200602-2006 Cessna T206H Stationair

airspeed, wind speed and direction, groundspeed, distance to waypoint, and estimated time en route-all shown at the top of both the PFO and MFO. The PFO uses vertical-tape representations of airspeed and altitude, complete with magenta trend lines. These show the airspeed and altitude anticipated in the next six seconds. In addition, important airspeeds such as VR (rota- tion speed). Vx (best angle of climb). and Vy (best rate of climb) are plainly marked on the air- speed tape. Of course, the MFO views can be customized according to pilot preferences, and a thumbnail moving map can be called up in the lower-left corner of the PFO. Am I alone, or does anybody else think a dual-screen integrated flight display system in wall-to-wall techni- color looks out of place in an airplane that earned its stripes as a flying pickup truck? One look at that panel and you think: Turbofan -in -the- flight -leve1s- please-pass-the-snack-tray. Not: Let's see how many elk carcasses we can stuff in this baby on this year's hunting trip! But maybe we should forget the stereotypes. After all, T206 customers have. Turns out that most buyers of newT206s use them as ultimate family- movers, or Aero SUVs, to lean on AOPA's 1999 Cessna 206 sweepstakes sloganry. They tend to buy fully loaded airplanes, right down to air condition- ing ($27,750), and AmSafe Aviation in- flatable seat belt restraints on the fifth and sixth seats ($I,SOO-they're stan- dard on seats one through four). The G1000 option goes without saying. Even newly minted private pilots like Mike Karnes, of Oallas, are buying fully decked-out T206s like these. I met Karnes at the Independence Municipal Airport in Independence, Kansas, where he was taking Cessna's G 1000 pilot initial course-a three-day inten- sive program that's included in the price of the airplane. Cessna Pilot Cen- Rear dual doors open wide to let in cargo and/or passengers. Six leather seats and a built-in oxygen system are standard in T206s. AOPA PILOT· 66· FEBRUARY 2006 E-mail the author at tom.home@aopa.org. •• I ••• 1 --I!I'II I / ~-:'I'I': .• 'T. a;I:~:IIjr.' VNO (max structural cruising) 149 KIAS VNE (never exceed) 182 KIAS VR (rotation) 55 KIAS VS1 (stall, clean) 59 KIAS V$0 (stall, in landing configuration ~ -mmm ~ Cessna T206H Statlonalr Standard equipped price: $400,500 Average equipped price: $463,150 SPEC SHEET ~.. - ... ~ mWlMtJtllllI;.J'I,r;Tiru:I!J.: Like most of my 206 flights, it was a satisfying ride in an air- plane with nearly impeccable manners. Just a little ponder- ous in control responsiveness, that's all. The Cessna juggernaut rolls on. Like the rest of its pis- ton singles, 2005's production run ofT206s was sold out early last year. fCSJA ters also provide this training. Karnes wanted the room and performance of the T206, given that he routinely would be flying big passenger loads in the high density altitudes and sweltering temperatures of the Texan summer. I flew Karnes' T206 on a very windy, gusty Kansas day. As I climbed into the cockpit, memories of my days as a pilot flying 206s on aerial photography mis- sions came flooding back. It was the same old trucky-handling bird as it was 30 years ago, all right... but that panel! It will take me more than a few hours to become competent working the GlOOO. And until then I'll spend a lot of head- down time burning its psychosomatic routines into my brain. Good thing there's the TIS, which can save your bacon in approach control airspace, which is the only airspace where TIS can operate reliably. This raises anoth- er issue: The FAAis proposing a shut- down of TIS while it upgrades its sur- veillance radars in some parts of the United States. AOPA, of course, is op- posed to this and is arguing strongly against it. With just two of us aboard, I flew over the Kansas flatlands at 4,500 feet. The temperature was a few degrees above standard, and power was set at 30 inches manifold pressure and 2,400 rpm. To get 75-percent power the mixture was leaned to 19.1 gph. (Hey, a gas sipper it isn't!) TIT stayed at 1,600 degrees and the GIOOOposted a 154-knot true airspeed. Cessna says the T206 will make its top speed of 178 knots at ~ 17,000 feet. r~ Back in the pattern at Independence, strong, steady headwinds on final pushed our ground- speed as low as 25 knots-even though we were indicating 80 knots! The ground roll was predicta b I Y short. Maybe 400 feet, judging by the runway- light intervals.