[B4Ranch]

All aircraft are designed with their most common usage in mind. If you want to increase the flight time you only have one choice - lighten the load. "The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft ...

[blackdog]

But I thought single engine land certification prohibits night operations and flights beyond gliding distance over water. I remember flying passengers over Lake Michigan and I would have to do so @ 11,000 feet. I also remember flying Cherokee Six 300's from Fort Pierce to Freeport and could only do so during daytime. I was also required to carry personal floatation gear, a raft, and pyrotechnic signaling device(flare gun).

But that was decades ago.

[blackdog]

I departed Wilmington Delaware once in a Cherokee in the middle of August with five persons plus pilot and four sets of golf clubs with full fuel. I used all 8,000 feet of a 10,000 foot runway and had an initial rate of climb of 100 feet per minute without stalling. The passengers thanked me when we got to their destination, for the lovely scenic view of the bay as we left because we were as low as the sailboat masts. After I burned off enough fuel and got into some cooler air I managed to squeeze out about 400 feet per minute. It took me half way to Charlotte NC to get to my filed altitude of 4,500’. If only they knew?

[Ray76]

Cessna Grand Caravan

http://caravan.cessna.com/caravan/grand-caravan-ex
http://caravan.cessna.com/~/media/Files/caravan/grand_caravan_ex/grandcaravansd.ashx