Kodiak 100 Series III: First Time
Flying the STOL Turboprop

I have a problem I have been working on over the years – the art of saying “no.” As a corporate pilot and flight instructor, I spend a considerable amount of time in the air and get very few calendar days off. When I do manage to get a day off, only the most interesting activities will derail me from my well-laid plans for the day – such was the case recently.

I received a phone call from Joe Casey, a friend and industry peer, with a scheduling conflict that he hoped I could help him resolve. Joe is one of those pilots who can simply fly anything, and as such, he gets the opportunity to fly and write about many different aircraft types. From this phone call, I learned he had such an opportunity, but it conflicted with another flying obligation on his calendar. When he asked if I had a day free, I fully expected him to try to pawn his trip off on me so he could stay home to demo this aircraft, but instead, he offered me the opportunity to fly something I had never flown and he thought I would enjoy – the Daher Kodiak 100. I eagerly agreed to the flight.

First Impressions
Mark Brown, chief demo pilot and Kodiak sales director, showed up at our east Texas location with a beautiful, glossy, grey and black painted Kodiak. As I made my way to where it was parked, the first thing that struck me was the prop being in the “wrong” position for a PT6 engine. Typically, when a PT6 is shut down, the propeller stops in the feathered position due to the loss of oil pressure. This propeller was clearly not feathered, looking much more like a TPE-331 (or Garrett, if you prefer) engine on the ramp. I noted the oddity and added it to my list of questions to ask Mark when he caught up to me walking around the aircraft. It turns out that pitch-latch propellers are standard equipment on the Kodiak 100 Series III PT6A-34 engines. The airplane requires no modifications if adding floats to the aircraft, allowing operators to maneuver around docks more easily.

Having a seaplane rating but no turbine seaplane experience, I found this information highly interesting. As a pilot and longtime flight instructor, I love gaining new knowledge and am often reminded, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” As I continued my walkaround, I noted the Kodiak boasts extra-large cabin access doors, additional cargo space in the pod under the belly of the aircraft, and two separate cockpit entry doors. Suddenly, the King Air I regularly fly felt like a small, confined space, and I wondered how I ever managed to fit a piece of luggage through its single, airstair entry door.

More than patient with me and others who had wandered over to admire the aircraft up close, Mark answered questions and talked about the performance and handling characteristics of the plane as I continued taking it all in. To say I could not wait to fire it up and fly was a huge understatement, and I briefly wondered how I was going to run everyone else away from the aircraft long enough to get the doors closed and the engine started. After I was positive I touched every surface, moved everything movable, opened and closed everything with a door, read all placards, and asked all the questions I could think of without sounding like I had not done any homework on the aircraft, we finally closed it all up and made our way to the cockpit – sitting high above the Series III’s standard 29-inch tires.

I was thrilled to find that my 5-foot tall self had no trouble climbing into the high cockpit and adjusting the seat so I would have a full range of travel from all control surfaces. Being able to see over the panel and out the window was a bonus as far as I was concerned. I had long ago learned that most pilots are over 5 feet tall, and I was used to giving up my forward-viewing range out the window for full control reach, unaided, in many aircraft. I mentally added this aircraft to the list of planes I would love to fly regularly simply because the functional, ergonomic cockpit design left me not having to compromise viewpoint for control reach without adding cushions to the seat. It’s the little things that make or break a flying experience and this experience was off to a good start before I ever started the engine.

Time to Fly
Eager to see the Kodiak’s touted short field takeoff characteristics in action (and mildly disappointed we were on pavement and not grass), I taxied to the runway to see if we could really get this aircraft airborne in less than 1,000 feet. Mark talked me through the takeoff procedure after we ran the pre-takeoff checklists and I lined up, ready to watch for the 1,000-foot runway markings as we rolled down the runway. Did it take off in less than 1,000 feet? I have no idea! As I applied power during the rolling start, I glanced down at the torquemeter momentarily to ensure takeoff power was set and by the time I looked back up, literal seconds later, we were airborne. I’d bet most of what was in my pocket at the time it was pretty close to the advertised 1,000 feet, even with my slow power application.

After running the climb checklist, we headed out to the local practice area for maneuvers. While interesting to look at for its unique design, the Kodiak’s “discontinuous leading edge” wing allows the pilot to retain full aileron control in a stall, offering a huge safety advantage that other aircraft of comparable size can’t compete with. I maneuvered the plane into a slow, circling turn, trimmed the controls, removed my hands from the yoke, and watched while the aircraft pivoted about a point on its wingtip with no effort and a turning radius less than that of a small Cessna. With the autopilot disengaged, the aircraft continued the turn in a stable, 30-degree bank at 70 KIAS with no change until I stopped the turn with a nudge to the yoke. It truly is one of the most stable platforms I’ve ever flown. Low, slow, and controllable even in a stall, the Kodiak was living up to all its advertised hype on this demo flight.

When I had seen all I needed and was done playing with various configurations, we headed back to the airport for the requisite three takeoffs and landings I insisted I needed to get “Kodiak current.” My first approach was a little faster than necessary because who would have guessed the Kodiak approaches a runway slower than a Cessna 172? The second landing I felt better about, but Mark noted I was hesitant to really raise the nose for a proper flare. By the third landing, I felt comfortable that I’d be able to hit my target airspeed and landing attitude. The aircraft settled to the runway and we effortlessly made the first taxiway located 2,400 feet from the threshold. It was clear this aircraft could have come to a complete stop in far less distance than I asked of it. Mark pretended he let me do all the landings unassisted and I was smiling all the way to the parking area.

Latest Features
What else does the Series III aircraft boast? A standard landing weight of 7,255 lbs and a lowered, nearly eliminated, zero fuel weight are new selling points for owners looking for more versatility. But, one of the biggest perks of Kodiak 100 Series III ownership is the maintenance program, covering scheduled maintenance up to the fourth annual inspection or up to 1,000 flight hours total time, whichever comes first. Additionally, according to Daher, each new Series III comes with 400 hours of Pratt & Whitney ESP coverage, a year of CAMP maintenance tracking, and one year of Garmin NavData subscriptions.

While the Kodiak 100 may not be the sleekest or fastest aircraft on the ramp, it carries an understated beauty that suggests to anyone viewing it that it is there to work hard for its owner. The aircraft’s payload, docile handling characteristics, short-field takeoff and landing characteristics, and ample space make it ideal for backcountry strips, floats and improved airports alike. Its range, reasonable low altitude fuel burn, and the reliability of a turboprop make it an economical choice without sacrificing payload or safety. If you have not had a chance to check out the Kodiak for yourself, you are missing out on a gem that’s been hiding in plain sight since 2007.