Cessna 150-152 Pilot Official Newsletter of the Cessna 150-152 Club
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Cessna 150-152 Pilot Official Newsletter of the Cessna 150-152 Club. Jan / Feb 2017 www.cessna150152.com Volume 37 Number 1 2 From the Editor’s Desk 4 A Story About Success This issue is dedicated to the amazing history of the Cessna Aircraft Company 8 Aviation Fun 12 Pioneers In Aviation 13 NTSB Reports Learn from others’ mistakes ISSN 0747- 4712 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 FROM THE EDTOR’S DESK Holy Cow…it’s 2017! We here at Club Headquarters are reflecting back on 2016 and find ourselves looking forward into 2017, eagerly anticipating good things to come. Last year was a relatively quiet one for the Club in general but, seemingly coinciding with the general elec- tion, we experienced a surge of new members and product orders, which has continued into January. This is the time of year that many aircraft owners take the opportunity to repair/refurbish/upgrade their air- planes…and why not? The weather can be pretty gloomy around much of the USA and Canada. We have lots of Belly Drains and some Gascolators going out the door and that tells me folks are prepping their little birds for a season of aviating. General aviation at our level has taken a disappointing downturn over the past years and in my opinion the root cause is economics (and possibly video games). The world economy has been stagnant and the cost of owning/flying an airplane is beyond most folks’ reach; and by that I mean that the priorities of people have to be focused on paying bills and feeding their families. There just isn’t always enough left over to pay for punching holes in the air on the weekends. But for the many diehard “hobby” pilots the solution has been to transition from larger more expensive air- planes to our favorites, the 150 and 152. Lots of us feel that just being in the air is a thrill each and every time and it need not be in the seat a 230 hp CS prop IFR equipped airplane. I heard an interesting comment from a foreign visitor recently that speaks to the downsizing phenomenon: Speaking of automobiles: “Americans buy a car or pickup truck for what it CAN do, not for what they will actually need it to do.” And this really struck a cord with me because it’s a true observation likely to be made only from the out- side. Apparently this same principle applies to some degree in aviation because I’ve spoken with several pilots who have downsized to a 2-seater and they say they haven’t had this much fun in decades. Well… YEAH!…the 150-152 is the gold standard when it comes to affordable, reliable, factory built airplanes. A good 150 often goes for half the price of a new Kia. Now THAT’s a bargain! Conclusion: Let’s all continue making the effort to promote aviation at every opportunity and in every way we can, which can include offering introductory rides to non-pilots, talking up flying in general to adults and young people and, not the least important, by being good neighbors while showing consideration for ground dwellers when it comes to noise pollution. I am a dirt bike rider and believe me, demonstrating a concern for those we share the outdoors with pays off big time. Many of our Cessna 150-152 Club members are ambassadors for aviation and the positive stories I’ve heard from them are many and heartwarming. We should all be ambassadors whenever we are given the opening…which will make 2017 even better! Dan Meler - Editor 2 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 PRODUCTS IN OUR ONLINE STORE Primer O-Ring Kit Cure that sticky primer. This kit includes 2 FAA approved Viton O-Rings, O-Lube, and step by step instruction to make your primer work like new. $11.95 & Free Shipping Finest Gascolator on the market, fits all 150-152s www.Cessna150152.com/shop Or Order by Phone 541-772-8601 Cessna 150-152 Pilot (ISSN 0747-4712) is published bimonthly, by The Cessna 150-152 $15.95 + Shipping & Handling Club, 3492 N. Foothill Rd., Medford, OR 97504 Periodicals Postage paid at Medford, OR 97501, USPS 721970. Annual Postal Subscriptions are $48 also available as an electronic internet based subscription for $35. Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is Available For Standard & Factory Long Range Tanks Tanks Long Range & Factory For Standard Available prohibited. Postmaster, Send change of address to: Cessna 150-152 Club, PO Box 5298 Stop Guessing! Central Point, OR 97502 The information presented in this publication is from multiple sources from which The Cessna 150-152 Club cannot warranty or accept responsibility as to it's legality, completeness, or technical accuracy. Readers are reminded that United States Federal Air Regulations part The Aerotech dipping 91 place primary responsibility for ensuring the airworthy condition of an aircraft on the owner and or operator. Any person who maintains, gauge, a best-selling modifies, or otherwise changes an aircraft must do so in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and applicable FAA item in our Online regulations. Store, takes the guess Contacts: work out of determin- Telephone: (541) 772-8601 Website: www.cessna150152.com ing how much fuel Email: Items for publication: really IS in those [email protected] tanks! Email: General Inquiries, Membership, Requests for Technical Materials,, etc: [email protected] 3 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 stormers, Cessna sensed an opportunity and trav- Success In Aviation... eled to New York, where he purchased a French Bleriot aircraft from the Queens Airplane Com- The Cessna Story pany in the Bronx. He assembled the plane from a kit, using one of his own water-cooled engines. Having never before flown, Cessna wheeled the craft out onto a salt plain near Jet, Oklahoma, to Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of begin practice runs. As his brother Roy watched, Cessna bounced his craft on a takeoff run, eventu- the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the ally ending up ditching its nose into the ground. world’s largest manufacturer of private aircraft. e pilot emerged without serious injury but, deter- mined to fly, he repaired the Bleriot for another try. Cessna smashed the airplane 11 more times before he got the hang of it. On the thirteenth try he managed to get enough altitude to avoid crash- ing. But because he had not yet learned to turn, he was forced to set the craft down immediately. And because he had never landed, the flight ended with yet another crash. In June of 1911, after several modifications, Cessna made his first completely successful flight, and with practice he became a fairly good pilot. He was paid $300 to perform at an air show in Jet, and before the end of the season he flew three more exhibitions. Cessna began its operations building small propel- ler-driven aircraft for the private pilot market, Through the spring and summer of 1912, and for eventually expanding into the manufacture of cor- several years after, Cessna made small changes to porate jets. The company has since become the his airplane, customizing it by incorporating new leading private jet manufacturer in the industry. controls and changing the balance and surfaces of Following the 1994 signing of the General Avia- the craft. Each year he gave flying demonstrations tion Revitalization Act, the company resumed pro- throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. In the fall of duction of single-engine piston aircraft, which it 1916 Cessna was offered a rent-free space at the had given up in 1986. Jones Motor Car factory in Wichita, Kansas, to manufacture a new model. In return he was asked Origins to paint the words “Jones-Six,” the name of a car model, on the bottom of the wings of his new air- In 1911 the company’s plane. This craft, built over the winter of 1916-17, founder, Clyde V. was the first airplane manufactured in Wichita. Cessna, a farmer who Cessna’s next model, the Comet, emerged in 1917. was also employed as a mechanic and auto sales- With a partially enclosed cockpit, the Comet be- man for Overland Auto- came the manufacturer’s most successful model. mobiles, attended an air Cessna planned to promote the design at one of show in the 60 air shows in which he was booked to per- nearby Oklahoma City at form during 1917, but American involvement in the Moisant International Clyde World War I forced him to abandon his sales ef- Aviation Air Circus. forts. Engines, propellers, and other important Cessna was immediately taken with the urge to fly. supplies were earmarked for larger manufacturers. Aware of the large sums paid to exhibition barn- Cessna, effectively, was put out of business. He 4 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 lished a 5,000-square-foot factory and an adjacent paint shop. Roos, however, received a lucrative offer to become general manager of the Swallow Airplane Company and left the business in De- cember. Cessna reorganized his enterprise as the Cessna Aircraft Company and began offering five varia- tions on the “A” series, each with a different type of engine. These were called Aws - the “W” stood for Wright, the engine manufac- turer. Cessna then began work on a heavier BW Cessna Comet series. The Commerce Department, however, which then certified aircraft designs, would not returned to his home near Rago, Kansas, and re- approve the use of a more powerful Wright engine sumed farming.