Cassio,

I haven't ever flown an Avistar, so I cannot comment on any comparisons between the two. I can however compare the 182 to a typical trainer.

For the most part, yes the 182 will fly like your trainer. It is not a fast airplane, and it is not intended for aerobatic use. The flat bottom wing, with some dihedral gives it many trainer like qualities. The big difference though comes when you get to the extremes of performance. For example the 182 has very different stall charactetistics as we have already discussed in the flaps thread. Landing the 182 is a little different to landing a trainer. It comes in fairly fast, and you will find yourself in the flare for a long time, as the plane floats along the runway.

When taking off, you should consider these differences too. Hold the plane on the ground until it has reached flying speed. You cannot pull the plane off the ground too early, and rely on engine power to pull you up. You must fly the airplane gently.

Apart from the handling differences, there is one other major difference. The 182 is VERY fragile. A hard landing will damage this plane fairly easily. It has a fragile fuselage structure, glass fiber cowl, and glass fiber wheel pants which can all be damaged easily. I would suggest that you make your initial flights with the cowl and wheel pants removed. Only put them on the plane once you are used to handling the plane on the ground, and takeoffs / landings.

So, in summary, the 182 can not take the general abuse that a trainer can, but if you fly it gently you will enjoy every moment.