Today’s Top Pick is a 1972 Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six.

Piper’s Cherokee Six appeals to pilots for some of the same reasons that other Cherokee models are popular, including stability, predictable handling, and reliability. But the Six offers bonuses, including a larger cabin, more horsepower, and room for six. This is a utility airplane that few others can match in terms of all-around capability.

Certified in 1965, the PA-32 Cherokee Six is largely the same as the later model Saratogas that have retractable landing gear and typically offer luxury interiors. The Six is clearly more utilitarian and tends to carry fewer adornments and interior upgrades.

This 1972 Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six has 5,226 hours on the airframe and 790 hours on its 300 hp Lycoming IO-540.

The panel features dual Garmin G5 electronic flight instruments, Garmin GTN 650 touchscreen GPS/Nav/Com, MX 170C digital Nav/Com with glideslope, Garmin GMA 345 audio panel, GTX 320 transponder, uAvionix TailBeacon ADS-B, Auto Control III autopilot with Nav coupling, S-Tec 30 PSS altitude hold, and Electronics International digital CHT/EGT gauge.

Additional equipment includes electric pitch trim, rudder trim, Flightcom six-place intercom, cabin ventilation fan, auxiliary power receptacle, and aileron gap seals.

Pilots looking for a large piston single with generous interior space and useful load that is ideal for family travel should consider this 1972 Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six, which is available for $244,900 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: The Practical Endurance of the Piper Cherokee Six
• FLYING Magazine: Getting Sucked into Aviation with a Piper Cherokee Six Owner
• FLYING Magazine: Best Used Six Seaters
• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Piper Lance vs. Saratoga
• Plane & Pilot: New Piper‘s Saratoga II TC
• Plane & Pilot: Piper Cherokee Six 260/300
• The Aviation Consumer: Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six/Saratoga

The post This 1972 Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six Is a Sturdy, Reliable ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1955 Cessna 180 Skywagon.

The Cessna 180’s conventional landing gear and squared-off “straight” vertical fin and rudder give it a distinctive vintage silhouette that many pilots find attractive. This appeal, coupled with the aircraft’s capabilities on short strips and  off-airport travel have helped to drive up prices for the muscular taildragger.

Shopping for early models from the 1950s can be an effective way to find more affordable examples that still look great. Because the 180 was a modern, efficient design when new, it remains practical for family transport and recreation.      

The 180 helped popularize STOL flying decades ago and inspired some of the best short-field performers now available. But while we often see images of 180s on skis, hauling big game out of hunting camps in Alaska, the aircraft’s lifting capability and cruising speed make it just as well-suited for your next cross-country family vacation.  

This 1955 Cessna 180 has 4,133 hours on the airframe, 10 hours on its 230 hp Continental O-470 engine, and 190 hours since overhaul on the McCauley two-blade seaplane propeller. The aircraft has a useful load of 776 pounds and carries 55 gallons of fuel.

The panel includes a custom audio panel, King KMD 150 color moving map GPS, Icom IC-A200 760 channel LCD digital om radio, King KX 175B analog nav/comm, Garmin GTX 335 transponder with ADS-B Out, remote ELT arming panel, Alcor analog EGT, digital tachometer, CHT gauge, carb temperature gauge, and 12-volt power outlet.

Additional equipment includes Alaskan Bushwheel six-bolt wheels and brakes, BAS inertia reel shoulder harnesses, BAS tailcone lift handles, door stewards, Rosen visors, Selkirk extended baggage compartment, Atlee Dodge folding rear seats, P-Ponk landing gear reinforcements, Brackett air filter, alternator conversion, and input for ground service power.

Pilots who are interested in a classic Cessna taildragger that combines the visual charm of an antique aircraft with the practicality of a powerful engine and spacious cabin should consider this1955 Cessna 180 Skywagon, which is available for $169,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: One Iconic Cessna 180 Has Quite a Story to Tell
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Voyager Propeller Approved for Cessna 180s
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Scimitar Prop Approved for Cessna 180 and 182
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 180 Skywagon

The post This 1955 Cessna 180 Is a Practical, Collectible ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2019 Cessna T206H.

When Cessna resumed production of certain single-engine piston aircraft during the 1990s, it was no surprise that the 206 was one of the models the company brought back.

While the Cessna 172 and 182 were clear choices for covering the market for trainers and basic personal aircraft, some customers would need more cabin space, power, and utility than those four-place models could provide. The 206 brought two additional seats, double doors on the right rear to ease cargo and passenger loading, more horsepower, and a high-lift wing for hauling heavy loads from short strips.

The aircraft for sale here retains the traits that have made 206s popular since their introduction in the 1960s. As a nearly new 2019 model, though, it adds an upgraded interior, modern integrated avionics, and the range of capabilities that come with advanced automation.

This 2019 Cessna T206H has 743 hours on the airframe and 636 hours since new on its Lycoming TIO-540 engine and heated McCauley propeller.

The aircraft’s panel features the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite with Garmin Flight Stream 510, GMA 1360 digital audio panel with marker beacon and intercom, GTX 345R transponder with ADS-B In and Out, dual GIA 64W GPS/Nav/Comms with glideslope, GDU 1054B PFD and MFD, GEA 71B engine/airframe computer, GSU 75 AHRS, GDC 74A air data computer, GI 275 electronic standby flight instrument, and GFC-700 autopilot.    

Pilots who are interested in a well-equipped, versatile aircraft with six seats and a generous useful load should consider this 2019 Cessna T206H, which is available for $889,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Cessna 206
• FLYING Magazine: Cessna 206 Stationair
• FLYING Magazine: FLYING’s Air Compare: Cessna 206 vs. Cessna 210
• Plane & Pilot: Textron Aviation Launches Cessna T206 Turbo Stationair HD
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 206 Stationair

The post This 2019 Cessna T206H Is an Ultra-Utilitarian ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1978 Cessna U206G.

From the time it rolled out of the factory as a 1964 model, Cessna’s big, brawny 206 was a hit with pilots who had big loads to carry, perhaps to inhospitable places. The airplane was available in utility (U206) and passenger (P206) versions with the former soon eclipsing the latter. Pilots preferred the utility model largely because of its double rear cargo doors that eased loading. Cessna built the 206 until the company halted piston aircraft production in 1986. The model returned in 1998 and remains in production today.   

This Cessna U206G has 3,061 hours on the airframe and 1,440 hours on the 285 hp Continental IO-520-F engine since overhaul. The panel includes a Garmin G G500TXi touchscreen PFD/MFD, Garmin GTN750TXi and GTN650TXi GPS/Nav/Coms, GMA350C audio panel, GFC 500 autopilot, dual G5s, L3 NGT9000 transponder with ADS-B and active traffic, synthetic vision, and EI MVP50P engine monitor.

Additional equipment includes a new MT composite propeller, Safe Flight AOA instrument, electronic ignition, Rosen sun visors, three-point front seat harnesses, 40-amp standby alternator, and rear club seating.

Pilots in the market for the airborne equivalent of a three-row SUV that is sufficiently rugged to operate from rough strips and off airport should consider this 1978 Cessna U206G, which is available for $389,900 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: FLYING’s Air Compare: Cessna 206 vs. Cessna 210
• FLYING Magazine: New Five-Blade Propeller Gains FAA STC for Cessna 206 Series
• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Cessna 206
• Plane & Pilot: 2017 Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair HD
• Plane & Pilot: Soloy Cessna 206 Mark II
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 206 Stationair

The post This 1978 Cessna U206G Is a Heavy-Hauling ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1999 Pilatus PC-12​/​45.

The PC-12 single-engine turboprop was a revolutionary concept when Swiss aerospace company Pilatus developed it in the late 1980s. Most large, pressurized turboprop transports were twin-engine designs such as the popular Beechcraft King Air. Pilatus sought to demonstrate that a single-engine aircraft could provide similar reliability and performance while also operating from short,  unpaved strips.

The airplane grew to be known as a jack-of-all-trades, becoming a standard in corporate fleets, charter and air-taxi operations and in air-ambulance and other special missions. Quite a few pilots own PC-12s for personal use, often mixing business-related travel with family vacation trips. I know of at least a couple of PC-12 pilots who regularly take their families to destinations in Florida on weekends, noting how the aircraft’s speed and pressurized comfort make the trip reasonably easy compared with long-distance travel in the typical high-performance piston single.

This Pilatus PC-12-45 has 15,665 hours on the airframe, including 9,679 landings, 1,100 hours and 798 cycles on its Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P engine, and zero time since overhaul on its five-blade propeller. The aircraft’s useful load is 3,309 pounds.

The panel includes Garmin GNS 430W and GNS 530W nav/com radios, Garmin GTX 345 and Bendix/King KT 70 transponders, Honeywell KMD-850 MFD and KRA-405B radar altimeter, Bendix/King KAC-501 WX radar, KDR-610 datalink weather receiver, Bendix King KHF-950 high-frequency com system,  

Bendix King KA-44B ADF, Bendix/King 325 autopilot, and Honeywell DME.

Additional equipment includes supplemental air conditioning, FD200CPU-7 flight display, and True Blue Power dual USB charging ports.

Pilots seeking a higher level of single-engine utility and performance, from short-field operations to high-altitude, long-distance travel, should consider this 1999 Pilatus PC-12-45, which  is available for $3.2 million on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Pilatus PC-12 Fleet Logs 10 Million Flight Hours
• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Pilatus PC-12 NGX
• FLYING Magazine: Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft Meet European Noise Regs with 7-Blade Prop
• Plane & Pilot: NBAA 2019: Pilatus Unveils New PC-12
• Plane & Pilot: Blackhawk Announces Engine Program for the Pilatus PC-12
• AVweb: Ontario-Based Ornge Air Ambulance Updates Its Pilatus PC-12 Fleet
• AVweb: AirVenture 2023: Honeywell Anthem Pilatus PC-12 Tour

The post This 1999 Pilatus PC-12-45 Is a Multimission ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2001 Cessna T206H

Cessna’s 206 is one of those airplanes that everyone seems to want because it performs most tasks very well. It has six seats, making it ideal for families, and can carry lots of cargo, which you can load easily thanks to double cargo doors on the right side of the fuselage. Plenty of horsepower and a Sportsman STOL kit translate to impressive short-field performance, while sturdy fixed landing gear with Alaskan Bushwheels and heavy-duty brakes make it easier to turn that short takeoff and landing capability into success in the bush.

This T206H has 957 hours on the airframe and the Lycoming TIO-540, and 720 hours on the three-blade McCauley hot prop. The aircraft carries 92 gallons of fuel in its main wing tanks and 30 additional gallons in two wingtip tanks for extra endurance and range. Recent engine service and replacements include magnetos, spark plugs, fuel lines, air filter, exhaust gaskets, starter motor, and vacuum pumps.

Inside the cabin, all six seats come with headrests, seat belts with shoulder harnesses, intercom and oxygen outlets, air vents, and reading lights. Useful load is 1,150 pounds. Interior upholstery is original, and exterior paint in a factory scheme was applied in 2016.

Pilots who thrive on versatility and might fly the family to a resort one week and land on a hunting guide’s strip cut into the Maine wilderness the following week, should take a look at this powerful, no-nonsense T206H, which is available for $430,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Textron Launches Cessna Turbo Stationair HD
• FLYING Magazine: FLYING’s Air Compare: Cessna 206 vs. Cessna 210
• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Cessna 206
• Plane & Pilot: Textron Aviation Launches Cessna T206 Turbo Stationair HD
• The Aviation Consumer: Cessna 206 Stationair
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 206

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 2001 Cessna T206H appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Join FLYING editor-in-chief Julie Boatman as she gets an introduction to the Daher Kodiak 900 upgraded utility turboprop both on the ground and in the air.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Daher Kodiak 900

The post We Fly the Daher Kodiak 900, Ready for Grand Adventures appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Exploring the Kodiak’s key elements reveals what it would be like for you to sit in the left seat for this original take on the backcountry star—as part of FLYING’s We Fly series.

As instructors, we’ve all held the certificates for a long time, with me obtaining mine 30 years ago this week, in April 1993, Luy in 1994, and Chabbert about 25 years ago. We agreed that even though Chabbert and I no longer delivered instruction on a daily basis, we both still fully enjoyed the rewards of being able to continue teaching when the opportunity presented itself. To let go of our precious CFI cards would be too much to take, no matter the work we must go through to renew inside our jam-packed schedules. 

Want to fly along? 

The post We Fly: Kodiak 100 in Training appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The certification comes less than two years after the airplane’s first flight in May 2020.

The OEM announced the milestone on Monday morning. Production is already underway for the new clean-sheet model, and the company anticipates the ability to deliver the first units to launch customer, FedEx Express (NYSE: FDX), which has 50 on its initial fleet order and options for 50 more.

“Achieving FAA certification for the Cessna SkyCourier demonstrates the expertise and hard work of our employees, as well as Textron Aviation’s continued investment in providing solutions for our customers,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “Our clean-sheet design brings to this segment what customers said they need: the ability to load, fly, unload and repeat with low operating costs and maximum cabin flexibility and efficiency. We expect the SkyCourier to be a workhorse of the fleet for FedEx and many other customers around the globe for decades to come.”

SkyCourier Specifications

The new model made its first flight in 2020 with the first production model seeing daylight in early February.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC engines driving McCauley C779 four-blade, 110-inch-diameter propellers, the SkyCourier comes in both cargo and passenger configurations.

Features include:

• Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck
• Large fuselage cargo door
• Flat floor
• Up to 6,000 pounds payload capacity; three LD3 shipping containers
• Single-point pressure refueling

The SkyCourier cruises at speeds over 200 ktas and up to a 900-nm maximum range. The passenger variant can hold up to 19 people plus pilot—with a separate crew door for flexibility in boarding.

The post Cessna SkyCourier Gains FAA Type Certification appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Textron Aviation [NYSE:TXT] announced the rollout of the P1 unit on Friday for the super-size, twin-engine utility turboprop. Launch customer FedEx Express [NYSE:FDX] has been eagerly awaiting the first of its upgraded fleet flagship—initially proposed for delivery at the end of 2021—and it has played an integral part in the clean-sheet design’s envisioning and development.

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“Today is a rewarding day for our employees who have worked to design and build what I believe will become a legendary airplane for our company,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation. 

“The SkyCourier brings an impressive combination of cabin flexibility, payload capability, performance and low operating costs to the twin engine utility segment. We look forward to this highly versatile aircraft entering the market very soon.”

Update on Flight Test

The first SkyCourier (with a CE-408 model designation) took flight in May 2020, and it has now accumulated more than 2,100 hours in flight test on three test articles.

The first production-conforming unit marks the last stage of that program. After certification—now planned for the first half of this year—FedEx will accept the first of its new fleet. The company has committed to 100 units, with 50 aircraft in the cargo configuration on the initial order and 50 more on option.

The Model 408

The SkyCourier will come in both the cargo version and a passenger model that can flex to carry up to 19 people. The passenger version has both crew and passenger doors to facilitate entry and exit to the cabin compartment.

The Model 408 features:

• Two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC engines
• McCauley C779 four-blade, 110-inch propellers
• Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck
• Flat-floor cabin capable of holding 3 LD3 shipping containers

Projected speed and range? A maximum of 200 ktas and a 900-nm range at its maximum endurance profile. The SkyCourier will lift up to 6,000 pounds of payload.

The post The First Production Cessna SkyCourier Rolls Out in Wichita appeared first on FLYING Magazine.