We’ve focused on deals under $100K for our Bargain Buys series so far, but we could not resist checking out the 1979 Cessna Skylane RG that popped up on the listings this week. You just don’t see many 182s going for less that $150,000, so we thought we’d take a closer look. 

The combination of utility and every-pilot-can-fly-this-ness of the 182 series makes it perennially popular, and this 182RG is no exception. The owner has had this model since 2005, and they have upgraded to a Cessna P210, which provides a little more speed and altitude capability. Nevertheless less, the 182RG for sale has 4,680 hours on the airframe, and a good IFR package in the panel. 

So why is it on sale for $125,000? It’s been flown well past TBO on the engine (3,256 hours!) so you will probably need to budget for a new one. That will add roughly $60K to $75K for a new Lycoming O-540 powerplant unless you go for a less expensive option. It also has a bit of damage history, a gear-up landing in 1984 that is accounted for in the airframe and engine logs.

But for the right buyer, this could be a reasonable way into Skylane ownership.

READ MORE: Why the Cessna 182 Skylane Is a Top Used Plane

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1965 American Champion 7ECA Citabria

It just looks like fun sitting there on the ramp. The Citabria (that’s “airbatic” spelled backwards) speaks to pilots who want to test out their skills in aerobatic flying, or just have fun flying low and slow with friends into grass strips. American Champion is still making the series, but the original offers up a good deal for the right pilot.

This 1965 Citabria comes with its last Poly-Fiber recovering accomplished in 2002-2004, with rebuilt wings and a new wood spar in 2004 as well. The aircraft has 1,173 hours on it, with the Continental O-200 clocking 837 hours since major overhaul. The seller says it’s flown 48 hours in the last 6 months, making it far from a hangar queen. It has a uAvionix skyBeacon for ADS-B compliance.

For an asking price of $45,000, this Visalia, California-based tailwheel star can be yours.

READ MORE: American Champion Citabria, Super Decathlon, Scout

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Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

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1979 Beechcraft Skipper

The 1970s boomed in general aviation, and each of the major manufacturers—Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft—jumped in with a two-seat training aircraft that echoed their house style. While Piper had the Tomahawk, and Cessna the 150, Beech made a stately entry with the BE-77 Skipper.

The Skipper was set up for both private and instrument instruction with a reasonable panel at the time. This California-based 1979 model hasn’t seen much additionally since those days, though it does have a SkyBeacon for ADS-B compliance. The Skipper has 2,370 hours on the airframe and 250 hours since its major overhaul in June 2023, when the annual was also completed.

We’ve rated it a fair deal in our PlanePrice beta test at $69,500.

READ MORE: Beechcraft Skipper

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

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Cessna introduced the follow on to its 206 with the 210 in 1960, retaining the struts of its predecessor to make it instantly discernible from its later strutless brethren on the ramp. The early models retained the IO-470 engine at 260 hp, but with plenty of oomph to perform well in a variety of missions.

This classic 210 comes with only 119 hours SMOH on its engine, but stands ready for a panel upgrade, befitting its bargain status. Based in Placerville, California, the 210 has 5,086 hours on it, and 1,076 pound of useful load to work with.

Rated a good deal, it’s priced at $74,500.

READ MORE: Cessna 210 Centurion

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

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1959 Piper PA-22

While not the Tri-Pacer noted in the heading of the listing (that would be for the tricycle-gear version), this Piper PA-22 offers low-cost tailwheel fun for the pilot attracted to its sunny personality and approachability. With 3,381 hours on the airframe and a high-time engine, it’s ready for some attention, though compressions are reported to remain in the 70s.

In the instrument panel, there’s a BendixKing KY-97A VHF com radio, KN-53 VHF nav unit, and KT-76A transponder, plus an EGT gauge. The annual was last completed in June 2023. The aircraft paint is in good condition, as is the interior, according to the seller. Another plus? A spin-on oil filter has been installed, along with new bungees in 2023.

READ MORE: 1952 Piper PA-20 Pacer

It’s priced now as a good deal at $39,900, and based in Oregon.

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1959 Piper PA-22-150 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

1962 Mooney M20C Ranger

The classic Mooney M20 series was still in its early days when this Ranger rolled off the line in Kerrville, Texas. Many pilots of the era appreciated its combination of speed and efficiency, and these initial models weren’t stuffed with a ton of extras, leaving an owner today with good options for restoration. 

In the case of this Mooney M20C, you have 980 pounds useful load to work with. With 3,740 hours on the airframe, it’s not particularly high time, though the Lycoming O-360-A1D engine is past mid-time, you probably still have a couple years of flying before you might need to address it, though it was hung in 1982. The panel is vintage Narco, but this Ranger has been updated to ADS-B Out with a uAvionix tailBeacon.

READ MORE: The Marvelous Mooney M20

It’s priced to move at $52,000, from its current home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

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1959 Cessna 310C

The current owner says it well: “The 1959 Cessna 310 airframe embodies the enduring legacy of the Cessna 310 series, known for its robust construction and reliable performance. With its classic design and sturdy build, this airframe continues to capture the essence of aviation history, appealing to enthusiasts and collectors alike.”

This particular 310 has mid-time engines matched at 1,219 hours a side since major overhaul, and an Aspen Pro 1000C up front along with a Garmin GNS 530W. With a total airframe time of 3,841, it’s open for a twin pilot ready to take on the shepherding of a vintage airplane, 

And with the recent price drop to $69,900, it’s priced to move.

READ MORE: Cessna 310

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

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1979 Cessna 172G Cutlass

The common line in aircraft design remains: To get more speed out of an airframe, one way is to tuck up the gear. Cessna gained about 5 to 10 knots on its popular Skyhawk model when it installed its uniquely folding retractable gear and created the Cutlass. Once the darling of flight school flight lines, these 172RGs are now hitting a relatively soft market as training operations no longer need them for the complex portion of a commercial pilot certificate.

This good deal is running about $20,000 less than the average for the model, with high airframe hours (7,372) but a mid-time Lycoming O-360 180-hp engine at 660 hours since major overhaul.

At $99,900, the panel is ready for upgrades, with a Garmin GMA 340 audio panel and uAvionix SkyBeacon ADS-B Out to comply with that mandate.

READ MORE: Organize Your Flight Like a Pro

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there. 

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

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1958 Beechcraft J35 Bonanza

It’s easy to drop a lot of change on one of the most popular single-engine models ever built, but every once in a while an early version of the Beech Bonanza comes up on the market.

This 1958 J35 model has the striking V-tail, with an average amount of total time on the airframe (4,821) for its age. The insight into the price? A relatively high-time Continental IO-470 engine, with 1,747 hours since last overhaul, and an annual due in June. 

But for $52,900, you can budget a certain amount for the future engine update, as well as a few items picked up during the annual or pre-buy inspection.

READ MORE: Plane Facts: Beech Bonanzas

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Like so many others, my journey toward a career in aviation began in the left seat of a shiny, polished, aluminum-and-red 1959 Cessna 150. N5709E was the prize possession of the Virginia Tech aviation department and carried me and my friends on our first flights, first solos, and private pilot check rides, and then on to a career in military or commercial aviation. We were not alone. The Cessna 150 taught the post-1950s world to fly. So, how did this remarkable little airplane come to be such a success?

Those pilots who subscribe to the axiom “never fly the A model of anything” will be pleased to know the first model of this small but sturdy aircraft was simply the Cessna 150. Spanning the 1959 and 1960 model years, the original was an extensive update of the successful Cessna 120/140 line. Cessna 140 production had ended in 1951 as the postwar aviation boom flagged. However, by the end of the decade, the training market was beginning to heat up, and Cessna decided to get into the game.

The Cessna 150 prototype squared off the wingtips and tail surfaces of the 140, featured a straight, windowless tail cone, manual 40-degree Fowler flaps, and most important for the training market, tricycle landing gear. The systems were simple and even a bit rudimentary. The stout little Continental O-200A, 100 hp four-banger was started by pulling on a shiny “T” handle at the top of the minimal instrument panel. The handle tugged a cable that engaged the starter. Venturis powered the basic vacuum system, and the generator was driven directly off the accessory drive, eliminating the need for a drive belt.

Of the first Cessna 150 model, 683 were produced in 1959 to ’60, and they are, by most accounts, the lightest, fastest and, many will say, most fun to fly. Three models were offered—the standard, trainer, and intercity commuter. The latter added luxuries such as a vacuum pump, attitude indicator, and rotating beacon. The major shortfall of the tiny Cessna was its narrow cabin. Advertisements of the time usually featured what appeared to be 7/8-scale pilots and passengers sitting happily side by side with their luggage neatly behind the seats. In reality, two standard FAA 170-pound occupants would find the cockpit a bit cramped, and extensive crew coordination was often required for simple acts such as putting on a jacket.

However, none of this really matters because the Cessna 150 remains to this day a delight to fly. It cruises at 90 mph (78 knots), stalls at 47 mph (41 knots), and the manually actuated, 40-degree flaps allow for very precise short-field performance. Its 22.5-gallon fuel tanks and 6-gallon-per-hour fuel consumption allow for a realistic no-reserve range near 300 nm. Control forces are light and visibility is good, as long as a wing is lifted before each turn, and the spring steel “Land-O-Matic” main landing gear forgives the wide variety of student pilot landings. To top it off, the secret to the longevity of the Cessna 150 was its ability to be upgraded, modernized, and adapted to the needs of newer generations of pilots.

The Cessna 150A, introduced in 1961, increased the size of the rear side windows and moved the main landing gear legs rearward by 2 inches. This counteracted the original’s disturbing habit of settling on its tail.

The next big upgrade occurred in 1964. The Cessna 150D model introduced the ubiquitous “Omni-Vision” rear window. Both the 1964 D model and 1965 E model combined the manually activated 40-degree flaps and the straight vertical tail from the earlier models, making them a favorite of the National Intercollegiate Flight Association’s (NIFA) annual precision landing competition. By 1965, the F Model introduced a 35-degree swept vertical tail, electric flaps, and a list of aerodynamic improvements, including a standard spinner in all models.

One of the most welcome additions arrived in 1967 with the 150G model’s curved entry doors, which provided an additional 3 inches of cabin width. Not to be outdone, the 1970 model heralded the introduction of the Cessna 150K Aerobat. The Aerobat—with its six positive and three negative G limits, shoulder harnesses, distinctive checkerboard paint, and dual skylights—was an instant hit. Still powered by the 100 hp Continental O-200A, the Aerobat is no Pitts Special or Extra 300, but it provides a great platform for basic aerobatic training, and spin and upset recovery, as well as energy management training.

The Cessna 150 proved to be an international success too. Nearly 2,000 Cessna 150 models were constructed in Reims, France. While these aircraft usually mirrored their stateside models, many featured the Rolls-Royce-built Continental O-240 variant that increased horsepower by 30 percent.

The Cessna 150 enjoys many aftermarket modifications to the Cessna 150. At least two supplemental type certificates (STCs) allow for the installation of the Lycoming O-320 or O-360 in place of the original Continental. This mod increases fuel consumption and reduces range significantly, but it dramatically increases performance at high and hot airports. And in a return to its Cessna 120/140 roots, the “Texas Taildragger” conversion puts the Cessna 150 back on conventional gear, providing the added benefit of reduced drag and weight associated with the removal of the nose landing gear.

By 1977, the final year of Cessna 150 production, the reduced availability of 80 octane fuel and a nearly 150-pound empty weight increase over the original Cessna 150 necessitated a change to the Lycoming O-235. Designated the Cessna 152, power increased modestly to 108 hp and, because of concerns about full-flap go-arounds, the electric flaps were limited to 30 degrees. Approximately 7,500 Cessna 152s were produced in the U.S. and France during its 10-year production run that ended in 1988.

When production halted, the company had built 31,471 Cessna 150/152s, placing the 150 in fifth on the list of most produced aircraft, just behind the entire Piper PA-28 line and just ahead of the Cessna 182. As to that original question—“Why not just restart the production line?”—you will have to ask Cessna. It may be increased production costs, an effort to avoid clashing with its incredibly successful Cessna 172 (the most produced airplane in the world), or competition from the growing LSA market, just to name a few. In any event, the Cessna 150 stands out as the definitive two-seat trainer of its time with nearly 23,000 registered around the world.

Oh, and how about N5709E? Lovingly restored to its 1959 livery, it is still on the active rolls and can be seen flying to various events where classics are appreciated. So, next time you talk to your pilot friends, ask them about their first airplane. You might be surprised how many got their start in the sturdy Cessna 150. 

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

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