Aircraft model
CESSNA A150L
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Aerobat built on the 150L airframe, from the years when the tubular spring-steel landing gear gave the 150 its wider track and better ground manners. It is certified for basic aerobatics with the strengthened structure, quick-release doors, four-point harnesses and g-meter that distinguish every Aerobat.
This is the most numerous Aerobat generation and the easiest to find. It is used for introductory aerobatic instruction and spin training, and it is the cheapest legal way to do either. The 100 hp engine means manoeuvres are flown on momentum rather than power, so entry speeds matter. Aerobatic airframes accumulate fatigue faster than touring ones, so logbooks and any record of over-g events matter more than usual. Otherwise it is a standard 150L, cheap to run and supported everywhere.
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Put CESSNA A150L side by side with up to two other models.
- CESSNA A150L
What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental O-200-A |
| Horsepower | 100 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1971 |
| Production end | 1974 |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 100 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 330 nm |
| Service ceiling | 12,650 ft |
| Climb rate | 670 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 42 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,385 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,075 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 525 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 390 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,600 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,075 lb |
| Usable fuel | 22.5 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 5.6 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $35,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $90,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,800 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $24,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $34,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 203 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 80 |
| Median year built | 1973.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 2 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 37.5 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 25 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 12 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 15 · thin base (low)3 |
| Airworthiness directives | 4 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 80 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 80 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 80 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 8.9 of 103 |
| Support | 5 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 2.5 of 105 |
- Accident record: class median 29.1 · 174 models in class.
- Severity: class median 9.09.
- Access: class median 974.
- Support: class median 81.
- Liquidity: class median 20.47.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.