Wipaire Increases Grand Caravan Gross Weight to 9,187 Lbs.

Wipaire, Inc. has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to increase the Cessna Grand Caravan’s gross weight to 9,187 lbs. (4,167 kg) on Wipline 8750 floats. The Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) adds 125 lbs. (56 kg) of useful load and is available for floated aircraft equipped with the PT6A-140 engine. Eligible aircraft include production Grand Caravan EX aircraft and Grand Caravans equipped with Blackhawk Modifications’ XP140 conversion.

“More useful load means more of what matters to our customers—whether that is passengers, cargo, or the family pet,” noted Clint E. Clouatre, Vice President of Marketing & Sales. “To make this possible, Wipaire’s engineering team thoroughly analyzed and tested the Grand Caravan to approve the higher gross weight. Our robust engineering capabilities exist to deliver more to our customers every day, and we’re excited to make this upgrade available.”

The gross weight increase to 9,187 lbs. is available immediately and is priced at $12,500. Eligible aircraft include:

New production or in-service Grand Caravan EX aircraft on Wipline 8750 floats

Grand Caravan aircraft modified with the Blackhawk XP140 engine conversion on Wipline 8750 floats

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.