Cessna 205

Single Piston

The Cessna 205 represents a brief but important chapter in Cessna's single-engine lineup, produced only during 1963-1964 as a six-seat utility aircraft before the model line split into the retractable-gear 210 and the fixed-gear 206 Super Skywagon. Built in Wichita, the 205 was essentially a 210 airframe with fixed landing gear, powered by a Continental IO-470 engine producing 260 horsepower. It offered genuine six-place seating with a large cargo door, making it popular for family transportation, light cargo work, and bush operations where the simplicity of fixed gear outweighed the speed penalty. The type filled a niche between the smaller four-seat 182 and the more complex retractable 210, cruising around 150 knots while carrying up to 1,120 pounds of payload. Its rugged construction and high-wing design made it well-suited for rough-field operations, and many examples found their way to Alaska, Canada, and remote regions where reliability mattered more than speed. Though production lasted only two years with approximately 577 aircraft built, the 205 established the template for what would become the hugely successful 206 series, which continued in production for decades. Today, surviving 205s remain valued for their combination of load-carrying ability, docile handling, and mechanical simplicity compared to their retractable-gear siblings. SkyMeter has tracked 14 flights across 3 airframes and 3 operators, with PARROW RONALD J the largest observed operator.