Officially a van driver now!

[CaravanMan]

Also word to the wise. If you accidentally pull the condition lever to idle cutoff instead of low idle, DON'T try to fix it and push the condition lever back to low idle. I've never done it, but I hear it can really burn up the turbines. It also gives you a free tug ride into the ramp.

As said before, fly safe and be smart in that airplane. If you float 311 in FWA, plan accordingly. FWA-MKE equals 40nm off shore at the furthest point. Ya, it's a reliable engine, but are you willing to bet your life on it?? Ask the old Omaha pilot. He did an excellent job but I'm sure he has a different view about the PT6 now.

Funny story... on my first night as a new 'Van pilot I had another company pilot riding along. This guy was pretty intimidating to me, especially since I was sooo new to the plane/turbine, 135 world, and the "pressure" of UPS, etc. Well, he was barking orders at me the whole flight down, which was only 30 mins, so I was really nervous trying to get all the unfamiliar paperwork done in a short amount of time. We landed, and as I was turning off the runway I reached for the condition lever and pulled it from High Idle to Low Idle........and right past that into Cut Off. Bleh. Dead engine. I was freakin out! We were half on the runway, half on the taxiway, lol! I was so nervous and embarrased. The detent for the Condition Lever was pretty much non-existant on that particular plane, so it was very easy to move it right into Shut Off accidentally, and that being my first flight in that plane, well...lol. Funny story though.

 

[wingnutt]

its easy to make fun...but as mentioned above, the gates for the condition lever in the vans wears down very quickly to the point where there is nothing left but a nub. and unfortunately (ive never understood this one) you are taught to go to hi idle on takeoff and low idle on touchdown. so you can see the propensity to slip into cutoff is there...the key is, as mentioned, to not jump it back up when you have lost too much turbine speed

 

[osu_av8r]

175 to the middle marker, then hit the brakes.

It's much fun.

That's crazy talk, you can't do that!!! Vans are so hard to slow down. And how could you be that fast with the 100ft/lbs per minute power reduction to avoid shock cooling?!! :laugh:

APPROACH CHECKLIST

Airspeed Warn CB : Pulled
Redline Speed : Ignore
Big iron traffic in front of you that ATC vectored you around because they thought you'd get in the way : Ride their ass

 

[CaravanMan]

Lol

 

[UPSer]

That's crazy talk, you can't do that!!! Vans are so hard to slow down. And how could you be that fast with the 100ft/lbs per minute power reduction to avoid shock cooling?!! :laugh:

APPROACH CHECKLIST

Airspeed Warn CB : Pulled
Redline Speed : Ignore
Big iron traffic in front of you that ATC vectored you around because they thought you'd get in the way : Ride their ass

Wow, that's real professional. Looks like Washka trained you well.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I got this one day from KOAK tower while on visual for 29 (29 is closer to the Fedex facility)

Tower: "Pac Valley 8700, I am sure you know this but you have a 30 kt overtake on that 737 in front of you."

Me: "No Worries"

You can slow down the Caravan real fast without even putting a negative load on the engine. Shoving the prop lever to full forward and jerking the power lever to idle on short final and getting that 'Whoosh" just slaps the turbines onto the rear thrust washers. There is no negative load restrictions that I know about on the PT-6, I just don't think its as cool as putting a little more planning in. Usually about 2/3rd down the approach lights start slowly moving the prop handle forward and the power lever back and adding the flaps as you come up on the limit speeds. By the time your over the touchdown markers your on speed. But hey, do what you have to do!

I might not have gotten this procedure exactly right as it has been a long while since I have been in a Caravan.

 

[osu_av8r]

Wow, that's real professional. Looks like Washka trained you well.

Washka is in recruiting now, not training.

 

[AerroMatt]

<deleted> sorry, double post

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

P.S. Keep a level head in it though.

Yeah, Im sure they can be a real handfull. Just try to stay out of the way.

 

[Scube3]

You can slow down the Caravan real fast without even putting a negative load on the engine.

Can you put negative load on a free turbine engine Ex: (PT-6)?



Scube.

 

[CaravanMan]

Yeah, Im sure they can be a real handfull. Just try to stay out of the way.

Ouch, that hurt. Lol

What I was meaning by that is not to do stupid stuff, like fly into nasty ice or wx the plane can't handle.