I have the chance to Trade my -20 Twin Otter for a -20 powered Porter. The Twin Otter is a too big for my location and underpowered for my strip. Babying a set of -20s with 30 flap Takeoffs is loosing some of its fun and flying it light with all the Life Limited parts really doesn’t work out in the long run. The Porter will cost me the same in monthly payment and Insurance but I am hoping that I can improve the load factor and the light loads wont create as much losses as the Twin Otter. My operation would grow into a Porter quicker than the Twin Otter and complement the -20 206s better here. Ill be the Owner, Mech, one that would bend it and I have to admit there is some cool factor in the Porter that attracts the Pilot in me. I only have time stuffed in the back of Porters and would like to have some information from you guys on the limitations of the Porter. Ill start with some I think I know. Insurance, Cube out first, Exfoliation corrosion on stringers. Why don’t I see more on the Alaska flying shows?

It's one of my dream airplanes. I can't advise you on it, I just like 'em.

If it helps I'll put you in touch with my son who is flying a Porter full time on skydiving ops.
He's in Thailand and at the moment on some R&R with buddies but will be back by the weekend.
Funnily enough they are talking about moving up to a Twin Otter

Jr.,
It'll be a sad day for you to have to let your Otter go, that's a member of your family! It definitely fed your family for a long time. I am still fond of my pic's of 122PM myself, I did a lot of growing up in that airplane, as I'm sure you did too. Flying right seat at The Ranch when I was 14-16, made my first two jumps out of it, graduated AFF out of it, 100th jump out of it, etc., etc. I don't envy your position but as a fellow operator I understand economics as well.

I believe your situation is unique and you will take a lot of the issues I've witnessed with Porter's out of the equation.

The main items being;
Pilots wrecking them from -
1. Letting it get into beta too high off the ground while not spooled up to fly out of it
2. Not resetting the trim before takeoff.

INSURANCE - It's a unique, rare, tailwheel airplane, with an above average number of seats to cover, with a fun little feature that allows it to go into beta on it's own that has caused many of the accidents in the past. You get what you get here, and it's not cheap. Your existing relationship with the insurance company may help you though.

Maintenance -
1. Rigging - The beta cam has to be rigged properly and requires periodic tweaking to keep it in the sweet spot. An out of rig Porter can be a handful if you are trying to do some precision landings with it!

2. The tail - Don't really look at how the tail is attached, it'll freak you out!
It used to call it the "breakaway" tail because of the teeny attach points and the swash plates on the end of the horizontal. If you have a premature on the step and it goes over and they go under, it slides to the swash plate, catches, and you get to step out onto the bottom of the wing and make a round jump! Good times!
The biggest thing is to keep an eye on how loose it's getting and keep it tight, that whole stabilator thing on any airplane loosens up on it's own any way (even on my 180) over time. No big deal.
Again, you being in control will be the biggest help of all because the worst thing for loosening them up is beta descents from altitude. There is A LOT going on back there when in beta at 120 kts. Pilot's that do them all the time are causing more time in the shop in my opinion but I have been to places where beta's are the procedure. I don't know why, you still come hustling down out of beta with the prop turned up to 92 to 96% if you feel you're in a rush.
An occasional beta descent is fun to do just to know what it is but keep it to like one every couple months.

3. Door - I encourage the use of the right side if this one has a choice, that way you can keep an eye on things while they are getting out, and you can close it. Make sure you keep the door rolling system in good condition, I have seen one come off the bottom track once and that makes for a slow, tense descent! You will need to learn to manage your "door catcher" pole. I've almost had mine go out with a tandem or two and I know of one pilot who did let his go once! Luckily it didn't end up stuck in some farmers back on a tractor below!

4. The perform well because they are light, watch for any corrosion, especially along skin seams. Having been raised a DeHavilland boy you'll look at this thing and wonder where are you going to tape the foam padding so it doesn't get injured! They'll take more than you think they can, but it ain't no DeHavilland.

5. I seem to remember something about strut fittings, check 'em or something once in a while.

6. If you have a main gear oleo start to go bad it'll hang up after takeoff. At about a grand or so when it finally drops you might have to grab the yoke of a rig or two so they don't finish jumping out! It'll wake you up though.

7. Look to see if it has the "cow catcher" in front of the tailwheel. If not you might try to find one, I always thought it was a good idea in the even of a premature, helps keep things sliding along. I've flown them without, just nice if you can get one, maybe I'm paranoid.

Passenger legality and comfort -
Legality - We both know we've seen many a load growing up with ten. That was our father's.
If you seriously run the numbers with fuel, etc., etc. It doesn't work unless this is an H4 or can be converted to an H4. Regular B2-H2 is gonna put you at 9 pax for the most part.

Comfort -

Tight with ten
Fine with nine
Great with eight
Heaven with seven
Six your losing money!

You will have to retrain your locals to get in the airplane ready to go. There is all sort of little edges to snag pin flaps on and it's best if they just get in, sit down, climb out.

I've seen three or four different seating configurations, I feel the best for nine is the back bench, one seat next to the pilot facing back and nothing else. Seatbelts mounted to the center to keep them from getting out and slamming the bottom fuselage.

Make sure it has a good camera step and handle and that your videomen DON'T HANG ON THE DOOR with their right hand, at all. If you've got one you really trust you can let them use it for balance but I always felt that led to more hanging eventually so I just tried to get them to squeeze the trailing edge of the flap or just put their hand open palm on the door itself. I have seen the door derailed from a floater (that's twice I've seen the airplane landed with a sketchy door, I can't stress this enough!).

Also, whom ever is sitting on the back bench on the right must be careful when rounding the corner if they are the rear floater as they can snag the little edge of the door that pokes forward of the door frame when climbing out. They can derail the door this way too.

Last but not least, I know we were both -20 raised kids but as an owner of a -34 now............GET RID OF THAT TWENTY, it'll save you in the long run especially with this airframe. A 20 Porter isn't exactly a raped ape in the summer with pilot and nine.

I've got a good flow check for the Porter (and for some reason I still remember it!) so if you want to get ahold of me sometime I'll run you through it. Simple but keeps you from forgetting the important stuff.

I may think of some more stuff too, it's been 15 years since I've flown one.

Thank you, Thats some of the info I need.

Can't really say anything G3 didn't. I use to work on Fayard's years ago while it run up and down the east coast at boogies and such...well until a guy wrecked it on landing at St. George....sucked...fun bird to jump out of!

If ya get one I'll want to see it! And maybe take it for a spin....

Reuben

Porter parts are realy hard to come by. I have found a couple of aircraft that are sitting just waiting on parts. Sold my Twin Otter took the cash and paid off the debt. Still working on the Tiger 206.

Skydive206 wrote:Porter parts are realy hard to come by. I have found a couple of aircraft that are sitting just waiting on parts. Sold my Twin Otter took the cash and paid off the debt. Still working on the Tiger 206.

Smart!

Porter parts are plentiful if it's known where to find them.
This Porter has never been out of the air waiting for them.
A factor here is that this country's Air Force, Police etc used them in vast numbers.

Skydive206 wrote:Porter parts are realy hard to come by. I have found a couple of aircraft that are sitting just waiting on parts. Sold my Twin Otter took the cash and paid off the debt. Still working on the Tiger 206.

So where is Joe's old bird off to now?

Well, if you've abandoned the dream, we might as well dedicate this thread to dreaming of Porters.

Flying Kiwi wrote:Porter parts are plentiful if it's known where to find them.
This Porter has never been out of the air waiting for them.
A factor here is that this country's Air Force, Police etc used them in vast numbers.

Isnt this one of Perrys Porters? Can I ask how long it has been assembled and how many hours per year it is operated? Ill still dream about having a Porter.