Photos by by Jack Fleetwood (www.JackFleetwood.com)
Cubs and Bonanzas are perhaps the most generic airplanes in general aviation. Ask the average non-pilot to identify random models of private aircraft and chances are, he’ll come up with a Cub or a Bonanza.
Wait a few years, though, and the stereotypical light plane well may be a Cessna model 182 Skylane. Fact is that both the Cub and the original Bonanza are out of production, and the Skylane shows every sign of lasting right on into the middle of the 21st century.
By any measure, the popularity of the Skylane is as well-entrenched among pilots as it is among the uninitiated. Many of today’s aviators flew Skylanes years ago, then climbed the ascendency of types and moved on to gear that retracts and engines that burn jet fuel. Too many have forgotten just how talented Cessna’s medium-weight power lifter truly is. By any measure, the Cessna 182 is an outstanding machine in a number of areas and better than average in most others, not merely an aerodynamic collection of compromises.
Journey out to your nearest airport, and you’ll see an incredible proliferation of Skylanes of all vintages. There have been about 30,000 of them built over five decades, and they’re such easy airplanes to fly that most of those 30,000 are still airworthy. Nowadays you can buy a basic, early model 182 for as little as $60,000, making the airplane one of the best used buys on the market. Drop all the way back to one of the straight-tail, fastback pre-1960 models, and you may find one for even less. With a new paint job and an updated panel and interior, any Skylane built after 1962 looks remarkably like a new one.
Despite the bargains available in used airplanes, however, Skylanes have continued to sell well on the new plane market. The reason may have as much to do with the model’s consistency as anything else. Cessna has traditionally been one of the most conservative of aircraft manufacturers, and perhaps for that reason, they’ve left well enough alone when it comes to the basic 182 design. Prospective new plane buyers may find it exasperating that it now costs a basic $400,000+ to buy essentially the same performance that cost only about $14,000 new back in 1956. But there’s little question that the airplane’s performance numbers are and always have been exceptional.
Unwrapping the package
Overall, the Skylane is a nice package of ingredients, not a lightweight by any means. The model 182 is reasonably plush and comfortable — not the fastest or best-performing machine in its class (though not far from the top), and certainly one of the better examples of a four-seater carried to its logical conclusion.
ith the Cherokee 235/Pathfinder/Dakota, and despite offering comparable performance and similar pricing, the Piper competition has never really been competitive. Before it went out of production, the Dakota sold for slightly more, featured the same speed, and offered a better useful load. However, the Piper has never caught on, and failed to attract a cult following as did the Skylane.
Later versions of Cessna’s popular family transport are a perfect example of the kind of utility, performance, economy, and safety that’s possible using a tried and tested formula that emphasizes simplicity. “Keeping it simple” has always been a key ingredient in the Skylane’s success.
This plane is owned by the Fayette Regional Flying Club in La Grange, Texas. The pilot in these pictures is Blake Kramer and the co-pilot is Bradley McKee. The plane is IFR-certified with a Garmin 480W and HSI.
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