Cessna 182S/182T Skylane Cost of Ownership: IO-540 and G1000 Annual Budget (1997+)

This is the annual budget for the modern Skylane: the 182S (from 1997) and 182T (from 2001), with the fuel-injected Lycoming IO-540. Later 182Ts also have the Garmin G1000. If you're looking at a 1956–1986 182 with the Continental O-470, the legacy Cessna 182 cost page is the right one.

Which Skylanes does this budget cover?

Years and engines per the Cessna 182 production history. Confirm the exact avionics configuration and autopilot (KAP 140 or Garmin GFC 700) in the logbooks and equipment list. It changes the support-cost picture below.

How much does a 182S or 182T cost per year?

The worked example is a mid-2000s G1000 182T bought for $385,000, with 15% down ($57,750) and $327,250 financed at 7.75% over 20 years. Prices are assumptions. In 2025–2026 listings, asking prices for modern Skylanes commonly range from roughly the mid-$200,000s for 182S models to $500,000 or more for late G1000 NXi airplanes. Verify any specific airplane with Vref or Aircraft Bluebook.

Fixed costs are $15,800 a year. Compared with a legacy 182, the hourly costs are similar: the IO-540 burns a bit more fuel at typical cruise power, but a younger airframe needs a smaller unscheduled-maintenance reserve. The real gap is financing. The $327,250 loan here costs $2,687 a month, against about $942 a month for the same terms on a $135,000 legacy 182.

Why is insurance higher on a 182S/182T?

Hull value is the main reason. Underwriters price hull coverage as a share of insured value, so a $385,000 airplane costs more to cover than a $135,000 one, even with the same pilot. Our $3,800 figure is an assumption for an experienced, instrument-rated owner with time in type. For reference, BWI's 2026 data puts a privately owned Cessna 172 at $1,200–$2,500 a year and a Cirrus SR22 flown by an experienced pilot with transition training at $3,500–$7,500. A 182T usually lands between the two. Insurance is not hardening in 2026: BWI describes pricing for experienced piston owners as "generally stable." What moves your quote most:

• Time in type and glass-cockpit training. Underwriters often ask for G1000-specific dual for pilots coming from steam gauges.
• Instrument rating and recent IFR experience. These usually lower the rate.
• Agreed hull value. Insuring for an inflated value raises the premium without improving your claim outcome.
• Lender requirements. Your lender will require hull coverage naming it as loss payee. See insurance on financed aircraft.

How can you cut a 182T budget without cutting corners?

• Share the fixed costs. In a two-owner partnership where each partner flies 75 hours and the loan and fixed costs are split evenly, each partner's share is about $35,400 a year, or $472 per hour. A sole owner flying the same 75 hours pays about $59,419, or $792 per hour. See partnership vs. sole ownership.
• Price storage honestly. Swapping the $6,000 hangar assumption for a $1,500 tiedown saves $4,500 a year. On a glass-panel airplane, though, weather and hail exposure can cost more than that. Hangar vs. tiedown costs covers the tradeoff.
• Choose the database bundle you actually use. Paying for coverage regions and chart packages you never fly is a common source of wasted avionics spending.
• Manage the engine to reach TBO. Good leaning with an engine monitor, regular flying and consistent oil analysis cost less than the cylinder work that neglect brings.

What does the IO-540 overhaul reserve look like?

The 182S/182T's IO-540-AB1A5 is commonly listed at a 2,000-hour TBO. Confirm it for your engine in Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009, along with the calendar recommendation, which matters for low-use airplanes. Lycoming overhauls and factory engines generally cost more than an O-470 overhaul, so budget from a current quote rather than a legacy-182 figure. At a $54,000 all-in planning figure, the reserve is $27.00 per hour. At $64,000, it's $32.00. Buying an airplane with 1,400 hours on the engine means about $37,800 of engine life already used, and the price should reflect it. Background: SMOH and TBO explained.

Turbo fuel burn, overhaul cost and TBO are planning assumptions. Lycoming's published TBO for the TIO-540-AK1A may differ from the normally aspirated engine's, so confirm it before budgeting. The T182T also adds turbocharger, wastegate and exhaust-system inspection items.

What does G1000 support cost each year?

The G1000 is the line item legacy-182 owners don't have. It is reliable, but it's a system of replaceable units (displays, integrated avionics units, air data, AHRS, magnetometer and transponder), and none of them are cheap once the airplane is out of warranty. Treat the figures below as planning ranges from typical shop quotes, not published prices.

For steam-gauge 182S and early 182T models, the question is how long older navigators and autopilots remain supported for repairs and database updates. Ask an avionics shop before you buy. The $6-per-hour avionics reserve in the budget ($600 a year at 100 hours) won't cover a major failure in a single year. That's why many owners keep a separate cash cushion or plan a financed upgrade. See avionics upgrade financing.

What will the loan payment be on a 182S or 182T?

As of September 2026, piston aircraft loan rates quoted by major aviation lenders generally start around 7% for well-qualified borrowers and run to roughly 10%. AOPA Aviation Finance quotes 6.99–9.99%, and FLYING Finance lists certified piston rates from 7.01%. A newer airframe and a larger, well-collateralized loan tend to price toward the lower end.

Loan amount $327,250. Principal and interest only; excludes insurance, taxes and fees. Illustrative, not a quote.

Most lenders want 15% down on a post-1960 single, credit of about 680 or better (best pricing around 720–730+), and income that covers the payment plus the operating budget above. If the airplane will be used for business more than 50% of the time, 100% bonus depreciation is permanent for aircraft acquired after January 19, 2025, which can change the after-tax cost substantially. Confirm with a CPA for your situation, and see aircraft depreciation and taxes and LLC ownership structures.

How this page differs from related guides

This page is the annual budget for 1997-and-later Skylanes. The Cessna 182 Skylane model page has specs, price ranges and generated payment examples. The Cessna 182 buyer's guide covers the buying decision and what to inspect. The 172-to-182 upgrade guide covers the training, insurance and financing hurdles of stepping up, and the 182-to-206 guide covers the next step. Budgeting for an O-470 airplane instead? Use the legacy 182 cost page.

Frequently asked questions