Today’s Top Pick is a 1980 Cessna 207 Skywagon.

We do not encounter Cessna 207s every day. Its relative, the six-seat 206, is much more popular.

That is in part because six seats are enough for the missions many private pilots fly, especially family trips with more people and baggage than a four-seater like the Cessna 182 could carry. But some families are significantly larger than average.

Many of us can recall a few families in the neighborhood or at school with broods of children for whom the full-size station wagon was not quite big enough. In the days before large SUVs—we are talking about the 1970s—such families drove large vans, like the vehicles used as airport shuttles, for church field trips or transporting high school athletic teams.

Think of the Cessna 207 as the flying version of those vans, with the size, strength, and range to handle big loads and long distances.

The opportunity to acquire one of the relatively rare 207s could generate excitement among pilots who might otherwise have to consider a more expensive, complex turboprop utility aircraft to carry their families and friends. The 207 can do the job with less complication and easy handling that will be familiar and comfortable for pilots who have flown smaller Cessna piston singles. 

This 1980 Cessna 207 has 16,500 hours on the airframe, 100 hours on its 300 hp Continental IO-520 engine, and 944 hours on its Hartzell propeller. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 pounds and a useful load of 1,729 pounds. The VFR panel includes dual Icom A210 radios, P7000 audio panel, and Garmin GTX327 transponder.

Pilots with large families who need more space than the typical six-seat piston twin can offer should consider this 1980 Cessna 207 Skywagon, which is available for $235,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 207
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna Stationair 8/Skywagon 207
• FLYING Magazine: Cessna T206 Turbo Stationair
• FLYING Magazine: Overloaded Takeoff in the Outback
• FLYING Magazine: Cessna Grand Caravan EX
• The Aviation Consumer: Gippsland Airvan

The post This 1980 Cessna 207 Skywagon Is a Large, Family-Friendly ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 Cessna A185F Skywagon.

For many pilots the Cessna 185 is the ultimate all-around taildragger. When the airplane came to market in 1961, essentially as a heavy-duty version of the existing 180, it was an immediate hit, though interest grew significantly a few years later when Cessna upgraded its powerplant from a 260 hp Continental IO-470 to a 300 hp IO-520. The change contributed to the model’s legendary ability to operate off-airport and from short strips with heavy loads.

Even though 185 production ended in 1985, it often seems that the aircraft’s popularity never really faded and, indeed, continued to grow to the point where it appears to be more popular today than ever. The airplane for sale here offers the versatility of wheels, floats, or skis, and has modifications that make it especially well-suited for travel into remote areas. It is difficult to look at this Cessna 185 without imagining airborne adventures on the remote rivers and lakes of Alaska, Maine, or Minnesota.

This A185F has 6,800 hours on the airframe and 1,000 hours on its Continental IO-520D engine since a major overhaul. The engine’s six cylinders were replaced more recently and have accrued 300 hours. The engine is equipped with GAMI injectors and rests on a special Seaplanes West engine mount.

Additional upgrades include P.Ponk-reinforced landing gear (wheels are included), modifications for wheel skis, a BAS tail-pull handle, Aqua 3190 floats, and Aeropod tailcone access panels. The VFR panel includes an JPI EDM 830 engine monitor. 

Pilots looking for a powerful, utilitarian taildragger with generous and flexible load-carrying capacity should consider this 1977 Cessna A185F, which is available for $184,000 on AircraftForSale. 

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Alaska Wild in a Cessna 185
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Voyager Propeller Receives STC for Cessna 185 E/F
• FLYING Magazine: The Greatest Flying Season of All
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 185 Skywagon
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna‘s Big 185
• Plane & Pilot: Flying With Floats
• AVweb: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 185 Skywagon

The post This 1977 Cessna A185F Skywagon Is a Turnkey Adventure Machine and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1975 Cessna A185F Skywagon.

Cessna’s 185 is the stuff of dreams for many pilots with backcountry and bush- flying aspirations. Capable of hauling big loads into and out of short fields, the airplane has long been a standard vehicle for transporting hunters, fishing enthusiasts, and other outdoor sportspeople and their gear to remote sites, and bringing back their quarry. Over decades of operation in challenging conditions, the airplane has built a reputation as a rugged, go-anywhere machine.

If there is an aircraft with a higher swagger factor than a Cessna 185, it is a 185 on amphibious floats like the one for sale here. The ability to land on water gives pilots and their passengers access to areas without roads or runways, which they might never reach otherwise. For the return to civilization, the Wipline 3730 floats allow landings on more conventional paved runways.

This Cessna A185F has 1,834 hours on the airframe, 192 hours on its Continental IO-520D engine since factory remanufacture, and 230 hours on the three-blade MT propeller since overhaul. A set of Apollo avionics includes GX60 GPS and SL30 Nav/Comm, SL15M audio panel, and SL70 transponder. An S-Tec 50 autopilot, JPI EDM 700 engine monitor, fuel flow meter, and digital tachometer round out the panel.

Additional equipment includes a gear advisory system for the floats, Seaplanes West engine mount, Oregon Aircraft Designs heat shields, GAMI injectors, and Tanis engine pre-heater.

Pilots looking for a high-performance ticket to adventure and access to a wider list of destinations should consider this 1975 Cessna A185F Skywagon, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Alaska Wild in a Cessna 185
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Voyager Propeller Receives STC for Cessna 185 E/F
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 185 Skywagon
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna’s Big 185

The post A 1975 Cessna A185F Skywagon with Amphibious Floats Is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick for Adventure appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 Cessna 185F Skywagon

Many of us learn to fly and buy our own aircraft so we can travel long distances and gain access to new places. When those places are out of the way and have only a short turf or gravel strip for arrivals and departures, a muscular taildragger like the Cessna 185F might be the only realistic way to go.

This is a far cry from the Cubs or Citabrias in which many of us got our tailwheel endorsements. The 185F generally is considered a more demanding and rewarding machine. Known for its short-field performance and useful load of around 1,400 pounds, the 185F has long been a favorite of wilderness guides for hauling hunting parties into the bush and carrying them out with any big game they have managed to bag.

Imagine yourself at the controls of this sharp 185, carrying family and friends to remote camps and resorts, often hundreds of miles from the nearest airline service.

This Cessna has 5,172 hours on the airframe and 535 hours on the 300-hp Continental IO-520D engine since new. The propeller is a three-blade McCauley with 1,288 hours since overhaul. The airplane has a factory float kit, long-range 84-gallon fuel tanks, stainless steel cables, a windshield V brace, Cleveland wheels and brakes and more.

Pilots seeking a rugged airplane for transporting people or heavy cargo to remote destinations—or simply a 300 hp ticket to aerial adventures—should look into this well-kept 185F, which is available for $295,000 on AircraftForSale. You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Alaska Wild in a Cessna 185
• FLYING Magazine: Six Classic Utility Aircraft
• Plane & Pilot: The Cessna Buyer’s Guide
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna’s Big 185
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 185 Skywagon

The post Today’s Top AircraftForSale Pick: 1977 Cessna 185F Skywagon appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Ohio-based company has received the supplemental type certificate for the Cessna 180 powered by Continental O-470-As of serial numbers 41,000 and higher.

The Voyager was previously approved for other Cessna 180/182/185/206 models powered by the Continental -520 and -550 engines.

The Voyager propeller features scimitar aluminum blades for optimal performance, including increased takeoff acceleration and exceptional climb rate, while offering the same or better cruise speeds. The prop is positioned specifically for backcountry aircraft.

The propeller can be obtained by contacting Hartzell Propeller or one of its recommended service facilities. The Voyager propeller is being sold as part of Hartzell’s Top Prop Performance Conversions line.

According to J.J. Frigge, president of Hartzell Propeller, the Voyager model was introduced in 2019 and its continued growth in popularity inspired the propeller manufacturer to seek more applications—and taking it to the backcountry was a natural fit.

“We are also excited to partner with the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) to offer its members a $1,000 discount on the regular price of Voyager props from now until the end of 2023,” Frigge said.

“The Voyager is a real tribute to Hartzell Propeller’s commitment to backcountry pilots,” said RAF’s chairman, John J. McKenna, Jr. “It shows that they are paying attention to what the market is looking for, they hear what we’re saying, and they understand. Hartzell really hit the nail on the head with this one. I’ve had a number of different propellers on my 185, and the Voyager has outperformed them in all quadrants. Not to mention, it’s a great looking propeller.”

Hartzell Helps Protect Backcountry Strips

When a member of the RAF organization buys the Voyager, Hartzell Propeller is making a $250 contribution directly to the RAF organization. The mission of the non-profit RAF is to preserve, maintain and create public-use recreational airstrips for backcountry access throughout the United States. The donation program is in place until the end of 2023.

Hartzell History

Hartzell Aviation was founded in 1917 and since then has expanded beyond propeller technology. The company’s flagship company is Hartzell Propeller, the global leader in advanced technology aircraft propeller design and manufacturing for business, commercial, and government customers. Hartzell designs next-generation propellers with innovative blended airfoil technology and manufactures them with revolutionary machining centers, robotics, and custom resin transfer molding curing stations.

The post Hartzell Voyager Propeller Approved for Cessna 180s appeared first on FLYING Magazine.