Talk me out of this...

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
Yeah, I worry about that. I worry about the landing gear especially.

I'm reasonably sure Cessna designed the landing gear on the 152 to be
strong enough to support a 747.

I don't mean to sound negative.... I'm a 150 driver, myself. However,
you have to consider the aircraft just for what it is and accept all
of the shortcomings of a trainer ... along with the benefits. The
price seems rather high to me since I just bought my 1968 4600 hr 150
for under 18K with a 265 hour engine, new paint, 4 year old interior,
long range tanks, and solid (but not spectacular) dual radios that
meet a little above minimum IFR standards.

That sounds like a helluva deal to me. I'd buy that plane in a hurry.

Pricing on 150-152s seems to be terribly regional and you may have to
go farther afield if you decide this is the type of aircraft for you.

Certainly not a problem for me. (One good thing about airplanes is that
they fly so they're easy to get from one point to another.)

Personally, I prefer the 150 as it is perfectly happy on a 87 octane
diet... but in an event, IMHO, these are some of the most affordable
aircraft obtainable.... if you can live with their shortcomings.

I don't mind 150s but they do seem pretty anemic at gross on a hot day.
My first few hours were in one, then I changed schools.

No, since a 152 has a Lycoming O-235.

- Engine has only a few hundred hours till TBO. I know that means
dropping another $10K or so within a few years.


Actually, I think an O-200 has a TBO of 2000 hours, so you might be putting
out engine money a lot sooner than you think.

There are quite a few NTSBs about collapsed nosegears. But I guess
you're talking mainly about the mains. (No pun intended.. ugh.)

Roy Smith wrote:

Paul Folbrecht wrote:

Yeah, I worry about that. I worry about the landing gear especially.


I'm reasonably sure Cessna designed the landing gear on the 152 to be
strong enough to support a 747.

I meant to say "mine would be NOT much higher than that".

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
Expect for the TT figure, that aircraft looks very comparable to the one
under discussion. You're at $28K with a new engine- mine would be much
higher than that. But, then again, it would be higher. I guess I was

a 2000 hr engine is worn out also.
who do you think flying schools sell their worn out planes to...students


MRQB wrote:

Most rentals are worn out or very close to being worn out! Ware do you think
them worn out plane come from?

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I would probably go with a rental instead of a slow old worn out plane.


(but if I had to choose between a 152 and
no plane at all, I would go with the 152... better a slow plane than no
plane).

Dave
N9560L - GLS
74 Grumman AA5

65 kts GS ....
talk about a long trip
isnt that about the sped you rotate at ?

Paul Folbrecht wrote:

Ya, ya, ya, they're slow! :-) (I felt like I was damn-near friggin
hovering on the way back into Milwaukee today from Appleton, with winds
190 around 45 knots. GPS said 65 knots groundspeed tho.)

Jeff wrote:

you know, I once heard a guy who said he saw a 152 actually hover over the
runway.
kinda windy day, the guy cut power to land and the plane kinda just hovered
there.

on windy days, there is this 152 up at my airport, the thing looks like a
kite flapping around on its tiedowns.

Paul Folbrecht wrote:

I don't think the engine is the original. I really doubt it.

Well, then - check the engine logbook. It's separate from the aircraft log.
Many flight schools that have several of the same type of plane will buy a
spare engine and swap engines out at TBO to minimize downtime. The engine in
there is unlikely to be the original, but it still may be pretty high time
and have been rebuilt several times already.

Yeah, I worry about that. I worry about the landing gear especially.

Next time you're out there, take a look under the plane. If the big rivets
where the main gear legs attach have black outlines, leave it. This is known
as "weeping" and usually indicates that things are flexing a bit too much in
that area. Even if it passes this exam, I would seriously consider following
Jim Weir's advice.

Your advice is being considered, sir. As to your last point- I'm a bit
curious about that as I normally see a lower number brandied about as
the break-even.

Break-even is about 100 hours a year for the typical costs. If you factor in the
cost of money, as some people advise, and if you hangar the aircraft, it tends to
be closer to 200 hours. More in areas with high hangar rents.

George Patterson
Love, n.: A form of temporary insanity afflicting the young. It is curable
either by marriage or by removal of the afflicted from the circumstances
under which he incurred the condition. It is sometimes fatal, but more
often to the physician than to the patient.

Paul Folbrecht wrote:

I guess I was
somewhat mistaken about the cost of overhaul which is obviously a major
miscalulation.

Look in Trade-A-Plane for ads listing rebuilt engines. Add about $2,000 for the
shop labor to do the swap and perhaps $200 for shipping expenses to get the new
one to you and return yours. That will at least give you an estimate.

George Patterson
Love, n.: A form of temporary insanity afflicting the young. It is curable
either by marriage or by removal of the afflicted from the circumstances
under which he incurred the condition. It is sometimes fatal, but more
often to the physician than to the patient.

You ain't kidding about the winds. They were from 250 when I was planning at
around 3 o'clock - by 3:30 they'd spun round to 200. Statrted double
checking my planning when it was obvious we were heading northwest instead
of northeast. 138 kts out - 78 kts back. Ouch.



"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Ya, ya, ya, they're slow! :-) (I felt like I was damn-near friggin
hovering on the way back into Milwaukee today from Appleton, with winds
190 around 45 knots. GPS said 65 knots groundspeed tho.)

Jeff wrote:

you know, I once heard a guy who said he saw a 152 actually hover over
the
runway.
kinda windy day, the guy cut power to land and the plane kinda just
hovered
there.

on windy days, there is this 152 up at my airport, the thing looks like
a
kite flapping around on its tiedowns.