Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Anyone have a 150 that they would consider trading for a Corvette or 5th Wheel?

You would be better off, and probably get a better deal and price just selling the car and/or trailer and then having CASH to purchase the airplane that fits your needs rather than an airplane someone is willing to trade with as the criteria for purchasing it.

I don't take trades. I figure that if the other party can't sell his item, then I wouldn't be able to either. Besides, it almost always seems that they think their item is made out of gold and mine is near worthless.

Serious buyers bring cash. Cash gets the best deals.

I bought a 150 and enjoyed it for the time I had it. Even today i still like its looks of the 150 better. However, at 6"1' I found it a little too tight and eventually ended up trading for a 172 for just a couple of thousand more dollars. My 6'4" son didn't fit in the 150 at all because the yoke hit his legs.

The 150 did fit the buyer like a glove, since he was much shorter, and for him, the glareshield in a 172 was too high and he needed something to boost himself up on the seat. So each plane is suited for particular people sizes.

If I were doing it again, I'd probably go for the 172 from the start. I had kind of become attached to the 150 and didn't like giving it up.

@Brian - Thanks for the input! I might end up just going that route. I was just thinking it might work out. I know that any high dollar luxury items are hard to sell these days. Folks are still feeling the recession I think.

@Henry - Thanks for the comparison. I am 6'1 and I fit in the 150 okay. I have waffled back and forth on the 172 vs 150 issue several times. What is leaning me towards the 150 is 3 things:

1 - They burn a bit less fuel, say 5.5 GPH leaned verses 7.5 GPH leaned. Thus for pleasure flying for me it seems they are lower cost per hour to fly. Especially if I get the Autogas STC.

2 - I can get into one for my price range of around $20k. While you can find 172s in that range, they tend toward $30 - 35k for a decent one. It also seems like the 150s are cheaper for maint and engines work. But maybe not. This is one of my big limits. I really need to be in that $20k +/- range.

3 - When I started flying in a 150, I LOVED IT! I have been flying 172s mostly and while they have more room, I just loved the way the 150 handled and just clicked for me.

On a bright note, did find someone in KEUL willing to trade me one of those small "T" shaped hanger for my Vette. But there is a leak in the ceiling so the roof needs re-tarred and the sheetrock needs to be fixed. Not sure about it though. Feels like getting the cart before the horse as I don't have the plane to put in it yet. Might just sell my baby, get the 150 and use a tie down for a bit.

I got checked out in a 172 and have about 20 hrs in it. The 172 handles like a truck and a 152 handles like a compact car.

Hung - Totally agree.

I fit OK in the 150, but do have to contort a little more to get in. The issue is when I take someone of similar size along. I bought the plane with a partner. We fly together often but with him being about the same size as me, our shoulders take up the full cabin width.

Both my 150 and 172 have auto gas STC's, but you can't use gas with Ethanol, and we don't have any Ethanol-free gas anywhere near where I live. I also don't feel comfortable carrying large amounts of gas from a gas station to the airport. I'd use auto gas if it was dispensed near the plane, but that is not a possibility for me.

I loved my 150, but love my 172 even more. I get much better performance and handling on take off when there is more than one person on board. Mine has an O-300 engine, which is a 6 cylinder version of the O-200 in the 150, and it is very smooth.

I find the 172 to be like a sedan, and the 150 like a motorcycle. The 182 feels like a truck to me.

If you're patient, you can probably find a decent VFR 172 in the low 20s or even very high teens, and a 150/152 in the mid to high teens. the market is pretty depressed. Advertised prices are higher, but you can negotiate your way down.

Thanks for the info Henry. I have been looking at 150s for the last year or so. Now just just sell the Corvette....

Hi Troy. Welcome to the Board!

One thing I have noticed looking at a complementary issue of Trade-A-Plane that they send me periodically is that the number of 150's for sale there is way down from a couple of years ago. My mechanic told me last year that good 150's are getting hard to find. Probably for all the reasons you guys have listed. Good luck in locating one. There was an Aerobat taildragger on here a few days ago. That would be the ticket!

Thanks Stacey. I saw that posting. That would be sweet! Wish I could afford the extra $10k those aerobats command.