"Buck and a half"

Ah, the humble Cessna one fifty. In my opinion one of the best airmanship trainers ever built. Defiantly one of the cutest airplanes if noting else. Simple, rugged, student proof, and rather forgiving. An easy airplane to fly, but not easy to fly well. It makes one work
This example is a 150F, the last of the "flat sided" 150s. The next variant the doors bowed out slightly giving some desperately needed elbow room
As a classroom, it leaves a lot to be desired. Narrow and noisy, the student and instructor learn about "up close and personal" An intercom is essential, both to provide communication as well as preserve ones own hearing. Cessna added "soundproofing" in later models. This was usually removed as it did little to the environment, but added about 18 pounds, which the little bird does not need.
Over 13,000 of the little critters are still out there flying around, teaching new pilots that the laws of aerodynamics are damn serious business, and providing their owners with economical and pleasurable flying.
One of my students brought this one up, and we are getting his licence finished up in it. As many older examples of the breed, it is a bit rough around the edges It could use a coat of wax, and has been victim of too many bad landings, poor maintenance and occasional periods of inactivity.


I earned my private licence in one, built up most of my early flying time in one, flew all over (West) Germany in one back in the seventies. About a third of my time in one was spent climbing to altitude. On a good day you might see 600 feet per minute. But cruise economy is good! Leaned out at 6000 feet you can get up to 20 MPG! (depending on winds) and see t he country at a stately 88 Knots. Not bad for the modest 100 HP Continental up front!
So it brings back a few memories, and once more I feel united to the sky more than the machine. As Elory Jeppesen once said: "Lets get one thing straight. There is a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician, the other is an artist in love with flight".
I like being an "Aviator"