By Paul Bertorelli

Cessna Grand Caravan: A Top Haul-It-All Option

Lately, most new Caravans are going overseas as commuters, but Cessna would like to revive the 208B’s personal transportation appeal.

Airplanes, like people, often start out being one thing but as they age, they become something else entirely. And so it is with Cessna’s now-venerable Caravan that began life as an unglamorous box hauler that few would ever see on the ramp in daylight. It then became a niche utility airplane for the bush, capable of hauling not just the fisherman, but their camp and a couple of boats, too. Of late, it’s finding yet another niche as a short-haul commuter airplane.