Cessna (Textron Aviation)
150 / 152
Single-engine piston · Primary trainer · Pre-1980 classic
discontinued
- Power
- 110 hp
- Cruise
- 107 kt
- MTOW
- 1,670 lb
- Range
- 415 nm
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas
🇺🇸Specs shown in Imperial.
Performance
- Cruise speed (Vc)107 kt
- Never-exceed speed (Vne)149 kt
- Stall (landing config) (Vs0)35 kt
- Climb rate715 fpm
- Service ceiling14,700 ft
- Range415 nm
- Endurance4 h
- Takeoff roll1,340 ft
- Landing roll1,200 ft
Weights
- MTOW1,670 lb
- Empty weight1,118 lb
- Useful load552 lb
- Baggage capacity120 lb
Dimensions
- Wingspan33.3 ft
- Length24.1 ft
- Height8.5 ft
- Cabin width39 in
Powerplant
- EngineLycoming O-235-L2C — 110 hp · 100LL · 6 gph
- Total horsepower110 hp
- Primary fuel100LL avgas
- Unleaded pathLeaded only — needs G100UL or engine swap
Cockpit & avionics
- Cockpit typeanalog
- Autopilot commonly availableNo
- Typical packages
- Six-pack analog with single nav/com— as-delivered 1977–1985
- Garmin G5 / GFC 500 retrofits— common modern retrofit
- Training note
Almost universally analog cockpits as delivered. The 152 sees frequent Garmin G5 / GFC 500 and ADS-B retrofits at active flying clubs.
Certification
- RegulatoryFAR Part 23 (CAR 3 origin)
- Certified rolesNormal category · Utility category · Aerobatic category (A150 / A152 only)
- IFRNo
- Spin approvedYes
- Aerobatic-categoryNo
- TailwheelNo
- Complex (FAR 61.31)No
- High-performance (FAR 61.31)No
Why is the 150 / 152 popular?
Structured popularity-driver evidence. Each axis below carries one factual statement; we don't grade, the facts speak.
Production volume
Approximately 31,000 Cessna 150 and 152 airframes were built between 1958 and 1985 — second only to the 172 in Cessna piston production.
Operating economics
Lycoming O-235-L2C burns 100LL at roughly 6 gph in cruise; acquisition cost between $25,000 and $75,000 makes the 152 the cheapest two-seat ab-initio platform on the FAA registry today.
Parts and MRO ecosystem
Type-club support through the Cessna 150–152 Club and Cessna Owner Organization keeps a parts and maintenance ecosystem alive nearly four decades after production ended in 1985.
Pedagogy and handling
Approved for intentional spins in the Utility category; A150 / A152 Aerobat variants extend approval to limited aerobatic manoeuvres, supporting departure-from-controlled-flight training in the same airframe family used for primary instruction.
Industry network effects
Workhorse two-seat ab-initio trainer at US flying clubs, small Part 61 schools, and a subset of Part 141 schools; CFI familiarity is universal.
Before you buy more aircraft
The next airframe is rarely the highest-leverage move.
Flight school revenue is a function of three things — utilisation, dispatch reliability, and student progression — that multiply rather than add. Most schools running below 850 hours per aircraft per year have hidden capacity worth more than the next purchase, already paid for and sitting on the ramp.
Read: Why buying more aircraft probably won't grow your schoolHow flight schools track this aircraft in Aviatize
Most schools running 152s in Aviatize configure them as low-cost ab-initio airframes paired with a 172 or PA-28 for the four-seat / cross-country / IFR portion of the syllabus. Engine reserve typically tracked against the Lycoming O-235 1,800-hour TBO. Useful-load constraints often modelled as a per-booking validation rule that warns when student + instructor + planned fuel exceed the envelope.
Editorial confidence
2 primary sources cited. Spec data is partially attributed; some operating details are editorial synthesis pending additional research.
Sources
Primary sources are POH / TCDS / manufacturer pages; derived sources record where Aviatize editorial synthesis is layered on top.
- Primary sourceFAA TCDS·Retrieved 2026-05-05
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/3A19FAA TCDS 3A19 covers 150 and 152 variants.
- Primary sourceType Club·Retrieved 2026-05-05
Cessna Owner Organization
https://www.cessnaowner.org/Cessna Owner Organization.
- Editorial synthesisAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-05
Aviatize editorial
Entry authored by Aviatize from accumulated industry knowledge cross-referenced against the primary sources cited above. Specific fleet figures, fleet wins, and recent production status changes are research-backlog candidates and should be verified against primary sources before flipping verified: true.