Cessna 150: Thousands trained, and counting

That’s because more than 22,000 of the two-place, 100-horsepower airplanes were manufactured (in four versions) during its 20-year production run, finding use as trainers, personal and flying club aircraft, and workhorses, flying missions such as pipeline patrols and many other utility tasks.

The airplane is a natural for that task—and there is still plenty of time to apply online for AOPA’s Flying Club Cessna 150 Giveaway, using AOPA’s online resources and recent articles about the 150 Giveaway to complete your application by the Sept. 1 deadline.

In many ways the Cessna 150 was designed to reimagine GA flying as the successor to the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 120 and Cessna 140.

Some of the design changes that emerged over the years of the Cessna 150’s production run are visible to the naked eye, such as the rear window that was added in 1964, and a swept tail that came along in 1966, according to a profile of the aircraft that you can peruse on AOPA Online.

The profile notes that “the 150's finest qualities are apparent during flight training procedures. It stalls well with a generous amount of warning and has ‘outstanding’ stability on all axes.”

And if a training aircraft series’ success is measured by the number of pilots trained, the Cessna 150 and its successor, the Cessna 152, take the prize, having trained an estimated 250,000 pilots—so far.

Fun and affordability of flying are the goals of the program under which AOPA has undertaken with industry partners to refurbish selected Cessna 150s and several other of the world’s most popular trainers, thereby building a community “around the magic of flight.”

Here’s wishing your startup flying club good luck with its application and as its members become active members of that special aviation community very soon!