N231SP

N231SP is a Cessna Skylane 182, a single-engine piston aircraft operated by IOWA STATE PATROL. SkyMeter has tracked 570 flights totalling 1,043 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 2 callsigns. The most frequent segment is KIOW to KIOW. Service window in our records spans 412 days. Of those flights, 70 (12.3%) carry at least one detected incident: a go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Cessna Skylane 182 has a 36 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 3,100 lb.

About the Cessna Skylane 182

The Cessna 182 Skylane has been the workhorse four-seat single-engine aircraft since its introduction in 1956, bridging the gap between the ubiquitous 172 trainer and more complex retractable-gear designs. What sets the 182 apart is its combination of a 230-horsepower Lycoming engine with fixed tricycle gear, offering significantly better climb performance and useful load than the 172 while maintaining the simplicity and lower insurance costs of a fixed-gear airplane. This formula proved so successful that Cessna produced the type nearly continuously for over six decades, with more than 23,000 built.

The Skylane's 140-knot cruise speed and 915-nautical-mile range made it a favorite for personal cross-country travel, while its high-wing design and sturdy landing gear earned it a reputation in backcountry and bush flying communities. The aircraft can operate from rough strips that would challenge many contemporaries, and its 3,110-pound maximum takeoff weight allows a typical useful load around 1,100 pounds, enough for four adults, full fuel, and baggage on most missions. Cessna offered the type in various configurations over the years, including the retractable-gear 182RG Skylane and turbocharged variants for high-altitude operations.

The 182 remains in production today as the Skylane and Turbo Skylane, testament to the enduring appeal of Cessna's original design philosophy: straightforward systems, predictable handling, and genuine four-seat capability. Its stall speeds of 50 knots landing configuration and 56 knots clean, combined with a never-exceed speed of 175 knots, define a generous operating envelope that forgives student pilots while rewarding experienced hands. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.