AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2014 - 71

eventually stalls. The stall warning goes off
about 10 knots before airflow over the wing
separates at 40 KIAS. With flaps down, the
power-on stall comes at 35 KIAS.
Steep turns at 60 degrees of bank and
full power are level at 95 KIAS. Chandelles
are crisp and fun and result in altitude
gains of just 500 feet at maximum effort.
Lazy eights are similarly enjoyable, and
small, with the highest point just 400 feet
above the lowest.
The ailerons are crisp and taut, and
slightly heavier than the elevator and
rudder. The seating position feels odd
with my feet so close together and left
calf resting against the bulkhead. All of
these observations seem like rediscovering something I should have remembered.
But when I learned to fly decades ago in
a similar airplane, I had no frame of
reference. The open vents provide plenty
of air flow, even on a humid summer
afternoon.
The colorful moving-map GPS showing
FIS-B weather is a quantum leap from the
single, cantankerous, vacuum-tube VOR I
remember, and the Garmin GTR 225 radio

provides audio clarity I wouldn't have
thought possible back then.
In the landing pattern, there's a slight
nose-up moment when the electric flaps
fully deploy to 30 degrees, a smidge of
power holds the VASI glideslope at 60
KIAS, and the airplane touches down
without any drama on the mains. On
the next circuit, I try one of my former
instructor's favorite forms of precision
punishment: holding exactly 60 knots
on climb-out, crosswind, downwind, and
final. The obedient airplane makes this
once-taxing exercise a breeze.
I feel like a hand in a glove by the time
I taxi back to the ramp and shut down,
even though the entire flight added just
0.5 hours to the tally on the Hobbs meter.
This little airplane packs a lot of action,
and enjoyment, in only five gallons of
avgas per hour.
It's not going to be easy for a 35-yearold design like the Cessna 152 to compete
against newer aircraft made from modern materials with glass-panel avionics,
but don't count them out. This first batch
of tough, proven, and resilient trainers to

emerge from the Aviat factory will have a
conspicuous presence at aviation events
around the country, and they're likely to
be followed by many more. And when
pilots of my generation see these beautifully restored trainers, they'll feel an
immediate attachment to them, they'll
want to fly them, and they'll want their
sons and daughters to do the same. AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

MEMORIES RUSH BACK to pilots
who learned in Cessna 150s
or 152s, and flying one after a
long absence likely will remind
you of the formative flying
experiences you haven't
thought of in a very long
time-send us your recollections (pilot@aopa.org). The
airplane's flying characteristics
are as forgiving, revealing, and
enjoyable as ever. With some
skillful attention, these
still-plentiful airframes can be
restored and help shape
another generation of pilots.
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2014

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