Its amazing that I have gone 9 years of flying without logging a single Cessna 150 hour…. that is until recently. The flight school that I work for used to have 2 Cessna 172s. One is a 2003 SP model and the other was a leaseback of a 1973 M model.
Well, come last week, I report to work as usual only to find that C172M has been pulled off the flight line. There are two sides to every story, but it seems there was a bit of a crap flung by both sides, flightschool and owner stating that the other was delinquint and at fault in some way.
This has really caused problems for us lately. Our fleet was reduced down to a single airplane, the SP model. We fly the #$% out of that poor airplane. I mean, that is what it is designed to do, but the damn thing really needs to be grounded for a day or two and washed and given a little bit of TLC.
Anyway, shortly after the 172M was pulled off the line, the owner of the flightschool was able to negotiate a leaseback agreement on a Cessna 150K. After a few days of having the airplane looked over by our in-house mechanic, its now on the line and ready to go in all its squatty glory. Being 6’5″ tall, me and Cessna 150′s just weren’t meant for each other. But, it goes UP, and keeps the hours flowing in and the money as well.
So, I jumped into this thing the other day having never flown a C150 in my life (save for when I was 13 years old when I flew /w my father, long before I logged my first hour) and took off into the wild blue yonder solo. I flew it over to BKV, as I am very familiar with that airport. I had to pee by this time (150′s are SLOW), so I decided to land and taxi over to where my family has a hangar. I shut down the motor, proceed to answer nature’s call, and head back to the plane and try to crank it up….. no go. The battery is too weak. I call our school mechanic and he proceeds to tell me that the battery needs to be replaced and to go ask someone to prop it. To make a long story short, American Aviation based at BKV SUCKS!!!!.
I mentioned my family has a hangar there. So I pulled the battery out of the airplane with no tools at all. I carried it to a battery tender we have in the hangar (lucky I had my key) and hook the battery (a GIL-25) to the tender. I let it charge for about 20 minutes, then put it back into the plane and this thing started on a prayer, but it did start, barely. So after an hour and a half I am putting along back towards home base at all of 90 knots towards a student who’s been waiting for me for going on an hour now.
I got back, flew with the student in our SP, then jumped back into the 150 for some more solo work. I shot 4 perfect landings and called it a day. So I went from 0 to a little over 2 hours in a Cessna 150 that day.
Today marked my first dual lesson in a Cessna 150 EVER and as of this moment I’ve got a little over 4 hours in the little Cessna 150.
Perhaps a topic for another post – right now our 172SP is stuck in Keywest with a busted starter. As for all my students that were scheduled in it this weekend, well I guess I get to build more time in the 150 this weekend. I think through flying the 150 and ground school, I can keep my personal income on par.
The SP is due back on Monday – at least that is the current plan. I am hoping to be a part of the pick up process. I’d love to fly to EYW on Monday. I could log another 6 hours or so that day – that is what it is all about right now. I am keeping my fingers crossed. There is a chance that a couple of the other guys will do it though, but I am hoping I can help. I NEED HOURS!!! LOTS OF THEM!!!
I am a bit concerned because I don’t think the finances of the flightschool are going that well. With the cancellation of the lease on the 172M and the money that is going to be spent on the SP to get it fixed and back home – I just don’t know. I am a pretty smart guy and I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting to boot…. I think things are pretty tough right now at the flight school, financially. The owner tries to keep me in the dark about it, but I pick up on things. As of today, I am due my paycheck. I am going to hound the owner for it on Monday. Outside of my paychecks and proper maintenance on the airplanes, I don’t really care about the details of the school’s finances. “Show me the money” and I’ll keep smiling. I often go out of my way to contact students and get them on the schedule. My concern is to bring in and keep business. What benefits me in terms of logged hours and bigger paychecks, also benefits the flight school of course. As to what happens to the money that is left over after my check is paid, I don’t honestly care that much – its not my business to run. If the owner ever calls upon my services along that line, we’ll negotiate something.
I haven’t figured out yet whether I am on a sinking ship or not. If so, should I step in? or is it not my place? If I am, I hope it stays afloat long enough for me to build the time I need and get the hell out.
I’ll keep you informed….