Textron announced a cool little milestone for the Cessna C-208 family after the type racked up 25 million flight hours across its entire production run.
The Caravan has long exemplified an excellent blend of performance, ruggedness, and reliability for those far-flung operators on the fringe of civilization. The high strutted wing and a set of beefy, storkish (and non-retractable!) landing gear are perfectly capped off by a bulletproof Pratt & Whitney PT-6A turboprop engine, allowing users to fly into the unknown with total confidence they'll be flying back home.
Cessna says the Caravan was designed for "use in remote areas with extreme weather changes, mountainous terrain and rough landing conditions," and that original recipe was so well laid out it's lasted in largely the same form since its introduction. Some dimensional adjustments created the longer, more capable Grand Caravan. Today, it's the go-to for small cargo operations, good enough it's even spawned some remarkably similar competitors.
“The Cessna Caravan's versatility and reliability have solidified its position as the leading aircraft in the utility turboprop category, with the program surpassing a remarkable achievement of 25 million flight hours,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, Global Sales and Flight Operations “This accomplishment is a testament to the steadfast confidence our customers have in the Caravan to fulfill their missions, deliver solutions and improve lives around the world.”
FMI: www.cessna.com
