, they were nicknamed the Vomit Comet in Botswana.
They were way too under-powered when its hot and heavy. Couldn't get above the bumps and would end up with sick pax.
Think about it for a second, the GA8 has the same Horsepower as a C206. The airvan was designed to take 2 more pax!
We had a seat out in the rear so we could carry baggage as well as fuel. Put it this way, we could only climb due to the curvature of the earth....
I don't know what you were flying but while the Airvan was not as quick in the air as the 206, it certainly performed pretty well with most payloads I flew in it.
I'd prefer a max weight van than a max weight 206!
I agree with the sick pax though. With that big wing they felt every bump! New pilots also had a tendency to over control and chase the altimeter. You had to let it ride the conditions a little more than other aeroplanes.