Why the Skylane Endures

J. Mac McClellan

Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The Cessna 182 Skylane is highly recommended as an ideal first airplane for new IFR pilots and for travel, praised for its stable flight characteristics, moderate speed, and good fuel endurance.
Older Skylane models had notable issues with carburetor ice and a challenging 40-degree flap setting, both of which have been corrected in newer, fuel-injected models with reduced flap travel.
Its reliable, forgiving nature, coupled with its travel capability, makes the Skylane a versatile choice suitable for pilots at all experience levels throughout their careers, explaining its 50-year endurance.

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Whenever new pilots ask me to suggest a first airplane to learn to travel in, the Cessna 182 Skylane is always at the top of my list. My recommendation of the Skylane is especially strong for a pilot new to IFR flying.

Part of the reason I believe so firmly in the value of the 182 is that it was 33 years ago that I cut my IFR teeth, as it were, traveling the United States in a Skylane. Archie Trammell was editor of Flying’s then sister publication, Business & Commercial Aviation, and he and his wife, Jane, crisscrossed the country in a basic Skylane with nothing in the way of advanced avionics, and not even a wing-leveler autopilot.