by Niki Britton, AOPA
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine April/May 2024 Digital Issue
When it came time to choose what the next AOPA sweepstakes aircraft would be, there was no question we wanted to select a noteworthy airplane to commemorate AOPA’s remarkable and storied 85-year history.
2024 AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170
Chris Rose/AOPA Photo
The AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170 made its final appearance at the AOPA Fly-In at the Buckeye Air Fair, February 16 – 18, 2024, where it was given away to the winning pilot.
AOPA President & CEO Mark Baker (right) and Cayla Hunt of AOPA (left) hand the keys to the 2023 AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170 to Cliff Gurske (center), a Phoenix, Ariz. area native, 30-year AOPA member, and Southwest Airlines pilot. David Tulis/AOPA Photo
The straight-tail 1958 Cessna 182 is the perfect choice as it’s not only one of the most popular and versatile general aviation aircraft, but also because this model and year graced the first cover of AOPA Pilot magazine in 1958.
2025 AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 182 Skylane.
David Tulis/AOPA Photo
The AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 182 Skylane has a yoke that matches the retro-throwback paint scheme. David Tulis/AOPA Photo
The aircraft was a blank aluminum canvas with a worn yellow cloth interior when AOPA purchased it in 2023 and, for the first time in a long time, we decided to send it to the paint shop first thing. Meaning that AOPA members won’t have to wonder what kind of livery their 2025 sweepstakes aircraft will be boasting.
We wanted this resto-mod to emulate the best features of the aircraft on the very first AOPA Pilot cover, which made choosing the paint scheme and tail number a no-brainer. The classic paint lines of the white, turquoise, and black livery not only look amazing, but also take us back in time to the early days of Cessna with retro Cessna decals and traditional N number placements. The 4000D tail number also pays homage to the 1958 magazine cover aircraft, which had a tail number of 4054D.
The paint scheme was redesigned with care by Craig Barnett of Scheme Designers Inc. in Cresskill, New Jersey, and the scheme was brought to life on the Skylane by Gustav Haussler, known as “Good Ol’ Gus” to his regular customers, of Master Aircraft Services in Wickenburg and Bisbee, Arizona.
From the paint shop, the aircraft made one stop at the Buckeye Air Fair in Arizona for its official public debut. From there, the Skylane flew to eastern Arizona for the next step of its makeover, interior.
Taking a classic aircraft and making it look new again is one thing, but that wouldn’t exactly make it a resto-mod. That’s why the interior design will tip its hat to the old but embrace new developments in materials and technology. The AOPA Sweepstakes 182 will feature a brand-new Garmin panel that will include several GI 275s to bring all the technology a modern pilot wants, while keeping the charm of the circular steam gauges we’ve all come to know and love.
For the interior, Arturo at Arturo’s Aircraft Interiors will strip the aircraft down to the aluminum and install all-new lush tan carpeting, headliner, and door panels, with the classically designed leather and cloth seats, bringing the outside in with turquoise accents. The yokes will be restored and painted, bringing the classic Cessna logos back to life.
No purchase, membership, or contribution is necessary to enter the sweepstakes, which ends June 30, 2025. See official rules at aopa.org/sweeps for details.
There is plenty more in store for this aircraft as it goes through its 18-month restoration transformation and we invite you to follow along. Look for more information on these pages and online as we continue restoring and modifying this 1958 Cessna 182, for you.
