182 or Dakota?

[satpak77]

Looking for opinions here

Mission Requirements

- Local area Sunday flying with your kids (2)

- Once a month 500 NM trip to visit grandma

- Day VFR primarily

- Budget = You are not Bill Gates

 

[88_MALIBU]

I own a cherokee and love it. So I am the Dakota vote. I love low wings and think they make great cross country platforms.

 

[starvingcfi]

definitely the dakota. both great planes, but i have to go with the dakota b/c of the low wing. makes for much better visibility which equals increased safety.

 

[Palerider957]

Oh man....no comparison....Dakota. You can't go wrong with a solid Piper.

 

[340drvr]

Both good, but if you live out west in the mountains, I'd pick the 182. (I'm now donning my flak vest!)

 

[flying_gringo]

182... I'm in the Southwest - and used to own a 182, then a Bonanza with air conditioning, then went back to a Cessna for my current T210. The high wing Cessna is 20 degrees cooler then the air conditioned Bonanza while waiting in line out of PHX mid summer... keeping the sun off during a longer cross country for me is invaluable... and I love being able to open both side windows wide - if you go for a 182 - make sure it has both opening windows.

but this all may be moot to you. - other factors - when I fly - I find I'm looking at the ground - so I prefer the high wing....

I also enjoy the occasional off paved airport landing (intentional ones) and like knowing that every tall bush isn't going to leave its mark on my wing.

if your getting a hanger - I can stuff a car or two under each wing of a Cessna - with a low wing - its airplane only in the hanger.

while waiting for cargo I used to love sitting in the shade under the wing.

I much prefer the ease of Cessna entry and egress - two doors, one either side, and no climbing up on the wing - which is harder with older passengers - and no fun in the rain or snow.

and I don't want to get into the Lyc / Cont thing here... but the 0540 is more expensive for o/h then the 0470...

and no I don't enjoy using a ladder each time to check gas caps... but I've got a little folding wooden step that works great and folds completely flat.

I've also had better luck with the 182 and T210 when leaving the airplane out in the rain - the only leaks I get are from the rear window... I was looking at a saratoga at one point - but I demo'd it the day after a rain, and the front seats were soaked... It may have just been one bad airplane, but that seal is exposed, and I don't like flying airplanes that stink of mildew.

either way - its a compromise... both are great airplanes as evidenced by their production runs and value retention- before you buy go rent both for the trip to grandma's and bring the family and get their input. Your wife and kids will bring up many suprising good points and help you steer your decision.

fg

 

[Lopaka]

182 definately.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

My dad has a 235, which is the older designation for a Dakota.

The engine is easier to operate. THe 182 engine is very susceptible to shock-cooling, and I think carberator icing also.

I think other than the easier to operate engine, I don't think there's a lot of difference.

My dad's 235 you can put full fuel, 2 people and a TON of stuff in it. It's basically impossible to get it out of CG. It'll fly about 6.5 hours w/ IFR reserves. His best time was S. MI to Panama City in about 4.5 hours, non-stop. He put an O2 system in the aircraft and can fly up to 17K for favorable winds.

CLiff
DTW

 

[bobbysamd]

Piper

I don't have any Dakota time but I have tons of time in various other Pipers, e.g., Seminoles, Arrows, Archers and Cadets, and I have 182RG time. 182s are SOBs to land properly without a somewhat aft CG. I met only one person throughout my entire flying experience who could land a 182 consistently well; everyone else, including yours truly, almost always landed flat. Compare with Piper, which are more friendly to land and make excellent instrument platforms. (In all fairness, the RG was a good instrument airplane.)

Piper flaps with the manual Johnson bar are relatively idiot-proof compared to Cessna electric flaps. On the other hand, Cessna high-wing fuel management is relatively idiot-proof.

Two reasons to consider 182s are they indeed haul a ton with little brainwork on loading, and they are better suited to soft or rough fields than Piper.

Having said all that, my $0.02 choice would be Piper. Good luck and best wishes with your choice.

 

[ellsworb]

real airplanes have tailwheels.