I ENJOYED RICHARD MCSPADDEN'S column in the November issue ("Inner Circle: Rebuffed Again by the Skywagon," AOPA Pilot). As a 180 owner, I feel his pain, but offer a ray of hope. The key to happiness with 180 landings is to lower your expectations! So, it bounced a bit, who cares? As long as you can fix it without ending up in the ditch, all is well. Invite anyone who snickers to try their luck with one of the wonderful beasts. Just not yours. There is lots of advice out there, some going so far as to say, "it practically lands itself." Well, maybe in a dead calm on grass. Maybe. Personally, I find three-pointers easier than wheelies, but your mileage may vary. Richard McSpadden's self-effacing Cessna 185 article had me recalling a "humorous" landing I had in my 185 many years ago at Pittsburgh International. I owned a 185 for several years, 800-plus hours, and never considered the aircraft particularly cantankerous or evil spirited, just demanding. On this day arriving at Greater Pitt, I was given the choice of a heavily used runway that favored a brisk breeze, or less-used runway with a particularly challenging cross-wind. I chose the less-used runway because I felt I needed, and looked forward to, the challenge, and also because that choice might cause less interference with the airline guys lined up for the longer runway. I decided a wheel landing would be best, and, somehow, got that upwind wheel on the pavement in no-bounce order, only to find that as I started to pull power to get the tail to the pavement, the wind grabbed the tail for the inevitable switcheroo.
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