Cessna 150
16 models built 1959–1977 · 8,225 on the US register today
The two-seat trainer Cessna built from 1959 to 1977 to teach people to fly at the lowest possible cost per hour: small, slow, forgiving and nearly impossible to hurt yourself in. The letter suffix is the model year and the changes were incremental: the swept tail arrived with the 150F (1966), the cut-down rear fuselage and Omni-Vision window with the 150D (1964), tubular gear legs with the 150L (1971) and the taller fin with the 150M (1975). The A150 Aerobat variants (1970-77) are strengthened aircraft certified for limited aerobatics. All share type certificate 3A19 with the 152 that replaced it.
The variants
| MODEL | YEARS | ACTIVE | TAILFAX SCORE | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 1959 | 387 | 32.5/50 | The original, straight tail and fastback fuselage |
| 150A | 1961 | 122 | Partial 18.7/30 | Larger rear windows; main wheels moved aft |
| 150B | 1962 | 111 | Partial 21.3/30 | New propeller, fibreglass wingtips |
| 150C | 1963 | 166 | Partial 19.9/30 | Fuel strainer quick drain; optional larger tyres |
| 150D | 1964 | 259 | 37.9/50 | Cut-down rear fuselage with Omni-Vision window; 1,600 lb gross |
| 150E | 1965 | 304 | 33.9/50 | Minor changes |
| 150F | 1966 | 1,062 | 38/50 | Swept tail, wider doors, electric flaps |
| 150G | 1967 | 978 | 36.2/50 | Bowed-out doors for a wider cabin; 60 A alternator |
| 150H | 1968 | 755 | 34.7/50 | Strut speed fairings; three-position flap switch |
| 150J | 1969 | 659 | 40.4/50 | Basic-T instrument panel, rocker switches, key starter |
| 150K | 1969–1970 | 304 | 28.9/50 | Split master switch; ground-adjustable rudder trim |
| A150K | 1970 | 72 | Partial 14.2/30 | Aerobat: airframe certified for limited aerobatics (+6/-3 g) |
| 150L | 1971–1974 | 1,448 | 37.1/50 | Tubular steel gear legs; longer dorsal fin |
| A150L | 1971–1974 | 80 | Partial 16.3/30 | Aerobat on the 150L airframe |
| 150M | 1975–1977 | 1,438 | 38.6/50 | Taller, narrower vertical tail; Commuter II model |
| A150M | 1975–1977 | 80 | Partial 16.3/30 | Aerobat on the 150M airframe; pre-select flaps in 1977 |
Family fleet, active
8,225
FAA registry
NTSB events / 1,000, 10 yrs
31.4
258 events over 8,225 active aircraft, pooled across the family
Successor
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · scores Sep 30