Cessna T-206- An Owners Profile
A few weeks ago, my next door neighbor here at the airpark I live at came home with a new toy. He bought himself a 1982 Turbo Cessna 206. Bob Pierce, operator of Pierce Aero Photo LLC is probably not your typical Cessna owner. Though he earned his Private Pilot license in 1977, he really didn’t fly much. Instead, he opted for a career as an A&P mechanic for Northwest Airlines, retiring after 26 years. Bob got to be my neighbor sort of incidentally. The house was part of the deal that came with the aerial photography business he wanted to buy.
Working out of the 180 hp C-172 that came with the company for a few years, he decided it was time for a better plane. “Not all of my work is local. After Hurricane Katrina I went up to New Orleans to shoot photos for the insurance companies. It was a long ride in the 172,” said Pierce. “I called my aircraft insurance company because I really wanted a C-210, but they said no way, not with my flight time and ratings, so I asked them what I could get insured in that was faster and hauled more and they said a Cessna 206, so the search began. When I checked around, I discovered that the C -206 is the platform of choice for aerial photography. I can take the door off to shoot air to air, and it is big enough and stable enough to install a 20” aerial mapping camera hole in the belly. I got a lot of insight from P.A.P.A., the Professional Aerial Photography Association, of which I am a member,” he continued. What is more interesting is where Bob found this particular C-206. “Actually, I found it on EBay! No kidding! It was owned by the State of Oregon, and they hired a company to liquidate their surplus equipment, and EBay is how they chose to do it. The ad didn’t tell me much about the radios, so I downloaded the photos and blew them up on my computer and when I realized what it had in it, and that it was State owned and maintained, I bid on it and won. It had an MX-20 MFD, a Garmin 480 WAAS approved GPS and an S-Tec 55 autopilot with GPSS steering and altitude pre-select. It was incredibly well equipped with modern avionics and it was a turbo-charged model to boot.”
“Flying back from Oregon to Florida we made the trip in 16 hours airtime, cruising between 13,000 and 17,000 feet averaging about 150 kts true, burning 15 gallons an hour. The first half of the flight we got great tailwinds but they died out east of the Rockies.” That was Bob’s 1st flight in a C-206, turbo or otherwise, and when I asked him what he liked about the Turbo 206 he said,“It flies like a big 172. It is truly easy to fly and very comfortable.” When I asked what he didn’t like he said, “Lots of engine management issues.”
As for his future plans for his (new to him) Turbo -206, he told me that he is going to install that 20” camera hatch, Vortex Generators, flap seals and tip tanks. “I plan to take the kids college shopping in the fall and with the tip tanks I can make long legs easily. The V.G.’s and flap seals I want only to improve the soft field handling since we live on a pretty soft field.” Bob flies about 150 hours a year, but spends about 500 hours a year in the plane shooting pictures while another (lucky) pilot flies it for him. Since the aircraft is used for business, he feels that the increased cost of fuel and maintenance plus dealing with the issues associated with owning a turbocharged aircraft are offset by the better performance of the airplane, but remember he is an experienced A&P. That fact I’m sure, gave him added confidence when buying an aircraft sight unseen. As you can see from the photo, the aircraft still sports its original paint and interior, a testament to the quality of care it has received. I can tell you that in my opinion, he got himself a great deal on a great airplane, and he has an interesting story to tell as well.
By Michael Leighton a 4,600+ N.A.F.I. certified Master CFIIMEI-ATP, as well as an A&P mechanic and former F.A.A. Accident Prevention Counselor. He operates an aircraft management, maintenance and crew services company located in South Florida. You can reach him via e-mail at av8tor0414@aol.com, or find him on the web at http://web.mac.com/mkleighton