How does a Caravan compare?

[ECVZZ 0]

How does a Caravan compare to a King Air and an Otter? I understand it's a single turbo-prop, and I'm curious about the capacity (# of jumpers) and climb rate. Are they as comfortable to jump as an Otter? I'll be finding out this weekend, but I'm curious now!
G. Jones
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

[billvon 2,426]

There are caravans and grand caravans. Our caravan took 12; grand caravan took 16. Door is almost otter sized. A very nice plane for a smaller DZ.
-bill von

[ojf1982 0]

Grand Caravan fits 15 jumpers and when fully loaded it can take 18-20 mins to 13,500. A Super Otter is much more comfortable because there is alot more room. Here at Skydive Miami we recently upgraded the carvan to a SUPER Grand Caravan now it only takes about 13 mins to altitude.
Omar B-24801

[freeflir29 0]

I jumped one last weekend and with a light fuel load we could get 18 jumpers off a grass strip. No more than 16 if it had been fueled recently. It's a little cramped and you sit on the floor. The door is only about 3/4 the size of an Otter door and will fit two people standing side by side comfortably. Exits at altitude seemed pretty fast to me. When we let someone out on a H&P the pilot would give a serious cut but at altitude it didn't seem like he gave much of one. May have just been the pilot. Be careful!! The horizontal stab is VERY close to the door. I would have no problem hitting it if I didn't exit right. I refrained from doing my standard backflip out the door on head down solos. Regular belly exits shouldn't be a problem. We had a Birdman damn near smack it when he inflated his wings too fast!!!
"Here I come to save the BOOBIES!"

[ChromeBoy 0]

I am getting used to a Caravan again after being spoiled with CASA's in Florida. I must say that it is a lot of fun though. A little longer on the ride up but it still gets you up there and that is better than down here!Can you hear me now? Good.

[ShortBus 0]

I jump at Richmond, and this season we have a Grand Caravan! it fits 19 and will take us to 13-14.5 in about 16-20mins depending on load size and a few other things. I think shes a sweet plane, the door is big enough to launch 4 ways. I belive the max you can have outside the door is 4 because of an "incident" we had at the boogie last sept. I love the plane and its a fun ride

[SniperCJ 0]

We have both an otter and a grand caravan so its easy to compare.
The caravan takes 16 I think and its pretty tight packing on those hot days. Door is a little smaller but not drastically so. We recently upgraded the engine so we get to altitude almost as fast as the otter.
If I had a choice I would jump the otter on those heavier loads but I'll never turn down the caravan on a light load.

[diverdriver 5]

All I have to say is TWIN ENGINE BABY!!! Turbines are more reliable then pistons but you still only have ONE on the front. They can and do fail. And that's a lot of bodies to have on a glider.
My .02
Chris Schindler
ATP
D-19012
www.DiverDriver.com

[skymedic 0]

Chris your not only a turbine snob...but a twin turbine snob....
3..2..1..C-YA
marc

[buckleme 0]

The grand caravan we have at richmond is a 'super cargo master' version. it has a slightly larger interior than the regular grand caravan so thats why it takes 19 jumpers. there is a lot of prop blast simply because it goes directly along the fuselage and not further out like an otter. it is a good plane. our door is a couple inches different than an otter door. you can float 2 on the front step, 3 in the door and 1 on the camera step. they are a little bit more tail sensitive than the otter, but as long as everyone pays attention, its a great plane! :)
there is a picture of our caravan on our website www.skydiverichmond.com
Blue Skies!
Mary

[freaksister 0]

I agree with Sniper John, now that our Caravan has had an engine upgrade it gets to 13.5K in fifteen minutes, same as our Super Twin Otter. The Otter holds more peeps, otherwise I like them the same. The only thing nobody likes about the Caravan are the new "benches." It is so funny, they added those a few months ago, almost ten years without them, and very few people like 'em. Hehe, its a laugh to hear people joke about tossing them out the door...I wouldn't laugh if they really did though. We could burn'em at the boogie, though, in a bonfire!! Wait, I wonder what they are made of? I never looked, probably metal. Bummer. Some JetA though and we could probably get 'em hot enough to melt, don't 'ya think?!?!
Sis
Wasting away again in Margaritaville....

[Jessica 0]

Quote

The only thing nobody likes about the Caravan are the new "benches."

They put benches in my plane? I'll never forget climbing into that thing for the first time during AFF, and realizing I had to sit not only on the FLOOR, but jammed between some stranger's legs.
They didn't remain strangers for long.

[freaksister 0]

Oh, you have to jam even further and harder, now. I don't know what they were thinking, but it was less invasive the other way. LOL
Sis
Wasting away again in Margaritaville....

[FallingILweenie 0]

Caravans are nice cuz the door is still decently big. The King Air is nice too, but aside from a CASA my favorite plane so far has to be SDC's otter with the stereo in it....cool ass plane.
blue skies
Tomas
"Marge, it takes 2 people to lie. One to lie and one to listen."
-Homer