Thinking of buying a C150 for time building

razorseal said:
Reached out for this one too. Paint looks rough, but interior looks OK. Curious on the mechanical portion...



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Don't know this specific plane, but I have an AA1A and my kid is building time in it. IMHO, it's a perfect time builder. Very simple systems. 6gph. Can be IFR.

Consider a partner. Partnerships are a good alternative for a situation like yours.
 
razorseal said:
I figured it sat for many many many years after flying for 30-40 a year

Maybe it flew 1800 in 10 years and never flew again lol
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Most Ercoupes, 120/140 and Luscombes will have long periods of time sitting, due to damage (ground loops, need for recover), loss of interest, etc. However, if the logs are complete, check out the early years post-war: I've seen 400, 500, and 600 hours per year utilization.

If serious about Ercoupes get an informed opinion on fabric vs. metalized wings - personally like fabric on aircraft that had it originally.

120/140 are about the sweetest flyers around, but you'd need to get a tailwheel endorsement and be comfortable flying it in decent crosswinds with the exposure/utilization you have in mind.
 
I had a Luscombe with around 1800 hrs total time in 2019 that per the original flight log flew over 500 hrs in 1946 alone. GI BIll training it appeared. It then had plenty of periods of non-operation, and lots of airframe repairs were noted in the logs. These aircraft were not expected to last as long as they have and depreciated quickly. Then as low value aircraft they were mostly owned, damaged/neglected and eventually restored by individuals with many being ramp rats or hangar queens for extended periods between restorations.

My current plane has about 1100 hrs since new in 1971. I know the whole history: it was flown 250 hrs over a few years when new, then sold to one guy who kept a very long time. He had lots of other interests but kept it at a series of three hangar homes and in Annual. He sold it in 2010, to another infrequent flyer who didn't care for it quite so well. Then I got it, fixed various issues and I fly it weekly or so.

It's not unusual at all for sport planes and others that are privately owned to fly only a little, while the Cessna 172s and Cherokees of the world pile on the hours.
 
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razorseal said:
Found this. intrigued. checks the box for the 4 seater wife wanted. Would have to finance though and def look for a partner or two to share with.

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I've flown Archers before, I feel similar. Someone did mention the AD for the wing spar, which I'd have to find a neutral A&P there to look closely for me. it's California, so I'm' sure the AP rates there are higher than FL lol
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Wow. I sold my 1969 Cherokee 140 about five years ago for $25,000, the same price I paid for it. It had the 160hp upgrade. Even so, the fact that it has four seats is a bit misleading. With three adults, I could not fly with full tanks. The 140 is a great trainer, economical to operate, but that price would probably get you a lot of true four seat airplanes that are much more capable.
 
razorseal said:
Found this. intrigued. checks the box for the 4 seater wife wanted. Would have to finance though and def look for a partner or two to share with.

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I've flown Archers before, I feel similar. Someone did mention the AD for the wing spar, which I'd have to find a neutral A&P there to look closely for me. it's California, so I'm' sure the AP rates there are higher than FL lol
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Oof. Really a 2+2 with 1200 SMOH in 1992; when did those hours get put on it? Shouldn’t be subject to the AD, but a cursory logbook review will provide the answer.

Did not see ADSB compliance note and $10K for a 430W install seems high for a near EOL’d device.

I’d value it as a runout engine and needing ADSB.
 
Late getting into this, but here’s something for a little bit of encouragement. I had an instrument student a few years back who had bought a 152 for time building as you’re considering. He flew that little thing all over the country vfr. Instrument training in a 152 isn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever done, but he was good and we got it done. He’s now flying 747s for an international airfreight company, making excellent money and having a grand time. It can be done.
 
razorseal said:
I am a private/ifr pilot that got my ratings back in 07-08.... I left aviation and got into law enforcement and military instead of following my flying dreams back then...
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Are you me? Eerily familiar story. Got into aviation in the late Nineties, got a PPL and instrument rating. High performance, complex, tail-wheel, and then switched courses (after 9-11 decimated the industry) into Medicine. Weirdly, ended up becoming a Naval Flight Surgeon, so my switch out of aviation actually gave me some of the best aviation experiences of my life (catapult shot in an F-18? Oh yes). Retirement is on the horizon and there's a part of me that just wants to complete that dream of being a paid pilot for a while. Was able to get back into aviation properly a few years ago and got most of the rust off in a flying club and flying with CAP (which you might consider as a way of building time as well). Decided to buy a Cherokee 180 to build some time, get my CPL/CFI/CFII, and maybe fly some Pilots and Paws type stuff. Absolutely love the aircraft (cost $74,000) and reasoned I could always sell it for what I paid if necessary. Then at my first annual they found a cracked jug, which led to a scratched cam that Lycoming says isn't airworthy, which has led to throwing about $30k+ at LyCon to redo the engine. 8 months downtime, minimum. So I decided, using the same logic, to buy a cheap little Citabria to build up some tail-wheel time and at least keep flying until I could get back on track in my Cherokee. Paid $40k. Got about 30 hours and she tried to kill me a few days ago by blowing a cylinder. I popped my cherry on a no-crap emergency landing into an Ag strip and now I'm about to pay for a new cylinder (not new engine, fortunately) so I can fly her out before the rancher runs out of patience.

I absolutely LOVE having my own aircraft. It's there whenever I want to fly. It is set up the way I want. I do my own preventative maintenance. But it's sure as hell not the cheap and easy way to get time I had hoped. For what it's worth, I have absolutely no intention of selling my Cherokee once I get it back, and I'll very likely hold on to that amazing little Citabria because it's so damned much fun to fly, but I can't recommend being a solo owner if funding is a concern.

My recommendation? Consider a partnership in an aircraft. It will give you almost all the benefits of solo ownership with significantly lower risk and financial outlay. If you can find a couple of guys to each put up $20-30k for an aircraft, now you're talking about getting a really solid plane. Maintenance also gets split 3 ways, which is a nice bonus. Odds are, there won't be enough conflict between you guys for hours that it will be an issue. And again, consider CAP. It's flying with a mission, it's often in Gucci C-182s with G1000s, and the hours are 100% free. Even if you just do it occasionally, there's very little downside.

Hope that helps.
 
If we’re trading anecdotes…

My first plane was a 1966 C-150, purchased in roughly 1976 for $4,000.

25875216257_cae9ecf3fb_z.jpg


Sounds cheap, but back then a new one was around $10k, so that was a fair price. Flew it locally in S FL for a bit before heading with my wife to visit relatives in CT. Stopped at College Park, MD for an oil change, and the mechanic found an unacceptable amount of metal in the oil screen. We couldn’t afford the requisite overhaul, so sold it for $2,500 as it sat, got back to Miami and made the trip in our Fiat 124.

To be fair, my next plane was a 1976 Citabria, and that was a much more positive experience.

As an aside, I did an N# search and that C-150 is now based at Monroe County airport, very close to my new home base in E TN. Looks like someone has treated her well all these years!

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FastEddieB said:
As an aside, I did an N# search and that C-150 is now based at Monroe County airport, very close to my new home base in E TN. Looks like someone has treated her well all these years!
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You should buzz up there in the Sky Arrow and pay her a visit! Maybe she'll still remember you. :)
 
FastEddieB said:
We “visit” all the time. Monroe County is a popular pancake breakfast destination. I took that more current photo myself, and the plane is still tied down there.
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Plane looks beautiful in that photo. Great that it's still flying.
 
OP your story and admirations sounds like what I am trying to do.

I am at 380 hrs right now. I have my PPL and instrument rating. Waiting on my 2nd class medical so I can start the commercial training. I too have no desire to become a cfi and teach. I dont think I am a good teacher.

So, I bought a 1969 C150J for 30k about 6 weeks ago. Plane was VFR only. I invested about 16k for the avionics and probably looking at another 5 k to fix this and that. They are still working on it after 6 weeks, I am planning on using it for time building. My goal is to be at 1200 by Christmas of 2025. Dont know if it will happen but that is the goal.
 
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That Colt should be at the top of your list for that mission. And I'll be happy to do my first ferry flight to bring that bird to its new home! :)
 
Wanted to come here and update everyone on the new plan.

Found a '77 C150 that is available to rent for time building. The guy just purchased it from someone in Northern CA.

I'm going to do a 50 hour block "test run" and make sure it's what I want to do at 60 an hour. I will then buy big block of hours and hope to bring it down to 50 an hour (dry rates). There are couple airports with gas around 4.50 to 4.80 so I will just fill up there. at 2400, that thing should be sipping gas. It is IFR rated, but all steam gauges. No GPS

I also got checked out on a '62 C172 that has Garmin G5s and IFR as well which I'll use to get my IPC done so I will have 2-3 airplanes to fly in case one goes down.

Might cost more or less than buying my own. I'll never know since I'm not going to worry about having to pay for repairs etc.

oh and to boot, he is letting me relocate it to the airport near me so I don't have to drive an hour to that airport, and that'll be about $140 a month at my local airport. Saves me 80 miles round trip and 2 hours of driving to airport and back.
 
Lance F said:
Late getting into this, but here’s something for a little bit of encouragement. I had an instrument student a few years back who had bought a 152 for time building as you’re considering. He flew that little thing all over the country vfr. Instrument training in a 152 isn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever done, but he was good and we got it done. He’s now flying 747s for an international airfreight company, making excellent money and having a grand time. It can be done.
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It's def doable!
 
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