I watch Cessna 150-152 values and operational costs very closely, and have been doing so on a weekly basis for over 5 years. Based on those observations, here's my opinion on the value appreciation question.
The costs of properly maintaining a Cessna 150-152 airplane eat up any resale value appreciation. The only way I can see to profit financially from C150-152 ownership is to buy an airplane at well below market value, and sell it way above market value. This obviously requires buying from a seller who is either naive or in a cash emergency, and selling to a naive buyer or someone who has allowed their excitement about airplane ownership to override their common sense.
Compared to cars, which depreciate in a rapid and predictable way, airplanes hold their value much better. In fact, when we factor in inflation, it is quite possible for an airplane to maintain 90-100 percent of it's value over a 5-10 year ownership period.
While that sounds great, we have to consider that the cost of ownership is much much higher than a car. Over a ten year period is very likely that the owner will spend more on maintenance than the purchase price.
Not to complicate this too much, but in order to have the full picture we have to separate the costs of ownership into operational vs. fixed costs. The fixed costs are the real story here. Annuals, hangar or tiedowns, and insurance really add up. If you fly the airplane a lot, say 150-200 hours a year, the fixed costs are a manageable part of your hourly budget, if you fly less than 100 hours a year, you pay dearly for the convenience of being an owner. But even though they save money, frequent flyers are ultimately faced with the really big bill (or loss of value) of a engine that requires overhaul.
Bottom line, owing an airplane is very expensive, whether or not you fly it frequently. These expenses eat up any perceived increase in value over time.
We fly because we love to fly, and we pay dearly for the privilege. (Though obviously as 150-152 pilots we pay less dearly than pilots of nearly every other model and brand.)
It's simple logic. It's irrational to expect we can buzz around the sky in our personal chariots for a few years and in the end profit because the chariot has gone up in value. The math simply doesn't support it.
