You can close your airplane in a no-tax state, do everything your accountant told you, and still get a use-tax bill that ends in six zeros. Here is why it happens, and how to make sure it never happens to you.

In this walkthrough, we're going to take you through a full cargo-to-passenger conversion: carpet reinstallation and Summit Plus seat installation, start to finish.

Today we're breaking down everything you need to know about the Kodiak Single Point Refueling System — how it works, how to use it, and the one mistake that will kill your battery if you're not paying attention.

Whether you're a prospective buyer trying to understand what you're getting, or a current owner who wants to know every switch in the cockpit, this is your complete walkthrough of the Kodiak 100 lighting system — inside and out.

Around March and April of 2025, the manufacturer cut in a model year change block — meaning 2025 Kodiak 100 Series 3s and 2025 Kodiak 900s are coming off the line with some meaningful differences from their 2023 and 2024 counterparts. Twelve upgrades in total. Here's what changed, what it means for you, and where we have opinions.

The Kodiak 900 runs the PT6A-14A engine, and if you're transitioning from a Kodiak 100 or coming in fresh, there's one thing worth knowing up front: the 900 has a two-stage starting sequence that's a little different from what you might be used to. Get that detail right, and the rest is straightforward.

Here's the full start sequence, step by step.

Eight hours of flying is behind you. The last thing you want to do is spend another 20 minutes on the ramp. But getting the loose equipment on correctly before you walk away is one of those habits that pays for itself the first time something goes sideways overnight — and at a busy FBO with jets moving around, things go sideways.

Here's exactly what we put on the Kodiak 900 before leaving it outside overnight.

Not the most glamorous topic in aviation, but it's one that matters. After more than a decade flying Kodiaks — pretty much all of them, across every environment — I've seen more control surface damage, dead batteries, and preventable maintenance issues than I care to count. Most of it happens on the ground, overnight, because someone skipped a step or rushed through the securing process. Here's how I do it, start to finish.

After 8,000 hours in Kodiaks over the last 12 years, the start sequence is second nature. But whether you're new to the airplane or just want a clean reference, here's exactly how I start a Kodiak 100 Series 3 — and why I do it the way I do.