By Theron Burton.
Time was quickly ticking down to my day with the examiner for my private pilot check ride. I had mastered the steep turns, the frightening stalls and high performance landings and takeoffs.
I felt confident that my PPL (private pilot license) would be in hand soon, so I began the next step. I started to research buying an airplane.
After all, the whole point of learning to fly was to be able to travel and explore on my own terms.
Although lots of people tried to convince me that renting would be a good option and less expensive, I decided against that for a number of reasons.
I wanted the freedom to travel where I wanted, when I wanted, and for however long I wanted to. I looked forward to feeling the pride of ownership. I also felt that I would fly more if I owned an aircraft and that becoming very familiar with that aircraft would make me a safer pilot.
All of my training had been done in a Cessna 172. I had also flown a Piper Archer and a Cessna 152 once. I looked at the huge variety of planes in the classified section of General Aviation News and picking just one seemed like a daunting task.
So, I asked a few other pilots how they’d chosen their plane. The answer from everyone was basically the same. Define your mission, define your budget and then choose the airplane that meets the criteria.
As to my mission, I wanted a plane that could easily carry three people, luggage and four hours of fuel. Insurance premiums are higher for new pilots flying an aircraft with retractable gear. I wanted to avoid that cost, but still have an aircraft with decent speed.
I live in Greenville, S.C., and I anticipated that the majority of my destinations would be the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. However, I wanted to be able to reach places like New York City, Chicago, and Orlando within four to five hours. For those longer distances, an autopilot would be essential.
Since I’m a fairly big guy, and comfort is important to me, my plane would need to be roomy and easy to get in and out of. Finally, I wanted an economical plane that was fuel efficient and easy to fly and maintain.
After considering all of these factors and my maximum budget of $100,000, the list of acceptable planes quickly shrunk to three: the Piper Dakota, Cherokee 6, and Cessna 182.
The Piper Dakota is fast and can carry a nice payload. However, it’s not very spacious and can be difficult to board since you have to climb on the wing to get in.
The Cherokee 6 is a very nice plane with club seating, a roomy cockpit and easy to enter double doors. I had visions of my wife and I relaxing in the back with a snack while someone else flew us around!
The drawbacks of the Cherokee 6 are its high fuel burn, the higher cost of insurance for six seats, and the sticker price topping $100,000.
The Cessna 182 is just a tier higher than the Cessna 172 that I had been training in, and so very similar. However, it’s bigger, faster and can carry more. The decision seemed obvious.
The Cessna 182 was the best option. There are many different models of Cessna 182s and each has slight differences, pros, and cons. The early models do not have a rear window. The later models can’t burn mogas. Some carry more than others.
I settled on a model that had a rear window, a gross weight of 2,800 pounds, and a low compression engine that could burn mogas. This would be my perfect plane — fast, economical and a mule at heart.
With the blueprints of my perfect plane in hand, I spent the next two months scouring the Internet day and night looking for her. After a lot of tireless nights I came across my needle in the haystack.
She was a 1965 182H with a low time O-470R engine. She had a STOL kit with flap gap seals, STEC auto pilot and 3-blade prop with a stainless steel spinner.
The online pictures showed off a shiny paint job and plush interior. I would have bought her sight unseen, but thankfully I had been warned to get a pre-buy inspection from other pilots. They told me horror stories of people buying planes that seemed nice initially and later found out that the plane had been a hangar queen. Hangar queens tend to have lots of issues due to not being flown regularly.
I had the seller email digital copies of the logbook to my mechanic to review.
After getting a thumb’s up from my mechanic on the logbooks, we scheduled a pre-buy inspection. I wanted to be involved in every aspect of the process, so I asked my mechanic to let me help with the inspection.
When we arrived, I had no idea how to do an inspection, but I could take off panels, turn wrenches, and learn something about the plane I was about to buy. I helped remove the seats, the headliner, cowling and port covers. After poking around with a flash light, the mechanic explained that he was looking for corrosion and other issues that may affect the structural integrity of the aircraft.
He pointed out that firewall wrinkling is a concern on 182’s due to improper landing technique. Luckily I didn’t have any wrinkling in my firewall. He then looked over the engine and had me assist him with a compression test.
Besides a couple of minor issues, my needle in the hay stack was indeed a good find. The seller and I went back and forth until we finally settled on an agreeable price. With the deal closed, I was the new owner of a Cessna 182!
My Cessna 182 was delivered to me on my birthday, two days after receiving my private pilot license. I was eager to get my bird in the air, but to do so I needed a high performance endorsement from my instructor.
With my instructor in the right seat, we primed the engine and started her up. Listening to that deep throaty sound of the 182 gave me goose bumps and a hint of what was to come. As I lined up on the runway for the first time, I eased the throttle in. I felt a rush as I was pushed back into my seat from the power of the 182.
At that moment, I understood why you need a high performance endorsement to fly this beast of an airplane. We climbed out faster than I had ever climbed.
As we leveled out in cruise flight, I noticed that the ride was a lot smoother and quieter compared to the 172 that I had trained in. In addition, I was traveling much faster without even noticing it. The Cessna 182 lived up to all of the hype that I had read and it was a treat to fly. Although a few upgrades were in store, l was very happy with my purchase.
As a new pilot and first time buyer, I learned a lot about choosing a plane; a decision that shouldn’t be based solely on style, color, and speed. If I had chosen my plane solely on that notion, I may have ended up with a black Bonanza V-Tail with cream leather interior!
I am very satisfied with my Cessna 182. It has given me the freedom I desired, while meeting my mission and budget. It is the perfect plane for me!
The perfect airplane is currently under designed (and has been for the last 20+ years) by the Oshkosh Irregulars. It is a tube & fabric, tri-motor, supersonic, swing-wing bi-plane. First flight is planned for sometime in the next millennia. Or not.
I owned at c 182 for about 15 years . Great aircraft. Ha d a placard on the panel. TRIM WELL BACK FOR LANDING . A superb work horse. Loved the old girl. 1969 model , I sold it 25 ? Years ago and it’s still flying in the Australian outback on a cattle station.
Something to experiment with in the 182. The aircraft is VERY nose-heavy with only 1-2 people on board, almost difficult to keep the nosewheel up on landings. Put 1-2 cases of oil in the baggage compartment, well secured. You will find the plane flies much nicer, and faster! (less download on the tail equals less drag.)
I have owned a 1972 182P for 32 years. I have fueled it with autogas ~80% of the time.
I was happy to hear that this new pilot was considering that advantage. Not only is autogas considerably less expensive, but puts an end to fouled spark plugs.
I wouldn’t presume to label the 182 the perfect airplane, but in the time I have owned mine I could never make a convincing case for anything else. It is a great family airplane. It has good range, and is free from dangerous vices. It is, at least compared to other airplanes, easy to work on
Hi Jack, I would be curious to hear about your experience with auto fuel. I purposely looked for a 182 that could run on it. I don’t know of any other planes that can come close to the efficiency of a 182 on auto gas when you consider speed and payload. It’s hard to beat the 182!
I love the 182rg can haul 800 pounds with full tanks at 1 50 knots and they’re priced the same a straight leg 182
Coincidently I’ve owned a C182H for several years and had many adventures in it in Alaska several of which were bush flying. I have a seaplane prop on mine and the performance is outstanding.
BEST IN THE WEST IS THE C 182 STRAIGHT TAIL WITH A HORTON STALL AND FLAP GAP SEAL
1957 LANDED ON LOGGING ROADS & WEST COAST BEACHES LOW CLOUD WITH ONLY THE SHORE LINE FOR VFR
Well done and congratulations…on the aircraft and depicting an inimitable effective process in identifying, finding and purchasing the perfect aircraft.
Can see why you are likely an excellent pilot.
All the best.
And remember, mitigate the risk!
Over my “flying career”, I’d flown a number of light single/twin (84) last count – and I would say the S or A-36 Bonanza tops the list – if your into retracts and an honest 165+knt bird!
Mazaltov! I, too, love the 182 and 210… best of luck and use it in good health.
Great story, wishing you nothing but blue skies and safe flying. Hopefully some young folks will pick up on your passion for aviation.
I have a friend who is a retired commercial Helicopter pilot, LAFD. He has owned 55 airplanes and was awarded the FAA’s Wright Award for 50 years of no-accident flying some time ago. When asked about the ideal best light airplane he answered the Cessna 182 Skylane. He still flies. His hangar is spectacular!
Congrats on your due-diligence and now get IFR-rated to safely expand your horizons.
Anyone who picks out one plane and says that is the best plane is either stuck in the past or kidding you. Aircraft are like women…not one size fits all. Wanna bet the old guy never flew anything larger than that Skylane? Wanna bet he never sat behind a glass cockpit? Just a few of the possibilities out there.
Congratulations on finishing the initial training. Keep it up, instrument is next.
Read every page in the POH and the supplements for all the added equipment.
You may get a GPS with a moving map, but you can learn to visualize that map in your mind, a skill that can save your bacon if there is some avionics failure.
Using the autopilot is a skill, use the autopilot when the weather is perfect so you can scan for traffic . At night VFR you may be VFR without outside visual reference. The autopilot isn’t a crutch, it is a tool.
The constant speed prop is easier to operate than a fixed pitch prop: RPM will stay the same whether taking off, climbing or diving. It will also monitor oil pressure. If the engine losses oil pressure the prop will over speed on a single engine airplane [on a multi it will feather].
Take care of the airplane and you can get most if not all your money back in a few years when you step up to a Bonanza. Take a demo ride in an A36 at your ow risk, you’ll want to step up immediately..
Join EAA as well as AOPA.
That’s one of the happiest and most instructive stories I’ve read here. A nice balance between the craving for ownership and common sense. The 182 is terrific for inexpensive work on Commercial and Instrument ratings too. Happy landings (nose wheel high)!
Congratulations on your 182. You made a good choice. It is a great plane that does everything well, and the transition from the 172 that you’ve been flying will be easy as pie.
Are you a member of black pilots of America? If not you should join. Our website is http://www.bpapilots.org. We’d love to have you as a member.
Congrats! You can’t go wrong with a nice C182. It does so much very well.
Get used to lots of nose up trim when in the pattern and holding that stick back during/after landing until you cant hold the nose off any longer. A taildragger endorsement is good for teaching that….
Have fun!
Great story – congratulations!! Now go get your instrument ticket as soon as you can, it will make you a better pilot.
I hope you will have lots of happy flights in the future.
VERY NICELY WRITTEN…HAPPY LANDINGS ?