AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 63
LOW OR HIGH elevations; sand,
JOHN MCKENNA
turf, or paved runways; doors
on or off-the Skywagon is
extremely versatile. George
Kounis (left) in his customary
air-to-air photography perch.
This brawny backcountry workhorse is the culmination of the lessons Cessna learned during decades
of building tailwheel utility airplanes, including the
170 (1948 to 1956), 180 (1953 to 1981), and 185 (1961 to
1985). Each has a distinct personality-especially the
Skywagon.
If the Skywagon were an automobile, it would be
a Ford pickup. If it were a dog, it would be a Labrador
retriever. If it were a football player, it would be an
offensive tackle. If it were a character on a TV western, it would be Hoss. You get it.
The Herculean airplane's useful load can almost
match its empty weight. Its range (with optional longrange fuel tanks and lean-of-peak engine management)
easily tops 800 nm. Using oversized wheels, floats, or
skis, it can operate from almost any surface. Cessna
185 owners tend to regard their airplanes as loyal and
trusted partners.
"If I won the lottery today, I'd still fly a Cessna 185
tomorrow," said John Kounis, co-founder and editor of
Pilot Getaways magazine, who has logged about 4,000
hours in his 1980 Skywagon since buying it in 1996.
"It might get a bigger engine, turbonormalizing, and
amphibious floats, but it would still be a 185. It's the
perfect airplane for the kinds of flying I enjoy most."
That is to say IFR and VFR, short and long distances, low and high elevations, and to and from busy
city airports and remote backcountry strips (often with
a dog in the back, and brother George, an aerial photographer, dangling out an open door).
Kounis cautions that the
185 can be a handful on the
ground. During takeoffs with
a crosswind blowing from
left to right, full right rudder
is barely enough to keep the
airplane straight. Spring steel
landing gear can make mainwheel landings bouncy affairs,
and full-stall landings demand
complete and total aft yoke to
get weight on the locking tailwheel for positive steering.
"I had about 100 hours of
tailwheel time in Huskys and
Citabrias when I bought my
185," Kounis said. "It took 50
more hours until I really felt
comfortable in it."
EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS
The popular Cessna 180 had
already been in production
for seven years when Cessna
launched the Skywagon. They
share almost identical dimensions, but the Skywagon has a
larger dorsal fin to account for
its bigger engine (260 or 300
horsepower instead of 230),
www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 63
http://www.aopa.org/pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015
Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 10
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 12
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 22
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 28
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 32
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 38
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - R-8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 92
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 100
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 102
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 104
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 107
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 112
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201103_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201011demo
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot0308
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com