Where would I begin ?

To float, or not to float? 180 (assumes no engine mods) is good on straight floats, not so good on amphibs. If amphibian aspired go to the 185.

Beyond that, any 180 that's been cared for is a good 180.

PM Stan Musick....don’t wait.

Rumor is he is going to list his very soon. Stan is a straight up guy that knows airplanes. You won’t find him owning any “duds”.

Charles, Check out the 185 for sale here on B/T, I just moved it to the Top

Charles,

You asked "where to begin". My honest suggestion is to make acquaintance with Skywagons.com. It is simple, they represent and sell more 180's/185's than all others combined, and have been in business for a long, long time. Even if you are one of those who thinks you just can't get the best deal through a broker, they set the benchmark. I bought my 180 through them and made some very good friends in the process. After I brought mine home, my "next door hangar neighbor", Wayne Roberts, flew mine and got hooked. He had met Kerry, one of the two Skywagons.com "guys" and bought his sight unseen. He is perfectly satisfied, as am I. If you knew Wayne, you would realize that as a heck of an endorsement.

Stan, on the other hand, has an excellent 185. He calls me every week or so to banter over whether to sell or keep, and I stay with keep. He might sell it, but I hope he doesn't. He certainly cannot replace it for the money he will get.

The Skywagon, like the Aerostar, is something of a cult airplane. The owners have an attachment and dealing with them directly can be a chore; fair warning. The one listed on BT looks good, but I have not seen it.

Have you flown one? I mean really flown one with a competent pilot? If not, don't, unless you are ready to buy. They are one of the few piston singles today with legitimate commercial value. In other words, they will make money for somebody, so they will, almost assuredly, continue to increase in value.

Jg

Get a 78 or newer C185. 300 hp, fuel injected, 28v.

Other than those on floats, I think the commercial value of 185's is overstated. Every small outfit in Alaska uses Supercubs or 206's. Bigger outfits use Caravans. Freight haulers use Casas.

Broad generalizations, obviously, but you could work a lifetime as a bush pilot and never have 185 time. It's a relevant thought here because, as someone considering 180's and 185's, I'm guarding against the thought "a 185 costs a lot more, but I should be able to get it back since I'll be selling into the commercial market."

Charles, if you can go fly with John Green, you'll get to see what a 180 can do.

A friend and fellow BT'er has a 185 that he will be putting up for sale shortly.

Maybe seeing this will spur him on!

Well ... there appears to be a big price delta between the 180 and the 185. OP was asking about the 180, no?

Tom makes a good point. The price of these airplanes can vary wildly based on mods and add-ons. An injected model as suggested by Marc is a $100,000 mod alone. Avionics can be basic or another $100,000 add on. What utility do they add to the "average" 180/185 owner? Almost nothing.

Each buyer has to determine what airplane will meet 90% of his needs and buy accordingly. A 185 will command a premium over a 180, probably more than the real added utility, IMO.

Again, the first step is to immerse yourself into a real understanding of the airplane, the model differences (negligible) and the market. The best way to do that is a call to Skywagons.com. Some will direct you to the Skywagons association group; almost worthless. Little interest by the members and less participation.

Jg

I was in Alaska this summer and the commercial operators are more likely to use C206s than C185s. The C206s have big tires, mud guards, wing extensions, and they don't have to deal with ground loops and pilot qualifications.

I do thing private owners in Alaska like C180s & C185s.

I have 200 hours in a C185; great plane. A friend has one & I give him flight reviews in it. But for developed airports where I live, the Bonanza is better.

Yep. Almost all 206s for the commercial operators here with a couple of Islanders thrown in for some big loads.

Aren't those fellas the money laundering dudes?



http://www.mtdemocrat.com/news/placervi ... ds-guilty/
http://www.inedc.com/1-7.html

From your article:

“Skywagons.Com, LLC was formally established in 1989, specializing in the sale of used single engine Cessna type aircraft. Its Founder, Joe Stancil Jr. who has bought and sold over 1900 aircraft in that time has sold the business to his long time employee of 17 years, Mark Pilkington. Mark will continue the tried and tested tradition of the business, and customers past and future will not see any difference in the quality and service they have come to expect. Skywagons.com will still very much specialize in the Cessna 180, 185, 206, 182 types, but will also sell other aircraft to create a varied and desirable inventory. The new company will also offer a comprehensive brokerage service to private aircraft owners wishing to sell their aircraft. We are very familiar with international sales and can assist in the export paperwork and physical shipping of any aircraft to any part of the world.”