I went back and re-read Steps first post, and then my own. I realize I did not pay enough attention to this comment from Step when describing the pitch attitude he was setting on the takeoff roll.
so the top of the cowl just met the far end of the runway,
I would suggest that at the moment of lift off the technique I described
With the trim set properly light back pressure through about 50kt will cause the aircraft to smoothly fly off with no further action by the pilot.
will result in pretty much exactly the same pitch attitude at the moment of lift off. The only area we disagree on is how to get there. He advocates immediate full up elevator at the start of the takeoff role where I described an initially level attitude with the nose smoothly rising to the takeoff attitude described later in the takeoff roll as the controls, particularly the elevator trim becomes aerodynamically effective.
I commented because Step implied that his method was the only "right" way to do a takeoff, an assertion I respectfully disagree with.
I also think it is important to note that in the C 182, with cowl raised so you can just see the edge of the runway the nose wheel will still be on the ground. A true full on soft field takeoff is best performed with a sufficient pitch attitude so that the nose wheel is just off the ground. This requires a sufficiently nose high attitude that there will be no view at all of the runway ahead. The aircraft will also lift off at a speed only slightly above the stalling speed and care is needed to hold the aircraft in ground effect until a safe speed is attained particularly in gusty winds or hot/high/high weight.
Finally one last nit to pick.
Step said
I have found that for all tricycle single Cessnas the use of 15 degrees of fly seems to produce the most favourable affect of downwash over the tail, to make the elevator most effective in lifting the nosewheel off at slow speed
I think it is important to point out that while the C 182 is approved for up to 20 degrees of flap for takeoff, "all " single engine Cessna's are not. The POH for the C 150/152 and C 172/177 series specifies that a maximum of 10 deg of flap is permitted for takeoff.
We are in violent agreement on the general concept though. You should not be a passenger in the aircraft takeoff until some arbitrary "rotate" speed shows up at which point you yank the aircraft into the air
. Instead you should be "flying" the aircraft by proper and effective use of all the control surfaces for the entire takeoff and landing run and the taxi as well, if there is significant wind present.