With 24.3 out, I chose to inaugurate the newly-updated Cessna 208B Grand Caravan with a little-known flight that FedEx Feeder operates in Southern California. This flight is from Los Angles County to the neighboring San Bernardino County, feeding into a major cargo hub for FedEx, UPS, and Ameriflight, as well as a focus city for Amazon Air. I’m talking, of course, about the newly-3D Ontario International Airport.
Server: Solo
Airline: FedEx Feeder (Operated by Empire Airlines)
Aircraft: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
Origin: Hollywood Burbank Airport, Burbank, California (BUR)
Destination: Ontario International Airport, Ontario, California (ONT)
Flight Number: FX1208 (As in FedEx, 1st flight, 208. I have no idea what the actual flight number for them between Burbank and Ontario.)
Route: KBUR-KONT
Seat: N/A (It’s a cargo plane)
Time En Route: 38 Minutes
Loading up on the FedEx ramp at Burbank. Despite this airport’s relatively small size, cargo operators FedEx Express and UPS manage to fit in 757s, 767s, and A300s routinely.
Taxiing out of the ramp. After so much time flying widebodies on this app, I’m surprised at just how small of a turn radius GA aircraft have.
Takeoff from Burbank and climbing over the Hollywood Hills
Cruising beside the San Gabriel Mountains
Making the turn onto final and doing our best to expedite our arrival
Landing in Ontario after a quick IFR hop eastward. IFR in this context meaning “I Follow Roads”, specifically the I-10 freeway
Taxxing to the cargo ramp
Cargo unloaded and loaded onto trucks or taken to other aircraft