Would you buy a Cessna?

[Araspring]

Hi,

New to the forum here from NZ.

 

I am looking at purchasing an aircraft as the nearest club / hire plane is about a 2.5 hour drive from home. 
I have a CPL and am considering a type certified plane for private use.

 

For a low use machine probably less than 100 hours per year would cost of maintenance (ongoing SIDS) be worth it to buy an older Cessna? Probably a 150 or 172.

 

thanks

[Bosi72]

CASA transfer ownership paperwork around $130 (one off).

Hard stand parking around $1.5k per year.

3rd party insurance around $1.2k p.y.. 

MR around 2-3k.

50 hourly oil + filter change ~$200 (do it yourself).

 

Avgas around $2 per litre. 

 

All above are Ozzy $.

 

With ageing aircraft expect unexpected costs, and also you will want to improve your aircraft..

 

If it's for business, then it will be tough (according to people doing business with their aircrafts), but if it's for pleasure, then it doesn't matter much.

 

Regardless, ability to take your own keys whenever you want, without asking anyone for booking, availability, etc - priceless..

 

Enjoy your aircraft!

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by Bosi72

[kgwilson]

If you don't need 4 seats why not consider a newer (or even new) recreational aircraft. Possibly more up front cost but better performance, cheaper operating costs and cheaper maintenance.

[old man emu]

If you get yourself a C-150, or C-152, you are entering the realms of Vintage and Classic aircraft. Whether an aircraft is classed as Vintage or Classic depends on which side of the Atlantic you are on. In Britain, a vintage aircraft is one that first flew 40 or more years from present, and a classic first flew between 25 and 40 years. The Yanks have different criteria

 

  II. DEFINITIONS

        A. Antique Aircraft
An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or his licensee, on or before August 31, 1945, with the exception of certain Pre-World War II aircraft models which had only a small post-war production shall be defined as Antique Aircraft. Examples: Beechcraft Staggerwing, Fairchild 24, and Monocoupe.

        B. Classic Aircraft
An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or his licensee, on or after September 1, 1945, up to and including December 31, 1955.

        C. Contemporary Aircraft
An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or after January 1, 1956, up to and including December 31, 1970.

 

Whichever definition you accept, if you own a C-150 you own a piece of aviation history. It might not be the Ace of Aces, but each Ace of Aces needed the rest of the Flight to get the job done. So your plane as "Red 4" is just as worthy a plane to keep and treasure as "Red 1"

[facthunter]

The C-150  and 152 have proven themselves to be great aircraft but they are far older than the makers ever expected them to be still flying and fairly cramped cabin width wise.. Whatever you think it will cost it will be much more.. How fast do you want to cruise and what type of flying will you do?  Can you operate from your own strip? Do you want to go IFR and /or need four seats. ? Where will the maintenance be done? Nev

[Student Pilot]

150 is one of the nicest aircraft to fly.

I enjoy flying for flying sake to "slip the surly bonds of earth" whether that's in an 802 or a 150, it's all flying. Sometimes it can be a snobby thing, because people learned to fly in a 150 as a student pilot they think it's beneath them to fly one again.

[facthunter]

I have a fair bit of time for the C-150/ 152. A lot have high hours. I did shark spotting in them and you could get   just over 3 GPH if you used the sea breeze for lift. and you could land in 2 tennis courts when you got used to it..Nev

Edited December 3, 2020 by facthunter
clarity

[Student Pilot]

😁

[facthunter]

fixed. 

[Araspring]

Thanks for all the replies some good stuff there. Would be used from a private strip.

considering LSA / home built aircraft as well, microlight class is just a bit restricting as I cannot land at local airport.

 

 

[Yenn]

if you were in Australia I would say it would probably be a very expensive uy, but I have no idea what NZ authorities require, although I doubt they would be as difficult as CASA.

If flying was purely for pleasure I would go for the C150, but once you want to take a passenger or go any great distance the C172 bus would be more appropriate.

[kgwilson]

All you need in NZ is a CTR endorsement on your RA licence but as you already have a CPL you should be able to land at any airport unless the rules have changed. When I left in 2005 there were Microlights landing at Hamilton Airport and it is international. In NZ all aircraft are on the same ZK register.

[Jase T]

Its all fun and games until someone releases an AD.......

 

[Paul davenport]

You may well land in two tennis courts but getting out will be another matter altogether

[Thruster88]

I wanted to buy a Ceesna 172M in '96 after getting a PPL for the same reason as the OP, 200km to the nearest rental. Then I saw a cheap and old Beech Musketeer,  I guess it just seemed old because we were both 33 at the time. Now 24 years later the Musketeer hasn't aged much at all. The maintenance has been reasonable, the engine hasn't missed a beat and no new AD's. Personally I like AD's. So I would say go for it, buy that old cessna but get it checked by an independent lame. Do you have SIDS in NZ?

[skippydiesel]

Short swear to your original question is No!

 

Unless that you wanted to fill more than two seats - which I dont but you might.

 

The performance, economy, comfort and shear flying pleasure  of todays LSA  type aircraft make the "spam cans" of yesterday look positively archaic.

 

If you desire "ambiance" ? sure  a C 170, Auster or similar vintage would be very nice but you will pay dearly, compared with an LSA,  in the long run.

[RFguy]

Brumby 600  rotax (low wing)  

  Aeroprakt Foxbat/Vixxen  / Brumby 610     (high wing)

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by RFguy

[Yenn]

Maybe off topic a bit but Skippy says that todays LSAs make spam cans look archaic. On another subject in these forums I read about many people are not flying after 9am because of turbulence. I would think turbulence in NZ could be similar to here and no doubt a Cessna would be flyable after 9am.

[skippydiesel]

10 minutes ago, Yenn said:

Maybe off topic a bit but Skippy says that todays LSAs make spam cans look archaic. On another subject in these forums I read about many people are not flying after 9am because of turbulence. I would think turbulence in NZ could be similar to here and no doubt a Cessna would be flyable after 9am.

Yenn my friend -  check out the parallel conversation "If you are flight planning for an around Australia trip ........ "

 

Turbulent/rough air is something we all must manage in our own way. Some people think nothing of it and may take (perverse ?) pleasure in riding it out. Others will flight plan to minimise or completely avoid.

 

Yes the type of aircraft, particularly its wing loading, will have an influence on how turbulence impacts on it but as turbulence is a phenomena that impacts on most of use for only a relativly short time (in any 12 month period)

 

As rough air experience can defiantly be managed, through appropriate strategies, its  importance is somewhat overstated (assuming you fly within the aircrafts Vra limits)

[Bosi72]

On 03/12/2020 at 7:20 PM, Jase T said:

Its all fun and games until someone releases an AD.......

 

speaking about AD's, this came to my email inbox last night..

http://services.casa.gov.au/airworth/airwd/ADfiles/UNDER/JABIRU/PADJABIRU-003.pdf

 

To my understanding this is at proposal stage.

 

 

[Mewp]

I flew a Cessna 172F for 10+ years and loved it. Very forgiving and heavy enough to handle most thermals in summer. What got me to sell it and go LSA was the ever increasing maintenance and flying costs. Minor parts were very expensive and major replacement of parts like control cables cost around $6000 fitted. (Cessna AD) Over the time I owned it an annual went from several hundred dollars to many thousand, mostly for AD's issued by Cessna and finally the Cessna SIDS program  estimated between $15k - $25K  (plus repairs if needed) broke the love affair. My LSA flies well but thermals are an issue in summer. It depends on the type of flying you will do, mountains and river beds or cruising, but in my opinion LSA's are either tough and slow or fast and fragile.

[kgwilson]

When I was hang gliding I was looking for thermals and due to the slow airspeed the bumps never seemed that violent. When I began training in a C152 I instinctively wanted to turn into a thermal & got told not to by the instructor who had no gliding knowledge or experience. Once solo I experimented a bit & later graduating to C172s & PA28s rarely bothered and thermals just became turbulence.

 

Fast forward 30 years & my decision to convert to recreational. Thermal bumps are now much more pronounced & initially I was fighting them all the time. This is just a waste of time and energy as well as increasing stress on the airframe. I fly for fun so there are 2 options. 1 give up & go home or 2 get above the thermals into smother air. Yesterday I went for a fly and I climbed out & levelled off at 2000. There were lots of small punchy thermals and so I climbed and within 1000 feet the air smoothed out. I eventually went up to 4500 where it was hands off flying, then into the turbulence zone from 2000 down to 500 or so and a no wind landing.

[facthunter]

What is known as the inversion level is what you try to get above. It gets higher as the ground heats up during the day. In Central Australia it gets to where you need to carry oxygen say 14,000 ft or more so you won't be going there...The lapse rate affects stability of the air. A ridge of a mountain can cause quite severe loads due wind eddies at medium wind speeds. I've experienced one near Lancefield where We hit the roof of a Mooney quite hard although the seat belts were quite tight.  If they were a bit lose you'd break your neck easily.

   There's also clear air turbulence  CAT at any level and associated with the boundary of jetstreams. at higher levels. I feel that this is only going to get worse as the weather gets more unpredictable and extreme. Personally I like a plane to have above 6G positive and 4G negative and still slow down when it's likely in EVERYTHING I've flown. IF you fight it there's a good chance you'll put more load on the airframe.  You ride with the gusts a bit and gently ease it to the attitude you want that will keep the plane where you want it . Significant Power changes will often be required to keep in the speed range desired. Nev

[RFguy]

I chase thermals on a hot day. pitch it up to slow it down to stay in the thermal longer ,

aim for hot looking paddocks. Is only way to get some decent altitude without overheating the engine >32c oat...... requires attention .....

[old man emu]

See! I told you that it was a good idea to explore the gliding potential of your aircraft.