JRBAF Smacks 50 More Horsepower on its Cessna 182A Raffle Aircraft

The Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation (JRBAF) decided its 2025/26 raffle airplane could use a bit more oomph, so it’s giving the Cessna 182A a power makeover before handing over the keys. The aircraft’s original 230-horsepower Continental O-470 is being swapped out for a factory-overhauled Continental O-520, bumping output to 280 horsepower.

The upgrade comes through a partnership with Continental Aerospace Technologies and Texas Skyways, with the help of a Texas Skyways Supplemental Type Certificate. Continental will overhaul the O-520 at its factory, with installation handled by Texas Skyways ahead of the raffle drawing on June 6, 2026. JRBAF assures the aircraft will be fully completed and ready well before a winner is selected.

JRBAF also confirmed it will cover the required federal prize tax for the raffle aircraft, sparing the winner an awkward follow-up from the IRS. Proceeds from the raffle will support the foundation’s work in maintaining and protecting public backcountry airstrips across the US to keep the culture alive.

“This is a transformational upgrade for an already outstanding aircraft,” said Brad Damm, Executive Director of the Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation. “The additional horsepower meaningfully improves the aircraft’s overall backcountry performance, while the extended TBO substantially increases long-term value.”

The power bump isn’t just for show. The STC stretches the engine’s time between overhauls from 1,500 hours to 2,500 hours, significantly cutting downtime and maintenance costs. It also gives backcountry pilots much more performance to play with, serving as a helpful safety buffer in challenging conditions.

“The backcountry environments JRBAF helps preserve place unique demands on powerplants and systems, and we’re proud to support an organization that understands the technical and operational requirements of this kind of flying,” Texas Skyways explained.

FMI: www.jrbaf.org/raffle