Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes 172 vs 150/152

I had a shock today. I went out to one of the local fbo and talked to the flight instructor about coming back to get current. I also discussed with him, renting vs. buying. I told him I was going to buy a 150 or 152 and He said "what in the world for"? He doesnt think much of the little birds and says I ought to consider the 172. I told hime how much fun I had learning to fly in N5189B and loved the way the 152 handled and responded. I felt so confident in that airplane. I actually didnt enjoy the 172 as well. I could not stand the way it floated down the runway when I wanted it to touch down. Sharp turns seemed a little bit like a chore compared to the 152. Besides, I have to think the 150-152 will be somewhat cheaper to buy, maintain, and operate. Do any of you all wish your 150-152 was its bigger brother? I love the 150-152 and cant see getting anything else regardless of the limitations.

Billy,

I considered buying this 58 172 about 2 yr ago.

Needed 32K for this bird. I hope pic come through.

bruce

Does he have a 172 for sale or something?

Sometimes I wish I had more seats and useful load but I've learned to live with my limitations. Most of the time I'm flying by myself, I'd just be paying more in fuel to drag along the empty seats. More seats would be better for traveling though.

I think a lot of people fall into a trap of buying more than they really need. My boss' wife wanted an SUV for the one or two times a year the kids came for a visit. The rest of the time she's by herself commuting to work or running errands.

150/152s are a joy to fly, IMNSHO. 172s fly like trucks by comparison.

For some reason, I like small. I like my 150. One of my dream cars is a Mazda Miata/MX-5, maybe someday...

Billy,

My experience with the 172 is exactly like yours. I'm 5'5" and 150 lbs. In a 172, if I leave the seat low then I can't see over the panel; if I crank up the seat then the yoke is in my lap, very awkward to fly. When I come in for landing, the 172 just floats and floats.

I like the responsiveness of the 150/152. To me, the 152 is like a sporty car with good handling and the 172 is like the family sedan.

David,

As you are finding out, your 150/150HP will do everything better then a 172/145HP or 172/150HP except carry passengers in the back seat!!

Billy,

Flight instructors are like the rest of us, they all have their preferences. I've flown both the 150/152 and the 172 (invarious editions). I thought the 172 handled like a truck, until I flew a Piper Arrow. The 172 is heavier, carries more people (check GPBill's statement), and burns more gas.

It's a good solid plane, and flies like one! The important thing to find out, is what is your mission? Solve the mission question and that will help you find the plane.

Well put my friend, very well put.
Terry

I used to own a 172,, So, remember all costs are proportional to size of the airplane,,

I put on about 1100 hours in my 172,, 90% of the time it was just me, about 5% it was with 2 on board,, the other 5% of the time,, there was more then 2, so you need to really understand your needs and all that.

Would I like to have my 172 back, yes, but would I want to pay for all those little extra costs,, nope, so I now have my 150 and most times, it's still just me flying,, I just get around a bit cheaper is all,,

Hi Billy. I don't believe in trashing another make/model plane cuz we're all in the flying addiction together. So if you want to fly a 150/152, there are obviously lots of others who feel the way you do about it.

I sold my 150 and bought a 172 back in March this year. Why? Well, for one I'm 6' & 230 lbs and with my wife (albeit rarely) on board she complained about the comfort issue. But 99.99% of the time I'm by myself.

Also, my wife's son was going off to college just far enough away that it made sense to fly us to & from, so in that regard our mission changed.

I say, who cares what you choose to fly, as long as you love it and you're flying. And yes, the 150/152 is a riot compared to flying the (boring, stable) 172.

Oh, and I DEFINITELY miss the fuel burn, typically 4.9 - 5.4 compared to 6.9 - 7.8 GPH. Good luck to you.

Thanks all, Patrick you hit the nail on the head.. The way I see it. Owning the 150-152 will be exactly what I want. And if I ever need to on occasion, I'll just rent the 172.