Idaho man finds a Cessna 182T that's been sitting in a barn for 14 years and shares the exact cost of making it airworthy

After finding a ‘pickled’ Cessna 182T that had been sitting in a barn for 14 years, this man has decided to give it the chance to feel the wind beneath its wings again.

The rebuild project threw multiple spanners in the works, with the costs of making it airworthy quickly racking up.

Once used by a father and son for exciting rides through scenic routes, after the dad sadly passed away, the son lost all appetite for flying, and hasn’t set foot in the Cessna 182 for a decade and a half.

Now, the YouTube team CDA Aviation is getting it back in the air, and they’ve given an honest breakdown of the repair costs.

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This dormant Cessna 182T rebuild was more than he bargained for

The rebuild jobs of Cessna aircraft are often really rewarding.

Just as one man found with is charming love-struck vintage 1947 Cessna 120.

This time, though, CDA Aviation had pledged to take over the rebuild of this Cessna 182T, recognizing that it was a low-mileage aircraft that just needed a bit of TLC.

Having been dormant for so long, it was accepted that the engine would need to be studied, as well as the usual review and upgrade of the fuel systems.

But once the engine was cracked open, and it was too late to turn back, disaster awaited.

It was found that the intake valve was left open after its last journey, and that has left the engine exposed to the elements for 14 years.

“An intake valve was open, and it was pulling air inside, and that air sat in there for 14 years of four seasons, and that just happened,” they said in a recent YouTube upload.

The damage was irreparable, and it meant the team had to completely rebuild it.

A costly job.

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Breaking down the cost of the rebuild

When it came to fixing the engine in its entirety, this was no cheap feat. Unlike car engines, the mechanics behind plane powertrains like this one usually come in at over six figures.

But these experts in the trade managed to keep the costs minimal, instead of replacing it, and it saved them a fortune.

“A new Lycoming TIO-540 AK1A engine is $219,000 from Air Power. We were able to get it overhauled as well as paid an expedited fee for $85,000,” they added

But the costs didn’t stop there.

More expenditure was on the batteries, oxygen cylinders, propeller overhauls, software updates, and seatbelts.

All in all, the team spent a huge $154,000 rebuilding the Cessna 182T.

The plane now fires up and is set to make its first airborne trip soon.

Although the rebuild was costly, it certainly wasn’t as bad as some other Cessna projects.

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