As someone who has nearly 800 hours flying in the C206 I would like to share my experiences of flying this aircraft whilst I was in Africa as a bush pilot.
The 206 could probably best be described as a flying truck and tends to fly that way as well. A lot of guys say that they fly the same as a C172 and although they are similar this isn't strictly true-the Stationair's usually have a 300 hp naturally aspirated engine although some are obviously turbocharged but if you end up working in the Okavango Delta in Botswana you won't be flying with any turbos as the turnarounds are only about 10 minutes. The aircraft also have higher stick forces particularly the elevator controls and any pilot would also do well to use their rudders more so than C152/C172 as the back of the aircraft can have a tendency to fishtail at the back and make your pax feel a bit green!
During your type training and practise forced landings the 206 can descend quite rapidly during your 75kt glide and it is not unusual to have 1000-1500fpm indicating on your VSI-even with just two upfront and no pax or freight onboard! The Stationair also doesen't like being dragged in (ie.low and slow)-in fact if you come in slightly high you can often get into a short strip anyway but practise makes perfect. Optimum flap for these aircraft for takeoff is 20 degrees but if heavy you would take 10 degrees instead.
From the time you start flying solo/go online you would probably take about 50 to 100 hours to feel comfortable with your flying. Also keep your eyes on the aircraft all the way down on final approach-206s are not as simple to land as a C172 but not overly difficult either and on rare occasions has been known to give even the experienced guys a small balloon before touchdown-maybe someone can explain why?
Anyway, just a small bit for guys who are looking for info on flying 206s, particularly some pilots who are looking for that first job in the Okavango.
Do any other Stationair drivers have other comments to add?