Someone in flying magazine summarized it pretty well. It delivers on both ends, meaning when you start flying and when you are about ready to quit flying. Say, a Baron is too much airplane and you are just looking for some practical fun or transportation.

I have never flown one, they seen to do everything pretty well. They give you shadow on a sunny day and rain protection on a wet tarmac. Also, no need to climb up the wing to get on board.

Rgs,

Patrick.

My first plane was a Skylane. Only way to get lessons at our airport was to own. Worked well because my son and I both wanted to learn. He still owns a share in it.

Was a handful to learn in at first. Heavy nose I thought but I was wrong. My PPL instructor would not allow anyone to trim after they were on the downwind. That worked in his 150 and 172 but made the 182 very heavy landing. As it slowed down in the pattern to final appch speeds the nose would get heavier right through the flair. I know that the purpose was to make the frequent GA's much safer and easier in the 182.

Stable, hauls a load, four people as said earlier and lands well. I practiced, with instructor, prior to my PPL preparing for my check ride one day. The wind was a 90 degree crosswind 18g24. By the end of the hour of practice with him we went inside after landing and winds were 28g38. Was never fearful of a xwind after that in the 182, respectful, not scared. What a great airplane.

My first IMC/ILS in it was from the right seat. Ceilings were 400'. I loved that airplane and would not be surprised if I have one again. While I love my tail draggers not many can qualify to use one of my planes to pick me up or drop me off, just because it is a TD.

I miss my Mooney more but had a lot of firsts in our 1980 C182. She is missed....

Skylanes are strong where short-body Bonanzas are weak: cg flexibility, cabin access and maybe short field operations.

They're weak where Bonanzas are strong: reliability (comparatively speaking), speed, handling, ramp appeal, speed, speed, speed........

Then there's carb icing, nose-heaviness, plastic-y parts....

They have their place; I might get one as I get older, stiffer, slower, and possessing of more grandchildren. But for similar money a Bonanza is significantly faster and a 206 carries a lot more.

Can't agree enough toward Skylanes, therefore I just finished restoring a 1977 C182Q to close to Bo Style performance via an AirPlains Conversion and renaming it N182AP

Two Doors!! Good.
Climb like a monkey to refuel.. Bad
Fixed gear ?? Good and bad
Remove cowl to look at engine? Bad
Stuff it to the gills and fly?.. Good
Parts available. Good

I could only stand to own mine 22 years.
Sold it. Bad
Looking at another now.

I concur.

I get in/out more often than I fuel it, but climbing up on a low wing to get in is a bit easier so I consider it a wash.

Here's mine - With Wing X, Sportsman STOL, IO550 and 400 lb upgross kit, its makes for a pretty awesome floatplane

Nothing not to like.

Akin to a Yukon.

Does enough well that it’s earned it’s place in the sun. Or whatever.

Lotta firsts in that airplane for me.

HP sign off.

Complex sign off (in an RG).

First long cross country.

Got my IR in one.

First “Big-Scare-And-Survived” in one. I can tell you almost to the square mile where the line was when I fell for the sucker hole.

Flew my first wall-to-wall IFR flight in one. ILS to minimums in Portland, ME and the pax huddled under the wing in the hammering rain while I ferried everybody to the FBO with the only umbrella. Feeling like a million bucks.

It was “just challenging enough” for that phase of my flying, while forgiving my trespasses.

My old club has a Facebook page and I see 1SJ on it sometimes. Makes me kind of miss it...

We’ve had or Skylane since 1993. It is more than part of our family, it is an integral part of our life. Over the years we’ve tweaked it to suit our needs.

It does everything we need even though I sometimes want more, speed, engines, range, etc.

Our plane has carried to every corner of the US as well as a handful of foreign countries. I really can’t imagine life without it.

They don't do anything really great, but do a whole lot of things very well.

From Garth's gorgeous example of a 182, to this Q-model I used to haul 30,000 gallons of jet and AvGas to a remote strip in the Alaska Range, a 182 is just one hell of a good airplane!

I'm thinking a border crossing is in order next summer...gorgeous!

Question - please don't laugh if it's stupid. Is an amphib Cessna to/land from a smooth grass strip more than once?

More pics please I hate em,

My next plane!

Holy smokes Mike! You certainly win First Place in the Skylane restoration award in my book! That is gorgeous!