There are loads of good 150/152s out there and it sounds like importing one may really be an option. I bought Wilbur, my handsome Aerobat, a few years back and knew I was paying top dollar for him but did not want the chance of letting a good airplane get away. In retrospect, I am thankful I got him and I realize for his time and condition, the price was great. I use him for teaching aerobatics and he has served me incredibly well.
The bunches of money I have put into him since is another story . . .
My project came out of the US too. The market down south is just so much bigger. The premise of you get what you pay for holds very true. If you buy a piece of crap, whether in Canada or the US, that is exactly what you will get. The added crunch will be when you import it into Canada - all the little things that are not a big deal in the planes home country will all of a sudden come to haunt you. If importing, buy at the higher end of the scale, otherwise your good deal will become a money pit to get flying. I'm not trying to be a pessimist, just a realist!
One place to look is the Western Producer. There are always 150's and 172's for sale in there, mostly from the Prairie provinces. Also, subscribe to COPA - their classifieds are pretty good too.
lionel, that is one very nice plane you have. thanks for posting up the pics!! i could only wish to find something like that around here in western canada. 152 would be very nice... haven't seen one around here though.
out east i've seen a few from COPA... a real nice 150 with the Horton kit on it. BUT it's way out there and i can't get there to see it.
i think i'm passing on the c150 with 8000hours on it. just too much money for a high time frame.
Pete, I wouldn't be to concerned about the airframe time. I'd be more interested in engine hours, prop time, and what type of condition it's in. IE, has it seen work or is it still like original, including radios? For me, I also wanted something that had been repainted, that's a 4 to 5 thousand $ bill.
Remember as well,, new ELT's will be mandated shortly, so if it doesn't have the 406 ELT, it could be a bargaining chip downwards in price. Those aren't cheap with the average price being around the $1000 mark.
Just so you know, mark down the last week of July for a trip to Clinton, Iowa for our main fly-In!
This last July I met a gentleman who flew his 150 from Canada to the Fly-In and had a great time.
Again, welcome and best of luck with your plane! If you ever want to visit the East Coast of the USA, feel free to come to Carlisle, PA for some great flying and dining out!
I don't claim to be an expert, but I wouldn't let 8000 hrs scare me away with these airplanes. Look for stress on the airframe carefully.
I've got a little sticker shock with that price..but it may just be the way it is up there! (Sounds like others have had success with importing - sure you don't want to try that??) Still a low time engine is worth a lot, and it looks like a good clean airplane.
