AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - 86
A floatplane in the Black Hills, miles from any lake? "It's quite
a juxtaposition," he says with a laugh.
THE ODDEST PLACES
You hear that a lot among owners of amphibious Caravans, the
floatplane showing up in the oddest places. The floats that cause
the already big single-engine turboprop to tower over others on
the ramp are there to add to the utility, not focus operations on
him everywhere-except those trips where he takes four dirt
bikes instead, for off-road experience. That suggests the Baja
Peninsula in Mexico where he and friends and family go from
time to time, stopping at dirt strips along the way, unloading the
bikes and checking out the local sights. Hours or days later they
return to the big Cessna, load up, and move on.
Like a Winnebago towing a trailer, the Caravan is a family fun
machine with loads of versatility. Few who use them recreationally
install fancy executive interiors. Instead,
they preserve the payload for people and
gear, often removing seats to accommodate moose, fish, kayaks, or whatever you
might need for the next adventure. The
standard interior includes two pilot seats
and eight passenger seats-usually three
bench seats for two down the right side,
and two single seats opposite on the left
side, but there are many configurations
available. Few recreational users have all
the seats in at once. With one bench seat out, the back becomes a
cavernous area for carrying gear. In addition, the floats each contain large storage lockers capable of carrying 300 pounds of stuff.
"Everybody feels safe in it," Fisk says. "It's fairly quiet, air conditioned, bright and airy." Even people nervous about flying seem
to get comfortable in the Caravan. "In the Caribbean, we always
"When you land an amphibious Caravan and
walk away, you look back and it's the coolest
one on the ramp. There is a certain pride in
ownership. It's the one that everyone stops to
look at. It's a pretty special deal."
FUELING A CARAVAN on floats is quite literally a big challenge
(below). Fortunately, it's safe to stroll out on the wing to the filler
port. Picking a landing lane along the shore of Madeline Island,
the largest of the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior (right).
86 | AOPA PILOT May 2015
LEFT: COURTESY JIM FOX
water. Fisk and several other owners take their ultimate recreational vehicles everywhere-land and sea, often piled high with
gear and game.
At his ranch, Fisk pulls a tractor with a lift up next to the
Caravan's double cargo doors on the left side and slides out his
two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which seem to accompany
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015
Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - 5
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - R-1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - R-2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - R-3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - R-4
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - Cover4
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