The Aircraft of MDT: Cessna 208

Welcome to the eighth regular installment of The Aircraft of MDT. In this series we are taking a look at some of the aircraft that you may spot flying to and from Harrisburg International Airport.

A FedEx 208B Super Cargomaster seen through the
heat haze of the cargo apron.

The Cessna 208 is a single engine turboprop aircraft used for short-haul passenger and cargo flights. The original 208, the 208A Caravan, entered production in 1985. Shortly thereafter, in collaboration with Federal Express (now FedEx Express), Cessna developed the 208A Cargomaster and the 208B Super Cargomaster. The Super Cargomaster, 4 feet longer and using a more powerful engine than its smaller sibling, first flew in 1986. The passenger derivative of the Super Cargomaster, the 208B Grand Caravan, made its maiden flight in 1990.

There have been more than 1,000 208s built, across all of the variants. Of those, FedEx operates some 250, more than any other carrier. They, and other freight carriers, use the 208 primarily on feeder routes, carrying packages from small airports to hubs where they are transferred to large jet freighters like the Airbus A300. The Cargomaster can carry roughly 3,000 pounds of freight, and the Super Cargomaster, 3,500.

A Super Cargomaster operated by AirNet Express
is loaded with cargo.

The Caravan and Grand Caravan variants have standard passenger capacities of 9 and 14, respectively. They are commonly used as short-haul regional airliners. The 208, though, is an extremely versatile aircraft, and can be configured to a variety of specialized situations. The standard landing gear, for instance, can be replaced with skis or pontoons to enable landing on snow or water. The 208 is also popular as a skydiving plane; in this case, the cargo hatch can be replaced with a roll-up door.

At Harrisburg International Airport, Super Cargomasters can be spotted on the cargo apron, supporting the freight operations of both FedEx and UPS.