Flight Training - November 2019 - 8

AROUND THE PATCH BY JILL W. TALLMAN

Technical Editor JILL W. TALLMAN is still
getting used to the constant-speed propeller
on the 182, but has decided she likes it.
jill.tallman@aopa.org

LOW TO HIGH
"Pull. Pull pull pull pull pull!"

I was not shooting skeet. I was not playing tug of war. I was simply trying not
to land a Cessna 182 nosewheel first. And it was tough. Luckily CFI Larry Jarkey
has flown with a lot of newbie 182 pilots, and he was not going to let me dive
nose-first into the runway.
It's not like I didn't know about this trait of the 182. The AOPA Air Safety
Institute publishes aircraft reports on many makes and models of airplanes. The
report for the 182 warns that landing is the most accident-prone phase of flight in
a 182, with hard landings the leading transgressor. The airplane has a heavy feel
to the elevator control, and you need a whole bunch of trim when landing.
But it's one thing to read about an airplane's tendency to do something, and
something else entirely when you're sitting in the left seat, hauling back on the
yoke during the flare, only to realize you haven't hauled it back far enough.
What was I doing in a 182, anyway? This is my new ride. And I'm still incredulous that I went from a 160-horsepower four-seat trainer to a 230-horsepower
four-seat cruiser, with a fancy panel and nicely rehabbed interior. Oh, and six
co-owners. More about them in a minute.
I told you last time ("Around the Patch: Bye Bye Baby," September 2019 Flight
Training) that I had parted ways with my Piper Cherokee 140. Miss J is now
plying the sunny skies above Van Nuys, California, according to the occasional
stalking I do on Flightaware.com.
So that left me airplane-less. I briefly considered buying another airplane,
and soon discovered that my budget wouldn't cover the kind of airplane I really
8 FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER 2019

It's funny how
opportunities come
around, and come
around again.
wanted-something with more horsepower, more range, and a little more
comfort than the Cherokee 140.
But it's funny how opportunities
come around, and come around again. A
share in a Cessna 182 based at Frederick
popped up in a local Facebook pilots'
group. I recognized the name of the pilot
who was selling the share. He'd floated
it for sale a year ago, yet here it was for
sale again. I was intrigued.
Turns out the pilot had bought a share
of another airplane located at an airport
closer to his home, and he wasn't flying
this one as much. I went to take a look,
and I liked what I saw: a well-kept 1978
Cessna 182Q. The owners had invested
in an Aspen display, two Garmin GTN
650s, and ADS-B In and Out. Autopilot,
and even a StormScope. Newish paint
and interior. Ninety-gallon fuel capacity.
This airplane checked all the boxes on my
wish list, and then some.
I wrote a check without first meeting
the other owners, and that's probably
not what I would recommend to anyone
buying into a partnership. But the six
other owners are good people, and we
share a love of flying and a desire to
keep this airplane running well for many
years to come.
Partnership has been a bit of an
adjustment. I can't just stroll out to the
airport and take the airplane whenever
I want. And then there's the whole lowwing-to-high-wing thing. I'll just say
this: I never fell off a stepladder while
checking the fuel in the Cherokee 140.
In spite of that, I am excited about
flying again. Planning cross-country trips
is exhilarating. I could not have afforded
an airplane as capable as this 182 on my
own, and lucking into this partnership
will open doors to many more adventures.
Plus, I now have six new friends, and
that's a blessing all by itself. FT

http://www.Flightaware.com

Flight Training - November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - November 2019