

HighlanderLynn wrote:Make sure you respect the Va speed empty....lost a friend to airframe failure. My pic from back in the day is a photo of the painting made of the image taken in 1985. I found the slide last time I moved and it was so damaged the only thing the photo shop could do was make a simulated oil painting from the image.

here goes

[img]http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-8548[/img]

I admit I have never done any extensive research into this, but I've often heard old timers say "there's never been an in-flight break up of a strut braced (as opposed to a cantilever - wing 210) single engine Cessna." So it's not true?