TylerSC
Pre-takeoff checklist
There is an intangible benefit to having your own plane. I would tie out a $13k 150 and buy a nice custom cover from Bruce's.
Buying a 150 to get PPL, few questions
- Thread starter SaltH2OHokie
- Start date
I bought a 1956 172 in 2003 to get my private. It had 900 hours on the engine, dual nav-coms (one with an ILS and the other just with a VOR) and a decent interior and paint job. The plane was flown regularly between the time of the major overhaul and when I bought with no dead spots when it wasn't being flown.
I 'paid' $25,000 for the plane plus $600 for the very detailed pre-buy. I say 'paid' because I financed the purchase for 20-years so I actually spent $5000 for the down and $300 a month on payments. With zero time I paid $900 for the first years insurance but that was down to $600 by the third year. My owner assisted annuals averaged $400 a year with my most expensive year for Maintanence being $700 (needed a new battery and the VFR transponder check). Hanger rent was $185 a month but I could have tied down outside for $35 a month.
My theory was that I would fly it for a year and then sell it and get something better. Bariring a major engine issue I knew I would spend less out of pocket in that first year of flying in payments, fixed expenses, and maintenance than I would have in the difference between actual fuel and oil expenses on my plane vs. rental costs for a 172. I believed I'd put between 100 and 200 hours on the plane that first year so I'd be able to resell the plane for about the same $25000 I'd paid for it. The only thing that didn't work was that I kept the plane for longer than I'd planned before moving up to the 177 RG I have now.
I am big (250 and 6' 4") so a 150/152 wouldn't have worked for me. The useful load is low enough on the 150 that you need to consider the average size of instructors in your area. In parts of the country I've lived in that wouldn't have been a big deal for someone that weighs less than 200 pounds. In the area I'm in now it can be hard to find an instructor that isn't at least pushing 200 pounds so you need to think about it.
I started in a 1959 150 in the 70's and loved it but I weighed a lot less then. With an instructor we still had to limit fuel to three hours plus reserves but that's about as long as I'd want to be in that plane at one time anyway. That was a great plane to do spins in though. I can't do spins in my Cardinal so every choice has pluses and minuses.
Good luck
I 'paid' $25,000 for the plane plus $600 for the very detailed pre-buy. I say 'paid' because I financed the purchase for 20-years so I actually spent $5000 for the down and $300 a month on payments. With zero time I paid $900 for the first years insurance but that was down to $600 by the third year. My owner assisted annuals averaged $400 a year with my most expensive year for Maintanence being $700 (needed a new battery and the VFR transponder check). Hanger rent was $185 a month but I could have tied down outside for $35 a month.
My theory was that I would fly it for a year and then sell it and get something better. Bariring a major engine issue I knew I would spend less out of pocket in that first year of flying in payments, fixed expenses, and maintenance than I would have in the difference between actual fuel and oil expenses on my plane vs. rental costs for a 172. I believed I'd put between 100 and 200 hours on the plane that first year so I'd be able to resell the plane for about the same $25000 I'd paid for it. The only thing that didn't work was that I kept the plane for longer than I'd planned before moving up to the 177 RG I have now.
I am big (250 and 6' 4") so a 150/152 wouldn't have worked for me. The useful load is low enough on the 150 that you need to consider the average size of instructors in your area. In parts of the country I've lived in that wouldn't have been a big deal for someone that weighs less than 200 pounds. In the area I'm in now it can be hard to find an instructor that isn't at least pushing 200 pounds so you need to think about it.
I started in a 1959 150 in the 70's and loved it but I weighed a lot less then. With an instructor we still had to limit fuel to three hours plus reserves but that's about as long as I'd want to be in that plane at one time anyway. That was a great plane to do spins in though. I can't do spins in my Cardinal so every choice has pluses and minuses.
Good luck