I have a Piatt pod, and like it very much. The airplane is a privately operated 180(as is my friend’s white and red airplane, same pod). I could see the value of the deeper Aeropod for commercial ops, particularly with a 185.
For local flying it contains engine cover, snowshoes, shovel, etc.
For ski trips all of the above; plus skis, poles, snowboards, wing covers, extension cord, cabin heater, a couple of bags...
Very useful. The door seems correctly sized. I’ve never needed the rear door, even when loading skis.
It would be hard to say that it slows the airplane down. A couple of mph at most, especially hard to notice on skis.
It does affect cooling, the cowl flaps are often open, even in winter.
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