Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes WTB 150

Hi all, as you can see, I'm new to the forums...and flying. I just soloed and it was such an awesome feeling that I am ready to buy my first ride.

I'm just looking for something affordable since it's my first. I don't want anything that will need work or need to be OH'd anytime soon... let's say less than 900 SMOH.

VFR only since it will be some time before I'll need IFR and again, trying to keep the price down.

I prefer to stay away from mechanical flaps but you never know.

I'm going through the buy sell forum but that is going to take some time so I figured this may help.

Please let me know what you may have or know of. I am in NY so the closer the better.

Thanks for your time.

---Frank---

Welcome Frank. I was stationed up in your neck of the woods back in 1986 while assigned to the Ballston Spa Nuclear Power Training Unit for prototype training. I enjoyed being in that area.

Welcome aboard Frank, we are very glad to have you.

Congratulations on your first solo – it is an event that you will never forget. One of the sweetest times in a pilot’s life.

Buying your first airplane can be one of the greatest adventures of your life. I have one word of advice PATIENTS. There are plenty of airplanes out there if you miss getting what you think is the best deal around you will be wrong – there is a better deal out there somewhere.

As far as time on an engine goes you are going to pretty much pay for what you get. If the plane has a low time engine it will cost you more up front. I have always had good luck with buying a plane with an run out engine and having it overhauled. Then I know what I have. On the other hand I have bought some planes with low time engines that served me well and I have bought planes with low time engines that had to be overhauled long before the TBO.

Most folks that have flown with both manual and electric flaps prefer the manual flaps, I know that I do. But that is a personal preference thing for you.

I am in the process of building an aviation website for just such occasions. Click on Buying [wings.esisupply.com] and it will take you to the page of my web site where I talk about buying an airplane/
Click on LINKS [wings.esisupply.com] to go to page that contains links to several buy/sell websites as well as other helpful sites.

Good luck!

Hi Frank.

Welcome to the club...and congratulations on contemplating your first aircraft purchase.

I agree with my esteemed colleague, Wayne. Regarding engine times....you generally get what you pay for...but that is by no means an absolute.

If you prefer the electric flaps, then that's your preference...just like your favorite color is your favorite color....and it's not a wrong decision. However.... I'm one who has flown a lot behind both electric and manual flaps....and I have to say I absolutely love the manual flaps.

The motor never fails me. I learned that the flap motor does get tired with repeated touch and goes...and the flap motor works harder closer to the max flap airspeed...but the motor never completely quits. It's a simple, very reliable system...further keeping prices down.

But, that would limit you to the '59-'65 model 150's. I just wanted to throw that out at you. I wish you the best of luck with your search and ultimately in your purchase. What an awesome feeling...to fly your very own plane....with no time limits on when you've gotta get it back to the FBO.

Again...welcome to the club.

Frank,

Welcome to the club; and may you find a great 150 or 152 to purchase.

There are some absolutely excellent guides for first time buyers - AVweb (www.avweb.com [avweb.com]) is a good resource. Spend some time reading before you buy. The Aviation Consumer "Use Aircraft Guide" is worth its weight in avoiding buying a piece of junk that has a nice paint job. An aircraft purchase is very, very much buyer beware, so do a lot of homework before you put any money on the counter. Folks here will help you.

Gary's comment about getting what you pay for is true in spades in the aviation world. There are very, very few deep discounts/bargains on airplanes that are in good shape. If the price is very low, be very, very suspicious and never, ever buy an airplane without having a mechanic you select and who hasn't worked on the airplane do an examination for you. (Big discount, especially with a "fresh annual" or "fresh overhaul" read: "Danger, Will Robinson!"

Electric versus manual flaps is a personal preference. I've been flying electric flap airplanes for over 40 years and several thousand hours and only had a flap system problem once - and it was a limit switch, not an actuating motor. I've flown a lot of manual flap and electric flap airplanes and I personally prefer electric flaps where I can move a switch to the degree of flap deflection I want and forget about it while I move on to the next task and I don't have to worry about smashing my knuckles under a flap handle if I don't grab it just right. Nevertheless, if I found a good manual flap airplane that fit all my other needs, I would grab it in a New York minute. While flap actuation system is a personal preference, it's such a low priority matter that it doesn't come remotely close to making a purchase difference when you are looking for a clean, corrosion free airplane with the avionics you want.

Welcome again,
Rick

As per the above posts, most experienced pilots prefer the manual flaps for a variety of reasons...I wish I had them in my 150F.

What is your idea of "keeping the price down"? Knowing that may help the rest of us shop for you

Don't take the SMOH number as any kind of gospel. I'm currently overhauling a 200 SMOH engine that only had a year of flying on it. The aircraft I'm flying is 1600 SMOH and will likely run another 800. Since I fly it around 100 hours a year, that's a lot of time left.

Check compressions, idle oil pressure, and cam lift. Pull and inspect the plugs. Look at the accessories. Read through the engine AND propeller log to see how things match up. Borescope the cylinders. Find the overhaul entry to see which parts were new and which were serviceable.

Remember, the TBO number is a recommendation, not a requirement. If the engine is at or over TBO but still looks good, then keep flying it. If the engine is way below TBO but seems suspicious, then tear it down.

By the way, if you think any aircraft doesn't need any work at the time of purchase don't worry, it soon will. "Affordable" and "aircraft" don't usually fit together in the same sentence. ;-)

And, I've heard of engines running 2800 hours plus with no issues .... I probably wouldn't do that, but it's been known to happen ...

Even no metal in the oil filter isn't a guarantee. My engine with the broken crankshaft tore up the thrust washers and bearing, but didn't put any metal in the filter.

Welcome Frank!

Congratulations on your solo!!!

My advice won't be much different than what you've already read. Buy the nicest and best maintained bird you can. You'll never recover the cost trying to buy cheap and fixing up. There are some great well maintained older 150's out there. I'd put focus on airframe condition, engine time, and previous owners approach to maintenance.

Although I wouldn't factor this into a buying decision, I'm another one of those that love my manual flaps. Although I trained exclusively in 152's with electric, I MUCH prefer manual. In the time it takes to flip a switch for electric flaps I can actually have the flaps down. The absolute control is wonderful.