Flying a 182 from O(eg:onto"C.alifornia

BY STEVEN W. ELLS

tools that were available for pilots in]958 for planning and flying a 593-milecross-country, and compare these withthe tools that are available for planningand flying that same flight today. This593-nm cross-country proceeds fromthe Medford airport in damp and moun­tainous southern Oregon to the balmysun-soaked Avalon Airport on Catalina]sland in California. The wonder of avia­tion is that both of these airplanes-a1958 model and a new 2008 model-can

make this trip in less than four and a halfhours if the winds are cooperative.

Older and heavier

Six-cylinder, magneto-ignition, avgas­fueled engines power both the 1958Skylane and the 2008 Cessna ]82. Con­tinental Motors Company, later Tele­dyne Continental Motors (TCMJ, sup­plied its robust 0-470 series engines forthe 182 line from 1956 through 1986.Then Cessna suspended production ofits single-engine line until the GeneralAviation Revitalization Act (GARA)waspassed in 1994. By the time that Cessna

AOPA PILOT' 92 . MAHCJl2008

Even after 50 years of improvements andupgrades, such as a decided slant to thevertical fin and rudder, new avionics, and a

different engine manufacturer, the Cessna182 is still instantly recognizable.

re-introduced the 182 line in 1999, Tex­tron had acquired both Cessna-theairframe manufacturer, and Ly­coming-TCM's competing airplaneengine manufacturer. Since Cessnarestarted its single-engine line, a Tex­tron Lycoming 10-540 series enginehas powered the 182. Cessna also offersa turbocharged version of the new 182

and it's selling better than the normallyaspirated version. The 2,400 takeoffrpm and the shorter blades of the stan­dard three-blade propeller on the 2008model 182 result in low propeller bladetip speeds-a major noise-reductionfactor. The longer-disc diameter of thetwo-blade propeller and 2,600 takeoffrpm of the earlier Continental 0-470­equipped 182 models.

The 1958 Skylane had a maximumgross takeoff weight of 2,650 poundsand a typical empty weight of 1,720pounds. Subtracting the weight of a fullload of fuel (65 gallons with 55 usable)resulted in a payload of 540 pounds.The new ]82T has a MTOW of 3,100pounds and an average empty weightof 2,032 pounds. The whopping 92-gal­Ion fuel capacity (87 useful) results in afull fuel payload of 516 pounds. Theempty weight gain of 300-plus poundsin 50 years seems like quite a leap, butit must be remembered that while earlySkylanes were well appointed for theirday, what was regarded as an upgradein ]958 can only be viewed as minimal-

•

The "squished oval"control wheels,

scatter-shot instrumentplacements, coffee­

grinder radios, andvertigo-inducingAN-style gyros thatwere typical of 1958Skylanes have beensuperceded byfist-filling, button-festooned control

wheels and fullyintegrated avionics,comm, autopilot, andnavigation systems ••' ---such as Garmin'sG-1000 in the 2008

182T (below).

ist today. The Volkswagen Beetle-aminimalist design if there ever wasone-was introduced to North Ameri­can motorists in the late 1950s. One

need only compare the 1950s-era Bee­tle to the most economical car of todayto appreciate the comfort gains madeduring the past 50 years.

As the Cessna 182 line matured,Cessna incorporated major airframechanges that increased interior cabinspace, swept the tail 35 degrees, re­placed the bag-like fuel bladders with a92-gallon capacity wet wing, and up­graded from flat landing gear legs totubular gear legs. These changes, andthe installation of more cabin com­forts, resulted in a steady increase inempty weights, causing a slow declinein service ceiling numbers. The serviceceiling of the 1958 Skylane is 19,800feet. By 1985, when the 182 was pow­ered by a high-compression 0-470Uengine, the service ceiling had fallen to14,900 feet. Textron Lycoming hastrimmed weight off the 10-540 engines,added roller camshaft followers, and

Safety features such as three-pointshoulder harnesses buttressed by inflatable

airbags from AmSafe for each occupant inthe 2008 182T supplanted the simple lapbelt in the 1958 Skylane.

re-worked the crankshaft counter­

weight system to produce a smooth­running engine. Because of these up­grades, and the larger displacement ofthe 540 engine over the 470 series en­gine' the lagging performance evidentin the last of the TCM-powered 182s isno longer an issue. Performance-wisethe 1958 and 2008 airplanes are re-

markably similar. The 1958 Skylane hada top speed of 165 mph (143 knots). The2008 model 182T is advertised as hav­

ing a top speed of 150 knots.There's no comparison between the

cabin appointments, safety features,and cabin comfort of the 1958 Skylaneand a new 182.The 2008 Cessna 182 is a

very comfortable and safe airplanewith luxurious interior appointmentssuch as leather seats, sound-dampen­ing carpets, and safety features such as26-G impact seats and inertia reel andairbag-equipped seat belts. A typicalequipment list includes a dual axis au­topilot, a factory installed oxygen sys­tem, back-up alternator and battery,and a sophisticated integrated avionicssystem.

Flight planningToday's pilot thrives in a world of bat­tery powered laptop computers and al­most universal access to the Internet.This access coupled with sophisticatedflight planning software providesalmost everything a pilot could desire

AOPA PILOT' 93 . MARCH ZOOB

Internet-based tools such as the AOPA

Real-Time Flight Planner have replaced thepencil, plotter, and E-6B calculator forflight planning. In spite of the availability ofelectronic charts, paper approach platesand airway charts are still the choice ofmany modern-day pilots.

AOPA PILOT· 94 . !>.IARCI I 2008

in the way of weather information, flightplanning tools, and flight plan filing con­venience.

AOPA's Real Time Flight Planner(RTFP) is a great example of the toolsavailable to today's pilots. Flight plan­ning in 1958days consisted of two op­tions. Pilots could obtain a briefing andfile a flight plan over the telephone, orthey could walk into one of the AviationCommunication Stations (ACS)locatedat many airports to study weatherprognosis charts and get a face-to-facebriefing before filing a flight plan withone of the attendants. In 1960 these

stations were renamed Flight ServiceStations (FSS).

The most commonly used tools forflight planning chores in the late 1950swere plotters, which were used to mea­sure distances and determine headingswith reference to printed charts, andmechanical calculators, most commonof which is the E-6B style. Experiencedpilots often carried a pocket-sized circu­lar version of the E-6B that they called"whiz wheels." These calculators en­

abled pilots to derive true airspeeds,density altitudes, leg time, fuel burn, aswell as convert statute mile to nauticalmiles, Celsius to Fahrenheit, and feet tometers. No batteries were required but ittook time to work through a set of pre­flight calculations and fill out a naviga­tion log.

Today, pilots need only to enter thestarting and ending airport identifiers,the cruising altitude, and if the owner'saircraft profile is up to date, the flightplanner instantly produces a completeflight plan with preferred routing, a navi­gation log with identifiers, minimum enroute altitudes, time between stationscalculations, a colored route chart, andFAA-format flight plan. Another click ofa button files the plan.

The ease of route planning doesn'tend at the computer. In addition topreferred routings, standard instru­ment departures (SID)s and standardterminal arrivals (STAR) are on thedatabases of many GPS navigators,easing the transitions into and out ofen route preferred routings. The air­ways system has grown so organizedthat where yesterday's pilots joked thatIFR meant, "I follow roads, or rail­roads," today's pilots say that IFRmeans, "I fly routings."

Beneficial changesIn response to the Grand Canyon crashof 1956, huge changes in the nationalairway system were implemented at acost of more than $450 million. One ofthe most beneficial changes for GApilotswas the replacement of the aging, veryhigh frequency omnidirectional range(VOR) facilities from maintenance-in­tensive tube-type mechanically drivenequipment to more dependable solid­state equipment.

Instrument landing systems (ILS)that provided precision vertical and lat­era~guidance to airports were much eas­ier to use and much safer than the Ad­

cock low freq uency ranges they re­placed. As late as 1956, VFR charts werestill depicting Adcock range installa­tions. In spite of the rush to upgrade thenational airway system, the changes thatmake today's instrument flying thesafest in the world-nationwide radar

coverage and satellite-based navigationsystems-were far in the future.

In 1958 approach and departureradar control systems were available atmajor airport locations but en routeradar coverage was still spotty. GA pi­lots who flew instruments in the late

1950s were required to make positionreports on VHF radios as they pro­gressed along their flight plan. Reportswere required at compulsory reportingpoints-such as over VORs-and fol­lowed a pattern in whieh the pilot re­ported his altitude, time over the sta­tion, the name of the station he wasover, the name of, and the time hewould arrive over the next compulsoryreporting point in the flight plan, andthe name of the reporting point afterthe next one.

Few GA pilots flew instruments inthe late 1950s. Hal Shevers, in additionto being the founder of Sporty's PilotShop, directed instrument refreshercourses for AOPA in the early days."There weren't many instrl!ment ratings

in the late 1950s," remembers Shevers."They became more common in themiddle '60s."

The navigation and communicationradios that were available in the 1950s

were capable enough, but did require alot of attention to tune frequencies.Narco's Mk II Omnigator, weighing 18pounds, had 27 VHF transmit frequen­cies that radiated out on five watts of

power, a marker beacon receiver, a VORreceiver with a course-deviation and to­from indictors, and a crystal-calibratedVHF communications receiver. The VHFreceiver had to be calibrated before use.

A five-position knob had to be set to"CAL"for calibrate, a rotating knob wasthen turned until the desired receptionfrequency was aligned with a pointer­then the knob was moved slowly to tunethe receiver. A steady whistle heard inthe headphones indicated an on-fre­quency setting. After this "whistle-stop"tuning was complete the five-positionknob was moved to the COM position.

There was no distance measuringequipment in GA airplanes in 1958, sopilots used dead reckoning and time-to­station rules of thumb such as, "For

every 10 seconds it takes to make a 10­degree change between VOR radials offthe same VOR, you are one minute fromthe station." DME, en route radar cover­age, and the widespread acceptance ofGPS have made position reports a his­torical footnote.

By comparison, positional awarenessover the ground on electronic versions ofVFR and IFR charts, airport taxi dia­grams, as well as traffic information oradvisory services (TIS or TAS), and ter­rain information via a terrain awareness

warning system (TAWS)can all be dis­played on the full-color multifunctiondisplay screen that's permanentlymounted on the 2008 Cessna 182 instru­

ment panel.The Garmin G I000 integrated avion­

ics system also consists of a second 12­inch screen situated in front of the pilot.This screen, called the primary flight dis­play (PFD), shows the pilot all the flightinstruments that are required for safeflying under the most extreme condi­tions, as well as wind direction and ve­locity, true airspeed, distance and timeto next waypoint and destination, and astorehouse of other flight data. Thissystem, which is standard equipment inthe 2008 Cessna 182, also includes oneof the best light aircraft autopilot sys­tems ever built. These avionics have

changed the way modern pilots fly. It's

~SHEET1958 182A SkylaneBase price: $16,850Current used price; good paint, interior,avionics, mid-time engine: $46,000

SpecificationsPowerplant Continental 0-470L 230-hp

carburetedRecommended TBO 1,500 hr

Propeller Hartzell two-Blade 82-inchdiameter constant speed

Length 25 ft 2 inHeight 8 ft 6 inWingspan 36 ftWing area 175 sq ftWing loading 15.1Ib/sq ftPower loading 11.5 Ib/hpSeats .4

Cabin length 7 ft 7 inCabin width 3 ftCabin height .4 ftEmpty weight 1,621IbEmpty weight, as tested 1,774 IbMax gross weight 2,650 IbUseful load 1,029 IbUseful load, as tested 876 IbPayload w/full fuel 639 IbPayload w/full fuel, as tested 486 IbMax takeoff weight 2,650 IbFuel capacity, std 65 gal (55 gal usable)

390 Ib (330 Ib usable)Oil capacity 12 qtBaggage capacity 120IbPerformance

Takeoff distance, ground roll 555 ftTakeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle .

................................................ ..1,080 ftMax demonstrated crosswind component ..

...................................................... 15 ktRate of climb, sea level 1,030 fpmMax level speed, sea level 144 ktCruise speed/endurance w/45-min rsv, stdfuel (fuel consumption)

@ 75% power, best economy, 5,000 ft ............................................ 139 kt/3.1 hr

(84 pph/14 gph)@ 65% power, best economy, 10,000 ft .......................................... 136 kt/3.9 hr

(71.4 pph/l1.9 gph)@ 55% power, best economy, 15,000 ft .......................................... 130 kt/4.5 hr

(62.4 pph/l0.4 gph)Service ceiling 19,800 ftLanding distance over 50-ft obstacle .

.................................................. 1,310 ftLanding distance, ground roll 560 ft

Umiting and Recommended AirspeedsVx (best angle of climb) 58 KIASVy (best rate of climb) 74 KIASVA (design maneuvering) 106 KIASVFE (max flap extended) 87 KIASVNO (max structural cruising) 139 KIASVNE (never exceed) 160 KIASVR (rotation) 55 KIASVS1(stall, clean) 53 KIASVso (stall, in landing configuration) ...49 KIAS

All specifications are based on manufactur­er's calculations. All performance figuresare based on standard day, standard atmos­phere, sea level, gross weight conditionsunless otherwise noted.

2007 Cessna 182TBase price: $367,000

Price as,tested: $387,640

SpecificationsPowerplant Textron Lycoming 230-hp

10-540-AB1A5Recommended TBO 2,000 hr

Propeller McCauley three-Blade 79-inchdiameter constant speed

Length 29 ftHeight 9 ft 4 inWingspan 36 ftWing area 174 sq ftWing loading 17.8 Ib/sq ftPower loading 13.5 Ib/hpSeats .4

Cabin length 8 ft 9 inCabin width 3 ftCabin height .4 ft 1/2 inEmpty weight 1,997 IbEmpty weight, as tested 2,114 IbMax gross weight 3,100 IbUseful load 1,103 IbUseful load, as tested 995 IbPayload w/full fuel 551IbPayload w/full fuel, as tested 443IbMax takeoff weight 3,110 IbMax landing weight 2,950 IbFuel capacity, std 92 gal (87 gal usable)

552 Ib (522 Ib usable)Oil capacity 9 qtBaggage capaCity 200 IbPerformanceTakeoff distance, ground roll 795 ftTakeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle .

.................................................. 1,514 ftMax demonstrated crosswind component ..

...................................................... 15 ktRate of climb, sea level 924 fpmMax level speed, sea level 150 KCASCruise speed/endurance w/45-min rsv,

std fuel (fuel consumption)@ 80% power, best economy, 7,000 ft ............................................ 145 kt/4.7 hr

15.9 gph/95.4 pph@ 55% power, best economy, 10,000 ft .......................................... 122 kt/7.6 hr

10 gph/60 pphService ceiling 18,100 ftLanding distance over 50-ft obstacle .

.................................................. 1,350 ftLanding distance, ground roll 590 ft

Umiting and Recommended Airspeeds

Vx (best angle of climb) 64 KIASVy (best rate of climb) 84 KIASVA (design maneuvering) 110 KIASVFE (max flap extended) 100 KIASVNO (max structural cruising) 140 KIASVNE (never exceed) 175 KIASVR (rotation) 56 KIASVS1(stall, clean) 54 KCASVso (stall, in landing configuration) 49 KCAS

For more information, contact CessnaAircraft Company, One Cessna Blvd,Wichita, Kansas 67215; 800-4CESSNA;www.cessna.com.

AOPA PILOT· 95· MAHCH 2008

50 years and 4,733 hours later

A 1958 Cessna Skylane, N4054D, hadthe honor of being the first airplane tograce a cover of The AOPA Pilot maga­zine. N4054D has upheld the Cessna182's reputation as one of the best air­planes ever built by filling roles as a starin Cessna company advertising and insearch-and-rescue missions in andaround Idaho's mountains. It has been

sold seven times, has hangared in Mis­souri, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon,and Idaho, and is still going strong.

Cessna flew 540 for nearly 300 hoursin research and development projects,and featured her in advertising pam­phlets before a flying club in Missouripurchased her for $11,417 in 1959. Theclub later upgraded the avionics withtwo Narco Mk II Omnigators and a Tac­tair autopilot. During the late 1960s 540changed hands three times. In Novem­ber 1977 the FAA cited the owner for

failing to sign and submit an updated,"Aircraft Registration Eligibility, Identifi­cation, and Activity Report," and re­voked the certificate of registration. Theairplane was re-registered and FAArecords show a January 1979 sale to anindividual in North Carolina. Less than a

now possible to fly hundreds of mileswithout touching the control yoke andnever vary from the desired track orcruise altitude.

The flightNeither the 1958 Skylane nor the 2008Skylane had any problem climbing outof Rogue River Airport in Medford tothe 11,800-foot minimum en route alti­tude (MEA) required to head southover the Siskiyou Mountain Range,which rises up to mark the southernboundary of Oregon.

To present a fair comparison, let'shave both pilots cruise at 10,000 feetmsl as they fly south over VORs at RedBluff, Sacramento, Paso Robles, SanMarcus, and on across the 54-nm over­water leg from the Ventura VOR to thefinal VOR at Santa Catalina Island.

This routing covers 593 nautical miles.Figures from the 1958 owner's manualshow a true airspeed of 135 knots whileburning 11.9 gallons per hour. Settingaside 10 gallons for fuel reserves fromthe 55-gallon usable fuel results ina full- fuel range at this power setting ofthree hours and 48 minutes, or 510nautical miles.

AOPA PILOT· 96 . MARCil 2008

year later 540 moved west after beingsold to a new owner in Hines, Oregon.The new owner installed a new 'T' con­

figuration instrument panel, an alterna­tor, and a stack of new radios. 540 flewthe western skies for its new owner for

eight years before being sold in May1987 to its present owner, who took ithome to Lewiston, Idaho. The currentowner, Tom Rogers, installed many modi­fications such as a STOL kit, an extend­ed baggage compartment, and an FMtransceiver to assist in search-and-res­

cue missions for the Nez Perce CountyAir Posse and the Civil Air Patrol. In

January 2008 there were 4,733 hourson the airframe. The Cessna has neverhad accident or incident recorded

against it. -$WE

The pilot of the 1958 airplane elect­ed to land at Sacramento for lunch and

fuel after being aloft for an hour and 40minutes.

The 2008 182 pilot's operating hand­book (POH) revealed that pilots couldselect power settings as high as 85 per­cent at 10,000 feet. For a more evencomparison, let's compare the new 182when it's being flown at the samepower setting (71 percent) as the 1958airplane. In this case it would fly at 141knots TAS and burn 12.9 gallons perhour. Setting aside 12 gallons for re­serves yields a full fuel range of 819nautical miles after five hours and 50minutes aloft.

In the last 50 years the world haschanged, the flying environment haschanged, and even the smallest steps inevery flight have changed. Paralleling allthe changes are the improvements Cess­na has incorporated into the 182. Basedon this winning formula, there are prettygood odds that an AOPA Piloteditor maywell sit down to write an article about thenew 2058 182 in 50 more years. /alA

B-mail the author at steve.ells@

aopa.org.