Cessna 182 Skylane (G1000) — Instrument Checkride Guide

What IFR-relevant systems does the Cessna 182 Skylane G1000 have?

The Cessna 182 Skylane G1000 is a four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear aircraft with a fuel-injected Continental engine. Its IFR system architecture overlaps heavily with the Cessna 172 G1000, but three areas produce distinct DPE questions: the fuel-injected powerplant, the heavier gross weight, and FIKI availability on equipped aircraft.

No vacuum system. Like the C172 G1000, the C182 G1000 has no vacuum pump. The GRS 77 AHRS provides attitude and heading reference from the aircraft's electrical bus. The failure mode relevant to an IFR pilot shifts from vacuum pump failure to electrical bus degradation or AHRS fault — a distinction the DPE will probe directly.

Pitot-static system. A heated pitot tube and static ports feed the GDC 74A air data computer, which calculates indicated airspeed, pressure altitude, and vertical speed and sends those values digitally to the PFD. Pitot heat remains required for icing conditions under 14 CFR 91.205(d) , regardless of the glass panel.

Electrical system. The C182 uses a single-alternator, single-battery 28-volt DC system. The G1000 draws from this bus; a full electrical failure causes both GDU 1040 displays to go dark. Understanding which avionics lose power under partial failures — and what standby instruments are installed — is required systems knowledge.

• No vacuum pump — AHRS failure replaces vacuum failure as the primary attitude reference failure mode
• ADC processes pitot-static inputs; individual round gauges are eliminated
• Pitot heat check required before IFR flight — drives the ADC, not analog gauges
• Single electrical bus — know load-shedding priority and standby instrument capability from your aircraft's POH
• FIKI certification is optional — know your specific aircraft's ice protection status

What does the Garmin G1000 avionics suite include in the Cessna 182?

The G1000 installation in the Cessna 182 uses the same NAV III hardware family as the Cessna 172 G1000. Two GDU 1040 10.4-inch displays — a PFD on the left and an MFD on the right — present all flight, navigation, and engine data. The hardware components and their IFR roles are:

The dual GIA 63 units each contain an independent WAAS GPS receiver and a VHF nav receiver for VOR and ILS. With a current navigation database and adequate WAAS signal, both units support LPV approach minimums per AIM Section 1-1-17 . The engine monitoring pages on the MFD differ from the C172 to reflect the Continental fuel-injected engine — fuel flow, fuel remaining, and cylinder head temperatures are displayed, and the DPE may ask you to interpret a CHT or EGT trend in cruise.

How does the fuel-injected engine differ from a carbureted Cessna 172?

The Cessna 182 Skylane is equipped with a fuel-injected Continental engine rather than the carbureted Lycoming common in many C172 variants. Fuel injection directly replaces the carburetor with a fuel-injection servo and individual injectors at each cylinder — this eliminates carburetor ice as a risk factor but introduces vapor lock susceptibility on hot starts.

From an IFR checkride standpoint, the DPE will probe two areas:

No carburetor heat. Carburetor ice — a frequent cause of power loss in carbureted engines — is not a consideration in the C182's fuel-injected engine. There is no carburetor heat control in the cockpit. If you transition from a C172, verbally noting this distinction signals systems awareness.

Hot-start procedure. Fuel-injected engines can vapor lock when restarted shortly after shutdown with high engine temperatures. The hot-start procedure for the specific aircraft is in the POH and involves a defined priming sequence. Failing to articulate the hot-start distinction — or treating it identically to a cold start — is a common applicant error DPEs note on debriefs. Do not cite specific priming steps here; reference your aircraft's POH for the authoritative procedure.

What is FIKI and how does it affect IFR operations?

FIKI — Flight Into Known Icing — is a factory-installed and FAA-certified ice protection package. A FIKI-equipped Cessna 182 is certificated to operate in conditions where ice accretion is expected (known icing), distinguishing it from aircraft that carry only anti-icing equipment for incidental icing encounters.

Not every Cessna 182 G1000 carries FIKI certification. Operating a non-FIKI aircraft in known icing conditions violates the aircraft's operating limitations. Under 14 CFR 91.205 , the aircraft must have equipment required for the operation — flying into forecast icing without FIKI certification means the aircraft is not equipped for that operation, regardless of pilot intent or dispatch.

The DPE will ask two things: whether your aircraft is FIKI-certified, and if it is, how you activate and monitor the ice protection system. If your aircraft is not FIKI-equipped, know how to recognize inadvertent icing, your escape options, and how to document a pirep after the fact.

What is reversionary mode and when do you use it?

Reversionary mode is the G1000's single-display fallback configuration. When one GDU 1040 fails, the surviving display consolidates all primary flight and navigation data into a combined layout. On the Cessna 182 G1000, activate reversionary mode by pressing and holding the red DISPLAY BACKUP button on the GMA 1347 audio panel; the system may also activate automatically on some software versions when a display failure is detected.

• Reversionary mode activation: press and hold DISPLAY BACKUP on the audio panel
• Surviving display shows PFD instruments (attitude, airspeed, altitude, HSI) plus compressed engine and nav data
• All navigation functions — GPS, VOR, ILS — remain available through the surviving GIA units
• Complete electrical failure: both displays dark — transition to standby instruments; reversionary mode is not available
• Know what standby instruments your specific aircraft carries and where they are located before the checkride

The DPE differentiates between a single display failure (resolved by reversionary mode with full navigation retained) and a total electrical failure (both displays dark, no G1000 function). Confusing these two failure modes in the oral is a common deficiency.

What are common DPE oral questions for the Cessna 182 G1000?

DPEs testing applicants in the C182 G1000 cover both the shared G1000 architecture and the aircraft-specific differences from the C172. The following questions are drawn from knowledge elements under Instrument Rating ACS (FAA-S-ACS-8C) task areas II and VI:

• "What replaces the vacuum system in this aircraft, and what electrical failure would produce the same effect as a vacuum pump failure?" (Tests AHRS vs. vacuum distinction)
• "Is your aircraft FIKI-certified? Walk me through the ice protection system and when you would use it." (Tests aircraft-specific icing certification knowledge)
• "You are flying a C172 normally — why do you not apply carburetor heat in this Cessna 182?" (Tests fuel-injected vs. carbureted understanding)
• "Your MFD goes blank on the ILS final. What do you do?" (Tests reversionary mode and display failure procedures)
• "The G1000 annunciates LNAV+V instead of LPV on your RNAV approach. Which minimums apply?" (Tests LPV vs. LNAV+V distinction — a high-frequency DPE probe)
• "Walk me through your hot-start procedure on this Continental fuel-injected engine." (Tests POH knowledge and vapor lock awareness)
• "What database currency is required to fly the RNAV (GPS) approach at your destination today?" (Tests AIRAC cycle and AC 90-100A knowledge)
• "Your GFC 700 autopilot disconnects on the glideslope in IMC. Is this an emergency? What is your immediate action?" (Tests autopilot dependency awareness)

How do you set up an approach in the G1000?

The approach workflow in the Cessna 182 G1000 follows the same conceptual sequence as all G1000 NAV III installations. Know the flow rather than a button-by-button script — the DPE wants to see structured thinking, not memorized key presses. Always verify the procedure against your aircraft's Garmin G1000 Pilot's Guide.

1. 1
   Verify navigation database currency on the G1000 startup splash screen or AUX System Status page before departure.
2. 2
   Press PROC on the MFD or PFD bezel to open the Procedures page; select 'Select Approach.'
3. 3
   Choose the approach type (ILS, RNAV, VOR), runway, and transition (fix-based or vectors-to-final).
4. 4
   Review the loaded approach in the Active Flight Plan: verify IAF, intermediate fixes, FAF, MAP, and missed approach routing.
5. 5
   Activate the approach or select 'Activate Vectors-to-Final' for radar vector situations.
6. 6
   Verify the CDI source on the PFD HSI — GPS for RNAV approaches, VLOC for ILS/VOR. On a coupled ILS, confirm the G1000 auto-sequences to VLOC when the localizer is captured.
7. 7
   Cross-check approach briefing: minimums, inbound course, FAF crossing altitude, missed approach — the DPE watches whether you brief or just load.

For LPV approaches, the G1000 must annunciate LPV on the PFD for the lower LPV decision altitude to apply. If the system annunciates LNAV+V, vertical guidance is advisory and you must fly to LNAV minimums. The DPE will ask you to distinguish the two; understand that LNAV+V does not authorize LPV minimums under any circumstance.

What database and equipment currency requirements apply?

Currency requirements for the Cessna 182 G1000 are identical to those for any IFR flight under 14 CFR 91.205 . The G1000-specific item — navigation database currency — is governed by the aircraft's AFM supplement and AC 90-100A.

The DPE will inspect the aircraft logbooks and will ask you to locate each inspection entry. For the VOR check, the G1000's dual GIA 63 units each contain a VOR receiver — both must be checked or the dual-receiver cross-check method used, with a single logbook entry covering both. The check requires the date, place, bearing error, and PIC signature per 14 CFR 91.171 .

Practice Questions