cessna 150-152 pilot · 11/3/2016  · cessna 150-152 pilot - jan / feb 2017 based in wichita,...

16
ISSN 0747- 4712 Official Newsletter of the Cessna 150-152 Club. 2 From the Editor’s Desk 4 A Story About Success This issue is dedicated to the amazing history of the Cessna Aircraft Company 8 Aviation Fun 12 Pioneers In Aviation 13 NTSB Reports Learn from others’ mistakes Jan / Feb 2017 Volume 37 Number 1 Cessna 150-152 Pilot www.cessna150152.com

Upload: others

Post on 01-Aug-2020

6 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

ISSN 0747- 4712

Official Newsletter of the Cessna 150-152 Club.

2 From the Editor’s Desk 4 A Story About Success This issue is dedicated to the amazing history of the Cessna Aircraft Company 8 Aviation Fun 12 Pioneers In Aviation 13 NTSB Reports Learn from others’ mistakes

Jan / Feb 2017 Volume 37 Number 1

Cessna 150-152 Pilot

www.cessna150152.com

Page 2: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

2

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

Holy Cow…it’s 2017! We here at Club Headquarters are reflecting back on 2016 and find ourselves looking forward into 2017, eagerly anticipating good things to come. Last year was a relatively quiet one for the Club in general but, seemingly coinciding with the general elec-tion, we experienced a surge of new members and product orders, which has continued into January. This is the time of year that many aircraft owners take the opportunity to repair/refurbish/upgrade their air-planes…and why not? The weather can be pretty gloomy around much of the USA and Canada. We have lots of Belly Drains and some Gascolators going out the door and that tells me folks are prepping their little birds for a season of aviating. General aviation at our level has taken a disappointing downturn over the past years and in my opinion the root cause is economics (and possibly video games). The world economy has been stagnant and the cost of owning/flying an airplane is beyond most folks’ reach; and by that I mean that the priorities of people have to be focused on paying bills and feeding their families. There just isn’t always enough left over to pay for punching holes in the air on the weekends. But for the many diehard “hobby” pilots the solution has been to transition from larger more expensive air-planes to our favorites, the 150 and 152. Lots of us feel that just being in the air is a thrill each and every time and it need not be in the seat a 230 hp CS prop IFR equipped airplane. I heard an interesting comment from a foreign visitor recently that speaks to the downsizing phenomenon: Speaking of automobiles: “Americans buy a car or pickup truck for what it CAN do, not for what they will actually need it to do.” And this really struck a cord with me because it’s a true observation likely to be made only from the out-side. Apparently this same principle applies to some degree in aviation because I’ve spoken with several pilots who have downsized to a 2-seater and they say they haven’t had this much fun in decades. Well…YEAH!…the 150-152 is the gold standard when it comes to affordable, reliable, factory built airplanes. A good 150 often goes for half the price of a new Kia. Now THAT’s a bargain! Conclusion: Let’s all continue making the effort to promote aviation at every opportunity and in every way we can, which can include offering introductory rides to non-pilots, talking up flying in general to adults and young people and, not the least important, by being good neighbors while showing consideration for ground dwellers when it comes to noise pollution. I am a dirt bike rider and believe me, demonstrating a concern for those we share the outdoors with pays off big time. Many of our Cessna 150-152 Club members are ambassadors for aviation and the positive stories I’ve heard from them are many and heartwarming. We should all be ambassadors whenever we are given the opening…which will make 2017 even better!

Dan Meler - Editor

FROM THE EDTOR’S DESK

Page 3: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

Finest Gascolator on the market, fits all 150-152s

Cessna 150-152 Pilot (ISSN 0747-4712) is published bimonthly, by The Cessna 150-152 Club, 3492 N. Foothill Rd., Medford, OR 97504 Periodicals Postage paid at Medford, OR 97501, USPS 721970.

Annual Postal Subscriptions are $48 also available as an electronic internet based subscription for $35. Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

Postmaster, Send change of address to: Cessna 150-152 Club, PO Box 5298 Central Point, OR 97502 The information presented in this publication is from multiple sources from which The Cessna 150-152 Club cannot warranty or accept responsibility as to it's legality, completeness, or technical accuracy. Readers are reminded that United States Federal Air Regulations part 91 place primary responsibility for ensuring the airworthy condition of an aircraft on the owner and or operator. Any person who maintains, modifies, or otherwise changes an aircraft must do so in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and applicable FAA regulations. Contacts: Telephone: (541) 772-8601 Website: www.cessna150152.com Email: Items for publication: [email protected] Email: General Inquiries, Membership, Requests for Technical Materials,, etc: [email protected]

3

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

www.Cessna150152.com/shop Or

Order by Phone 541-772-8601

Primer O-Ring Kit Cure that sticky primer. This kit includes 2 FAA approved Viton O-Rings, O-Lube, and step by step instruction to make your primer work like new.

$11.95 & Free Shipping

PRODUCTS IN OUR ONLINE STORE

Stop Guessing!

The Aerotech dipping gauge, a best-selling item in our Online Store, takes the guess work out of determin-ing how much fuel really IS in those tanks!

$15.

95 +

Shi

ppin

g &

Han

dlin

g

Avai

labl

e Fo

r Sta

ndar

d &

Fac

tory

Lon

g R

ange

Tan

ks

Page 4: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

4

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of private aircraft.

Cessna began its operations building small propel-ler-driven aircraft for the private pilot market, eventually expanding into the manufacture of cor-porate jets. The company has since become the leading private jet manufacturer in the industry. Following the 1994 signing of the General Avia-tion Revitalization Act, the company resumed pro-duction of single-engine piston aircraft, which it had given up in 1986. Origins In 1911 the company’s founder, Clyde V. Cessna, a farmer who was also employed as a mechanic and auto sales-man for Overland Auto-mobiles, attended an air show in nearby Oklahoma City at the Moisant International Aviation Air Circus. Cessna was immediately taken with the urge to fly. Aware of the large sums paid to exhibition barn-

stormers, Cessna sensed an opportunity and trav-eled to New York, where he purchased a French Bleriot aircraft from the Queens Airplane Com-pany in the Bronx. He assembled the plane from a kit, using one of his own water-cooled engines. Having never before flown, Cessna wheeled the craft out onto a salt plain near Jet, Oklahoma, to begin practice runs. As his brother Roy watched, Cessna bounced his craft on a takeoff run, eventu-ally ending up ditching its nose into the ground. e pilot emerged without serious injury but, deter-mined to fly, he repaired the Bleriot for another try. Cessna smashed the airplane 11 more times before he got the hang of it. On the thirteenth try he managed to get enough altitude to avoid crash-ing. But because he had not yet learned to turn, he was forced to set the craft down immediately. And because he had never landed, the flight ended with yet another crash. In June of 1911, after several modifications, Cessna made his first completely successful flight, and with practice he became a fairly good pilot. He was paid $300 to perform at an air show in Jet, and before the end of the season he flew three more exhibitions. Through the spring and summer of 1912, and for several years after, Cessna made small changes to his airplane, customizing it by incorporating new controls and changing the balance and surfaces of the craft. Each year he gave flying demonstrations throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. In the fall of 1916 Cessna was offered a rent-free space at the Jones Motor Car factory in Wichita, Kansas, to manufacture a new model. In return he was asked to paint the words “Jones-Six,” the name of a car model, on the bottom of the wings of his new air-plane. This craft, built over the winter of 1916-17, was the first airplane manufactured in Wichita. Cessna’s next model, the Comet, emerged in 1917. With a partially enclosed cockpit, the Comet be-came the manufacturer’s most successful model. Cessna planned to promote the design at one of the 60 air shows in which he was booked to per-form during 1917, but American involvement in World War I forced him to abandon his sales ef-forts. Engines, propellers, and other important supplies were earmarked for larger manufacturers. Cessna, effectively, was put out of business. He

Success In Aviation... The Cessna Story

Clyde

Page 5: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

5

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

returned to his home near Rago, Kansas, and re-sumed farming. In 1925 two business partners, Walter Beech and Lloyd Stearman, who persuaded him to begin making airplanes again, lured Cessna back to Wichita. The three men established the Travel Air Manufacturing Company, with Cessna as presi-dent. While the company built a line of biplanes, a conflict began to emerge between Beech and Cessna. Beech favored the two-wing designs and Cessna wanted to build a monoplane. In 1926 Cessna rented his own shop, where he designed and built his single-wing aircraft. He later flew this plane in a demonstration for Beech, who was forced to concede that Cessna’s design was an ex-cellent one, resulting in the manufacture of mono-planes by Travel Air. Two later models, the City of Oakland and the Woolaroc, were the first civil-ian planes to be flown to Hawaii. Cessna-Roos Company Origins in 1927 Further differences with Beech and Stearman, however, led Cessna to leave the partnership in 1927. He established his own shop in Wichita and began work on a radical design that eliminated the need for wing struts, the bars that supported the plane’s wings. After successfully buildings his strutless “A”series monoplane, Cessna organized another firm and sold shares in his new company. Victor Roos, a major shareholder, was made a partner, and the company was incorporated as the Cessna-Roos Company on September 8, 1927. Roos helped Cessna to acquire an 11-acre site at First Street and Glenn Avenue, where they estab-

lished a 5,000-square-foot factory and an adjacent paint shop. Roos, however, received a lucrative offer to become general manager of the Swallow Airplane Company and left the business in De-cember. Cessna reorganized his enterprise as the Cessna Aircraft Company and began offering five varia-tions on the “A” series, each with a different type of engine. These were called Aws - the “W” stood for Wright, the engine manufac-turer. Cessna then began work on a heavier BW series. The Commerce Department, however, which then certified aircraft designs, would not approve the use of a more powerful Wright engine without a lengthy stress analysis. To maintain sales, Cessna was forced to substitute a smaller engine in the BW. But he soon began work on an even more powerful third series, the CW-6, which featured a 225-horsepower engine. In 1929, on the success of these models, Cessna financed development of an improved “D” series. Members of this series, the Chief and the Scout, were to be built at another new facility, an 80-acre site southeast of Wichita. Here, Cessna was build-ing a 55,000-square-foot plant, although it was during construction that the stock market crashed, plunging the country into the Great Depression. By 1930 the demand for private aircraft all but disappeared. In an attempt to bolster sales Cessna

designed a glider, the CG-2, which he sold for only $398. He attempted several other experimen-tal designs, but by 1931 was forced to close down

Cessna Comet

Cessna GC-2

Page 6: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

6

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

his plant and rent out his buildings. Although the Cessna Aircraft Company did not go bankrupt, no airplanes were built for three years. In fact, Clyde Cessna and his son Eldon were prevented by the company’s board of directors from even attempt-ing to restart operations at the plant. Instead, the pair opened another small shop and founded the C.V. Cessna Aircraft Company. At this site Cessna and his son built the CR-1, CR-2, and CR-3 racing models and the C-3 cabin cruiser. Meanwhile, in June of 1933, Cessna’s nephew Dwane L. Wallace graduated from Wichita Uni-versity with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He went to work for the Beech Aircraft Company, which occupied a section of the closed Cessna fac-tory. When Beech later moved to another plant, Dwane and his brother Dwight persuaded Cessna’s board to allow their uncle to reopen the plant. Pro-duction was resumed on January 10, 1934, and the Wallace brothers joined the company as officers. The new team designed another cantilevered—sans wing struts—craft, the C-34 Airmaster, which

test pilots George Hart and Dwane Wallace flew on nationwide demonstrations. The new model put the company back on its feet, particularly after it garnered numerous prestigious awards. In 1935 Clyde Cessna, now age 55, sold his shares in the company to the Wallace brothers. He re-mained president of Cessna Aircraft until October 8, 1936, when he retired. He returned to his 640-acre farm in Rago and invented new farm imple-ments until his death in 1954. Under the Wallaces, the Cessna Aircraft Company built its first twin-engine aircraft in 1938. The T-50 Bobcat was de-

signed and built in nine months—production had barely started in March 1939 when priority mili-tary orders for the new plane began to come in. The U.S. Army used the T-50 as a trainer, desig-nated AT-8. Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Air Force weighed in with similar orders, calling theirs the Crane I. Expansion During World War II With a growing backlog of military orders, Cessna was forced to expand. The company, which em-ployed 200 people in July 1940, had more than 1,500 workers just seven months later. As hostili-ties in Europe began, with Germany’s invasion of France, the army increased its orders from Cessna. The company delivered several new variations on the T-50, including AT-17 trainers and UC-78 utility cargo aircraft. The basic T-50 design, however, was the mainstay at that time. In April 1942, during the darkest days of the war, the army ordered Cessna to manufacture 1,500 C-4A troop/cargo gliders. These craft, which were de-signed by the Waco Aircraft Company, were in-tended for use in an allied invasion of Europe. Company Perspectives: The Mission of the Cessna Aircraft Company is: to be the worldwide leader in the industry seg-ments we serve by developing and producing safe, reliable, high quality aircraft that represent the best value in general aviation; to provide the most comprehensive and responsive support to every Cessna customer; to produce the financial results that create value for Textron shareholders. Cessna built a new plant for the gliders at Hut-chinson, Kansas, 60 miles northwest of Wichita. Although half the order was later canceled, Cessna and other builders were kept busy subcon-tracting for other manufacturers. In addition, Cessna designed a large twin-engine cargo air-plane, called the C-106, that was made from freely available non-strategic materials. The company received an order for 500 of these planes, but this was later canceled when the army decided to use planes from Douglas and Curtiss. Had Cessna been able to build its C-106s for the army, the company may have graduated into another class, with such manufacturers as North American, Boe-

Airmaster

Page 7: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

7

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

ing, Consolidated Vultee, Douglas, and Lockheed. In 1944 Cessna occupied 468,000 feet of factory space—nearly ten times the amount it had in 1939—and employed 6,074 workers. With the end of the war imminent, however, the company was forced to turn its attention to the inevitable evapo-ration of military orders. Futurists had long pre-dicted the emergence of family flight, describing sedan aircraft suitable for jaunts to grandma’s house, a picnic spot, and even the grocery store. These planes were to be simple, light designs that were affordable and rugged. Before the end of the war, Cessna began work on a fabric-skin model, the 190/195 series P-780. But pilots of these air sedans would first need to learn how to fly, so the company briefly shelved the P-780 to rush two small trainers, the 120 and 140, into production. The revolution in flight materialized shortly after the war, and although it never reached the propor-tions—an airplane in every garage—that futurists

had envisioned, it seemed everyone was learning to fly. Cessna built nearly 8,000 trainers by the early 1950s, but the boom was short-lived. Output of 120/140s fell from 30 per day to only five. De-mand for the 190/195—now with metal skins—and a new model, the 170, remained strong, how-ever. After the war, Cessna had established a fluid power division that manufactured hydraulic com-ponents. With limited applications in aircraft, the hydraulic products were sold mainly to manufac-turers of farm equipment, though the fluid power

group later became one of Cessna’s most profitable divisions. In 1952 Cessna purchased the Seibel Helicopter Company. This small concern flew its first helicopter in 1954, celebrating the event a year later with a demonstration landing on the summit of Pike’s Peak. The company built a YH-41 heli-copter for the U.S. Army in 1957, and by 1961 was building CH-1 Skyhook models. With declining sales, however, the business of Cessna Helicopters was wound up in 1963. Entering the Business Aircraft Market in 1954 Meanwhile, the company had begun to cultivate a new market for its winged aircraft: corporations. As executives found a greater need to travel long distances in less time, a market for business aircraft emerged.

Cessna was one of the first to exploit this opening by producing the 310, an airplane designed specifi-cally for executives in 1954.

That same year Cessna entered the jet age when it began production of T-37s. These small jets were used as trainers by the Air Force, which purchased more than 1,000 T-37s. In 1959 Cessna brought

Cessna 140

Cessna 310

T-37 “Tweety Bird”

Page 8: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

8

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

A Bit of Nostalgia Ad from June 1966

out an all-metal, 100-horsepower plane, the Model 150. This aircraft was extremely popular with flight schools and flying clubs and was singularly responsible for Cessna’s strong growth during the 1960s.

Output reached 3,000 per year by 1966. The fol-lowing year, production of the popular 150 was re-located to a facility at Strother Field in Winfield, Kansas. The 150s were again manufactured in Wichita for a brief time during 1969 when a reces-sion dried up the market, but production resumed at Winfield in 1973. With strong growth from the 150 program, Cessna began acquiring numerous companies in related fields. The company pur-chased the Aircraft Radio Corporation in 1959, and the following year took over the McCauley Com-pany, which manufactured propellers and other air-craft components. In 1960 Cessna became affiliated with SNA Max Holste, a French manufacturer located in Reims. Cessna later purchased 49 percent of the company, which changed its name to Reims Aviation. As Cessna’s agent in the European market, Reims Aviation assembled a variety of Cessna designs, principally the Model 150. Cessna upgraded its po-sition in the business market in 1965, when it intro-duced the 411, a cabin class airplane. The company also turned out its first general purpose agricultural airplane, the Ag Wagon. In 1968 Cessna began production of the A-37B twin-jet attack aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. Lear, also located in Wichita, entered the business market in the mid-1960s with a line of business

jets. As a result, Lear nearly cornered the corpo-rate market, forcing such companies as Cessna—with the broadest product line in the industry—to respond in kind. Cessna began work on its first business jet, the Citation 500, in 1969, although the first of this series was not delivered until 1972. Nevertheless, the Citation became an important source of strength for Cessna, whose private plane business had begun to fall flat. Amid financial re-verses, Cessna launched a productivity campaign and its executives—including chairman Dwane Wallace—took salary cuts. In addition, the num-ber of employees, which was 16,200 in 1974, was cut to 13,000 by 1976. The outlook for Cessna began to improve as it de-livered its 100,000th single-engine airplane in 1975 and introduced the large Titan cargo plane a year later. In 1978 the company redesigned the successful 150, re-designating it the 152. Ques-tions had begun to arise, however, about the integ-rity of Cessna’s construction. Several highly pub-licized plane crashes seemed to indicate some propwash (the force stemming from the propel-lers’ wake) problems with Cessna tail sections. According to a Wall Street Journal article, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded one model—the Conquest—in 1977 after the Na-tional Transportation Safety Board concluded that a particular crash was the result of “poor-inadequate design.” The FAA allowed the planes to return to the sky, however, after Cessna made some significant changes to the tail section. Eager to make up for lost profits on the redesign, Cessna’s chairman, Russell Meyer, who had suc-ceeded Wallace in 1975, stepped up production of Conquests and Citations, which were in demand as business planes after the energy crisis caused airline prices to skyrocket. Before long, invento-ries of crucial parts became so low that Cessna was forced to store $40 million worth of half-completed jets. In addition, the company found itself competing for an appropriate number of skilled workers with such formidable rivals as Boeing, Lear, Beech, and Piper, all located in the same area. As these problems began to take their toll, the short-term debt needed to cover Cessna’s faltering operations began to mount, and before

1959 Cessna 150

Cont’d on pg 10

Page 9: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

9

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

Aviation Fun

Answers on page 15

Page 10: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

10

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

long the company also was facing a $92 million debt crisis. Meyer’s response was to close the jet production line for several weeks while parts inventories were replenished. Stocked aircraft were completed and sold, and production was resumed at lower levels.

By 1979 Cessna was outselling Lear, and in 1980, the year Cessna’s sales topped the billion-dollar mark, Cessna achieved a record high market share of 54 percent. In an attempt to get more airplanes out of the factory, Cessna inaugurated a clever marketing scheme in 1982. Rather than try to sell its planes in a recessionary economy, Cessna of-fered leases with maintenance contracts. Compa-nies now could finance the new Citation I, II, and III business jets with money from their operating budgets, rather than purchasing them with capital funds. Although customers could cancel the leases on short notice, Cessna was allowed to depreciate the aircraft, an important tax shelter. The 1980s: New Aircraft and Ownership In 1983 Cessna sold its ARC Avionics division to the Sperry Corporation, predecessor to Unisys. In the meantime Cessna identified an important new market: fleet sales. That year Federal Express placed the first of several bulk orders for Cessna’s new Caravan turboprop utility aircraft, suitable for serving smaller metropolitan markets. With Cessna’s business increasingly dominated by cor-porate and fleet jet sales, the private plane busi-ness became an ever smaller part of the company’s

operations. Still, the flight schools Cessna had es-tablished in 1970 continued to train private pilots in great numbers.

As the company’s product liability insurance costs began to mount—annual premiums were in excess of $35 million—Cessna solicited bids from com-panies that were interested in acquiring the aircraft manufacturer. In October of 1985 General Dynam-ics, a large defense contractor, purchased Cessna for $663.7 million. Both companies stood to bene-fit from the transaction. Cessna would be able to take advantage of General Dynamics’ stable cash position, technology, and experience in contract-ing, while providing its parent company with ex-pertise in lightweight structures that could prove useful in cruise missile projects. That same year, in response to increasingly stronger competition from the used aircraft market, Cessna began a campaign to refit and upgrade older Citation jets. In 1988 Cessna sold its fluid power division to the Eaton Corporation, and the following year the company’s 40 percent interest in Reims Aviation, which had been manufacturing the Caravan, was purchased by Paris-based Com-pagnie Frangaise Chaufour Investissement. Cessna continued its production of the successful Caravan, however. Although a part of General Dynamics, Cessna was allowed to maintain managerial auton-omy. Self-insured against lawsuits, it was now also self-funded and producing a profit for its parent company, but by 1991 General Dynamics, seeking to concentrate on its core defense businesses, an-nounced its intention to sell Cessna. Textron, par-ent of Bell Helicopter, offered $600 million for Cessna. The deal was completed in January 1992 with Cessna’s autonomy intact, while Meyer con-tinued as chairman.

Citation I

Caravan

Page 11: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

11

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

The Early 1990s: Success as Part of Textron Following the company’s purchase by Textron, Cessna continued to expand its line of Citation business jets. The year 1992 saw FAA certification of the Citation VII and the entry level Citation Jet models. The following year the prototype of the Citation X, touted as the world’s fastest business jet, was unveiled. The Citation Ultra model, the successor to the Citation V, also was announced in 1993. That year the company celebrated delivery of the 2,000th Citation. Cessna also sold its McCauley Accessory Division during 1993. Production of single-engine piston aircraft had ceased for Cessna in 1986 due to the prohibitive cost of liability insurance. In 1994, as a result of lobbying by the aircraft industry, the U.S. Con-gress passed the General Aviation Revitalization Act, which established a limit of 18 years from date of manufacture on lawsuits against plane manufacturers. Cessna CEO Russ Meyer flew to Washington for the signing by President Clinton, and the company quickly announced plans to re-sume building piston aircraft. A site for a new manufacturing facility was selected in Independ-ence, Kansas, some 120 miles from Wichita, and in late 1996 the first plane rolled off the assembly line. The company revived, with minor modifica-tions and updates, its popular models 172 and 182 from the 1980s, rather than designing entirely new aircraft. Cessna continued to do well in 1996, receiving large orders for Citation Ultras from the U.S. Army and for Citation VIIs and Xs from Executive Jet of New Jersey. The latter deal, for 45 jets, was worth a record-setting $600 million. The company delivered a total of 229 airplanes during the year. The year 1997 was even better, with the company registering a 35 percent jump in sales. A total of 180 Citation series jets, 78 Caravan turboprop air-craft, and 360 new piston planes were sold, and Cessna celebrated delivery of the 2,500th Citation in September. The company’s good fortunes continued unabated in 1998 as the Citation Excel received certification

and entered production, and orders for all of Cessna’s aircraft remained strong. A total of $40 million in construction projects in Wichita were planned, comprising painting, interior installation, and warehousing facilities. In October, four new Citation models were announced. Three were variations on existing airplanes, with the Citation Sovereign to be an all-new design. By the begin-ning of 1999, the company’s backlog of orders topped $4 billion. As it prepared to enter the 21st century, Cessna re-mained the largest private aircraft manufacturer in the United States. With its line of cargo craft and advanced private jets, including the new Citation X, Cessna still offered the broadest product range in the industry. With the company’s relationship to owner Textron on solid ground, Cessna looked certain to remain America’s leading small aircraft manufacturer. The New Millennia Y2K and beyond has been good to Cessna and in piston powered aircraft the company currently of-fers a new 172, 172 Turbo, 182, 182 Turbo, 206 Turbo, and the fast low-winged TTx. Additionally Cessna produces a line of Caravans and an impres-sive array of Citation Jets. Clyde started something very special a century ago and I’d love to hear his thoughts on the success of his company, if that were possible. I’m guessing he would be pleased, and maybe a bit surprised…or maybe not at all surprised...after all, he was a visionary!

Page 12: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

12

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

A Pioneer In Aviation Amy Johnson, English aviator 1903-1941 One of the first women to gain a pilot's license, Johnson won fame when she flew solo from Brit-ain to Australia in 1930. Her dangerous flight took 17 days. Later she flew solo to India and Japan and became the first woman to fly across the At-lantic East to West, she volunteered to fly for The Women's Auxiliary Air Force in WW 2, but her plane was shot down over the River Thames and she was killed.

Page 13: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

13

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

NTSB Identification: ERA17LA071 Accident 12/19/2016 in Palm Bay, FL

Aircraft: CESSNA 150, registra-tion: N150EC

Injuries: 2 Minor. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final re-port has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this in-vestigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident re-port. On December 19, 2016, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150M, N150EC, was substantially damaged during a forced land-ing after experiencing smoke in the cockpit while maneuvering near Palm Bay, Florida. The flight instructor and a student pilot re-ceived minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight, which was con-ducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane de-parted Melbourne International Airport (MLB), Melbourne, Florida, about 1300. Both the flight instructor and the student pilot provided written statements, and their de-scriptions of the events were consistent throughout. During recovery from a simulated engine fail-

ure, both pilots first smelled and then ob-served smoke in the cockpit. The flight instruc-tor took the flight controls, selected a forced landing site, and maneuvered the airplane for landing. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear settled into low brush and soft terrain, where the airplane stopped, nosed-over, and came to rest inverted. The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single en-gine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certifi-cate with ratings for airplane single engine and instrument airplane. His Federal Aviation Ad-ministration (FAA) first-class medical certifi-cate was issued on July 25, 2013. The instruc-tor reported 309 total hours of flight experi-ence, of which 3 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The student pilot was issued a student pilot certificate and an FAA third class medical cer-tificate on May 19, 2014. She reported 75 total hours of flight experience, of which 3 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane was manufactured in 1976, and equipped with a Continental O-200-A series, 100-horsepower reciprocating engine. Accord-ing to the airplane's maintenance records, the most recent annual inspection was completed on October 31, 2016, at 5,139 total aircraft hours. At 1615, the weather reported at MLB; located 18 miles south of the accident site, included clear skies and wind from 090 degrees at 5 knots. The temperature was 27 degrees C, the dew point was 23 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 30.27 inches of mercury. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the site, and all major components were ac-counted for at the scene. Examination of the engine compartment revealed wires con-nected to the battery relay exhibited thermal

NTSB Reports Important: The Cessna 150-152 club publishes these accident reports in the hope that readers will consider the role that each pilot’s decisions played in the outcome and learn from the experiences of others. These reports are solely based on preliminary NTSB reports which may contain errors. They have been edited for clarity. They are not intended to judge or reach any definitive conclusion about the ability or capacity of any person, aircraft, or accessory.

Page 14: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

14

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

damage. The airplane was retained for further examina-tion at a later date.

NTSB Identification: CEN17WA052B Accident 12/04/2016

in Husbands Bosworth, United Kingdom Aircraft: CESSNA 150

Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Uninjured. The foreign authority was the source of this in-formation. On December 4, 2016, about 1230 coordi-nated universal time, a PZL Bielsko SZD-51-1 glider, G-CSFT, and a Cessna 150L airplane, G-CSFC, collided in midair near Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, United Kingdom. The glider impacted terrain and the pilot was fatally injured. The airplane sustained sub-stantial damage and landed at a nearby air-port.

NTSB Identification: ERA17LA045 Accident 11/14/2016 in Snow Hill, NC

Aircraft: CESSNA 150, : N23473 Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final re-port has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this inves-tigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident re-port. On November 14, 2016, about 0530 eastern standard time, a privately owned and operated Cessna 150H, N23473, nosed over during a forced landing in a field near Snow Hill, North Carolina. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured, and the airplane was sub-stantially damaged. Visual meteorological con-ditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was con-ducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight origi-nated about 30 minutes earlier from Raleigh East Airport (W17), Knightdale, North Caro-lina, and was destined for Kinston Regional

Jetport (ISO), Kinston, North Carolina. During an interview with a Federal Aviation Ad-ministration inspector, the pilot stated that dur-ing cruise flight at 3,000 ft mean sea level, the engine suddenly lost total power. He maneu-vered for a forced landing in a field, and while the propeller continued to windmill. After the nose landing gear contacted the ground, the airplane nosed over. The airplane was recov-ered for further examination of the engine.

NTSB Identification: ERA17LA044 Accident 11/13/2016 in Miami, FL Aircraft: CESSNA 152, : N94292

Injuries: 2 Uninjured. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final re-port has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investi-gation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. On November 13, 2016, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N94292, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Mi-ami, Florida. The private pilots were not in-jured. Visual meteorological conditions pre-vailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the instructional flight operated by Dean International, Inc., which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Fed-eral Regulations Part 91.The flight originated at Lakeland Linder Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Florida about 1220, and was destined for Mi-ami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami, Florida. Each pilot provided a written statement, and both statements were consistent throughout. The pilots described the flight as a "buddy" flight, the purpose of which was to build flight time for each. The airplane was in cruise flight over the Ever-glades about 2,000 feet when the crew noted some engine "roughness." They noted that the engine oil temperature was "normal" but the

Page 15: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

15

Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

engine oil pressure indication was "low." The pilot on the controls turned the airplane to-wards the nearest airport, which was 18 miles from its position at that time. Approxi-mately 1 minute later, the engine stopped producing power, and the crew selected a road for the forced landing. During the de-scent, an engine restart was attempted and was unsuccessful. The airplane touched down prior to the road on soft, wet ground, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The pilots egressed the air-plane uninjured. The first pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent first-class medical certificate was issued on September 8, 2015. The pilot reported 212.5 total hours of flight experience, all of which were in the accident airplane make and model. The second pilot held a private pilot certifi-cate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent first-class medical cer-tificate was issued on July 11, 2016. The pi-lot reported 128.3 total hours of flight experi-ence, all of which were in the accident air-plane make and model. The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing air-plane was manufactured in 1982 and was equipped with a Lycoming O-235 series en-gine. Its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed November 3, 2016 at 10,955 total aircraft hours, and the airplane had ac-crued 52 hours since that date. An engine overhaul was completed 246 aircraft hours prior to the accident. During recovery of the airplane, large cracks were noted in the engine crankcase in the vi-cinity of the number 2 cylinder. The air-plane's engine was retained for further examination.

They don't sell tickets, they sell chances. All the insurance machines in the terminal are sold out. Before the flight, the passengers get together and elect a pilot. If you kiss the wing for luck before boarding, it kisses you back. You cannot board the plane unless you have the exact change. Before you took off, the stewardess tells you to fasten your Velcro. The Captain asks all the passengers to chip in a little for gas. When they pull the steps away, the plane starts rocking. The Captain yells at the ground crew to get the cows off the runway. You ask the Captain how often their planes crash and he says, “Just once.” Your life keeps flashing before your eyes. You see a man with a gun, but he's demand-ing to be let off the plane. All the planes have both a bathroom and a chapel.

You'll Know It's a No-Frills Airline If

Across 3 Mayday 4 AvGas 6 Green 7 Speed 9 Indicated 14 Noise 15 Class G 16 Graf 18 Altitude

Down 1 Traffic 2 Ramp 5 Leading 8 Ditch 10 Dependent 11 Track 12 Ferry 13 Russia 17 ZULU 19 Logbook

PUZZLE

ANSWERS

Page 16: Cessna 150-152 Pilot · 11/3/2016  · Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s

Periodicals Postage PAID

Medford, OR 97501 USPS 721970

The Cessna 150-152 Club PO Box 5298 Central Point, OR 97502

Military Humor