K. L. Jones, e-mail, 25.06.2026 21:05 I flew a Cessna 185 back in the early 90s for the state of Alabama,an early one which had an IO470 260 hp Continental. Later a C180 with the 0 470. By far the 180 flies much better than the 185. Much sweeter flying machine. I now own a C 180. Never will get rid of it!

Revd Andrew MacKenzie, e-mail, 28.05.2017 12:21 I was an RAF airframe fitter in Nairobi from 1961-63. I worked in my spare time with Missionary Aviation Fellowship with their engineer, Jum Stack, repairing an extensively wrecked 180. It had crashed in, I think, the Sudan, wrecking the forward end of the fuselage and landing gear. It had bee brought back to base at Wilson Airport overland. A very satisfying project indeed.

Manny Puerta, e-mail, 08.03.2017 21:13 I have owned my 1971 A185E since 2000. The engine info outlined here is incorrect. The first 185 had a Continental IO-470 for the first few years, then a Continental IO-520. They never had a 4 cylinder installed. The useful load on the later IO-520 powered versions is impressive. Mine, with the ART WingX wing extensions adding 175# to the gross weight, is almost 1700#. With long range fuel I have flown 6.1 hours @ 150 MPH and was able to fly final at 50 MPH. Not many general aviation single engine aircraft have that combined capability.

Elbie Mendenhall, e-mail, 19.10.2013 00:04 I've flown many Cessna 180's /185's since 1960, but never one with a 4 cylinder Lycoming, maybe they were flying a Doyn Cessna 170 up-grade! I love the Cessna 180/185 series.

Chas, e-mail, 20.03.2013 01:26 more piccies of the 180 would be wonderful

Kurt J. Jaeger, e-mail, 31.01.2013 15:25 I flew the 185's in Liberia from 1960 till 1963. It was the very best airaft on the jungle strips. Going in and out was something to behold. Great load carrying capability. We always had the versions with the Continental 300HP. The biggest asset was the manual flap system. Although we lost a few due to bad handling or weather in the raining season, it safed many a take-off or landing in those extremly short and rough airstrips in the Liberian tropical bush. For me it is still the best aircraft to handle with heavy loads and going in and out of strips of a few hundred feet only.

Bruce Davis, e-mail, 30.08.2011 22:57 I flew a 1957 C-180A with a O-470 K/L engine on EDO 2879 floats for 2000 hours all over Ontario and Quebec. Great airplane. Wish I still had it. As for the IO-470 in the 185, it does not stand up anywhere near as well as the IO-520. As for the O-470J, I would really rather have an O-470R (preferable) on an O-470K/L.

Peter Neenan, e-mail, 17.06.2011 18:36 I flew the 185 on Edo floats 800 hrs in the swamps of S Louisian. Absoloutly the best float plane every made and finest fishing machine, too.

Don, e-mail, 11.05.2011 17:15 I'm looking at getting a 1965 C185 w/ an IO-470 engine. If anyone has any positive/negative feedback for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Bill, e-mail, 24.03.2011 05:18 In 1965 the standard engine was the 470. In 1966 either the 470 or the 520 was offered. In 1967 the 520 was standard to end of production. From Int'l 180/185 Club Manual

Doc Clement, e-mail, 08.02.2011 23:36 I owned a 1974 C-185F and use it to fly the bush in Alaska form 1975-1983 working a 135 contract for Placid Oil based out of Fairbanks. Before I flew the 0-1 Birddog in Vietnam and had over 100 mission in North Vietnam and you can read about them in "A HUNDRED FEET OVER HELL" by Jim Hooper.

Doc Clement, e-mail, 08.02.2011 23:35 I owned a 1974 C-185F and use it to fly the bush in Alaska form 1975-1983 working a 135 contract for Placid Oil based out of Fairbanks. Before I flew the 0-1 Birddog in Vietnam and had over 100 mission in North Vietnam and you can read about them in "A HUNDRED FEET OVER HELL" by Jim Hooper.

Ron, e-mail, 06.02.2011 01:20 I had a 1976 180J. One of the best memories of my life was flying the 180, Fabulous aircraft

jim, e-mail, 13.01.2011 00:53 I'm glad I found this web site and to read the positive remarks about the cessna 180 185 planes .I was looking for info about a 1955 cessna 180 with the 0470J engine and would like some feed back , and What one would be worth on floats Cheers Jim

Bob Palmquist, e-mail, 11.11.2010 01:15 I flew my 1977 C-185 in Alaska for 9 years off beaches, sand bars and bush strips. Great plane, adjust your load to the length of the beach and it would carry anything you could get in it... A really fun workhorse.

Bob Leonard, e-mail, 27.10.2010 09:01 Really enjoyed flying the C-180 on Floats in Alaska. Along with the 150-Super Cub, both were excellent bush planes.

Dallas Smith, e-mail, 14.10.2010 07:47 Flew the u-17A&B out of Nha Trang, RVN as an AF Advisor to the VNAF. It was used primarily for psy war missions (bullshit bombers)and was later used for adjusting naval bombardment from tin cans operating off the coast south of Quin Yon. (Can't remember that spelling.) A tough little bird.

Roy M. Jones, e-mail, 07.10.2010 05:18 They are an great aircraft, I had 3 1955's, one of which had the Norton kit on it, with beta propeller, Bus Landry still talks about that aircraft, had an 1964 180, 1977 185, Love to strap one on again, love taildraggers, just finished rebuilding Cessna 140 for my son to learn in. After he gets some time in it, we will look for an 180/185. you can go any where in it, bush or big airports. an Great machine

Richard W., e-mail, 24.09.2010 17:10 The author needs to correct the engine for the 185. The early ones had Continental I0-470 engines and the later models had the Continental I0-520. Never had a Lycoming I0-360 engine.

Bela P. Havasreti, e-mail, 01.09.2010 18:06 The 1st 1953 180 was a converted C-170B pulled off the assembly line at Cessna in Wichita. It didn't have a "completely new fuselage" as stated (the structure from the front door posts to the bulkhead just forward of the horizontal stab is identical to the late C-170B models).

Afshin, e-mail, 19.05.2010 15:30 Dear Sir, if there is posible i want to have fatigue loads and blocks load of Cessna 185. best regards Afshin

Scott Boyd, e-mail, 07.02.2010 05:47 I had a cylinder head do the same thing on a 210. The injection line kept it from falling all the way off. I flew 180's and 185's back in the 70's, both the IO-470 and IO-520 versions of the 185. If you could get the doors shut, in the cabin and the cargo pod,it could carry pretty much anything. We used to fly of a gravel strip at the top of Lake Powell and in the summer time cowl flaps were an important item. With a heavy load you could climb about 400 fpm with them closed and about 200 open. A lot f time we would takeoff and descend off the end of the strip into the canyon to build speed and fly up river under the bridge trying to gain altitude.

Verne Lietz, e-mail, 28.01.2010 07:32 I've had a 1954 Cessna 180 for 26 years and it's never let me down except for dragging it in for 55 miles when a cylinder head cracked half way off. It's been to Alaska and back about five times, 400 miles up to Canada for fishing trips a dozen times and Washington state to Minnesota numerous times, all with no problems. It cruises at 145 mph on 12.5 gph. It's easy to fly, except has to be landed carefully in a cross wind. They are great planes for carrying a heavy load and for rough fields. I hate to give it up, but at age 86 and no where to go, it's time to quit. I also made a mistake and bought a 1955 C-180 on amphibian floats, a TSIO 520 engine derated to 265 h.p. by Pponk, vortice generators, etc. It's a nice plane, but don't have much use for it with the high cost of gas in the past few years, all the Canadian regulations, fees including $25 to take in a shotgun or rifle and I'm not about to go into wilderness without one. Those handicaps and US border crossing have made fishing trips less fun. Cruises 125 mph on 13.5 gph. I was surprised how easy it is to land with four wheels and would love to keep it if I had enough use to justify the cost of ownership.

John, e-mail, 27.01.2010 19:48 Best looking and friendliest flying machine made. My 180 saved my life and gave up its own by not stalling in a desperate no-power in the woods landing. Neither the 180 or the 185 ever had a four cylinder engine, as claimed in the intro specs. Acft could legally carry its own weight. I owned a '61 185 #1850049 after the 180; flew them b oth all around the country.

Jock Williams Yogi 13, e-mail, 23.04.2009 15:39 I flew charters in the 185 for Grand Centre Airways in Cold Lake Alberta when the "oil patch" was opening up. It was a magnificent airplane! By day I flew the CF5 and during time off I flew the 185 -and it was a great combo. unfortunately the one 185 that the company owned crashed on takeoff about 2 years after I started flying it -apparently due to frost on the wings -although my friend who was flying it at the time said that isn't so... One great thing about it was that the tailwheel gear kept the tail up almost in the level flight condition -which made out the front visibility way better than average in the early takeoff and late landing phases. It was a great performer and load carrier! Jock Williams Yogi 13

jeff huckabee, e-mail, 29.05.2008 18:50 The 1961-1963 185's came w/a IO-470f.In 1963 Cessna offered the IO-520 which became standard '64 and after. I regurely fly a '61 185 w/the IO-470.Great speed,economy and load carrying w/ todays fuel prices. Truley the best all-around G.A. aircraft ever made.

RT, e-mail, 14.05.2008 14:53 Engine is wrong. 180 has an o-470 the 185 has a 0-520?

Dick Hall, e-mail, 30.04.2008 19:54 Amen, Ron! I soloed in a 185 and, frankly, I'd do it differently now. It seemed to spoil me for almost everything else I flew--except for the Beaver!!!!--Seems that almost everything else I climbed in suffered by comparison! Bummer!

Ron, e-mail, 15.01.2007 01:56 Wish Cessna was still building them.........